I was just a little thing when my grandmother admonished me to brush my hair one hundred strokes every night before bedtime to keep my “crowning glory” shiny and strong. The literalist in me was intrigued. Was that one hundred strokes per section, or one hundred stokes all together? And if it meant all together, how was I supposed to divide that up equally, and what if I went over, or under? Poor Grandma. No doubt, her tip was meant to be a passing remark, not an in-depth study of my hair follicles, but that’s the way my brain works. Tell me the solution, give me the steps, and stand back.

Within a few short years, I was taking my beauty advice from new and exciting sources. Who knew mayonnaise could give you supermodel hair? Teen Magazine, that’s who. Living in the country as we did, grocery shopping was a once a week expedition instead of a daily activity. My hair could not have been shiny enough to offset Mama’s frustration when she discovered I’d used an entire jar of Hellman’s. Speaking of beauty tips, a full jar of mayonnaise will definitely soften your crowning glory, but it will not be easily removed.

I find it ironic (and maybe slightly painful) to look back at those days and realize how silly and impressionable I was! My hair didn’t need the extra attention. I was blessed with a headful at birth, and until recently, it’s always been thick and healthy. Until recently would be the key words.

To be clear, it’s not like I hadn’t heard that your hair changes as you age. I heard. I just didn’t listen. So, I missed the memo that would’ve warned me that this new season was going to include more than a color change. It would feature texture issues. Hiss! Boo!

At some point in my fifties, it was as if someone crept into my bedroom and exchanged my crowning glory during the night. I woke with some poor stranger’s thin hair, dry strands that showed a penchant for breaking. Bless her heart. Granted, by this time I’d been coloring grey for decades. I had also gone through a “I think I’ll go blond” stage. My hair stylist grieved when I opted to go back to my basic brunette, but I felt like myself again, other than the thin hair thing.

My first step was to take the good advice of my own dear mother and make sure I didn’t have a thyroid problem or some other underlying health issue. Once tests ruled that out, I turned to the beauty counter. You name it, I’ve tried it. I also made changes in my diet that were supposed to show up in my hair. Didn’t happen for this girl. I won’t bore either of us with the list of foods, vitamins, and shampoos that have made big promises and failed to deliver. Instead, I’ll jump right to my latest happy and quite accidental find!

It started when I used a new hair coloring kit because I couldn’t find my regular one. Yes, I color at home. I’ve been using Lady Clairol Light Neutral Brown for years and we get along fabulously, until I can’t find it. This is when I convince myself that Medium Neutral Brown isn’t that much darker than Light Neutral Brown. Only it is. Hello, Elvira. I would like to save face by telling you I’ve only done this once and never did it again. That would be a lie!

The last time I fell for my own “it can’t be that dark” spin, I faced Elvira in the mirror, and knew something had to be done. Quickly. Off to the big box store I went, armed with my Google Search finds about the benefits of a good clarifying shampoo to lighten a color job gone wrong until enough time passes to rectify the situation.

Meet Rooted, a Procter and Gamble product. Rooted did exactly what Google said it would. (How often does that happen?) It softened my too dark tresses into a lighter, more acceptable brown. But, Rooted wasn’t through. I’m still using it, Rockstars, because, wait for it… Rooted is helping my hair texture!

At first, I thought it was my imagination. It’s like I didn’t believe my own eyes, but when I run my fingers through my hair, I can’t deny it. My hair feels more like my hair than it has in a long time.

I’ll never have the hair of my teens again, or even my twenties, and that’s okay! But I’ve only been using Rooted for a few weeks and it is already so much better that I had to share with y’all sooner, rather than later. You know the old adage, “If it just helps one other person…” That’s how I feel about my Rooted find! It won’t solve the world’s problems, but it just may help you recover your own crowning glory. I hope so!

Tell me about your beauty finds. I’m all ears!