Simplify Your Morning Hair Routine

Image: o5com via Flickr

I used to get dressed up for school. I thought it was really important to look and feel my best each day, because I never knew what opportunities would present themselves. Perhaps this made sense when I was in the image-obsessed city of Los Angeles, but once I got a "real job" in Texas, my priorities started to change. Read on to learn how I cut my morning routine from 1-1.5 hours down to a mere 30 minutes.

Go with your natural texture - I fought it for a long time, but my hair is naturally wavy. In order to prevent it from being wavy, I would have to rake a comb through it (a painful process), blow dry, and touch up a few spots with a straightener. This process took 40 minutes to an hour every time I washed my hair (two or three times a week). Even if the straight texture lasted a few days, my hair would return to its natural texture on a rainy day and grow frizzy in humidity. Do yourself a favor and learn how to make the most of your natural texture. It can save you a lot of time and hassle.

Blow dry only when necessary - Blow drying takes a lot of time and energy. When I first started cutting back on my routine, I would stretch the days between washings by brushing or doing light touch-ups. If you're in a hurry and can't blow dry, use dry shampoo. Eventually, I left the blow dryer in the closet on all but the coldest days, instead opting to let my hair air dry. Not only does it keep my wavy hair from getting frizzy, but it also takes me just 1-2 minutes to scrunch gel in my hair and go.

Embrace imperfection - I'm ebarrassed to admit how much time I wasted stressing over small details. When I'd blow dry my hair straight, I'd always have a few rebellious waves in the back. I'd always try to fry them into submission with a straightener. When I realized that no one but me cared about the back of my head, I decided to let it go. Between workouts, headphones, sunglasses, and rain, your hair is unlikely to look the same as it was when you left your house, no matter how hard you try.  Give yourself permission to be imperfect; it's quite liberating.

Curling irons and rollers are for special occasions - Curls are beautiful, but after spending 40 minutes curling my hair several times a week, I quickly grew tired of them. Hot rollers are sometimes a shortcut, but it's important to remember that life isn't like a TV show. Embracing your natural texture means that, when you finally do bust out your power tools, it'll be a fun treat — not a chore.

Next week: Why less is more when it comes to makeup.