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At first glance, hair washing might not look like the kind of microtrope readers go wild for. After all, it's a rote act, something most characters do every day.
But what makes the microtrope so special is its ability to push the romance forward, transform your character's relationship, and/or show your readers that there's more to the hair washing character than meets the eye. Want to know how? Read on.
What is the hair washing romance microtrope?
The hair washing microtrope is literally what it says on the tin: hair washing. But it's not your usual lather, rinse, repeat (though let's be real, who even repeats?).
It's not even really about the hair washing itself. It's about what the act represents.
What does the hair washing microtrope represent?
This microtrope is all about one main character taking care of the other. Knowing what they need without having to ask.
You could show this by having the hair washer nail the perfect shower temperature, the ideal level of pressure.
You can also show this by adding in a little head massage, with the hair washer smoothing out the tension in their partner's scalp as they rub the shampoo into the roots of their hair.
And if one of your characters has hair with particular needs, like curly hair, then showing the hair washer knowing exactly which products to use, what order to use them in, and how to wrap their partner's hair up afterward won't just show they care. It'll show they've been paying attention to their partner, to the quotidien rhythms of their life that most people would overlook.
How can you incorporate the hair washing microtrope into your romance novel?
Hair washing has the benefit of being incredibly intimate, but not sexual (unless it's part of a shower sex scene), so it can transition characters who might not have voiced or acted on their feelings, or even realized they have feelings for each other, into lovers (in the traditional sense, as in people who love each other, rather than people making love, though if you want to add shower or bed sex after your hair washing scene, that's fine, too!), making it a good microtrope to use if you're writing enemies to lovers, coworkers to lovers, friends to lovers, or rivals to lovers—any relationship trope that necessitates a key tonal shift in the characters' connection.
Hair washing is a great romance microtrope to throw in after a particularly emotional scene in your novel, especially one where one or both characters have overcome some internal or external conflict. The hair washing can then become a metaphor not only for caring, but for washing off the remnants of that difficult moment, helping the character shift into the next scene.
It can even act as a plot thrust, because it shows the characters developing a deeper understanding of each other, the kind they need to weather the conflicts that arise in the the third act (if you follow three act structure) of the book.
Hair washing is a particularly good choice to include in BDSM romance novels; it's tactile enough to work as aftercare, and is a great option if your BDSM scene got your submissive character a little messy.
What other tropes work well with the hair washing microtrope?
In addition to the enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, rivals to lovers, and coworkers to lovers tropes mentioned above, the microtrope also pairs well with the forced proximity trope, especially if your characters have just found shelter after a snow, rain, or sand storm. And it's a no-brainer if you're writing hurt/comfort; there are few things more comforting than having your hair washed. It's why readers love the microtrope so much!
Having traditionally dominant or closed-off characters, like mafia bosses, alpha males, CEOs, grumps, and mountain men do the hair washing in your book is also a reader favourite; they love the contrast of a man not traditionally considered touchy-feely enjoying tactility. And it shows that your character has a secret, softer side that only the other main character/s can bring out, which is what readers love about these characters. They're multifaceted.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the other microtropes hair washing works well with, like hair brushing, playing with a character's hair, massages, and cuddling. All tactile, all comforting.
The hair washing microtrope also has the appeal of working with virtually every romance sub-genre. As long as one of your characters has hair and lives somewhere with soap and water, they can hair wash to their hearts' content.
I always have such a blast researching these microtrope posts! If there's a microtrope you'd love to see me deep dive into, let me know in the comments below, or shoot me an email at emily@theromancegenrespecialist.com. And until next post, happy reading and writing!