Living Curly (hair)
(oringally posted in a newsletter and social media March 2022)
Last week, I got a haircut.
Not just any haircut.
A haircut by an actual curly hair salon.
By a curly hair specialist.
It's been four years since I've had anyone cut my hair.
You may have seen me post on my social media last week a post or two about this eyebrow-raising, ear lowering event, but it represents a bit more than a haircut.
Curly hair has its own challenges and plusses that straight hair people (and even wavy hair people) just don't get.
For one, the brush. Oh, it must feel fabulous to brush your hair every day, massaging your scalp with the tippy ends of the bristles, smoothing out your locks. Dreamy!
I don't own a brush. Can't use it.
Using a brush just separates all my curls into one giant frizzy dandelion puff.
And I've had some bad experiences with hairdressers who without fail forget the power of the spring back of the curl. Like 4-6 inches of curly spring from a wet straight cut.
My husband found a curly hair specialist salon in our area that does a curly dry haircut. I've never had my hair "dry cut" anywhere. Apparently, cutting your hair dry, especially when you have curly hair, means the cut is following where the curl actually lives.
I figured out how to cut my own hair, years ago, and I can get everywhere except the back of my head. (If I mess up, the spring back will hide it most of the time anyway). And then after a few years of my method, I seek out someone to reshape it, help get rid of the dried ends, etc.
Side note: I should mention, I cut the hair of my family and have the three hairstyles down pat. One straight, one beautifully wavy (the kind that can use a brush!), and one curly top in the house (my experience just might change this one!!). And they all get their haircut regularly.
Why should you care about my haircut?
You don't have to really, lol ... unless you also have curly hair, then you probably won't.
But here's the thing. For years, stylists have been cutting my hair wet, straightened out to its full length, and cut as if it was straight hair.
Do you see where this is going?
For years, I have had some part of me treated and cared for as if I was something I am not! And I didn't know any better! (Clearly, I'm not a person with straight hair.)
I know we are just talking hair here, but this is so darn symbolic!
How many of you have been trying to figure out a curly life, one that is a little bit taming of the wild, a dash of spontaneity, knowing there can be a plot twist, while loving life, knowing you are intuitive, independent, curious, you're not exactly A to B, and yet, you've been in a lane following rules designed for straight lines?
Whoa!
Here, I'm wearing my newly released hummingbird shirt and finally have my curls back. How appropriate!
Hummingbirds represent joy, a guide for travelers, persistence, determination, swiftness, speed, magic, sweetness, lightness of being, divinity, freedom, love, peace, hope, good fortune, and of course springtime.
Hummingbirds' iridescent displays on the throat are not from special feathers but rather the organization of feathers to allow the shimmer to be seen.
Curly hair is like the special organization of feathers hummingbirds have to display their iridescence. You can't hide who you are!
Those of us with curly hair are curious, intuitive, quick to respond to energy changes around us, can't help but fall in love with life and boy do we love - I mean LOVE - to see people doing their thing. It makes us happy to see others really doing their thing, whatever that is. (Coincidentally, in Chinese Face Reading, red hair and bald heads also fall into this category, too!).
As a brunette, I know going through that salt and pepper stage can be hard for women (maybe some men out there, too). Like really hard. Many are so committed to maintaining their youthful hair color they color their hair once a month or so.
I, however, have never had a problem with those lovely little white swirls making an appearance. I tell people it’s my intuition showing. It’s where I get all my good ideas.
So this haircut helped reshape, lighten the heavy spots, and brought back some of my hidden curl lost in the frizzy ends. Plus its self-care.
Living curly is a little wild, with no straight lines, lots of independent whoopty-doos, and a surprisingly large amount of community.
Curls find a way to work together while being unique.
I encourage you to live life a little curly, pay attention to your intuition, be independent, bring your own free-spirited spin on things, all while being connected to the larger whole of life.
Love every minute of it.
Be curious, live curly, get creative