1. Getting an invisible haircut
Even people who see you on a daily basis won’t notice when you get your hair cut, even if you do more than trim it. You may have those one or two friends who are observant enough to tell. But usually the hair cut that makes you feel like a new person is something only you get to revel in.
2. “You’re so lucky, I wish I had your hair.”
But what you don’t know is that it’s really a blessing and a curse. It looks pretty but can be the devil to manage. After years of trying to tame the mane and make it look cute and styled like everybody else’s hair, you’ve learned that your hair has a mind of its own.
3. Being asked if the curls are natural all the time
Nah, I just spend hours upon hours rolling curlers into my hair and sleeping in uncomfortable positions to get this because I have nothing better to do with my time.
4. Styling your hair once for the entire day
When getting ready in the morning, you have to find one style that fits the outfits and occasions you have planned for that day. Once you style the mane one way, re-styling it never goes very well. Your best bet is to wash it and let it do its thing.
5. Having the same haircut practically your entire life.
People with curly hair always ooh and ah over new, trendy haircuts and wish our hair would do that without putting hours of time and tons of product into it. However, curly haired people are usually too timid to experiment with their wild hair; cut it too short and it turns into a fro, add in some bangs and regret it until it grows out; let it grow out and it gets super heavy and loses its curl. So, we end up having the same haircut for years. Looking back through all our old school pictures is all the evidence you need.
6. The haunting question, “Do you ever straighten it?”
Answer: Rarely.
Why? Ain’t nobody got time for that.
7. The equally haunting question that always follows the previous question: “How long does it take to straighten it?”
Longer than any sane person wants to devote to their hair on a regular basis, that’s for sure. But every head of curly hair is different; some might take about an hour, some could take longer.
8. You look so different/pretty with straight hair!
While this is a nice compliment, it can sometimes be misconstrued. Having curly hair makes some of us a little more self-conscious because our hair isn’t like everybody else’s. So, when someone tells us our hair looks pretty when it’s styled like everybody else’s, it tends to make us feel pressured to conform to the straight hair craze. Kind of like that moment when Mia sits down in the chair with her curly hair and that stylist cringes. Then there's that awesome moment after he works his magic where her hair looks like every other girl's at her school and Mia suddenly doesn't look quite so much like herself. Our curls are a part of who we are as people. I can't speak for everyone, but I know I feel more like myself when my hair is curly.
9. Frizz for days
If we do, for some insane reason, straighten our hair, it’s not likely to last long, especially here in the deep, humid south. The instant you walk outside after spending all that time working on straightening your hair, it starts to curl back up again. Even if we’re sporting curly hair on particularly humid days, it’s not long after walking outside that the curls start to frizz out, too.
10. Never brushing your hair. Ever.
The only time it’s ever safe to brush curly hair is when it’s wet. Any other time you risk wearing your hair in an afro the rest of the day.
11. Baby hairs galore
It’s like having a smaller, more aggravating but equally uncontrollable mane within a larger one. You’re not sure where they came from but they’re there and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Smoothing them down or trying to position them a certain way is just about useless; they pop right back up and sprout every which way.
12. Never using hairspray
Maybe it’s just me, but the only times I ever used hairspray were for band performances or dance recitals. If you play your cards right with the curly hair, you don’t really need it.
13. Being identified by your hair in a crowd
One plus side of having a unique set of curls is that it can make you easy to pick out in a crowd if someone is looking for you; it's like finding a needle in a haystack of straight hair. Believe it or not, it's happened to me on several occasions and will probably happen again.
14. That bed-head life
It’s so real, it’s not funny. You go to sleep after a good hair day and wake up to find yourself looking like Medusa and faced with the task of somehow appeasing the beast so it looks half decent without having to wash it all over again.