Thank you. Thank you for helping me understand these crazy coils on top of my head. Thank you to all the natural hair bloggers dominating social media platforms. Thank you to big-name brands, such as Abercrombie, ASOS and American Eagle, which use curly models in their advertising campaigns.
Why? Self-identification is important. As someone who, self-admittedly, spent many years frying her ends until they were bone straight and often failing, the "natural hair movement," for both my confidence and hair condition, couldn’t have come quicker. Even though I grew up with "good hair" (hair that curled and didn’t "kink"), a phrase I actually despise, my routine was the same: blow-dry my hair straight into a long braid down my back. I knew my hair was curly, but I never actually knew my curls. It was just "easier to manage" this way. In truth, with a family on a busy schedule, this was most definitely true. However, if there had been half the information, hair products, or simply celebrities with "hair like mine," during my "awkward stage" growing up, maybe I wouldn’t have burnt half of my hair off trying to be society’s version of beautiful and my awkward stage wouldn’t have been so… awkward.
To suddenly start seeing strong women (and men) in the media showing off their curls and their kinks was a big "aha" moment. It was the first time I saw that curls could be cool. Perhaps the increase of different hair textures in the media is just a smart marketing move. After all, with the increased number of interracial marriages, the demographic, as explored by National Geographic, is evolving into different shades of brown and varied hair textures. They’re just catering to their audience. Either way, it works. I’m instantly more drawn to outfits with a curly-haired model. Again, self-identification is important.
Yes, there is still a lot to learn about hair porosity, hair type and growth cycles. However, with the little information I have managed to acquire through sites such as Naturally Curly or Black Girl Long Hair, I have nearly managed to restore my hair back to full health, where I can now appreciate the versatility of my natural curl pattern. Being introduced to the concept of twist-outs, braid outs and flexi-rod sets was, admittedly, overwhelming, but still incredibly fascinating.
I do still prefer to wear my hair straight from time to time, usually for special occasions. However, this is not a rejection of my hair in its natural state for not being good enough; it’s simply for length reasons and the fact that my hair is a lot more predictable when it is straight. I think I speak for most curly girls when I say that as much as having curly hair is great, your hair does shrink by about half of its straight-length and sometimes you kind of just miss being able to run your fingers through your hair — sue us.
Although, this is the beauty of the natural hair movement — it’s a celebration of a versatile range of beauty standards. I am honestly both excited and jealous for the next generation, who will have a huge range of diverse and beautiful role models to look up to. So, to the natural hair movement — keep on keeping on.
