Unless you have curly hair, you don’t understand

I grew up with everyone around me having straight hair and I didn’t. Whether that was family, relatives, even those on television. I wanted to have it as well, but I had a puffball instead. I hated my hair. Its kind of wanting something that you can’t have. Those with curly hair wants straight hair, and those with straight hair want curly hair. But unless you have curly hair, you don’t understand.

I watch a lot of curly hair influencers whether that is on youtube or instagram. I don’t watch it for recommendations, or comparison. I watch it because I am interested in seeing how our likes and styles differ. I watch it to learn and be more informed. If it wasn’t for those individuals, I wouldn’t embrace my natural hair like I do today. I would still hate it and continue damaging it.

People think I am vain when I complain about my hair because I don’t like the way it looks. Or think its a waste of time when it takes me over an hour to style it.

My hair entwines with my confidence. If you asked me a few years ago, I wouldn’t be caught dead in a photo with my curly hair. It felt like I had to straighten it for big occasions because in my mind curly hair was ugly and predictable. You can use the same products and do it the same way and it comes out different every time. I hate big, frizzy hair. Some people may like it, but I prefer it more defined. I love seeing the curls. Not a big fat ball of freeze. Imagine spending an hour on your hair and it doesn’t look well. How would that make you feel? And as much as I would love to throw it in a messy bun, I would it regret it. And as much as I hate doing it, I take the time to style my hair on a Sunday.

Fun fact, I only wash my hair once a week. Part of it is because you’re not supposed to wash textured hair every single day, but another part of me is lazy. My wash routine is detailed and takes a long time. And it takes even longer to dry my hair. Some times I go to bed with damp hair because even though its been hours, I washed and styled it, it is still wet.

When it comes to curly hair products, I am grateful that there are so many options to choose from nowadays. A few years ago, that wasn’t a thing, and reality check is that what works for someone does not work for another. But it comes with its own problems. Products meant for curly hair are expensive. A few weeks ago, I calculated it and turns out I spent $400 CAD. UMMM what the fuck. Plus in the past week I bought another $100 CAD worth of products. I really hope my mom does not find out because she will kill me. But that’s the reality. Yes you could get some more affordable options but like I said what may work for some does not work for others.

Trying to find what works for you causes consumerism. I am 100% guilty of that. The amount of hair products I have is ridiculous, but it is definitely not as bad as other people. I am trying to find products that work for me, but its not exactly the easiest thing. If I like it, I repurchase. If I don’t, I try to finish up the bottle because I don’t want to waste it.

Unpopular opinion is that I think influencers make consumerism even worse. I have seen youtubers with shelves full with all types of products. Some they purchase to make videos and a lot they get to promote to their audience. I respect that is their way of making money, but it feels wrong.

Like I started off my saying, unless you have curly hair, you do not understand it.