Ace Ventura has never been someone I’ve aspired to. As a 28 year old woman, being told that you look like Jim Carrey’s character is more than a little unnerving, but I am told that this is what I look like every morning I wake up. This was an unexpected side effect I encountered recently when I decided to cut all my hair off, and I’ve discovered that having short hair isn’t as carefree as you would assume… It’s safe to say that from the morning ‘spot the difference’ ritual I’m subjected to that short hair is not as simple as wake, brush and go.
No one tells you that you need to douse your hair in enough wax to last for a year to prevent it from resembling freshly cut grass, and that you’ll need to wash it every day before you even think about leaving the house. And to make matters worse, this is even more true when travelling. Perhaps not so bad if you happen to be swimming at a beach in Thailand every day, not so flash if you’re on a two day sleeper train in India. I was recently in the latter and it was not pretty, but lucky for everyone involved I was in the safe confines of a private sleeper cabin so my fellow passengers were not exposed to a morning fright of waking to find a bad Elvis impersonator next to them.
I had to grin and bear these conditions while travelling through central India, and so that those who also sport a pixie crop may learn from my mistakes, I would like to share with you my tips for travelling with short hair.
Wax – Take lots of wax. Don’t let the 100ml carry on rule stop you – fill your suitcase with as much of the sticky stuff you can get your hands on. You will thank me later when you can’t get to a shower and your hair is resembling that of Cameron Diaz in a certain Ben Stiller movie.
Bobby Pins Are A Girls Next Friend – If tip one has failed you then were going to have to get nasty with that rogue hair and physically restrain it under some metal. I think at one point on my trip I had around 20 holding the back of my hair down so take a whole packet if you can!
Swim At Your Own Peril – No one wants to be a Cautious Carol or Sensitive Susan while travelling and miss out on some beach action, so just be prepared for your hair to go AWOL post swim and be ready to execute tips one and two immediately.
Also, one last tip – Avoid wind at all costs, as it will do it’s best to counteract one and two. And if all else fails, you can always use beauty boosting hair supplements…and of course take the piss out of yourself at every opportunity!!
I’ll be the first one to admit I look ridiculous in the morning so I play it up and make myself look like more of a tool than I already am. So far it’s working a treat so if you know anyone needing an Elvis impersonator soon, I’m your gal.
Happy hair restraining!
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A good tip for keeping the hair from doing horrid things after a swim is to put conditioner in your hair beforehand. Your hair gets a nice deep condition and is protected from the worst effects of chlorine or saltwater.
Hey Sharon – good tip! : ) My hair is a little longer now, so thankfully easier to manage!
Thanks, Nicole. I’m never quite sure whether long or short hair is easier. I tend to change between them depending on how I feel about it at the time. I’m currently gradually getting shorter and shorter as the weather gets hotter and hotter. 🙂
Im in the annoying growing out stage, but trying to get through it day by day! ; )