Camera Problem Solved and Thoughts on Hair

So it really wasn’t worth it to have my old camera fixed because the shipping charges alone were 1/3 the cost I originally paid for my old camera and also 1/3 the cost of a new camera. So I bought a new camera and a tripod so that when the lens is open I don’t have an opportunity to drop the camera. Odd how YLF has become so important to me that having the right tools is essential. I keep saying this is my artistic outlet – I guess I am putting my money where my mouth is.

So I’ve had yet another epiphany. In the narrow sense it’s about my hair. In the broader sense it’s realizing that once you accept the obvious (which seems simple enough, but it’s not) it’s VERY easy to let go of unattainable goals/ideals and start making realistic ones.  Some people might say it’s lowering expectations but really it’s making life simple by accepting what is. Here’s my story.

You would think that obviously I would know about my hair considering it’s been on my head all my life, but magazines and TV do a number on your perceptions of reality.  I’d been conditioned to believe that normal is what I see in the images on TV, in magazines or on the internet. Abnormal of course had to be my hair, which was the antithesis of what I saw on TV, in magazines and on the internet.

I've always been aware that my hair is thin, but I thought it was because my hair was unhealthy, damaged, or even worse I was doing something wrong which is why it refused to behave. Behaving meaning that long, thick luscious hair would immediately sprout from my scalp (dare to dream).

Then, I stumbled across a blog post on low-density (p.c. for thin) fine hair. All of the complaints were identical to the ones I’ve always had about my hair: 

  • when my hair is straight, my ponytail is skinny and sad looking 
  • my hair also looks see-through when it's perfectly straight
  • when my hair is pin-straight it perfectly outlines the shape of my head,
  • volume i.e. texture, curl, frizz (just a little) has always been my friend – it makes my hair look thicker than it is which is why I stopped chemically straightening my hair
  • my hair breaks easily with little or no provocation even when it’s healthy
  • and finally the individual strands of my hair are thin.

Then it clicked OH… this is my hair. I’m NOT doing anything wrong –
this is just the way my hair is. 

I still admire thick luscious long hair I just don’t have the stress of trying to figure out why my hair isn’t long thick and luscious. I’ve included some pics of what my hair does very well to celebrate my epiphany.

Have you had a similar experience accepting something about yourself? 

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This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

35 Comments

  • ramya replied 10 years ago

    DV all that just describes my hair. From thick curls in childhood my hair changed to this during my teens. I had a horrible time accepting it. I hope to have made some peace with this now:)
    Sigh its so difficult

  • Jules replied 10 years ago

    Now see I look at your pictures and think that you have a lot of hair,and a lot of ways to style it - what a variety of beautiful looks!
    It's hard to make peace with hair, I get that. I'm terrible at styling hair and don't actually want to spend time on It anyway. Mine is wavy - I want curly OR straight hair, not in between. I want magically perfect hair without making any effort whatsoever, lol!

  • CocoLion replied 10 years ago

    I love you in those soft colors in 1/2!  And I think your hair looks great in all of the pictures.  It looks soft and pretty when it is curly, but I also like it straight.

    Try having thin hair and being 55.  It just gets thinner.  I have a picture of my great-grandmother and she actually looks like she has male pattern baldness.  That is my fear, that I will look like my great-grandmother (who I never met) before too long.

  • Thistle replied 10 years ago

    I second Jules!!

    Magically perfect hair I just comb and go!!

  • abc replied 10 years ago

    DV I think you have beautiful hair - it looks pretty and part of your look in all of the ways you style it.  I personally love to see it how you show in #7 but know it's nice to have some flexibility.  I sure wish for hair that didn't need styling but that is dream-land.  Reality is uneven natural curl that has changed after having kids.  God bless whoever made hair color, too.

  • Day Vies replied 10 years ago

    Ramya - I hope you've made peace with it too. Wanting what just isn't going to happen is unnecessarily stressful.

    Jules - Isn't it great when there are a few trick you can pull out of your back pocket to present the illusion of what you want. I can assure you as soon as I have to wear a less voluminous hairstyle the thinness of my hair becomes quite apparent.

