Curly Magic

My amazing hairstyle. XD


I feel sorry for straight-haired people.

First, they have to keep up with popular styles in a way that no naturally curly girl ever has to. Sure, some of us try, but we generally understand that we're not gonna tame our hair into staying in "The Rachel" every day during high school. Curly styles never really go in or out of fashion and they depend entirely on the particular head you're looking at. It's like having an inimitable, trendsetting look. You're the only one in the room that has it.

Second, straight-haired folk are kinda limited on those bad hair days or the times when they just don't want to deal with their tresses: the classic ponytail, a basic bun. When you're curly, though, everything turns into a style. Ponytails with corkscrews or buns with little curly tips have walked their ways down red carpets; for some of us those are our late-to-class looks.

My own curly coif is a hot mess right now. Thanks to the mast cell condition I go through a period of hair loss every January and February. Last year the Jan/Feb loss amped up dramatically thanks to a January through May flare; even my hairdresser went a bit wide-eyed when I went in for my first trim afterwards. This year the loss not only stayed at that level but it continued through April for some reason - leaving my poor, fine little curls very ratty indeed. Thankfully my hair is growing back, leaving a crop of tight little baby curls growing around that sad, long, dead weight that didn't shed and hasn't been trimmed since last year.

For now a hair cut is out of the question. I really only put it up - and the frighteningly anemic ponytail bothers me, so I dug out my clips again. Today I ran my fingers through my bedhead, twisted that old length up, and clipped it so there would be a little pom sticking out of the top. I didn't even check it. I went to the pantry and then the health food store for my vitamins.

...and, while purchasing my vitamins, I hear a voice from behind me: "Your hair is beautiful!"

It always blows my mind a bit when I get compliments on simple or lazy hair (especially when it's secretly so out of sorts), but I think my conversants are equally blown away by how little effort is used. Nope, I assured her, no braids involved - just a twist and a few clips. She nodded in approval under her very pretty short, straight cut.

She experienced curly magic today. I guess I did too.

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