Five curly haired women, with different style and different kinds of beauty. Read our story.
Back in 2011 I wished for long endless locks. That’s what I wanted, end of discussion. The problem? My curly hair didn’t show length at all. So I decided to straighten my hair. Just for a few days, at first. But I got used to it and started to straighten my hair every day. Not so long ago I realized how often hair is such a big deal to a lot of women. The thing is: there are times you feel extremely happy with what’s growing on the top of your head, and sometimes you just hate it.
And that’s what also happened to me. After a year of treating my hair badly by all this straightening, I was unsatisfied with the way my hair looked. My curls… What happened? They all just disappeared. Big chop seemed to be the best option. So I did. It took me at least eight months before my natural curls came back. At that time, in those few months, I couldn’t appreciate my hair and I simply didn’t feel beautiful.
But: I learned how to take care of my hair in a proper way. My curls came back, prettier then before. And people started complimenting my hair. Wow, I was surprised. Apparently this hair of mine is something special…
With that going on in the back of my mind, I thought it’s time to give a few friends of mine the opportunity to tell their own story about their curly locks. Mainly because of my own curiosity. But I hope we can also be an inspiration to all the other curlyheads over there. I met my friends Zoey, Amber, Shaz and Serana via one of my best friends Dewy. I want to show people with this article that we should just be grateful and realize that every structure is beautiful.
Zoey Ivory
Name: Zoey Ivory
Age: 21 years old
What does your hair mean to you? A lot ofcourse. I mean, I’m truly myself when it comes to my curls. They give me a little bit more confidence and I also think I’m being noticed more than with straight hair. I have this habit: I constantly push my hair up with my hands to create more volume. Yes, also when my hair is already very wild. People often make fun of me when I do that, haha. But luckily my fellow curlyheads understand me for doing this.
The most stupid comment ever made about your hair: “Is that your real hair?” or “I wish I had curls like yours, it seems so easy” and “Yeah, you don’t have a lot of work to do with styling your hair. You just wake up like that.”
Tip: Give your hair an oil treatment once in a while and don’t blow-dry your hair with too much heat.
Amber Kegel
Name: Amber Kegel
Age: 21 years old
What does your hair mean to you? They often say you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone. And that’s exactly what happened to me. I ‘lost’ my hair a lot of times… By that I mean: my hair cut was too short or my colored hair ruined my curl pattern. Those type of issues. Despite all those traumatic experiences, a lot of these moments made me realize that my hair is very important to me. It’s different and eye-catching: that’s what I like about it. Funny thing: back then, when I straightened my hair, I attracted different people. When I look back I am sure of the fact that curly hair equals me, straight hair doesn’t. So, if you think straight hair looks better on me, we’re not on the same page. My boyfriend loves my curls. We probably wouldn’t be together if he didn’t!
The most stupid comment ever made about your hair: Stupid comments? Barely! But I guess that’s because I usually tolerate too much…
Tip: Embracing your curls is a (long) process. You just need to try a lot of new things, figure out what suits you best. If you’ve found that match, I can assure you that you will rock those curls more than ever! Trust me, it’s worth the trouble: don’t hide what mother nature gave you, show it!
Celeste van Joost
Name: Celeste van Joost
Age: 22 years old
What does your hair mean to you? In the last couple of years my hair became my trademark. I’m Indonesian and Dutch, but because of my curls people don’t immediately think so. Make my hair straight and I look like a totally different person. I’m a very grateful human being and so, I’m also thankful for my curls; proud. Even though this wasn’t always the case. Sometimes you just need to learn to appreciate things. You are not your hair, in my opinion. I mean, you are much more than that as a person. But my hair is very noticeable in my appearance. That’s often a good thing, but not always. It’s easy for people to approach me by saying something about my hair. I don’t blame them though.
The most stupid comment ever made about your hair: “Is it real?” or “Gosh, how much time do you spend on styling your hair? How many times do you brush it?” Luckily most comments are positive and I appreciate that!
Tip: Try to experiment with different hair products. Sometimes this one hair product works very well, but after a while the magic is gone and your hair get’s used to it. Just try a different product. Then you know for sure what’s working for you and what not.
Shaz Abraham
Name: Shaz Abraham
Age: 22 years old
What does your hair mean to you? I really had to learn to love my curls. When I grew up, a lot of girls around me had straight hair. I felt different, so I wanted straight hair too. It took me a lot of struggles to learn to love my hair eventually. With that said: my hair does mean a lot to me. I appreciate both textures, but at this time I prefer straight hair. That’s the beauty of hair I guess. Sometimes you hate it, sometimes you love it. So you switch.
The most stupid comment ever made about your hair: “Is that your real hair?” or “Why do you straighten it Shaz? You have such beautiful curls…” and “You often change your hair a lot.”
Tip: Try as many things as possible with your own structure. In that way you will find your own signature hair do’s which you will love.
Serana Angelista
Name: Serana Angelista
Age: 22 years old
What does your hair mean to you? When I was younger, my hair actually didn’t mean a lot to me. In other words: I hated it. It sounds very cliché but: girls with straight hair want curls and girls with curls want straight hair. I straightened my hair two times in my life, but to me this hair do is too stressful. When there’s moisture in the air, your hair goes back to frizzy curls. Not my thing. I was fifteen years old when I started wearing my hair loose. With the use of a lot of Vaseline and hair gel… It took a while, but I can finally say that I am proud of my curls and I appreciate them the way they are.
The most stupid comment ever made about your hair: Someone recently told me: “Hey cotton candy, where you going?” I can laugh about it now. But if he told me that seven years ago, I would be sitting in a corner, crying.
Tip: Use a good leave-in conditioner and – after that – apply a nourishing oil. Trust me, they do magic. Best thing is to air-dry your hair.
