The Thing About my Hair

There was a contest on Indiblogger a few weeks back, where you had to write about hair. A lot of bloggers did. I wanted to as well, but the words never come when the following needs to happen:

1. It's the last 15 minutes of an exam and I've finally managed to remember the stuff I crammed into my head the night before, and I have to puke everything on to the paper at break neck speed.
2. When someone in the family says that I write well, so I should sit down and compose something for the Hindu Open Page.
3. As a kid, when my mom would nag me to write about "My Picnic" or "My Day at the Zoo" the very same evening. 
4. When I have to write something for a contest.

So there, my muse is so co-operative that she gives me something to write about hair, weeks after it is due for the contest.

Anyway, getting down to the business of my hair, I had a problem with it. A huge one. I kept losing it. At regular intervals, in huge chunks. Until one day, the problem was miraculously fixed. By the silliest, most simplest of solutions. So simple, that it hardly even counts as a solution. For those of you unfortunate souls who are in a similar predicament, I totally empathize with your situation. I will provide you with the knowledge of my secret shortly, once I am done ranting some more.

So yes, the hair. It fell a lot. Everytime I pulled my scrunchie out, it was accompanied by several black strands. Anywhere I sat with my hair untied, I left my mark by scattering a few on the ground below. Playing holi was a nightmare for me, as was getting into a pool. Because water made my hair even weaker. When it was wet, the strands would come off with doubled enthusiasm.

Remember those old shampoo ads in the 80s and 90s where the lady washes her hair with soap and is horrified to find a bunch of hair floating in the drain? Gross! But that was precisely what I was going through. The period just after my wedding when I was a new member of my Inlaw’s household was deeply embarassing for me. While they were pretty sweet to me even when they discovered that their new kodalu (bahu, DIL, whatever) shed like a dog, I was mortified that they might be secretly disgusted by my hair’s presence everywhere. I was always searching the floors and bed and couch for strands of hair, like Sherlock Holmes looking for clues.

And so, I suffered. I tried everything. From washing my hair with soap-nuts, to special ayurvedic concoctions, from hibiscus hair masks, to curd and  methi powder mashed into a pulp of vomit-like appearance. Nothing worked. Not a thing.

And then, one day, it was fixed. Just like that. The solution was so darned simple, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought about it before. It was the silliest of things, and I’m actually slightly embarassed to share it here. But I will. Don’t judge me. Or judge me, whatever, it’s fine. Here goes.

I began to comb my hair.

Yep, that’s all I did. Honest. I just started to comb my hair. I mean, I did do it before, but it was always hurried. Like, the cab’s-here-and-I-have-to-get-to-work-so-I’m-just-going-to-run-this-comb-through-my-hair-long-enough-to-make-it-look-neat kinda comb. It was probably not a very nice habit, I admit. But I was always too busy for my hair. The only time I used to properly comb it out was before I washed it. Which apparently wasn’t enough. Needless to say, my hair was always tangled underneath, and that seems to be what was causing it to fall.

My poor hair. All it needed was some attention. Now I comb it out properly, at least twice a day. Remember Gwen from Malory Towers who brushed her hair a 100 times before bed? I do just that. Well, I don’t really count. But I keep combing, even long after the tangles are gone. I smooth it out with my fingers. And then comb it some more.

I guess my hair is one big attention-seeker. Now it refuses to leave me!

How do you pay attention to your hair? Do share your secrets in the comments below!

~ Sumitra