My Hair is a Person

You will notice that I have curly hair from the first second you meet me. People who have to explain who I am usually say, "Melissa is the one with the curly hair." It's just that obvious. It's heavy and it's needy, but it's a part of me.

Now because I have curly hair, one can never tell whether it is uneven or if it needs a cut because it curls differently in spots and it always has product in it. Well, except for the day that my colleagues deemed, "Natural Hair Day." That day I came to work with nothing in my hair and looked like a mix between Slash from Guns N Roses and Tina Turner, as you can see by the photo to the right. For this reason, I do not go to high end salons to get my hair cut. I go to Supercuts where they wash and cut my hair and don't charge me an arm and a leg, especially when I don't ask them to blow it out and I leave with a wet head. Salons charge the same price for someone like me as they do for a Jennifer Aniston look-alike that they have to spend time styling before she leaves. At least at Supercuts, I spend $20 and leave with the same haircut I would've had for $50 at a high end salon. The stylists at Supercuts are licensed and are just as talented as the stylists that charge a ton of money. I am just too frugal to worry about a haircut that won't look any different no matter how you cut it (pardon the pun).

This hair requires a lot of attention, so I use a lot of product to get it the way I like it and I am not flattering myself when I say that I have encountered many people who ask me how I get my hair the way it is. (It's true, just ask TK.) There are days where I hate it, it frustrates me and no style works but people do ask on the good days, so I am putting it out there for everyone to know.

1. I start off with any clarifying shampoo and then a hydrating or moisturizing conditioner. I like Matrix Curl.Life, which I get at Supercuts and also Aveda Root Awakening products, but I have yet to purchase them. I get a lot of samples from online retailers so I try a lot of stuff out before I actually make a purchase.
   
2. I comb my hair in the shower while the conditioner is still in it with a wide-tooth comb, just to make sure that brushing it won't be a hassle later.
   
3. When I get out of the shower I put my hair up in a metal-free rubber band and wrap a towel around my head.
   
4. When I take it down, I use a paddle brush to get all the knots out. I have broken too many weak brushes trying to brush my hair, so paddle brushes are right for the task.
5. Now, this is the part that most people want to know about: the styling products. Well, I use a lot of the Condition by Clairol 3-in-1 Mousse. I go through one bottle in about 9 days. I have been using it since the 7th grade. Back then I used the pink and now I use the purple, maximum hold variety. Since I have been using the stuff for 18 years, I figure that I am probably keeping the product on the shelves myself with 52 bottles used per year...roughly. The mousse is only about $3, but I actually get it in bulk from my aunt and uncle for holidays. They are my lifesavers. It is the only mousse I have ever found that is more like a cream than an airy foam. It is my hair salvation and I tell people about it whenever they ask. Why not? It may help people who don't know how to tame their mane. You can purchase it online at Drugstore.com or at most CVS stores. Also, it even has SPF in it.
6. To top it all off, I use cheap ole Rave Hairspray to set everything in place. It is a little more than $2 and I buy it every three weeks, just about. I have sensitive skin so some hairsprays dry my scalp or make me break out, this one never does. This is another product that I get in the purple maximum hold variety and can buy at any CVS or Walgreens.
7. I then blow dry my hair just to make sure the hairspray sets and my hair isn't soaking wet for when I leave the house.
   

So, now that I have shared the information that has kept my hair looking the same since middle school, I hope that some of you out there will embrace your curly tendrils and not straighten them like so many people do. Or maybe your hair is full, curly and magnificent and you have some information for me. If so, find me on Twitter: @Mel_K or just post a comment below. I would love to know that there are more of us curly-haired girls out there. We are becoming a minority after all.