high maintenance

As I've gone deeper and deeper into the empirical study of hair color that beget this blog, my hair has become increasingly high maintenance. So much so, in fact, that it bears no resemblance to the hair that sprouts naturally from my head, which is light brown and naturally curly.

Repeated bleaching weakened the individual hair follicles. Dying it dark brown then bleaching it back to blonde made it porous as a yellow sponge. All of that processing left my hair completely devoid of elasticity, meaning it requires straightening to look normal, and re-curling with rollers or a curling iron if I want it to look interesting.

Or so I thought. I washed it tonight after yoga and since I had no plans to leave the house until tomorrow morning, left it to air dry with plans to re-wet, style, and set it tomorrow morning. The Mathematician and I made dinner and watched an episode of Mad Men, and when I walked passed a mirror several hours later I realized my hair was dry...and curly!

Could it be, I thought. Really? Is it actually exhibiting signs of the old natural curl? And it appears to be true. When we cut it short a few weeks ago we cut of the majority of the hair that had been to styling hell and back. What's left is 60% natural stuff with highlights. It's not the same curly mop as I had back when I was a color virgin, but still, my hair is exhibiting signs of a natural, organic life of it's own.

It looks different, a little wild, but kinda nice, like heirloom tomatoes from the Farmer's Market as opposed to hydroponic hybrids from the grocery store.

I was so convinced that I'd damaged my hair beyond repair, I didn't expect to see it looking so bouncy all on its own ever again. But I guess that's the thing about hair: it always grows back.