Having natural hair is an awesome experience. Natural hair can connect you with so many beautiful and strong women all over the world who share in the love of the coils that accompany natural hair.

I love my hair, even with everything it puts me through. I have to constantly apply conditioner to help it stay moisturized, I have to detangle for ages, and I have to take extra special care to make sure there's as little breakage as possible.

My hair is a process I had to learn to navigate.

When I first went natural, I could not understand for the life of me why my hair seemed stunted in growth. It seemed like everyone else who went natural around the same time I did had hair that could be put in any style, straightened or not, with minimal effort. I thought I was doing something wrong in terms of my hair growth.

Now I know how my hair physically is. My hair shrinks up so much that it is impossible to show its true length unless it is soaking wet or straightened. Not everyone's hair is as tightly coiled as mine, meaning theirs would show length sooner than mine would.

I also learned that my hair is extra, extra, extra thick! I can't even put my hair in a simple puff without practically giving myself a headache. Also, combing takes forever, and by the time I'm done, my arms ache like I was lifting weights.

But despite all of this, I truly love my hair. It's a part of my identity. Loving my hair is an extension of loving myself. If you are personally having problems with your natural hair, whether it be with styling, growth, maintenance or anything else, always remember to love your hair, it's an extension of you!