This strip was inspired by two very special people, my husband’s twin cousins, Lydia and Loretta. They had the very best heads of hair I have ever seen on any other human – and I used to work with professional models back in my New York City advertising days. Their locks were long, healthy, thick, dark golden brown, and lustrous as a thoroughbred’s tail. They were also blessed with perfect hairlines framing beautiful faces on top of tall, slender figures.
And, like most women, they were always, always abusing it. Instead of allowing its natural beauty to just BE and getting the occasional maintenance trim or style tweak, they would experiment mercilessly with perms, drug store dyes, cruel forms of heat styling, lung-threatening hair spray, cheap salons - with the same ghastly results followed by routine shrieks of horror, cries of regret, promises of never again; The Lesson Not Learned on perpetual repeat.
I’m absolutely guilty of the same thing, but only in approach. The difference is, my hair is thin, skinny, sparse. I have, I’ve been told, four (!) cowlicks (I knew about the bane of my existence on my right forehead, but the others were a recent unhappy discovery. It does, however, explain a few things about styling challenges). I submitted to an appalling perm in the late 70s when they were fashionable and wound up with a blonde afro until I had it nearly all cut off (thanks for nothing, Barbra Streisand). If it weren’t for hairspray, I’d never leave the house.
So, to all the women who struggle with their crowning glories: a nice hat wardrobe is a very good investment. And if you’ve got hair like the Twins*, for God’s sake, take the win and leave it alone!
*We love and miss you both. You inspired much more than this little effort.
I have learned that no man can adequately console a women who hates her haircut. On dozens of occasions I have tried my best to soothe or minimize the perceived catastrophe but to no avail. However, 15 minutes with her girlfriends and all is right with the world. Teena had the magic touch.