Every curly-haired girl goes through several (and I mean several) stages during her life with her hair. Think stages of grief:

1. Denial

This usually happens when you're young. Carefree, beautiful curls adorn your head in ringlets that would make a professional hairstylist faint. Do you work at them? Heck no. Your mom puts them in super cute braids and buns and when you run free you look like a fairy princess. You had no idea what awaits you in the realm of hair.

2. Anger

You've grown up a bit. Your hair decided around age 10 that it would start producing oil at your scalp like it knew about the gas crisis. Long gone are the days of easy, breezy #flawlessness. Your ends seem to defy gravity and god forbid your mom decides that now is the time to cut your hair. You wore a lot of hats. You envied the girls with straight hair, badly.

3. Bargaining

Why can't you have straight hair like the other girls? You try to imitate their sleek locks to no avail — halfway through the day you're a puffball if there's even a drop of moisture in the air. You make deals with your friends: I'll do your homework if you lend me your leave in conditioner. I'll walk your dog if you use your Chi flat iron on me before homecoming. You'd do anything to achieve the straight hair you so desire.

4. Sadness

You try everything, but nothing can make it look like how the salon looks. Is it you? You may give up at this point, quite certain you're doomed to be the ugly ducking among flat-haired swans. You wear a lot of buns and beanies. But hey, your hair holds curls and waves waaaaaay better than those other girls' hair does--and that's the style right now!

5. Acceptance

You've learned to love your curls! And how to straighten them when you want to, but also that they look gorgeous on their own (with some help from product). How's that for full circle?