I was blessed to be born with beautiful, full, dark curls and I hated them growing up.
In elementary school, my hair was always cut at an awkward length. It was too short and the curls would consume my face which my mom thought was cute for some strange reason. I have always been someone that showers at night to save time in the morning and sleeping on my curls will usually deflate them and make them frizzy. Finally, in middle school, I was introduced to a straightener and it changed my life. By sixth grade, I was straightening my hair every single day and ultimately killing it in the process. By the end of eighth grade, my hair was frail, dried out and thinner than usual. I had even asked my mom at one point if I could get my hair chemically and permanently straightened, she refused because she said I would regret it one day. I am so thankful she never let me follow through with it.
When I started high school, I had to be up even earlier because I was starting at a new school district and it was a farther drive than before. Sleep was more important than making sure my hair looked good so I stopped straightening it every day. I was also more concerned about making friends at a new school than how my hair looked. I remember wearing my hair in a ponytail for the majority of my freshman year and getting tired of doing the same thing every day. Freshman year ended and my first day of sophomore year came quickly. I decided to wear my hair down and I started to embrace it.
The past five years have been about learning to love my curls and researching different ways to make my curls look better in the morning. I still shower at night but I have started using shampoo that is tailored to curly hair and I will spray it with a curl enhancer in the morning if I have to. My hair is healthier than it has ever been and I love how it looks. It has grown out since my middle school days and gone are the days of short, messy hair. We always long for what we do not have but it is time to start embracing the things that make us unique! Embrace your curls!