Like many curly-haired women, I’ve always had a somewhat complex relationship with my hair.  Most of the time I like my hair and am happy it’s curly.  But this summer it started bringing me down.  Which sounds like a strange thing to say.  But more than any other aspect of my appearance, my hair affects my mood.  If I’m having a great hair day, I can wear old clothes and no makeup and feel pretty good.  If my hair is frizzy or uncontrollable or otherwise awful, I don’t feel like myself all day.

For several weeks, my hair wasn’t looking its best, and I wasn’t feeling my best either.  Finally, I decided to make a change.  My friend Jenny recommended a flat iron and some hair products, and I decided to give it a whirl.  I’m so happy I did.

I’ve been wearing my hair straight for a couple of weeks now, and I feel a lot better about my appearance.  I also find it interesting to see myself a little differently.  Straight, my hair looks lighter than it does curly.  And it’s significantly longer.  But it isn’t just my hair that looks different.  It changes the shape of my face.  And certain facial features seem to have more or less emphasis.

I think it can be good sometimes to push myself into unfamiliar territory, to look at myself in a different light.  And though usually that means challenging myself professionally or taking a risk in my personal life, in this case, the shifting perspective is physical.

I’m sure eventually I’ll go back to wearing my hair curly.  But I’m enjoying this little sojourn — this little curly-hair vacation.