I'm bored with my hair

I've been going to the salon for a wash and flat iron since I was six years old. I love the versatility of straight hair, but it has its drawbacks too; If I want to work out, if it rains, and even getting in the shower I have to worry about my hair reverting because of the moisture. On top of that, the benefit of versatility gets lost to the fact that It's almost always up in a scrunchy.

Let's switch it up

Seeing all of the different styles that can be done on black hair never fails to simultaneously inspire and give me mad hair envy. Scrolling through my Pinterest board and looking at the aesthetic that kinky curls and dreads add to an outfit emboldens me to want to follow suit.

Can I pull this off?

I have never understood how, but some people can just pull off certain looks. The mental image of myself with gray ombre box braids just doesn't give me the same vibes as the picture of the girl with red lipstick and leather jacket flexing with her waist-length braids.

I'm going to go natural for a while...

Sometimes looking at all the #TeamNatural's on Instagram makes me want to join the movement by throwing my straightener out and just embracing my 4C curls.

Just kidding, that's too much work

You know what, nevermind. I forgot what an undertaking it is to fully wash, dry, de-tangle, and style my 'fro, and how many good combs I've lost during the process.

Wait, can I do that with my hair?

I love a well-executed twist out or braid crown, (which again, my Pinterest board and Instagram feed has no shortage of) the only problem is that I forget that the girls in the pictures have a completely different curl pattern than I do; meaning that a braid crown on me will probably look more like my hair went through a hand mixer.

I'll do a protective style and let mine grow

The beauty of black hair is that it's just as versatile as straight hair. I have the options of braids, twists, faux locs, straightening, weaves and wigs (if I ever get the courage to try the last one). As a little girl, I would always get box braids put in during the summer so that I could go swimming without the hassle of trying to style it afterward. Just this last summer I tried Senegalese twists for the first time and paired with a set of hoop earrings, I felt like I was that girl.

Maybe that's just too much hair for me

One of the downsides of having the twists was that it was either always in my face, or uncomfortably piled on top of my head as a giant monstrosity of a messy bun. The same goes for crochet braids, while they mimic natural curls and offer fun styles with their volume, that much hair tends to easily overpower me.

Honestly, just shave your head, it'll be easier

I don't know what to go with, every option has its pros and cons, and I'm so painstakingly indecisive I'll probably take a month before I actually commit to anything. I may as well just cut all my hair off and save myself a headache in the future.

Maybe I should just keep straightening it... 

After all of this deliberation, in typical fashion, I go back to my first choice. Getting my hair pressed has worked for me this long, and I know how to fix it myself if it starts to get too unmanageable.