I have constant bed head. My hair is the before picture in a fancy shampoo commercial. It is a mess All. The. Time.

I was blessed with a full head of long, thick “beachy waves," which is basically code for “definitely not straight but definitely not curly either”. It’s like my poor wavy locks are going through a prolonged identity crisis. They’re stuck between wanting to straighten out and relieve my constant battles with frizz, or curling up and providing me with some remnants of volume. They just can’t seem to make up their minds though, leaving me stuck in this in between, best of both worlds situation.

I first began to dislike my luscious locks when I got to middle school and straightening became all the rage. Pretty soon, I was waking up at 6:00 every morning frying my waves into oblivion, praying no one would find out I was living a lie. After three years of early mornings and constant haircuts to remove my dead ends, I decided enough was enough; I was going to let my hair flow naturally whether I liked it or not.

The first few months were rough. It was a tough transition going from soft and straight to half curly and unruly, but I survived and I have no desire to go back to my old ways. Even though it may not seem like it, I’ve realized we messy haired girls are the lucky ones.

First of all, we can basically just roll out of bed if we need to. People are used to our untamed tresses, so skip the chaotic morning and get your beauty rest! People are paying money, like cold, hard cash, to achieve our level of messiness. I know what you’re thinking, why would anyone in their right mind want this hair on purpose? Well ladies, it turns out our hair is a hot commodity right now. Products claiming to give hair “the perfect beachy texture” are flying off the shelves, and guess what? We never need to use any of them! Your hair just saved you $10 and an unnecessary trip to Target, how many people can say that?

And most importantly, we’re simply lucky to have hair in the first place. Whether it’s straight, or wavy, blonde, or brown; our hair is a luxury many people do not have the pleasure of enjoying. So, when you’re hating on your bed head, just remember you’re more fortunate than your hair makes you think.

Embrace your beautiful, messy, imperfect waves, girls! They are just as much a part of you as any other physical trait and they really deserve some love. So, take out that ponytail and let your hair free! You can thank me later.