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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal State Chico chapter.

As a girl with curly hair, I can say my journey has been… let’s say interesting. But over time I have learned what works best for my hair and have created a routine that works for my specific curl type. And let me say, I love my curly hair! I am a big supporter of girls embracing their natural hair. But that does not disregard the fact that managing curly hair is HARD. It is time consuming, frustrating, and can be annoying. When you spend an hour plus of your day doing your hair and it is not up to your expectations it can ruin your whole day (even week.)

As someone who gets annoyed with their curly hair by day three almost every week, I wanted to share a few hairstyles I do when I want to be efficient or just don’t have the energy to do my full routine.

Starting with the classic…

Half up, half down

Half up, half down is perfect when your curls are still curling but the volume just isn’t there.

There’s multiple things you can do with half up half down.

You first have to decide if you want to do a slick back (which I end up doing 85% of the time.) Then you have the option of a braid or double braid, bubble braid, bun, two french braids leading to the half up half down, two braids sticking out as ‘money’ pieces, or just simply leaving it curly. 

References: Half Up, Half Down

Now one of the hairstyles i’m most excited to share is…

pigtails

When I say pig tails I mean anything that has to do with them.

The one I always end up doing is the classic high pigtails with braids. Depending on the thickness of your hair you can do two braids on each side. But when it comes to doing high pigtails I usually do braids or bubble braids. For lower pigtails you can do a bun, french braid leading into pigtails, or again just braids. If you don’t want to do slick back you can always do french braids or simple braids. 

References: Pigtails

Another hairstyle I am excited to share is complicated to explain, so I’m going to call it,

half up, half down pigtails

This hairstyle is perfect for going out. It is cute and good for when you want your hair out of the way. 

Now it’s going to sound repetitive, but some styles you can do with half up, half down pigtails are braids, two french braids, french braids going down, bubble braids, buns, fish tail, and again just your curly hair. 

References: Half Up, Half Down Pigtails

As always if your feeling like doing something quick you can go with a classic ponytail with any sort of style you want. Or a simple bun. 

I hope this helped you get ideas for your next hairstyle. Embrace that curly hair!

Recommendations for these curly hairstyles:

Gel: Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Hair Gel, SheaMoisture Defining Styling Gel, PATTERN Beauty Strong Hold Gel, Eco Style Ecoco Gel Olive Oil

Bows: Lace Bow Hair Barrette Set, Women Polyester Colorful Bow Hairclips

Brushes: Bristle Slick Back Hair Brush, Classic Styling Curly Hair Brush

Nadira Ramlogan Polo

Cal State Chico '27

Nadira goes to Chico State University. Back in 2013 she moved from Puerto Rico to the Bay Area. She is a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. Some of her hobbies include going to the gym, playing volleyball, going to the beach, and hanging out with family and friends. Nadira went to California High School in the Bay Area and now attends Chico State. She is a Psychology major mainly due to her passion of helping others. What interested her the most about Psychology was learning and understanding why humans are the way they are. She plans on minoring in Management so in the future she can work as an industrial organizational psychologist. She aspires to get her masters somewhere in Socal to be closer to the beach. She has played volleyball since 5th grade and now enjoys playing for the intramural teams in Chico. Going to the gym has been a passion of hers for three years now. She believes that going to the gym and being active helps not only physically but mentally. The beach is a place where she feels at home due to growing up on an island. It brings back many memories with friends and family. Nadira enjoys the company of others and holds her relationships with people very close to her.