What Is This Indian Obsession With Long Hair If I Want Them Short?

From wanting long hair to realising I really loved myself and my hair when it was shorter and still beautiful, I have come a long way!

Damsels, through all the generations that I have heard of, have mostly been outlined by their beautifully long hair. Be it Cinderella, Rapunzel or any of those beautiful ladies who gave us hopes of a fairy tale life, at the end of misery, had lovely beautiful locks. Hair that either swayed beautifully or was tied up neatly in a bun, only to be let free by their beloved.

And hair has made its mark in the pages of history. Either to describe the epitome of a woman’s beauty, when the heroes could not take their eyes off them. Or to describe savagery, while a woman was dragged by her long tresses.

My upbringing did not give enough space for hair to make its way in. Since, my parents worried about my overall health and hygiene, hair got its fair share of what it deserved. Nothing more.

Every summer I was taken by my dad to his barber and got a haircut like his. My childhood photos are filled with pictures of me smiling with spikes sticking out of my head.

All the way to high school and beyond, I remember getting those stares from people as my pony tails and plaits were replaced by a neat bob cut. ‘She looks like a boy now,’ was often, what people would say.

I felt fabulous when I finally did it!

I must confess that until a few years ago, I would secretly wish for those long tresses. In fact, I succeeded during my pregnancy, when I ended up having lovely hair. But it was not long before it started to feel like a burden and little by little it made its way upwards.

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The more I matured as a person, I realised that the dream of having long hair was probably not even mine. It was probably the Rapunzels and Cinderellas playing in my head.

So as you would guess, I did it. One fine day I return home with a completely new look. The reactions of people I was prepared for. Some said I looked like a guy, others thought I probably was diagnosed with cancer. Then there were those who thought I looked fabulous.

But let me tell you how I felt. Oh! I loved myself! I think end of the day that is what matters. Long or short does not matter at all.

My son who witnessed his mumma’s new look and the reactions of people, had to give his opinion as well. “Mumma, I like long hair,” was his naive comment.

Long or short, as long you love it, it’s all that matters!

Smiling at him, I cuddled him up and say, “Sure my dear, you can grow your hair to whatever length you want to.”

“Mumma! I was talking about your hair. Boys don’t have long hair! Girls have long hair,” he says flatly, annoyed that his Mumma said something like this.

“Would you not love me with my short hair?” I ask him, making a cute sad face. “And would I no longer be your Mumma now?” now I ask, sounding worried.

Cute little hands cling onto my waist and a pair of innocent eyes look up at me and he says, “You are my Mumma now and forever. Nothing has changed Mumma. You can do as you please.”Now he has a cute smile, happy to know that nothing has really changed with reduced hair on his Mumma’s head.

Long or short, as long as it makes YOU happy and makes YOU confident, it is worth it!

Picture credits: Still from a 2015 LOreal Paris advertisement.

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