en·vy
/ˈɛnvi/ Show Spelled [en-vee] noun, plural en·vies, verb, en·vied, en·vy·ing.
noun
1. a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, ect.
Have you ever coveted the curls of another? Ever experience feelings of discontentment (feelings of dissatisfaction with ones self), or felt that your hair texture just wasn't good enough: too kinky, too coily, or too whatever? Have you ever said to yourself "If only I had her hair." Well, If this true then, most likely you've previously suffered from a case of Hair Envy.
Don't feel bad. You're not alone. Personally, I've been guilty of Hair Envy a countless number of times, especially during my early big-chop stages. Yeah, I've stood there in the mirror finger coiling my TWA and left the house feeling myself only until I crossed the path of that girl with the perfect hair. Yes, that girl, with the thick, lustrous ,long tresses; who's hair seemingly curls with no effort and blows in the wind as light as a feather. Sadly, each and every time I crossed the path of that girl, It reminded me that all the finger coiling in the world wouldn't make my 3c kinky curls pop like her's. No amount of product I used could mimic her natural shine and luster, and It would be years before my hair reached her length.
Unfortunately, this envious mindset blinded me from seeing the beauty of my own texture and as a result, I found myself chasing after a standard I could never reach, while all along neglecting my own crowing glory. Little did I know that a twist of fate would change the way I saw things forever.
See, not only did I envy the girl with the perfect curly hair but I also envied the chic with the flawless strait hair . I wanted it all, and this consequently left me feeling like I was trapped on a never ending ferris wheel of dissatisfaction. My routine went like this, one day I'd wear my hair curly until I got tired of looking like a poodle, and then a few days later I'd singe my poor curls with the flat iron on the highest heat setting to get it as bone-strait as possible. I continued this madness until one day the unthinkable happened. I washed my hair, and to my dismay, there was not a single curl in sight! The ends of my hair just hung there limp, lifeless, and wirey. I was devastated! I tried everything: protein treatments, hot oil, deep conditioning, but none of it made any difference. It was as if my hair was rejecting me because I had rejected and neglected it for so long.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. I eventually discovered that my problem was heat damage and that the only solution was to chop off the damaged ends of my hair and start all over again. It is an understatement to say that the whole ordeal was a total nightmare, but it taught me an age old valuable lesson "sometimes you don't good thing till it's gone."
It has been several months since my tragic hair disaster and I'm happy to report that my curls are back! It required a lot of time and TLC on my part, but it was all well worth it! My hair is healthier than it has ever been ,and my eyes are no longer blind to just how beautiful my precious 3c curls really are! Futhermore, it brings me pleasure to inform that my days of hair envying are over! Yes, whenever I cross the path of that girl with the springy, silky curls, I still stare in admiration, but I no longer feel intimidated, because I've grown to appreciate the unique qualities of all hair textures, including my own. Besides, nobody can rock my hair like I can Hunnay!
