Unruly (& Indecisive) Hair

A follower Fiona has posted a keen query. And no, Fiona, yours is not a daft question at all. If our hair is doing one thing one day and something totally different the next, what are we to think?

Fiona asks,

"...my formerly straight hair is turning wavy! It's probably down to the menopause or the various medications I've been on for the past year to tackle my migraines. Actually I like it wavy - it's a new look! Problem is that the hair on top of my head is still straight... The hairdresser said she saw more curls growing in underneath. Will that happen so that all my hair is curly/wavy?"

The Facts
The truth (or at least one small part of it) is that our hair undergoes a full cycle of chemical/physical change over the course of 7 years. It's not unusual, however, to notice our hair doing something different one day than it had been the day prior. Depending on the haircut, the length, and the weight of a hairdo, your hair can hit a critical point where it starts falling differently one day, due to a new texture that has even been developing over the course of months.

But Why this Change?
Yes, it's quite possible that the menopause has done it. The most common characteristic of menopausal and post-menopausal hair is that it becomes more porous, and as a result, kinky. But it sounds from your post, Fiona, that you're beginning to get bona fide curls. This could just be part of the 7 year cycle. As for the migraine medication... Maybe? I couldn't say with any certainty on that one.

Will the Rest of My Hair Get the Memo?
Quite possibly not. However, I would be willing to bet (and you might have to find a very good stylist to discover this for you) that the seemingly straight hair on top does have a wave pattern to it, however more subtle. If this is the case, you have a variety of options. If you choose to wear your hair short, you can texturize the top layers in such a way to be supported and even shaped by the curls below. If you're wanting to wear it longer, you could have either a heavily-layered 'do, allowing the topmost layers to fall straighter, for a loosely tousled look, or a barely-layered 'do, so that the heaviness of the top layers weigh down or hide the more rebellious curls underneath.

I hope this helps. I don't know that I've offered you much by way of solution, but I will offer you one last morsel to consider. Perhaps the duality in your hair is simply bringing to light the presence of opposites in all things.... Oh Amanda, where's your Digeridoo and chime-set when you need one? But seriously Fiona, I think your indecisive hair sounds like a fun new adventure. Call it the incense talking, but I'd like to raise a glass to the grand new weirdness that is your hair. Thanks again for posting!