MONOSACCHARIDE: The simple sugar.

Homesick. As hell.

I am very sad. It’s so scary, and I’m so sad.

It’s not even noon and I have just returned from the hair salon. I’ve chopped off about 5 inches off my hair length. And for the first time in a long while, I now have bangs. Yes, I have eyebrow level bangs. I am so generic. Oh the shame.

They say a woman’s ability to love and commit in a long-term relationship is reflected in the way she treats her hair. And though I can vouch on my cat’s life that I have only the utmost love and affection for my hair, and spend more time on it than any other part of my body, I cannot say much about leaving it unchanged for longer than a few months tops.

Ditto.

I feel that my determination to keep my hair in its natural state deserves some mention.

Since I was 15, I have been making trips to the hair salon every quarter year to either perm, rebond, cut, dye or extend my mane. On one occasion, I’ve done all 5 together within one visit. My record breaking price tag fixed to a singular visit was almost $800, where I spent 6 hours in a salon in Taka. That hairstyle lasted me approximately 4 months before I had the itch to get my hair done again.

I had treatments done very often, which was my saving grace from balding.

I have never seen my natural curls or colour since I was 15, which was 6 years ago.

But for the last 6 months, I have had only temporary straightening done, which lasts about a month or less, before my hair frizzes back. I figured since my fingers got itchy every few months, I might as well do something less damaging so it can withstand bi-monthly treatments.

Temporary straightening is immensely annoying, mind you. It leaves my hair wavy, puffy and almost fake. After 3 to 4 weeks, my roots will be extremely curly all over again and I have to spend hours getting acquianted with my hair iron. It’s proven to be more costly than standard rebonding because not only do I have to spend $85 more on straightening as compared to rebonding, I also have to do it twice as often, and invest in a good hair iron which I will have to spend 2 hours using to ensure I do not show up in school sporting toiletbrush hair.

I was extremely tempted to permanently straighten my hair again, but I stuck through the hell that was rebellious ugly hair for the sake of being less generic/fake/tailored.

Natural is beautiful, no?

My last straightening treatment recently wore off, and on most days, when I do not have time/feel too lazy to iron my hair, this is how my (real) hair looks:

Those who have known me since pre-rebonding days, say hello once again to the Lina Sabrina you knew then. Slightly meatier than you last remembered, but hey, I can assure you I am still the same old kental and extremely messy nerd who blushes and giggles at almost everything… The same gossipy girl in the library discussing new pink/purple buys with Zanna, hardcore emo music with the twins and sporting injuries with Zilah. The same girly girl who sat with Aish at her madrasah class laughing over her temporary blindness (”Lina your eyes disappear everytime you laugh!”) after every joke.

Ahh, good ol’ young days, yeah girls?