For the past few months, I’ve been on a quest. I’ve invested countless hours, spent way too much money, tried dozens of products, practised multiple techniques. I’ve pored over videos, wasted water, even started a fire in my bathroom. It was not in pursuit of some noble goal. It was to achieve flawless Instagram hair.

“And with that I fell down an Instagram rabbit hole. I watched countless videos, all featuring women who looked like they’d stepped out of shampoo ads.” Credit: Getty

It began, as quests do, while lying in bed. I was scrolling idly through reels on my phone when my screen filled with an image of frizzy brown hair. “If your hair looks like this when you brush it,” intoned the voiceover, “then you need to watch this video.”

Oh goodness, I thought. My hair does look like that when I brush it! I kept watching.

“You may not realise it,” the voiceover continued, “but if your hair is frizzy when you brush it, you have curly hair!”

I rolled my eyes. Of course I realised!

“And with the right routine,” the voiceover concluded triumphantly, “your curls can look like this!” The image changed to a mass of perfect, silky ringlets. Now I sat up and took note.

Until........

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