    Coco -- I thought the peach and beige with pewter accents was a nice wind-down to summer. I wore that to pick up my new and improved equipment. I think I'll try the color combo again with different pieces.
    As for great-grandma, maybe you'll be spared (fingers crossed). You do have 4 different great-grandmothers so perhaps you have genes from the other 3. My great grandmother had fine strands but she had a mass of white hair. I guess we'll know once we get there.

    Thistle - A wig is magic hair, but even it needs to be styled. ;-)

    ABC- I share your frustration with uneven natural curls. My constant question for my hair was why can't you all act like this patch of hair over here?

  • replied 10 years ago

    Oh, I might have the same hair type as you! And like Cocolion, it has only gotten worse with age and my recent sickness. AND my Grandma and the aunties from Dad's side had horrible, thinning hair, like they could only put about three little curlers in it and there was no more hair left to use up! You could definitely see through to their scalps. I think leaving it as natural as possible and not using harsh chemicals and hot tools is the best solution. Also for me, anyway, keeping it a little shorter helps make it seem thicker. I have a small head in comparison to my shoulders, so a short, fluffy 'do helps to balance out my proportions. I like your hair with volume for the same reason, 4, 6 & 7 are my favorites, but seriously #5 looks really good too, and very First Lady-ish, not too thin at all. Oprah had a really good article on going natural with your hair in the August issue of O, but it sounds like you're already skipping relaxer.  

  • Sara L. replied 10 years ago

    Your hair looks good in all your pictures and I would never guess it's thin.  You must be very good at working with the texture you have to hide the thinness.

  • Day Vies replied 10 years ago

    Claire -- I laughed out loud about the three curlers -- I can relate. I am not that thin but yes, I definitely avoid to styles that may expose too much scalp. I agree short & fluffy = thicker looking.
    I thought I could get away with coloring my gray and things were fine for about a year, then one time and only one time I left the color on 2 minutes too long. I had to deal with 18 months of frail hair and the gradual loss of at least 6 inches of hair as a result. I don't do anything with chemicals now, it's too much of a risk. I'm also not offended by my grays.  
    I also happened to pick up last month's issue of O because I wanted to see what new strategies I could learn. I ditched the relaxer 11 years ago and have been learning new things about my hair ever since.

  • deb replied 10 years ago

    I have always loved your various hairstyles. Sometimes hair shows hormonal abnormalities. Have you thought of this?  

  • Janet replied 10 years ago

    I agree with Sara! I never would have known your hair causes you any grief. My hair used to be quite a bit more thick, meaning there was a lot of it. It was also curlier. It's getting thinner and less curly, but the upside it's easier to manage than it used to be.

    I totally understand about the "normal/abnormal" perception and the accompanying mental exercise of trying to accept and keep realistic ideals. Very few things make me feel like a freak more than jeans shopping. I don't really think my body is all that unusual, but trying to find jeans that don't hug my thighs too tightly can certainly make me wonder.

  • Suz replied 10 years ago

    You write some of the best posts! You always get us thinking. And admiring. Whatever your hair's weaknesses, I love every single way you style it -- you look great in every variation! And I love that you can achieve those variations, too. As I've said before, it allows you to juxtapose or complement patterns or lines in your clothing and the textural element this adds to your outfits is fantastic with your glowing complexion. 

    Ultimately, this illustrates the point that it is only by paying attention to who and what we really are that we will achieve authentic style. "Style is the perfection of point of view." Well, okay, the man was talking about poetry...but it's true in fashion, as well. 

  • Day Vies replied 10 years ago

    Deb -- definitely hormones can play a role in the texture and thickness of one's hair but that wasn't/isn't my issue. My problem had been that I couldn't wrap my brain around why my hair wasn't thicker as if having thin hair (not thinning or previously thick) wasn't a normal state of being for hair. 

    Janet - thanks for sharing! I had to accept that my thighs are fuller but my hips are nearly non-existent and jean manufacturers are clearly befuddled by such a "unique" combination because without some stretch in my jeans I'd have a very hard time finding flattering jeans at all. This really was a problem for me in the 90's when jeans rarely had any stretch to them if at all.
    It's nice to have a space to let your hair down (pun intended) and discuss what's really normal. If we never talked about these things the assumption would be that yep, something must be wrong with me because my X doesn't fit in these jeans, bras, shoes, hats, rings etc. 

