{"id":8383,"date":"2026-05-02T23:49:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T03:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chandraalilijah.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/02\/am-i-going-to-write-tonight\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T00:44:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T04:44:27","slug":"protecting-the-crown-with-a-dash-of-oil-by-c-alilijah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chandraalilijah.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/02\/protecting-the-crown-with-a-dash-of-oil-by-c-alilijah\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting the crown with a dash of oil by. C. Alilijah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I failed my hair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few months ago, I said I would tell my hair journey, and here we are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do I even start? In 2021, I finally accepted my hair, embraced it, just for me to do this thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t we all have humbling hair experiences?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s Get Into It<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I love that color, let’s experiment”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Scrolling on Pinterest, per usual, around 2022, and saw a hair color that made me fall in love. Lowkey, it may have been Twitter, before it became X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, I loved that burnt orange, reddish color. I wanted to try it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don’t think you should dye your hair right now if you like how it looks,” she said, something along those lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My cousin, my natural hair cousin, who is speaking from experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I waited a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning 23, wanted to be edgy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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My birthday was coming up, and I wanted to step into that chapter with a new hair color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I booked the appointment at some random shop in Rochester Hills. I trusted these people; they were the “pros”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We can’t achieve that color unless you bleach your hair.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first warning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Well, can you tint it a bit?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hair was dyed enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too bad, I wanted that sexy orange, and they <\/em>ruined my birthday plans with that drab color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concert<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It’s July 2023, over a month after my birthday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Renaissance Tour was coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perfect opportunity to try this again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Does this hairstylist, whom I’ve never met, dye hair?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yeah, here’s her number.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appointment booked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Showed her the color, and the look was set. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She ate down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too bad I ate crumbs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I bleached my hair, well, got it bleached. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Not thinking about it because my hair was so cute.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now it’s time for the curls because I don’t wear my hair bone straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did I also get a silk press?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rocking the fro, not moisturizing, not adding the extra care, just going with the flow. Yes, I was warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No new routine, just washing, using my regular products, and putting it in a top bun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Color fading by December of that year, time for a protective style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I got my regular<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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New colored twists in my head, I loved them. My regular stylist always eats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lazy, leaving the braids in for too long, not oiling my scalp, just going with the flow until it was time to take them down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s about February now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I left twists latched in my colored hair for almost three months with no oil regimen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the H, E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICK WAS I DOING?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The take down<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Clumps of hair. I had a bag full of hair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My hair.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But ya know, I didn’t realize it until it was time to put that hair in that top bun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*moment of silence*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rocking the fro again<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It looks different; the color is fading pretty badly. It’s getting too light, too blonde, I look crazy, but who cares? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I single-handedly destroyed my own hair, but what the hey!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You need to dye your hair back black.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, cool, why not? Half of it is at the local dump anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended Posts<\/h2>\n\n\n