Nobody cares about the wrinkle at the edge of a white tee, the stain at the hem of a new pair of jeans, or even the uncurled lash that the lash curler couldn’t reach. What they do care about is hair. Hair can make or break outfits, set the tone for the day, and even bring a girl to an outburst (do not touch the wrong girl’s hair). Hair can make a girl feel that she has something with which she can relate to other girls, as if she does not have to battle womanhood alone. French braid lines made up of six, seven girls at a time, head massages, and product recommendations all make up daily conversations. No girl should feel excluded from this tangled little community and nobody has the right to push any girl away from enjoying their natural hair. Yet, curly girls in particular are often not given their due respect for their unaltered hair, ruining their self respect for it in the process. Olana Mills, a freshman at CHS, feels particularly strong about how positively perceiving one’s own hair can make them feel.
“I would encourage people to embrace their curly hair because it’s a part of them,” Mills said. “It creates connections with [other] people who also have curly hair [and brings up] stories about your journey and all the struggles you’ve faced.”
Not everyone knows where to start when it comes to their hair, which can make people feel like there was never a place for them. But this could not be further from the truth.
“I grew up with a dad who was bald and a mom who had pin straight hair so I didn’t get a chance to fully embrace my hair from my parents,” Mills said. “If you don’t have people around you, I think another great source to have is social media.”
Every girl should know, styled or not, their natural hair is beautiful—but unfortunately not all girls do. Curly girls often feel pressured to fit in with ‘other’ girls and change their appearance. This leads to a very addictive abuse of heat tools such as straighteners and curlers. The validation girls get when they straighten their hair can be toxic. Receiving comments like “I love your straight hair” and “you look better with straight hair” not only lead to more encouraged damage done to the mane but also leaves a permanent wound on a girl’s confidence.
“I feel like they should know that it’s not okay to say that to a person and it doesn’t matter if you think you’re complimenting them. It’s never okay to say that to a person who has curly hair,” Mills said.
People’s egos are built off of compliments and comments, so when those back-handed compliments are targeted towards someone’s natural and unchangeable self, they begin to rely on the socially accepted version of themselves. Aliyah Abdelbaki, another freshman and fellow curly girl, shares her views and opinions on the matter.
“We need to start appreciating our differences,” Abdelbaki said. “Personally, I don’t like it when people say my straight hair is better than my natural hair. It makes me upset and it’s obviously going to make me want to straighten my hair more which leads to damaged hair and then my natural curly hair is going to be damaged and ruined!”
Straightening curly hair is supposed to feel like a fun choice, not an obligation you have to follow for the comfort of others. It should not feel like the only resort to beauty or the most optimal one. It is just a style and an option. Freshman Solani Herrera has a strong take on standing her ground when it comes to her hair decisions.
“I value both of them the same (straight and curly hair),” Herrera said. “I can’t change what other people value, but I think that if I like it, that’s really the only thing that matters. It’s up to you to do whatever you want with your hair. If they like a version of you, then that could be concerning but I wouldn’t let it affect me personally.”
Fortunately, even though curly girls constantly face these challenges, it does not deter them from loving their luscious locks. When asked for the reasons they thought others should love their hair and why they themselves loved their hair, Olana, Solani, and Aliyah all responded beautifully.
“I think it’s important for people to embrace their curly hair because it is a part of them, it can create connections with people who also have curly hair, and it can also make you feel better about yourself,” Mills said.
“It’s important for curly girls, and even curly guys, to love their hair because that’s a part of them that they were born with…and I think that you should love that part of yourself just as you would love another part of yourself,” Herrera said.
“I’m around a lot of people with straight hair and I like being a little different. I like straightening my hair, don’t get me wrong but I like to do different styles [with my curls],” Abdelbaki said.
All people have the hair, they just need the TLC to go with it and complete the look. And remember to also spread the love all around.