    Suz- we must have cross-posted but I love what you said style IS all about the perfection of your point of view, and authentic expression. It's really hard to express who you really are when you haven't really accepted the raw material you have to work with. Not accepting is very, very stressful because you have to work against what's there.  

  • Janet replied 10 years ago

    I meant to add, too, congrats on your new camera! And you look fab in all of those pictures. Your hair looks terrific in every one.

  • Joy replied 10 years ago

    Your hair always looks great. I'm in awe of all the different ways you can wear it.

  • Suz replied 10 years ago

    Yeah, it's like if I keep dreaming about the voluminous, drapey, Japanese influenced styles that I often admire --- but that look downright ridiculous on me. I could drive myself nutty doing that, or I could just accept that those styles work better on others.

    It's actually been liberating to realize that it's not just a question of height or body type, because some petites can look fab in those styles. Just not me. And that probably has to do with personality as well as line and shape. It's fascinating to learn about and think about.  

  • Karie replied 10 years ago

    I think your hair looks fantastic in all the photos! I never would have guessed it was thin. I have thin hair too, and dry, and it can be extremely frustrating. I have changed styles many times, but lately I have not been happy with it. I've come to accept that it has a mind of its own!

  • velvetychocolate replied 10 years ago

    I really love this post. I especially like the way you said, "This is my hair, and I'm not doing anything wrong, this is just the way my hair is."

    As for me? I've had the same sort of conundrum/ephiphany - I have pale blonde hair and non-existent eyelashes, as well as really light blonde eyebrows. I keep feeling like I should colour my eyebrows or dye them or something, but have simply never gotten around to doing it. Just wasn't something I ever thought of, and yet - I've felt a bit weird about it, thinking that maybe I need a bit more colour and definition. Meanwhile, it seems strange (to me) that I should colour or dye my eyebrows a different colour than my own hair because they don't "show up" enough. Don't get me wrong, I use mascara and will occasionally use a taupe-y/blonde-ish eyebrow pencil on my brows. Dyeing my eyebrows seems a bit more than I'm ready for, to be honest.

    I really appreciate your thoughts because I'm now thinking, "Yes, I have blonde hair and I *also* have blonde eyebrows..." And no, I'm not doing anything 'wrong' either.

    Meanwhile, I love all of your different hairstyles - you really do look gorgeous. And you're 100% right in that there's nothing "wrong" with your hair at all, it's just your hair and it's not unhealthy or damaged either. Your hair is beautiful! And you're lucky that you can style it in so many different ways. Looks fab in each and every one of your photos.

    In closing, I have to add - I would never have imagined that you felt you had 'thin' hair - I see really nice, beautiful hair that can be styled in all kinds of different ways.

  • Jaime replied 10 years ago

    I absolutely love this post, even if I was surprised to learn that your hair is a problem because it always looks so good! Yes, I am neither tall, nor blonde, nor young, and on and on. Get over it magazines!

  • Lyn D. replied 10 years ago

    Well- your hair always is another layer of interest to your outfits DV, and a Fab one too!
    I think I have finally accepted my wrinkles. We are bombarded by tightly stretched skin on others of a similar age, and begin to doubt ourselves as individuals with our own unique beauty from within.
    So about a decade ago I felt quite unhappy about myself in this regard.
    Now I am focussing on being more positive and affirming of myself and others, and feel happier overall.

  • Aziraphale replied 10 years ago

    Day Vies, I never would have guessed you have thin hair.  That is a great bonus of having "black" hair: the natural curliness makes it look thick and fabulous.  

    I've recently been reading about black women and hair, and how there's this whole big thing -- issues that involve racism -- which leads to rampant straightening of curly hair, which is (never mind anything else) hard on the hair, causing breakage and thinning.  I also learned that wearing naturally curly black hair, wearing it full and big, can be a statement of black pride.  Anyway it's all food for thought for a little white woman like me, who had never really given any thought to the relationship between hair and racism.  I'm glad I know about it.  I swear, I've always thought "black" hair was super cool, whether worn big, cropped close to the head, or in various interesting styles involving small braids.  (I tried the tiny braid thing once, when I was young, and even though I have pretty thick hair, it just looked limp and sad around my pointy white face).

