Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

I exclaim that I hate my hair probably about once a week. I have thick, curly hair that tends to be difficult to style and makes me feel messy or unkempt. My family has referred to it as both a rat’s nest and Medusa. You can’t run your fingers through it or throw it up quickly into a cute ponytail. It takes 45 minutes to thoroughly straighten and will need to be touched up every few hours. I am charged extra at my hair salon because of how difficult it is for my hairdresser to work with it. I spend hours looking at products and routines, knowing that I don’t have the time, energy, or money to do all the things that I should be doing to upkeep and treat my hair. It is honestly the bane of my existence.  

I know that I should consider myself blessed to be the only of my four sisters to have inherited my dad’s coarse curls, but I can’t help but feel like I lost the gene battle. Every time I do straighten my hair (no more than probably three to four times per year), I find myself fantasizing about what it would be like if I could wake up every day with hair like this. Nevertheless, you will still see me flaunting my curls and trying to embrace them. I’m a stubborn girl, and I refuse to alter my appearance to conform to a beauty standard that I have made up in my mind. I have developed my own “lazy girl” curl routine that gets me through the week and doesn’t break the bank.  

My lazy girl curl week: 

Sunday (wash day): 

Before the shower:  

  • Scrub scalp with a scalp massager  

In the shower: 

  • Shampoo #1: Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Shampoo  
  • Shampoo #2: Shea Moisture Curl & Shine Shampoo 
  • Conditioner: Shea Moisture Curl & Shine Conditioner 
  • Detangle hair with wide tooth comb while conditioner is in  

After the shower, with hair still soaking wet: 

  • Flip head upside down 
  • Mix together Shea Moisture Intensive Hydration Leave-in Conditioner and Aussie Work that Curl Cream (I purchased this one abroad, and it’s not available in the US, so I have been using it sparingly and will be devastated when it runs out). Rake through hair and scrunch.  
  • Apply John Frieda Anti-Frizz Serum. Rake through hair and scrunch.  
  • Apply Aussie Instant Freeze Hair Gel. Rake through hair and scrunch. 
  • “Plop” with one of my dad’s old t-shirts.  
  • Let sit for however long I can (sometimes this is hours, sometimes it’s 10 minutes). 
  • Clip hair half-up and let air dry.  
  • Sleep with silk hair scarf.  

Monday-Wednesday: 

  • Wear hair curly however it is easiest to style. 
  • Maintain by sleeping with a silk hair scarf at night.  

Thursday 

  • Slick hair back during the day.  
  • Wet hair and detangle with wide-tooth comb. 
  • Braid it for convenience. 

Friday 

  • Wear hair braided during the day 
  • Slick back at night 

Saturday 

  • Slick back 

and then it’s wash day again.  

Having curly hair is not for the weak. Even my routine, which is much less complicated than many other curly girls’, is time-consuming and tiring. I can never just wake up and go. But I’ve worked really hard over the past couple of years to curate a routine that makes me feel comfortable with my natural hair. While I’m not sure I’ll ever entirely rid myself of wishing that I had straight hair rather than the mess that I deal with, I hope to continue to gain confidence in my curls and stop feeling second best. My curls deserve just as much love as straight hair, and that starts by learning to love them myself.  

Natalie, or Nat as most know her, is a new member of Her Campus at SBU! This is her first year in the chapter, and she looks forward to using Her Campus as a way to express herself and rediscover her former love for writing. In May 2024, Natalie graduated with her bachelor's in history with minors in political science and Spanish from St. Bonaventure after three years. She is continuing her education and receiving her master's in adolescence education during what would be her senior year. As an undergrad, she was President of College Democrats, involved in University Ministries and held two jobs on campus. She is currently working as a graduate assistant with the student success center, teaching a FRES 100 class to 14 freshmen and meeting with them each week to help ensure their success in college. Outside of her professional career, Natalie enjoys anything that involves breakfast and coffee. She can talk anyone's ear off for hours on end, and frequently does so with her best friends. Her passions include anything to do with the city of Buffalo (go Bills), politics, her study abroad experience in Oxford, England and her early 2000s camcorder.