My Hair Despair

Hair is a lifelong battle for women.

For me, my troubles started when I found scissors at the age of five and cut of much of my hair. That led to my most hated hairdo of my life, a pixie cut that I sported throughout kindergarten.

Other hair disasters followed. The perm that was total frizz for six months. A short-lived Dorothy Hamill bowl-cut. An attempt at the Farrah Fawcett look that never fluffed out correctly.

Then, finally, I had a pinnacle hair moment.

In 1987, I was voted “Best Hair” in high school. It was the total 80’s spiral perm with the hair-sprayed mall bangs that stuck straight up in the hair off my forehead. My hair was long, hanging down to my waist. It took me two hours every morning to get it ready to face the day.

I was so proud of that ridiculous hair. I thought it made me important.

Finally, I had made peace with my hair.

That peace lasted until I hit 40. Then everything started to change.

My relationship with my hair is dramatically different than it was in my 20s and 30s. I had straight, thick heavy hair. It is now much thinner. I take Biotin supplements to try to strengthen and thicken it, but I know it’s a losing battle. The texture of my hair is also wiry, having…