Hair Washing Days

Hair washing days are "ME" days.

backstory: I’ve come to treasure things I used to take for granted, when I was still living in South Africa because of their scarcity here. For example, nowadays, I reuse hair extensions until I can’t use them any more, before I bin them. Anyway, beauty of the days I wash my hair is that they are “me” time, a pampering of sorts, as braided hair takes long to dry.

p.s. Also linking to Writers’ Pantry at Poets and Storytellers United.

Khaya Ronkainen
Khaya Ronkainen is a writer, poet and creative professional. Her blog focuses on all things poetry and creative nonfiction.

34 Comments

  1. Reminds me of our grandaughter, now twelve. She has had long hair since she was tiny, before the current craze. Yes, I’m thinking it almost becomes a part of one, like a ring worn most every day. We were in South Africa for a week in January, 2020, at Capetown. It is beautiful!! Our across the street neighbors are from South Africa, her mother comes to visit the family here in Texas, especially grandkids, at least once a year.
    Oh yes, the little bird was in too many pieces to put back together again, like Humpty Dumpty. Thanks for asking, I have added that to my footnote now.
    ..

  2. what seems mundane is a sharing of depth
    Happy Sunday

    much❤love

  3. I had never thought of washing my hair not on my head so this made me take notice and get a glimpse into the wider world. Thanks! I do cut up paper from junk mail to reuse for scratch notes.

  4. Wash days still feel like a pain to me because of all the pampering my high porosity curls need to keep a decent bounce going and how it eats a chunk of my day. The pandemic time at home has helped me play around both with streamlining it and going in deeper. LOL, I realized that if I timed it juuuuust right, I can do a leave in treatment during my meeting time at the end of an afternoon, and just rinse out and do a quick diffused blow dry where it’s acceptably damp but not dry yet. 😀

  5. Hi Jim, thanks for your visit and reading. I hope your granddaughter finds taking care of her hair a fun endeavour. It can be lots of work trying to tame long hair, unruly curls or the kind of hair extensions (some of us) ladies put on our hair. 🙂

    Lovely to hear you found Cape Town beautiful. The whole Western Cape, include Winelands and Garden Route are beautiful. I hope you had time to explore them too. Like your neighbour’s mother, we try to visit SA as often as possible. But the ongoing pandemic has halted everything. So, I’m a bit envious you had a chance to visit South Africa before the onset.

    And what a pity about the little bird!

  6. Yay to getting a glimpse into the wider world! Just for clarity, what you see in the photo is hair extension I use to braid my hair. 🙂 Now you have me intrigued with your scratch notes. I wonder if you write poems as well on your cut up paper!

  7. Exactly, the hair washing business can eat a chunk of one’s day depending on the kind of hair one is washing. So, I totally relate to what you’ve described here with your own hair care. I have to thank this pandemic time as well, it has allowed for a “going in deeper” approach…:D And I do find beauty in accepting these hair washing days as overall pampering instead of being frustrated by the whole exercise, which can leave me absolutely exhausted, at times…lol!

  8. It sounds like a process of love. I’ve always found it soothing and pleasurable to play with my hair (and my scalp these days *cough*). So, hair washing day being a “me” day makes perfect sense.

  9. May I add something to your ‘me time’ idea with regards to the time involved with ‘recycling and washing’ your essential hair extensions? I’m thinking it would be wonderful if you could see it as a glorious ***celebration*** of you! Which is a beautiful thought, too!
    🙂

  10. Hurrah for “me days”. We all need them.

  11. A “me day” sounds delightful! I had never heard of hair extensions, and was intrigued. My mother’s hair was once long and thick enough she had it braided up around her head like a crown. I saw photos of her in her youth. I braid my own hair, but I never learned to do the kind of braiding she did.

  12. i gave up hair for lent… about 15 years ago… and it just stayed that way=) hay i just noticed you have some chapbooks. when i have some time i’m going to stop by and read those

  13. It wasn’t always so, Maga. But over the years it has become a process of love. I certainly love your scalp, I bet you have lots of fun playing with it. <3

  14. A glorious celebration of me!!! I’ll take that. Thank you Laura for seeing the beauty in this hair washing process. 🙂

    p.s. I’ll be in touch soon.

  15. We learn something everyday, don’t we! 🙂 It never occurred to me that some people might not know about hair extensions. They are my daily bread; the ease they afford to me to try out different hairstyles. I think of my hair as an art form, too. 😀 Your hair looks long, I assume it looks stunning when braided.

  16. LOL, on your giving up your hair for lent! You had me in stitches. 😀

    And how kind that you’ll make time to read my humble chapbooks. Thank you so much, Phillip. I really appreciate…you’ve made my day!

  17. I cut it back a little, but the braids are still about a foot long. It does help keep my hair contained and out of what I am working on. 🙂

  18. Self-care rituals can be so soothing. I find I straighten my hair when I am stressed. Something about the mundane, repetitive task that has a defined result. It is just me and the mirror, moving my arm up and down. I did it when I was in labor with my daughter to pass the time. Not sure why it calms me, but it does. Perhaps we like to control what we can control.

  19. Self-care rituals are necessary. For instance, I’d like to think also in your case ( just you and the mirror straightening your hair when you are stressed) it’s perhaps focusing on the good, which ultimately calms you down. 🙂

  20. The little routines that make up our life can bring a great deal of peace and comfort. For me, it’s weeding the garden. A lovely post, Khaya.

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