My entire life I have had curly hair, not wavy hair because we all know there is a difference. I mean thick frizzy curls. This type of hair takes a lot of time and effort to manage and make look presentable, to say the least. Now putting yourself in the perspective of a child, do you really wanna spend time in your day excessively putting products in your hair when you can make loom bands or play Mario Kart?
My solution to this problem was to just stick with those simple quick hairstyles. We all know pigtails, high pony or bun, anything that didn’t make me look like I just got electrocuted but also did not take very much effort. This was my go-to for a good amount of time, but when it came to about fifth grade I noticed that everyone was wearing their hair down with their pin-straight locks. I know it’s not that big of a deal if my hair is up and curly and their hair was down and straight, but as a little middle school girl, I just wanted to be like everyone else.
I began feeling very out of place like I was sticking out like a sore thumb. So my solution to this was pretty clear. I began straightening my hair. At first, this was hideous. It was half straight, half curly on top with a chunk of my hair I missed in the back. That didn’t stop me. Instead, I worked to get better at it. It came to the point where this was something I was doing every day. Waking up at 5 a.m. before school just so I didn’t have to wear my curls.
I thought this was just a little part of my life, but it genuinely turned into kind of an obsession. It came to the point where I hated everything about my natural hair and only felt presentable to myself when it was straight.
During the beginning of COVID-19, I had just recently tried to darken my hair, but the hairdresser accidentally dyed my hair dark brown. Now I hated everything about this blonde. It was all I ever knew, when I went back to a new hairdresser, they explained that they would not do my hair because it was way too damaged. This was my eye-opener.
I started to make it my goal where I did not apply any heat to my hair but also started the curly girl method which enforces using products only free of parabens and sulfates. I did this for months and months. My hair was growing and feeling healthier than ever. I couldn’t have been more obsessed with the results. I noticed my curls were way more defined and bouncy.
I kept up with my hair routine every day, putting so much work into the process. People began noticing and complimenting my curls, which is genuinely the best complaint ever especially when it has been one of my biggest insecurities. On top of everything else, my hair has also grown so much since.
I began to notice that over time I fell in love with my curls and encouraged everyone to embrace them. Curls are so gorgeous, and I can promise you that whether your hair is straight or not, is not a big deal. You are beautiful just as you are. Rock those curls.