Big Hair Care Energy (Side Part Intact)

I'm not gonna lie: until recently, I never really thought much about hair care. I’ve always had thick, shiny hair, and I coasted on that. Shampoo, conditioner, maybe a brush if I remembered — that was my whole routine. No masks, no scalp serums, no detox treatments. Healthy-looking hair kind of just… happened.

But after three babies, my late-30s hair is staging a revolt. From postpartum shedding to an itchy scalp that showed up about six months in, it’s been humbling, to say the least.

One sleepless night, I started Googling and discovered a whole world of scalp care: shampoos that “detox,” serums that “restore,” scrubs that “stimulate.” Trust me, I know the haircare industry just wants to make money off me. But if a product here and there makes me feel better (and less itchy), I’m okay with it. Meanwhile, I’m standing here with my CeraVe and my $8 drugstore shampoo, realizing scalp care is apparently the new skincare, and somehow I missed the memo.

Listen, I don’t expect miracles, but there’s something exciting about taking five minutes for me, to care for this part of myself I’ve always ignored. Motherhood has a way of teaching you that even the smallest rituals (the masks, the serums, the pumpkin-spice latte runs) can feel like little acts of reclamation. Simple reminders that I’m still me, under all the giving.

Will I ever fully master hair care? Probably not. Will I ever give up my side part? Definitely not. But maybe, just maybe, I’ll find a happy medium between my low-maintenance roots and this new world of scalp TLC.

Ask Clara: Is there a way to stop postpartum hair loss?