Sunday, November 11, 2007

To curl, or not to curl....that is the question

It has been quite a process over the years of my short life to come to a place where I embrace and love my curly hair rather than fight it. I can remember the feeling of dread when my mom would take me to the hairdresser for yet another embarrassing cut. I don't blame her at all, my hair was completely unmanageable. We would often pop the electrical breakers trying to blow-dry it, i used to complain when she would pull it tight into ponytails and brush out the numerous knots. I also had many years of taming the wild curls into a neat and orderly bun for ballet class with hairpins dug into my scalp and lots of dippity-doo gel to hold the strays down!

My childhood school pictures are quite entertaining, there is the 'pyramid-head' look, the short 'clown-hair', the 'poodle-bangs', and others I can't think of right now. I have the pictures of that somewhere.......

The clown hair was particularly memorable. I think my mom got fed up with dealing with my hair and determined to cut it short....real short. That night, I ran up to the bathroom and put a showercap on and wrapped a towel on top of that. I wouldn't take it off all night, for my parents or the babysitters later on!

I remember being teased in junior high for the poodle bangs. You know, what happens with curly hair when you cut it short, it poofs up. Well, I wanted bangs and bangs I had. Just like a poodle. When I would wear a ponytail with the bangs, one kid in school would call me 'the pump', like the popular sneakers at the time where you pump them full of air. He would grab the bangs and pretend to pump them to pump up my ponytail (which was also puffy and curly).

All things being said, having grown up with the last name of "Wiener", these little teases and mortifications were no big deal.

A few years ago, my mom brought me a copy of a book called "Curly Girl". This book has changed my life. I learned how to care for my curls. What makes them curly and stay curly, rather than a frizzball mess (or, if I recall my mom's phrase - a rat's nest). Once I got into the book, the next step was to go to the salon, Devachan Salon, in SoHo. What an amazing place! Filled with curly hair'd people cutting, styling and receiving. I got lessons on every step of my shower and hair care process and since then, I love my curls. I LOVE MY CURLS! and I love them in all climates, weathers, and states.

This brings me to my adventure in the mall the other day. Which, by the way, not to go off topic, I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS UP ALREADY!!!!!! WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO????

Okay, better now.

Where was I? Oh yes, you know how they have those stands in the middle of the mall with really annoying people trying to sell you things, lotions, makeup, dead sea moisturizer, etc? Well before the blink of an eye, these guys had me sitting in a chair in front a mirror while they talk to me about my curly hair. I guess I am sucker to learn about any new product that I can use that follows my strict curly girl guidelines. Next thing you know, they have picked out a section of my hair, clipped the rest aside and had their 'new' ionizing/steaming flat iron straightening my hair!!!! I had fun being really difficult with them *evil grin* The guy kept asking me questions assuming that I tried everything i could to straighten my hair, etc without success.

I finally turned to him and said "Look, I love my curly hair. I am happy with who I am. It took me many years to learn how to love my hair the way it naturally is."

And he just stopped, looked at me, and said "Well, I guess I don' t need to show you any more. I am glad you are happy with who you are." And let me go.

Now I have a damned straight streak in my hair!


PS: it stayed straight overnight and returned to its natural state after a good shower and conditioning. If it didn't curl back up, I was tempted to go back and tell them to make the rest straight so I don't look stupid.

Maybe straight hair could be a look for me? What do you think?

5 comments:

karen said...

My hair is as straight as your is curly. I think the world would feel off-balance if you tried to straighten your hair!

Anonymous said...

Such vivid memories we both have about your curly hair. I am glad you are now at a place where you appreciate your curls. It's those mean schoolmates that make us all want to conform. Mme. Hauser is the only one who probably never appreciated them....!

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine you without your curly hair. They're intrinsically Missy!

Love,
Stephanie

Lillith said...

Nooooo!!!! I love your curly hair and I know you and you would straighten half of your head get bored and then look like a schizo ;P

Dad said...

Wiener ? Why would anyone tease you about that name?