A wise man once said, ‘He who can make his hair dance to the tune of his desires shall make his desires dance to the tune of his mind’
Any person who shows passion, dedication and discipline in maintaining their hair is sure to succeed in controlling their desires and leading a disciplined life.
Now that I have got the crucial first liner out of my way, let me get directly to the point:
Many people think that hair is the easiest part of a human body to part with.
I’d like to put that in a different perspective- The ‘hair’ is the most insignificant part of the human body that makes you feel grossly incomplete when it goes missing!
Why are hair problems so common in human beings, you might ask?
The answer is pretty simple- Hair is the most exposed part of a human body that is profoundly abused by one and all.
Hence it is pertinent for a human being to care for their hair in such a manner that allows them the creative freedom to enjoy experiment and celebrate their hair all through life.
And that is why I am going to tell you the story of me and my hair. It is an epic story of my battles with numerous hair problems and the determination with which I overcame them.
My first scalp related hurdle came on the very day I was born- I was completely bald! My folks tried many things from hair oil to temple visits but what finally worked was a head shaving ceremony on my first birthday. That act triggered my dormant trichological roots to life and hair spread out like weeds all over my head!
Less than a year later, my problem now was about plenty! I hated hair falling all over my face but I apparently hated barbers even more. So the only plausible solution my parents could figure out to find me ‘peace of head’ was an ingenious homemade oil remedy that gave me a natural Mohawk! Turned out, I loved it.
But then something strange happened. When I posed for my 5th birthday photos, my hair had all but curled up like prawns and surrounded my face like an ominous Black halo. I did not like the curls and was desperate to get rid of them. I tried many things like using my hands to de-curl one area of my head at a time (You’d think my head was a mine field!). When sense finally prevailed, I went in for another shave and tonsured my head again.
With fingers crossed I waited for the ensuing roots to show traces of their characteristics. Fortunately, the strands went up straight which allowed me to indulge in one my truly favourite hairstyles until date:
Rajinikanth’s hairstyle from the movie ‘Annamalai’!
Alas! Adolescence played havoc with my hair maintenance plans! Dandruff raged all through my scalp like a layer of neatly fallen snow. Just when I started to panic at the thought of having to forego my handsome locks, my mother took matters into her own hands and put me in a rigorous ‘Oil + Shikakai’ routine every day. And just as I got rid of the dandruffs, a greater ‘hair-foe’ entered my life- Rock Music
Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica and Led Zeppelin acted like steroids as my hair grew to frightful lengths in college. The girls loved my look. They’d weave their hands through my hair just as I have smoothly weaved the sentence ‘and that was the end of my hair problems!’ into this post. But with late night parties and study sessions wiping out my oil+ Shikakai/Shampoo routine, familiar hair problems surfaced again.
By the end of college, my hair had all but knotted into a ‘Bob Marley/Aghori’ interpretation of a Super Mess. When the prospect of an interview loomed large after my exam results, I went back to Mom. But this time, even she could not help me. So I went to my Saviour-The barber. He charged me extra for the 2 Hour Operation!
I mended ways after that close encounter and found new respect for Hair care. I also stuck to short hair to save my Job. I was threatened with my familial inheritance of premature baldness to getting back into a strict Shampoo routine. And by the time I was on my way to meet my fiancé for the first time, I had glowing hair and a divine aura about me!
But five years into marriage and fifteen years of stressful work finally took its toll on my fighting hair. Not to mention my long forgotten hair care routine and the increasing dependency on bad water in the cities, I could finally count the number of hair on my head.
I finally decided to put a permanent solution to my hair problems- I went back to where I started and I shaved my head. That’s right- I went bald all over again!
And that is how I finally put an end to my hair problems!
But that’s just me. Do I say what I did to solve my hair problem was the right thing to do? Certainly not!
Do I think what I did was wrong? The truth is- Sometimes I would say yes.
You see, every now and then whenever I see a young boy or even an old man with an eye catching hairstyle, my hand instantly goes to my head. I can almost feel the Rajinikanth or Morrison hairstyle back on my head again.
The time when it strikes me the hardest is when I have to compulsorily shave my head clean every day. Even that routine requires a very high level of discipline and patience. If only I had followed the same routine towards caring for my hair, I would have still been able to try out a salt and pepper George Clooney look or perhaps even an ‘Abdul Kalam’ look later in life. But it’s too late for that now.
The key to healthy hair is a regular routine of hair care and a stress free life but most importantly, a love for your hair and an urge to use it in different ways all your life is vital. Without passion for your hair, all hair products turn redundant.
For useful information regarding Hair care by Dove (since i have provided no information about Dove in my post), please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/dove/app_127320750626819
