I believe when it comes to dealing with my hair, I am missing that key genetic material, the DNA, responsible for that function.  It's either that or I am lazy.  Okay, it could be that, however, I really don't think so.  I have my reason (that is, my "hair" history), and to me, at least, it seems valid.

When I was little, my mother put my hair up in a ponytail every day.  It was easy; it was quick, and it didn't take much work (for me, at least).  I just had to sit there while she tugged and pulled and detangled thick unmanageable hair into the ponytail.  I should have left it like that, but with a bit of coaxing, I got the cut of the day...the "pixie cut"...when I was to going to start first grade.  I think it was easier for my mother to take care of, certainly quicker to run a comb through my unruly hair, and go.  But frankly, my hair has too many cowlicks, my face is too narrow (or was then), and it was not my best style.  

Fast forward through many years, I decided to let it grow long again during my high school and college years.  Surprise, surprise! With two hours, a blow dryer (600 watts was considered powerful then), and electric rollers, my hair could look decent (much like my ponytail days).  Once, through college, and into the work world, I didn't have the time to devote two hours to my hair, so I began changing my style by cuts, perms, and what-have-you.  What I found is that when it comes to my hair (and actually my kids' hair, too...I think that is why I had boys because their hair was relatively easy to manage), I am genetically challenged.  That I lack the DNA necessary to fool with my hair.  In the intervening years, I tried all sorts of curling irons (fat ones, thin ones, ones with bristles and ones without, and even ones like the cosmetologist used on my hair and made it look great...until I washed it and tried the same), but with less-than-stellar results (okay, to be honest, I put crimps in my hair, I had hair going the wrong way, etc.).  I'd try again the next day and then the next with the same results, finally give away a barely used iron only to have the recipient claim, "I love this curling iron; my hair looks great!"  Yes, it happened more than once that my curling iron wasn't at fault.  It was me and my lack of hair-fixing DNA (or lack of patience gene).  

Over the years, I developed a style (the ever-popular page boy look) that I can manage fairly well with a blow dryer (now up to 1875 watts of power), 25-year-old electric rollers (picked up for $ 6.00 on a clearance table), and fifteen minutes.   It works for me, that is, it worked for me until I heard a segment on TV about women keeping the same style for decades and unwilling or unable to change.  So, I said to myself, "not me, I don't want to fall in that trap"  so I have tried to change a bit with the help of my new hairstylist.  A little bit of layering, an easier style, and some product.  Oh, and yes, it takes twice as long to take care of between the ceramic straightener and the blowdrying and everything else involved, and once finished,it still looks like I am that kid with the pixie cut that can't manage her hair.  My hair always looks great when I leave the salon, but once home, I still can't manage it because I still don't have the gene to look like all those fabulously coiffed women who always look great. 

Yes, I envy those women, those women who know how to handle a curling iron or straightener, that know how to spend time on their hair, but looks like so breezy and chic .  I wish my hair looked salon-styled, but it doesn't.  It probably never will because  I still prefer to spend no more than ten minutes on it, use little or no product on it, and blow it dry and go.  That's the way it will stay because I am genetically challenged in this regard, and I'm used to it. Oh well, c'est la vie!