I want to start by saying I love my curly hair. Curls are extremely versatile and allow me to wear my hair in a bunch of different ways (even though on school days I tend to wear it in a huge bun on the top of my head because I'm hella lazy). However, while curly hair can give you a unique and carefree look, it's not easy when you first start your natural hair journey...
For one, it's EXPENSIVE!
If you're a product junkie like me, I see new curly hair products, and I want to try them all! Then I remember I'm a broke college student who's out here really trying to ball on a budget (but that's for another post). It's difficult when you first wear your natural curls because you don't know what products are going to work. Everyone's hair is different, and you watch all these curly hair tutorials and think "her hair looks bomb! I have to try that." Then you end up trying the new product and for some reason instead of your hair turning out like Jasmine Brown's, it ends up looking like the hair of a dog who just rolled around in a puddle. Thus, you have a bunch of random products laying around your small apartment bathroom that cost a good sum of that minimum wage paycheck. Yeah...it's not ideal, but don't get discouraged. You can always trade products with your friends!
Hair shrinkage stays playing tricks on you!
For those of you who don't know what hair shrinkage is, it is when your hair appears shorter in its' curly state than it would if you were to straighten it. When I straighten my hair, it is around my underarms, but when it's curly, it is a few inches above my shoulders. The amount of times people have asked me "oh did you get a haircut" is insane. "No, Sarah, my hair's playing mind games with you."
When you have curly hair, good hair days are really good, but bad hair days are REALLY bad.
There's seriously no in between. Some mornings, I wake up, and my curls look better than ever. Then there are other mornings when I look in the mirror and think "did lightning strike me in my sleep? Did I fight in some war? Why do I look like this?!" And I swear it's ALWAYS the days I wake up late and have less than five minutes to get ready.
In the end, I wouldn't trade my hair type for anything!
If you're considering starting your natural hair journey, the best advice I can give you is to take that leap of faith! Don't be afraid to try something different. I was skeptical at first because I was so used to straightening my hair. I've actually never gotten a perm, relaxer, or weave, but I still had pretty bad heat damage. It took a long time for me to figure out which products work, how the weather can affect my curls, and how often I can straighten my hair without damaging my curl pattern. When you first start embracing your curls, it might not be easy. People may make unintentionally hurtful comments, or you will question why your curls look different compared to other people's (trust me, we curly haired people have been there). However, one day it just clicks. You look in the mirror and think "wow my curls are popping," and that becomes a regular occurrence. As I approach my third year of being natural, I am reminded of how blessed I am that God gave me this crown of curls.
