Thursday, October 28, 2010

Don't Apologize

I always feel so sad when I read a thread on LHC where someone feels the need to apologize because they blow dry their hair, colour their hair, or do anything that is not considered the ideal in hair care.

While I have written about the dangers of heat styling, and the damage that it did to me, I certainly am not trying to tell anyone not to heat style. While I don't want layers in my fine, straight hair, I thinks layers can be a saviour to someone with really thick wavey or curly hair.

I think what I try to do is give information, or my experiences, so that people can make informed decisions. That certainly doesn't mean that I expect anyone to follow my advice. Also, I am well aware that we are all so different and what may be good for one person may be a disaster for another.

I of course colour my hair, which by any standards is not a healthy hair choice. I must admit that I felt ganged-up on when I first joined LHC by some diehards who are against colouring of any sort. While I understand that for some it's a concern for one's hair health, there are also those who seem to have a moral belief that "nature knows best", and that we should just live with whatever colour we have. I'm happy to know the dangers of dyeing my hair, but I'm not interested in anyone's moral concerns.

It took a long while before I realized that there were an enormous number of LHCers who also colour their hair. They just seemed to be awfully quiet about it.

But I know the dangers, I do what I can to minimize the damage and otherwise take good care of my hair.

So if you're blow-drying your hair, flat ironing your hair, dyeing your hair, wearing bangs, or whatever makes you feel good about your hair, just make sure you are armed with information and then go ahead and do it.

Just as you don't need to listen to the people who tell you to cut off your hair, you don't need to follow all the hair care rules either, if you don't want to.

Apologize to no one.

'Til tomorrow, my friends. Much love to all.
xo

8 comments:

  1. Agreed. I recently went back to experimenting with color. I still have some hair therapy to go, but the point of hair - to me - is to have fun with it. I never get bored with the length because with the longer hair I think I can do so much more with it. I do, though, get tired and bored of my natural color and like to experiment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PREACH! The newbies freak out about the rules and almost become hair evangelists. "No heat! No color!" After awhile you become attuned to what *your* hair needs and you can break those "rules".

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes! For me, there's no point in having long hair if I can't enjoy it. I like to blow dry occasionally, and I use cones to make my hair super shiny. I have layers, and I love to wear my hair down. I'm okay with breaking the "rules" because the satisfaction I get from doing those things far outweighs whatever damage they might cause.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ditto! I agree that one should do whatever he/she pleases with his/her hair. I personally don't care how will someone else wear his or her hair. However, it is true that, if someone wants long hair, it would be really beneficial to cut down the use of heat appliances, chemical treatments and so on.
    But I think that occasional blowdrying isn't going to do much damage. I too blowdry, especially in the wintertime, and it has never caused my hair damage.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My hair "LOVES" cones! It is shiny and healthy and so easy to work with. I have had many comments such as "You would look 20 years younger if you just colored away your gray." I just smile. The advice that does get under my skin is...."you are too old to wear your hair long, especially with all that silver." Grrrrr!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree, you should do what works best for your hair and what makes you happy. That's why I keep mine short, that's what makes me happy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I spent too many years shampooing and conditioning with the "natural, organic" shampoos/conditioners that did nothing for my dandruff or moisture, because I thought that was how you were "supposed" to take care of long hair. I eventually gave into the store brands (with all those chemicals I was warned about!) because it just wasn't working. I now use Head and Shoulders and Herbal Essences, and my scalp and hair are much better off.

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from you.