Curly Girl

Scene:

A young woman steps out of her steaming shower feeling clean, relaxed, and, though it’s incredibly early, ready for the day.  She moves in front of the mirror as she rubs her hair with a towel.  Tying it into a turban, she makes quick work of her beauty routine.  Finally, teeth brushed and lips sticked, she releases her hair and begins her tedious styling routine.  She sweats through a 20-minute blow-out.  Shoulders aren’t really meant for heavy coiffing.  

She checks her watch to find she still has time.  Sigh.  Flat-ironing would be so much easier if she hadn’t so very much hair.  

Half an hour later, she smiles at her reflection.  Happy with her smooth, shiny hair, she sets off into the world.

That evening, after a delicious supper and a little Netflix bingeing, she returns to the mirror.  Taking in the image of her limp, frizzy, dirty-looking hair, she groans.  Sighing, she sets the alarm for tomorrow.  It’ll chime at a ludicrous hour...again...but she’ll need the extra time to re-tame her mane.  She’ll do the same Every.  Single.  Day.

The young woman, if you haven’t guessed, was me.  Stuck in a never-ending cycle of cleaning, drying, flattening, and finding the effort finally useless, I was totally fed up.

But don’t fret.  If this story is familiar, know that it gets happier.  The catalyst?  Curly Girl: The Handbook, by Lorraine Massey.  In the upcoming series, I’ll describe my understanding of Ms. Massey’s Curly Girl Method and share how I’m making it work for me.  Stay tuned...