It's a common misconception that everyone wants the hair they don't have. Personally, I love my curly hair, but taking care of it is always an adventure.
1. Curly bedhead
Waking up with curly hair is so unpredictable. Odds are you'll wake up with a giant knot and have some major work to do.
2. ...or not
These are the days that you are thankful to have curls, because these are the days you can effortlessly roll out of bed looking like you have a salon blowout.
3. Detangling
It took me over half my life to figure out that a wide-tooth comb is the way to go. Hairbrushes separate those gorgeous curls and leave you with a frizzy mess. Plus, they're liable to get stuck in that mane and never come out.
4. Braid struggles
Braids are glorious because they'll keep your marvelous mane tame and out of your way. But stray curls just seem to find their way out of the braid, making for continuous annoyance, even if it does look cute and wind-blown.
5. Windy days
Speaking of wind, these can be some of the most miserable days for curly folks. There's no controlling your curls when a gust sends loose strands straight into your face.
6. Getting a haircut
It is so difficult to find a stylist that knows how to properly trim, cut, or style curly hair. They trim our tresses just like they would straight hair, but they never seem to understand that they are cutting WAY too much of our hair off. And for us, parting with our precious hair is like losing a friend (nevermind that it grows back).
7. Wanting to try new styles
There's always a cool new hairstyle trend floating around our popular culture. Sometimes this works in our favor, like when beach waves became a thing. But more often than not, hair trends like side bangs and middle parts are best suited to straight hair. You will never catch me wearing a Buddha bun in public, because my fluffy hair is way too heavy to stay up like that.
8. Parents and friends who just don't get it
Since curly folks are usually a minority, we often grow up with straight-haired parents and friends that just don't get our hair. Some of our moms brushed out every last curl, leaving us looking like we stuck our finger in an electrical outlet. And when it was time to braid each other's hair at a sleepover or for a school dance, our friends struggled to tame our luxurious manes.
9. Glorious hair beards
But a curly-haired childhood had its perks. As kids, we all pulled our hair in front of our chins and put it in a ponytail to see what we would look like with a beard. Everyone knows that voluminous, curly hair makes for the most majestic beards, hands down.
10. Curly hair is just awesome
Even if we sometimes resent it, deep down we curly folks are proud of our hair. All hair is unique and beautiful in its own way. Learning to overcome the obstacles presented by a mane with a mind of its own can be difficult, but oh so rewarding when we own our style and rock our curls with confidence!
