When I was little, I had hair curlier than the rainbow slinkies I used to play with. I would wish upon pennies in fountains for my hair to straighten out. I still maintain this is why my hair has straightened out over the years. But seriously, what was wrong with my curly hair? Why is it that I craved straight hair? If you really think about it, straightening your hair with an iron is literally burning your hair straight. This is the epitome of the saying that the grass is always greener on the other side.
People with curly hair want straight hair for numerous reasons. First off, for its easy maintenance of just easily being able to brush your hair and be ready for the day. Also, the financial factor: for curly hair there are endless mousses, creams, and stylers that straight hair does not require. Straight hair is more versatile for a variety of styles such as long or short and up or down. Also, don’t forget that effortless shine seen in tv commercials.
Dove recently released a campaign, Love Your Curls, for young girls and women to embrace their curly hair. Research claims “only 4 out of 10 curly haired girls think their hair is beautiful.” Rob Candelino, vp of marketing for haircare at Unilever, states it has also been found that “girls with curly hair are seven times more likely to love their curls if those around them do—this proves we can help make an impact by encouraging women to love and embrace their curls, setting a positive example for girls in their lives.”
I now realize, as someone who has had curly and straight hair, the grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it. While straight hair has a lot of pros, it also has cons such as flyaways, updos and braids not staying up, curls requiring bottles of hair product, and the quick oil build up. As long as you take care of your hair and keep it healthy, it will look glamorous curly or straight.