    OK, that wasn't meant as a hijack.  But anyway.  Your hair looks great as it is, and I definitely prefer it in its natural curly state.  Actually, I think that goes for most of us -- we generally look best in a hairstyle that works with the hair's natural texture and thickness.  

    One point about wigs: they ARE magic.  You don't have to style them much.  My MIL has thin, fine hair, and once she made it through menopause, it got thinner and finer, until she said fuck this noise, I'm getting a wig.  And now she's wondering why she didn't do it years ago.  It looks great -- you can't tell it's not her own hair -- and it takes her 30 seconds to put on and style.  I've been there when people comment on her great hair, and it's just so funny.  Mind you, I think it was expensive.

  • Adelfa replied 10 years ago

    Very deep, DV! I need to meditate on this.

  • Day Vies replied 10 years ago

    Oh, where do I start. I have been delayed in responding because my old MacBook needed to be upgraded to Lion. (Why does Apple need to name all of its operating systems after big cats???)

    Suz - I remember a post you had with your kimono jacket an BF jeans. I thought it was fabulous! I think you can integrate some of the Japanese influences you love but in a way that is honest and true for you. I don't see you in drapes and shapeless pieces mainly because I've never seen you wear them. When I think of outfits you've worn that are killer to the power of killer I think strict bright happy crisp pieces. This view is shaped only by what I've seen on the forum. I doubt that you would look ridiculous in anything you chose to wear but the Japanese style you love juxtaposed with your tailored strict pieces make for a happy medium.  I agree that self-discovery is a fascinating frustrating process. I want to pull out all the things that need help and fix them right now, but then what would be left for me to discover about myself tomorrow?

    Karie - me too. I have accepted that hair indeed has a mind of its own, and there isn't  much I can do but work with it or be permanently disappointed. So I choose to be happy.

    Velvetychocolate - Just typing that makes me happy :-) I understand exactly where you're coming from with the pale brows (they disappear -- I know) and the non-existent eyelashes. ME TOO.  Now, my brows and lashes aren't blond (obviously) but they're thin to the point of being invisible. This is the reason why I rarely post pics of me without make up. I have to powder in my brows and line my eyes or put on mascara or else no one could see the things I find pretty about my face. It's a good thing I don't find putting on makeup work -- I'd never wear it. I don't wear makeup every single day -- I'm not that insecure, but I certainly feel more "visible" when my brows and lashes are visible. Funny I just realized when I don't want to be bothered and I want to be invisible I don't wear makeup. Best of all, we're not doing anything wrong we just have invisible brows YAY invisible brows!

    Shevia - I couldn't have said it better myself.

    Lyn D. -- Thanks for sharing! My grandmother is a lovely 77 year old woman and she always says (among many of her other favorite quotes) that every age has its beauty. I also love it when Stacey London says stop competing with 25 year olds they always win! It's hard to accept the natural process of aging when our youth obsessed culture has fight aging at every step of the way as its rallying cry. It seems we want to have it both ways, we want to live forever but look 25. I am so happy that you've chosen to be happy over worrying about wrinkles.

    Aziraphale - I also have a wig and I am completely on board with it's magical properties. The wig I have is about the same length and color as my hair when its straightened. I think I even fooled my mother once ;-) It's WAY thicker than my hair will ever be but it's nice to go from curly to straight in a matter of minutes I'll post a pic of me in my wig for kicks and giggles.
    Black women and the natural vs. straight debate is a whole other can of worms! That brings up issues not just of race and racism but colorism and intra-race racism. I have not been untouched by the "inherent" political statement I made 11 years ago when I cut off my permed hair and wore essentially a buzz cut for 2 years. Before I cut my hair I really didn't think it would be such a big deal but when you have members of your own family attaching political leanings to you based on your hairstyle and starting unfounded rumors about you based on stereotypes you find out really quick that yes your hair is a political statement whether you like it or not. I'm so glad you commented and didn't edit yourself. I don't feel your comments were a  hijack at all. After all, I am a black woman with black hair issues.

    So below is a pic of me on a cruise with my wig. When I posted this on my facebook page people thought I airbrushed the picture, or lost lost of weight. My brother thought it was a total glam shot.

