MY HAIR STORY
From bowl cut to glossy waves, writer Rosie Green shares her good and bad hair days
Our relationship with our hair is a deeply emotional one. Just one bad experience at the hairdresser can leave you mentally scarred for years. But when you’re having a great hair day, everything is just that little bit easier.
My hair history is one of glossy highs and dubious lows. I had the obligatory bowl cut at the age of seven, progressed to a Princess Di-inspired sweeping fringe at around 11, then went for a Kelly Mcgillis-esque perm at 14. It was all incredibly unflattering.
Then, at 16, I found my hair groove and have pretty much stuck to that look ever since: just below the shoulder, side parted and as glossy as I can make it. For years and years, I was 100% happy with it. My hair was thick, healthy and lustrous. Tick.
I worried about other things – the state of my thighs, the pinkness of my cheeks and whether I’d be able to make that month’s rent – but my hair always served me well. In fact, like great shoes, it was a feelgood constant when my body or my skin was getting me down.
Pregnancy in my thirties was the first time I noticed changes. My hair got so abundant and luscious it (almost) made up for the swollen ankles and nausea. Then, after giving birth, it swung the other way: lank with fuzzy baby hairs around the forehead.
Coinciding as it did with the postpartum muffin top, this was an unjoyous period.
Luckily, my hair eventually returned to its former glory. But recently (I’m now in my forties) I’ve noticed more changes. My hairdresser has started spritzing a volumising spray into the roots before he blow-dries it. Volumising spray? I’ve never needed volumising before. My hair is less thick and more damaged, thanks to the dye I use to cover the pesky greys. I’ve also noticed more of it coming out in the shower.
So I’ve changed up my routine. I’m gentler – no more tugging at knots with cheap brushes. And instead of blowdrying, I leave my hair to dry naturally, then run tongs through it. I use nourishing masks and gloss-giving, heavenly scented oils. To prevent any more volume loss,
I try to eat as healthily as I can, and use energising products such as the Plantur range, which activates hair from the roots. Thankfully, my years of coming-of-age hairstyles and ill-advised cuts are now behind me. I’ve swapped experimentation for investing more time and effort into my haircare routine – because, for me, good hair is non-negotiable.
‘I GOT A KELLY MCGILLIS PERM WHEN I WAS 14’