When I was six years old, I was already forming a hatred for my crazy, thick and curly hair. So much that one day, I decided to go into the bathroom when my parents weren't looking and chopped all of it off (because that that was going to solve all my six-year-old problems), and my mortified parent ended up having to take me to a barber to get it all shaved. I then had to spend a good two to three years of my childhood wearing pink every day in order to convince my classmates that I wasn't a boy.
Why am I sharing this awfully embarrassing story of mine? Because like most girls who have naturally wild hair, it took me a long time to get used to and even appreciate my curls. However, simply appreciating our curly hair isn't even half of the daily struggle that we all face.
If you have natural, curly hair you understand that:
1. You'll never be able to pull off hairstyles that are shorter than shoulder length.
You've quickly realized that the shorter you cut your hair, the wider it gets. I don't know, it's just science. So unless you want to look like you're constantly wearing a helmet, I wouldn't suggest chopping your hair. As cute as they are, bobs are just not in the cards for us curly-haired girls.
2. You shed absolutely everywhere.
All I'm saying is that if you ever commit a crime, good luck, because you probably just left DNA evidence everywhere. You leave a trail wherever you go, and your roommates can tell where you've been solely off of the trace of hair you leave behind. It's gross, we know, but it's beyond our control.
3. You can do the same thing to your hair everyday, and it'll never come out the same way twice.
This is probably the most annoying thing about having curly hair. It's like hair roulette. Let's guess how my hair will turn out today. It's the most unpredictable thing ever but you kind of have to go with the flow on this one and just hope for the best.
4. You will forever envy the people who can shower, blow dry their hair for a few minutes and be out the door.
Like seriously, the fact that there are people who have hair that air dries straight is completely mind blowing. There are people who don't even own a blow dryer or straightener, and they look like they just walked out of a salon. It's just not fair, that's all I can say.
5. You've spent a small fortune on your collection of hair products.
Between all the special shampoos, conditioners, sprays, moose, cremes, oils, etc., you're now having to take out loans to solely finance your hair. You've tried just about everything under the sun in order to help tame your curls, but I guess it's all worth it when you don't leave the house looking like you just stuck your finger in an electrical outlet.
6. With that being said, you probably have at least five products in your hair at all times.
It's exhausting. You have two different curl cremes, some anti-frizz spray, mousse for volume and of course and hairspray to lock it all in. Even when you straighten your hair, it's not much different with all the heat protectant so you don't fry your ends. It just comes with the territory, I guess.
7. Actually styling your hair turns into a multiple hour event.
You've gotten to the point where you're now scheduling in time where you plan on showering, blow drying and styling your hair because it takes up a solid chunk of your day. You also might need to check the weather for the next few days just to make sure you're long, hard work doesn't get rained on.
8. You could have three bobby pins, two random pony tails and a partridge in a pear tree in your hair, and you most likely wouldn't notice.
As you can imagine, things get stuck in our hair all the time. Is that tangle a cluster of bobby pins or a knot? You probably won't find out until you're in the shower and are pulling out a bunch of random things that have gotten stuck in there throughout the day.
9. You have no shame showing up to everything with wet hair.
There's no way to leave your hair curly for two days without washing it. Your hair would probably start dreading itself if that were the case, so you're kinda forced to wash it everyday. Seeing as it takes most of the day for your hair to completely dry naturally anyway, what do they expect you to do? It just isn't very realistic to have you hair fully dry when you show up to things. So if that means showing up to class looking like a wet dog, that's just the way things have to be.
10. You've become known for your curls.
You're known as the girl with the wild hair. It's one of the first things that people bring up when they meet you and as much as they drive you crazy, it's something you can always count on getting compliments for. Your hair has become a huge part of your identity and let's face it, you wouldn't be the same individual without them.
Through all the frizz and over-stretched ponytail holders, you've grown to actually love your hair and have become a pro on how to properly strut it. As you grow older, you begin to realize what people would give (some people pay hundreds of dollars), in order to have curls like ours and in the long run, you know how lucky you are to have them.
