Dreaming of Hair.

My husband and I met online, no, not at a dating site or chat room. A writing forum type thing. I had just been made staff and shortly after blasting one of his written pieces, he was staff, and then he was emailing me asking what my problem with his piece was. :) 

One of the first things I bought him for his birthday when we were offically together, was a book of poetry, Rose, by one of my favorite authors,  Li Young Lee. There's a poem in the book about hair. I'm not sure why he and I were talking about hair at the time, but we spent a lot of time on the phone talking about anything that popped into our mind. One topic happened to be hair, and in particular, my husband was talking about an old fling of his that apparently had hair like a goddess. "No one I have ever met has had hair like this girl did."

 I got the opportunity to meet Amazing Hair Woman a year or so ago, (and after truly hurting her and lashing out at her because of my own insanity,...that's another story, one where I'm actually the bad girl and should be quartered and shot for my behavior), everything my husband told me about her hair...well it was all true. Her hair is amazing. Curly, full, thick, an entity all it's own, a controlled chaos of silken beauty. Seriously, it was that astounding.  I don't know of any one woman, especially those that have curly hair and like their curly hair, that wouldn't want to have her hair as their own.

Before I met Amazing Hair Woman I was on a mission to not only go green where the family and I could, but to try and accept the fact that as much as I hated it, I had curly hair and needed to get a handle on it, embrace it, cultivate it even. :) So I researched hair and the many different ways one can control it. 

The first thing I did was I stopped combing/brushing my hair. It's been 18 months since a comb has touched my hair. It did wonders for my curls. It's stronger, fuller and I can go longer between hair cuts if I so choose. 

Then I happened upon the 'No Poo' method of washing your hair.  The main ingredients: Baking Soda, Vinegar and Water.

 Washing your hair is not only horrible for your hair but the chemicals in shampoo and conditioners are just as bad. Sure you may wash it everday but that's way to much. You're pulling the natural oil out of your hair so your scalp starts producing more oil to make up for it, which means you have to wash your hair more often than not. You're throwing your bodies natural ability to maintain your hair off.  1tsp of baking soda in 1 cup of water to 'wash' your hair in. Rinse it completely. Then 1tsp of vinegar in 1 cup of water to rinse your hair. Do this everyday for 4 or 5 days, then start skipping a day in between and see how your hair fairs. Then you can put in a day or two instead of every other day and see how you hair holds up.

My routine worked like this. I would wash with the baking soda 3 times a week and only use the vinegar rinse ONCE a week. One the days I don't wash my hair, you'd never know it, and no, your hair doesn't smell like vinegar, not at all.

Here's a picture of my curly locks after the soda and vinegar rinse and NO combing...none. I don't even own a comb or brush anymore. Honestly.

I was trying to get a picture of my hair close up, after styled from the baking soda and vinegar. Of course, Evan Grace had to get in the picture, whenever the camera is out, so is she. :) I'll have to eventually pass down these tips to Evan Grace, my only child with curls.  I recently switched back to shampoo for convience, I've regretted it since. I've had to start the routine all over, but it's worth it. My hair is softer, manages better and even feels cleaner.

For now I'll leave you with the first stanza of "Dreaming of Hair", by Li Young Lee. Click the title if you want to read the complete poem.


Ivy ties the cellar door
in autumn, in summer morning glory
wraps the ribs of a mouse.
Love binds me to the one
whose hair I've found in my mouth,
whose sleeping head I kiss,
wondering is it death?
beauty? this dark
star spreading in every direction from the crown of her head.