Day 4 – To My Mane Family: I Used the Gel… and Something Shifted

Dear Mane Family,

I don’t know how to explain what happened today, but it felt... different.

So, I finally tried the Volume Gel from Manetain India. And not gonna lie, I was nervous. I’ve used so many curly hair care products before — some made my hair stiff like straw, others left white flakes all over my scalp (thanks for the snow effect, I guess).

But something about this felt personal.

Maybe because I’d read about the girls who started it. Maybe because it didn’t come with fake promises. Just real people with curly hair trying to make life a little easier for others like us.

So I washed my hair, left it soaking wet, scrunched in the gel like the reels said, and sat by the window with my fingers crossed.

No diffuser, no fancy routine. Just me and this one hope: Please don’t make me hate my hair again today.

And for once… it listened.

My curls stayed. Not perfect, but soft. Defined. Bouncy. It didn’t feel like I was trying to “tame” them, but like I was finally letting them just be.

I kept touching my hair like, wait, is this real? My Amma asked if I’d gone to the parlour. Bro, it was that good.

This isn't some miracle. It’s not a glow-up story — yet. But when you’ve spent your whole life thinking your hair is “too frizzy,” “too messy,” or “too big,” just having it feel okay is a big deal.

This gel gave me space to breathe. And it made me want to stick to this hair care journey instead of giving up halfway, like always.

So yeah. Day 1 of actually trusting a product. Day 1 of maybe trusting my hair again.

If you’re sitting there with your hair tied in a tight bun because “there’s no other way,” I see you. I am you. But also, you might wanna try this.

Here’s to showing up with curls, as we are.