hair woes

My hair has been the bane of my beauty existence.

When I was ten, I got my first perm (yes, I was Asian back then too, but it was the eighties, so...), and from just about that point on, it's been a battle. At various points, my hair has been curled, Japanese straightened, grown out, layered, chopped, and colored. It's been above my ears, shoulder-length, and down my back.

I have finally decided (drum roll, please) to accept it as it is  - wavy, coarse, thick, and prone to kink. It's dry, but if I don't wash it every day I think it starts to smell. On the other hand, its natural body flatters my rounder face, and I like that there's a lot of it and that when treated well, it responds nicely.

Does this mean that I spend an hour in the salon on a weekly blowout? Certainly not, and besides, the aforementioned hair washing issue. I have neither the time nor the interest to flatiron my hair every day nor maintain a regimen of hair masks and leave-in conditioners on top of frizz-defying finishing products and flexible-hold spritzers. I honestly wish I did.

Again, laziness. A more motivated woman might do all of the above, but I just don't have it in me. Here's what I do do, and so far it's serving me well. Obviously, I am not an expert, but if you're as reluctant as I am, you'll appreciate that you can get good results with a relatively small amount of effort:

If you must wash daily, use a minimum amount of shampoo (dime-sized) and don't let it sit. I can't be bothered with a separate conditioner (I told you I was lazy), and so it's always a 2-in-1 for me. Currently, I  use Suave Professionals.

This macadamia-infused comb looks interesting (Ulta).

Long, thick hair will definitely benefit from a detangling/wide-toothed comb. If I don't comb when my hair is still wet, it becomes a tangled mess. Towel dry, then comb, and blow dry only when absolutely necessary.

My most recent secret weapon is Kerastase Oleo-Relax. It is nothing short of miraculous - totally worth the price, and since it's my only styling product, budget-friendly.

South Korea's Kim Jung-Eun (adorable!)

Bangs. Age-defying and style-enhancing. I trim my own, cutting only from iris to iris because my face is rounder. Graduated bangs flatter; straight across not so much (on me, anyway).

Finally, know when to call in the professionals (bigger parties, such as weddings; important get-togethers; as an occasional pick-me-up). It's less than therapy, and if you take a picture at least you'll have something to show for it (apologies to every talk therapist I've ever, um, talked to).