ICYMI, my hair is really long at the moment. Like, really long. I think the longest it has ever been.
You’d know that if you listen to You Beauty because it’s pretty much all I talk about, or if you’ve seen one of my recent Instagram pics - it takes up the whole picture if I’m wearing it out.
And it’s these social media photos that have people messaging me to ask what the secret is, how I got it so long and what I’m doing to make it so luscious. I’ve had a whole bunch of DMs in the past few weeks asking if I am taking magical pills or vitamins.
So I wanted to set the record straight because… well… a few things.
Firstly, you can't gauge texture on a photo. Not really. So while it may look strong and healthy, I want to assure you that the lengths and ends are really, really dry and damaged. Even my split ends have split ends.
I’m doing my darndest to hydrate and nourish the ends, but products can only do so much.
I wanted to reassure you that if you see someone on Instagram with ‘beautiful, healthy’ hair it might not be that way in real life, or it could be extensions.
Secondly, I didn't set out to grow my hair really long. It’s actually a weird ‘byproduct’, if you will, of my dad’s death. He passed away last May, so almost a year ago.
As the months went on after he died and I’d usually be booking in for a trim, I kept putting it off. And putting it off. And now it’s, well, now, and I still haven't cut my hair. And I think it’s because he was here when this hair was on my head and to cut it feels like losing more of him, or of me, and being further away from him, somehow, as a result.
I know it’s silly. It makes no logical sense. And it’s not even a decision I made consciously. It just sort of happened. It has made me think about how women often use their appearance, be it hair or makeup and sometimes even diet or weight, as a security blanket or way to control a situation that otherwise feels out of their hands.
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I know this is pretty personal, but I felt it was important to discuss, because I don't want women thinking I have this perfect healthy hair I achieved in some secret way and I’m not sharing my tricks. I would never!
And I want to acknowledge that sometimes from the outside, things that may conventionally be seen as appealing could be coming from a place other than what you think. It’s the same with weight loss, in that you might be tempted to ask someone on social media ‘how they did it’, but keep in mind that everyone has stuff going on behind closed doors.
So that’s it. No tricks, pills or special potions. Just a really really overdue haircut.
Oh, and I know you’re going to ask which products I’ve been using on my dry and crunchy ends, and although I’ve already chatted through them on the You Beauty podcast, here’s a list:
Pantene Pro V Intense Rescue Shots, $5.95.
Daily Naturals Detangler Spray, $17.45.
Ouai Fine To Medium Hair Treatment Mask, $58.
Goldwell Kerasilk Reconstruct Split Ends Recovery Concentrate, $36.95.
Have you ever experienced an appearance-based habit or feature you held onto emotionally? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Feature image: Instagram/@leighacampbell
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