  • Beth Ann replied 10 years ago

    Loved reading this thread!  It is so freeing to work with what you have -- not to try to achieve perfection or create illusion, but to enjoy the beauty that is already there.  Limitations can keep us from endless hunt for the perfect.  By way of example, if I had unlimited funds, I could build a lovely house and furnish it as I please.  But every choice would come with unlimited options, which would just paralize me.  There was a book that came out a few years ago, Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz, that discusses this phenomenon.

    I am another who would never guess your hair was thin.  I love the way you change it to suit your mood and outfit -- you manage a lot of versatility and you hair becomes a great accessory, even if you can't wear it any way you wish.

  • Day Vies replied 10 years ago

    Beth Ann -- you are so smart and would be the one to connect this thread to  the Paradox of Choice. The concept would never have occurred to me. I love what you said, "Limitations can keep us from endless hunt for the perfect". I think I need to get my hands on that book....

  • replied 10 years ago

    Wow, this has gotten really deep and insightful! What a great read. I loved what LynD. said about wrinkles, because I've been feeling the same way about my grey hair. I feel like a freak sometimes when young people assume I am MUCH older than I am because of it. I brought DD lunch one day and one of her friends said, "Wow that's so nice! My grandma would never do that for me." Granted, a lot of people around here have their kids very young, so there are some very young grandparents...but I was only 30 when I had her! In fact, I don't have a single friend in my age bracket that does not color her  greys (except on YLF of course!). So before I hijack your thread completely, let me just say that I question my decision to be grey ALL. THE. TIME. And of course I reserve the right to change my mind, but I don't buy that line that "hair color can actually be good for your hair". As someone with low-density hair, I guess I'd rather have hair, even if it's grey, than have it break off or fall out like you experienced! I think I just need to go read that book that Beth Ann mentioned. It sounds phenomenal!

  • Hil replied 10 years ago

    Wow - what an interesting read! For me it links back to my hair and make-up thread last week that I kept meaning to chime back in on and didn't. It's finding what works for you and your hair/body type/height/lifestyle.

    There is no perfect hair and we often long for what we don't have. I have always longed for long crazy spiral perm type curls. Without the perm. But I have a friend who has that hair and she would swop with me in an instant.

    I keep reading over and over again that the key to being at peace and happy with yourself is working with what you have...

    I don't want to have to spend hours styling my hair each morning to have a long glossy mane. And that is exactly what I would need to do if I were to grow my hair out. Finding a stylist who gets me and my hair and finding a look that allows me to spend minimum time with hair that still looks styled was very important to me.   

    FWIW, I have fantasised about having black hair so that I could have dreads :)

    OH AND BEFORE I FORGET!!! Pic #6 is absophenomastically KILLER!

  • soobee replied 10 years ago

    DV you look lovely no matter which way you style your hair.  Being an Aussie girl, I didn't realise there was a political issue with straightening hair for black American ladies.  I envy your curly hair, my natural hair is simply a frizz ball with "waves" and no curl.  I thought I'd come to terms with it until I saw an ad for the Instyler and thought I'd give it a shot.  Now I finally have the hair I've longed for, for 30 years.  It takes about 10 minutes in the morning and it's so worth it, to me.  Straighteners just made it limp, lifeless and thin.  My faves of your pics are the slick look in pic 5 and the curls in pic 7. 

  • goldenpig replied 10 years ago

    Wow I can't believe you were ever unhappy with your hair. I have always admired your hair especially. I wouldn't have guessed that it was thin--"luscious" is always how I've thought your hair looked. Your hair is so versatile--so many different lovely styles. My fave is #7 and #5 but they're all fantastic! I wish I had that many different hair options! You look great in the wig too--would never have been able to tell. (I think Michelle Obama kind of looks like you, esp in #3 and the wig pic). You look amazing, figure, clothes, hair, makeup all so perfect--you are a style icon to me!

    I have always been jealous of lovely curly hair gals but I realized I don't have time to style my hair anyways, so it's just as well that my long straight hair looks OK wash and go, even if it is a bit boring.

