Some of my earliest memories revolve around my hair. From sitting in salon chairs and feeling the sting of a beautician’s hot comb grazing my ear to catching glimpses of myself in the mirror as my mother braided my loose afro, hair has always been a defining part of my childhood. Growing up as the only Black girl in many of my classrooms and friend groups, I often felt like an outsider — my hair’s unique texture was a constant reminder of how different I was from my peers.
My hair type is 4C, the tightest curl pattern on the hair texture chart, but as a little girl, that texture just meant unruly and difficult. My mom didn’t know much about styling hair — she preferred shorter hairstyles for herself — so finding a solution to manage my hair was challenging for her. That’s when I started wearing braids.
Honestly, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t wear my hair in braids. From cornrows and French braids to crochet braids, twists, and faux locs, I’ve tried countless braided hairstyles throughout my school years. For my mom and me, braids felt like a win-win situation: they made mornings easier for her and gave me a sense of belonging at school, letting me imagine myself with the long hair I envisioned when wearing braids.
I stuck with braids for years, only changing the style or color, until toward the end of my senior year of high school. At the beginning of my final semester, I decided to make a change and wear my hair naturally for what I thought would be a short time. My decision was partly practical: I knew I’d be living on campus in college, and would have to take care of my hair on my own. Up until then, my mom had helped me manage it, so I knew I needed to start learning.
The first day I went to school with my natural hair out, I felt a new sense of confidence. Teachers stopped me in the hallways to compliment my hair, and my friends encouraged me, praising the bold new style. I shouldn’t have felt that simply wearing my hair naturally was such a statement, but for me, it symbolized coming into my own and shedding some of my internal insecurities.
What started as a month-long experiment turned into six months of wearing my hair naturally. My senior year was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, so I used that time at home to dive deeper into learning how to care for 4C hair. Eventually, I went back to braids, but those six months marked a turning point in how I saw and embraced my hair.
Unfortunately, I didn’t carry the knowledge I gained during my natural hair journey in high school into my college years. Instead, I continued wearing weaves and crochet braids all the way through graduation. It wasn’t until I was brainstorming New Year’s resolutions for 2025 that I remembered my natural hair journey from five years ago. I decided to give it another try — this time as an adult, with more knowledge and better tools to maintain my hair.
I took down my braids on Jan. 1, and since then, I’ve been wearing my hair naturally. As a way to document this new journey, I’ve started taking a photo every time I style my hair before going out. Unlike in high school, I’m not wearing my hair naturally just to prove I can do it on my own. This time, it’s about learning to fully accept my hair and not feeling like I need braids to feel confident — or like myself.
Pinterest has become my go-to for saving 4C hairstyle inspiration, alongside apps like TikTok and YouTube. Conversations with my friends on their own natural hair journeys have been lifesavers, too. They’ve given me countless tips, tricks, and style ideas that cater to my preferences and personal style.
Even though it’s only been a short time, I’m starting to feel more confident in myself as I wear my hair out more often. I think the little girl in me would be proud to see that there’s beauty in it all.