The myth of the curly-haired wild woman
<p>It was not just on television that straight, smooth, silky hair was idealised. Friends were teased for having '<a href="http://www.saibabaofindia.com/miracle-his-hair-from-grey-to-black-sri-sathya-sai-baba.htm" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Sai Baba hair</a>.' My well-meaning mother would rub my scalp vigorously with oil, brushing my hair fiercely yet somewhat hopelessly, trying to get it to behave.</p>
<p>A few years ago, I got a keratin treatment done in furtherance of my perennial quest for straight hair. In a matter of hours, I had my 'dream' hair. I couldn't stop touching it, amazed as I was by its smoothness. However, the novelty soon wore off, as straight hair did not quite suit me.</p>
<p>Now that I am in my mid-twenties, accepting that my hair will forever remain thick, wavy, and rough, I have begun to interrogate the larger structures that determine our ideas about 'good' hair. Why did I find my frizzy, otherwise healthy hair — ugly? Is there a link between institutional structures such as gender, caste, colonialism, and our ideas about hair?</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/mumkinapp/the-myth-of-the-curly-haired-wild-woman-95634b6901fb"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>