I put my hair up today: a bejeweled gold claw clip, with strands of hair falling behind my ears. I think tomorrow I might try a certain half-up, half-down.
Lately, I’ve picked up the hobby of trying different hairstyles on myself. I play around with hair accessories, twist my mess of a hair pattern in different ways, and try to copy tutorials that pop up on my For You Page.
I’m not so sure if I’ve grown delusional or not, but sometimes I really do feel like I have those magic fingers. I’ll tug at a certain strand, and it’ll end up holding perfectly. I’ll shake my roots, and volume will grow. I’ll grasp my hair into a clump, and somehow the clip will hold it all fabulously.
Maybe it only looks good to me, but there really is a thrill to looking in the mirror and realizing my hair looks great; I’ve done it again!
It has me thinking: where did this interest come from?
Customizations of the Exterior
I got my first ear piercing in high school.
I swore for years prior that I would never get my ears pierced; I didn’t want to have to deal with the healing process, the possibility of infections, or the wonder of whether earrings would even look good with my facial shape or not.
Evidently, I ended up getting them pierced on my birthday. And as they healed for the next few months, I realized there was something exciting to look forward to.
Every time I looked in the mirror, I noticed the sparkle of my earrings. It was something new and something fun to carry with me.
A year later, when my first piercings were already healed, their presence had grown to be normal. I was eagerly ready for another modification; another something new, another something to look forward to.
I got my ears pierced again.
In a way, it was a way of keeping myself in a controlled state of change. I wasn’t just stuck in the same place or with the same look; I always had the opportunity to grow and do something new.
Although I haven’t gotten my ears pierced since then, I am starting to think that maybe my interest in trying different hairstyles is an extension of this practice.
Changing Accessories
I get a jolt of excitement thinking that maybe I can succeed in a new hairstyle: braid my hair this way, pull this piece to the side, mess it up all over.
It’s fun to see if my hair will work with me or not: what it agrees with, if it’ll hold a certain way. And I realized that the way I have my hair really does affect my attitude in a way. If it’s down and curled, I feel as effortless as a Victoria’s Secret angel looks walking down a runway. If it’s in my natural waves and frizz, I can’t help but feel as unbothered and untamed as our queen Carrie Bradshaw. And there’s just something about having my hair up in a twist that makes me feel as glamorous as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
I’ve heard that a person’s hairstyle reflects who they are; it acts as a sort of non-verbal cue to represent someone’s personality and lifestyle.
And although I do think there’s truth in that to an extent. I think in my case, my hairstyle reflects who I am, not in a general sense, but simply just for the day.
I get to constantly switch it around, try new things, see what works for me, and what could work for others. And every day, I feel like someone stylish and refreshed.
Evidently, my endless collection of hair accessories is full of opportunities. Nonetheless, also reminders that I’m still growing and that I don’t have to stay the same forever.
So tomorrow, with my gold hoop earrings, I think I’ll do a half-up bun with wisps.