THEL MAALISH

Thel Maalish is the practice of massaging your scalp/hair with oil. Making your hair healthier, shinier, stronger, and longer. A beauty tradition in Desi households for thousands of years. Something many of us learn from our mothers. Putting thel in your hair could be a ritual of self care, a bonding moment you share with a loved one when you visit home, or an intimate moment between a couple.

Growing up, my mom always put thel in our hair. Sometimes in a gentle loving way and sometimes so aggressively you would think it’s the reason you hair would fall out instead. I strayed away from this practice as I got older but I embraced it again in my 20’s. Many people in the past year have started to embrace this practice but often at the expense of us and our culture. Theres something so deeply frustrating about watching a group of people rename, take, enjoy, and promote something about your being that they made you hate and hide.

So I was inspired to do this shoot with me and my beautiful brown friends. Putting thel in each others hair and on our own. Embracing our roots, wearing desi clothing, putting on Mehndi, eating nimko, and just enjoying us. I hope you enjoy this photo story of me learning to appreciate, love, and enjoy a piece of my culture.

Production: Tanzilah Khalid

Photographer: Dan Yim