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I was born with really curly hair. By the age of 13 I was straightening my hair with a flat iron every other day, causing irreparable damage. Now that I’m a bit older I can see the effect it has had on my hair. It stopped growing. My natural hair is shoulder length and shows no sign of growing any longer. I always envied the girls with the long flowing locks and wished my hair would transform into that. I tried taking a vitamin B pill, proven to support hair growth, everyday and that didn’t work. I used special shampoo and conditioner that also promised hair growth, that didn’t work either. I grew impatient and obsessed with my hair. I needed instant gratification which is why I turned to hair extensions.
Before I took the big leap and decided to get extensions, I polled my friends. Some of them liked my hair the way it was (liars) while the more honest ones said that it could use improvement. This was somewhat reminiscent of the days when I was deciding to get a nose job (it was needed). I told myself I would start with clip-on extensions and if I liked it, I would take more permanent and drastic measures.
I walked into the beauty supply store and found out that my hair was a perfect shade of chestnut brown. I made my purchase of synthetic hair clip-on extensions and never looked back. Since that fateful day in February, I haven’t gone one day without my extensions. They’ve been with me to class, Spring Break in the Bahamas, to my friend’s houses and out on the weekends. It’s strange to become so attached to something that isn’t even a part of you, but I can’t imagine my life without them. Some people think I’m ridiculous, but it makes me feel better about myself. And sometimes, it gets awkward. Such as when I’m with a boy who has a tendency to touch my hair and I have to slap his hands away claiming I have some weird thing about people touching my hair. Which I do, because there are extensions in it. But the benefits (my self esteem) outweigh the negatives (boyfriend with overeager hands).
I also realized I wasn’t alone. Celebrities have an obsession with hair extensions as well, and I think you’d be surprised to find out how many actually wear them. Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton even have their own line of hair extensions. Take a look at Kristin Cavallari below, I’m a fan of the long locks.
What do you think? Although it sounds unimportant and quite crazy, the hair extensions really made a difference in my life. I believe that anything that makes you feel better and more confident about yourself is a good thing. And for me, that was hair extensions. Would my life be over without them? Of course not. Maybe one day I’ll come to terms with my shoulder length hair, but not today. Today, I wear my extensions and I wear them proud (but not proud enough to state my name in this post).
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I think that’s refreshing & probably a relief for you to come out and be honest about the feature you’re most insecure about. I feel the same way about wearing foundation–feel insecure & ugly to go in public without covering up my blemishes. And I have a somewhat large nose & probably need a nose job. Ugh.
This was interesting for me to read, however, since I’m the opposite from you in the hair dep’t, I’ve always had very thick, fast-growing, shiny, immune-to-damage & few-split-ends hair. I can go years without cutting it, although I have it shaped in layers and about 5 inches taken off every 6 mths. Right now it’s almost to my hips & took about 3 yrs to grow from above my shoulders. It’s straight in dry, cold weather…wavy most of the time…and curly in very humid weather. Random people always comment they love it almost everyday and I’ve gotten offers to cut it off and sell it as extensions. I don’t take vitamins, and I wash it with cheap shampoo & conditioner (herbal essenses or garnier fructis), towel it, part it on the side, and let it air dry. If I sleep on it wet, it dries into soft, beachy ringlets in the morning. It & my super strong nails are my best feature. I think like most physical attributes, hair & nails health is mainly determined by your DNA. Just like some people eat junk & smoke their whole lives & live to be 99 yrs, while others eat healthy and still get cancer then die young.
Unfortunately, long/thick hair is not all it’s cracked up to be. As a child and to this day it hurts if I have it in a ponytail or bun for more than 30 mins. because the weight of the hair causes a painful headache almost every time. Also, it’s hotter than hell in the spring and summer, like wearing a thick hat in the heat. And women with longer hair or who wear their hair in ponytails are more likely to be raped (it’s easier for a rapist to hold on to and control you), so I’m always wary in public. Sometimes I wish I had hair like yours…easy, breezy & lightweight.
I think the real problem (& the fact that you even have to address the fact that you wear them) is that people seem to think that any type of artifice should be looked down upon, instantly. There very few people on this planet that are null and void of artifice. If the aesthetic is nice to me, I’m all for it! Hair extensions are fine to me (& this is coming from a bald lady, not an extension wearer).