  • catgirl replied 10 years ago

    I absolutely love your hair wild and free - how I envy that look!  Will ponder if I've had the same epiphany. Perhaps it's about my height.  Have always wanted to be tall and associated height with strength and power. 

  • Lisa replied 10 years ago

    Yay for the new camera.  And that shade of blue is lovely on you, I also like that bright yellow.  I think I just like bright shades  on you, they really look stunning!  Hair, I'm not a fan of mine.  I only have two styles really, up in a clip of some sort, usually all up but once in a while half up, and all down, which is lots of work because I have to blow dry and flat iron otherwise I have a poofy mess.  I envy those with more styling savy than myself.  Your hair looks very versatile, it's straight, it's curly, it's wavy, I love it, what fun looks!

  • Day Vies replied 10 years ago

    Claire - I don't think you question your decision to remain gray as much as you believe. You've already made your choice to have a healthy head of hair that's not colored. The difficulty seems to stem from the public perception that you are older than you are. I think you're a lot more comfortable with that misperception than you are with the inevitable thinning of you hair if you colored it.
    I struggle with that myself albeit not to the same degree. I am about 10 percent gray and I wonder if I do extra moisturizing conditioning treatments etc. if I could avoid breakage, but it simply isn't a risk I'm willing to take. My hair colored is not as soft and feels brittle and scratchy.

    Hil - well said. It seems the struggle is accepting that what we have is all we're going to get. There is so much pain and suffering we cause ourselves when we wish for things we simply aren't going to get. Perhaps that's the human condition to realize this then move on to having a happy life.

    Soobee - Is the instyler that tool where you blowdry your hair inside of an attachment and it spirals on itself until it's dry? I thought that was pretty cool but I wasn't tempted to get one because my hair will probably not get long enough to take advantage.

    Goldenpig -- isn't that the way of it? The grass is always greener? DH constantly refers to me as "My Michelle". I call Michelle O his girlfriend and his crush. I agree the styles are Michelle-ish, it's a very flattering and classic style.

    Alaskagirl -- I always wanted to be taller too. I think it's funny that in real life and on the forum people think I'm taller than 5'5" so maybe I got my wish?

    Lisa -- I'm just glad bright colors love me back. I'd be out of business if they didn't. I've always been a bit afraid of neutrals because I thought if I wore too much of them I'd fade into the wall. I'm sure that isn't really true but it doesn't stop the thought from invading my brain when it comes to choosing colors for my outfits.

  • soobee replied 10 years ago

    I let my hair dry naturally, usually washing it the night before, then Instyle in the morning.  It's a heat tool like a straightener but with a round barrel on one side and a brush on the other.  It gives a lot lift as well as smoothing out.  There are clips on youtube of people reviewing it if you want to see how it works :)

  • MsMaven replied 10 years ago

    I love this thread.  

    One of my earliest memories is of my Mom winding up my hair on rag curlers.  Yes, I said rag curlers.  Not sure if I can even explain them.  My sisters and I had rag curlers placed in our fine straight hair every night and every morning Mom took them out and brushed the results into something vaguely resembling Shirley Temple ringlets.

    Do any of you remember Toni Home Permanents?  Once they hit the scene we endured hours of smelly chemicals and frizzed hair.  I even had a Toni doll with a fake home permanent twist.  My best friend and I called ourselves the Toni Twins.

    I could go on and on with my struggles with my fine, straight hair.  Even in the 60s when women were ironing their hair I still wound mine up every day on something called electric curlers. 

    My closest friend, who is my same age, has a similar struggle, only her hair is fine and curly and the least bit of humidity causes it to curl up into a mass.  

    I could go on and on with the history of The Hair.  Certainly there is a lot of social, cultural, and psychological issues involved with our hair.  Congratulations to any of you who has been able to make peace with it. 

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 10 years ago

    I love your curls, but you also look gorgeous with the sleeker styles. These are all so wonderful. You are just beautiful in each of these photos, and you look like a model. Like others, I would not have guessed your hair was thin. It looks perfect for you, nicely balanced with your features. I'm happy for your epiphany. Kind of like how I didn't realize my hair was naturally curly/wavy until my mid-30s! I just thought it was hard to control. Then I stumbled upon a hairdresser that actually cut and styled my hair to use the wave--aha! What a life-changer.

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