Confidently Curly

I don’t often touch on the topic of natural hair nor do I often share my own experiences with my natural hair. However, being a natural girl, I pay attention to all the hype on social media; bloggers, YouTubers, comments made by those in transition that have questions and concerns, and so on… With all of the “natural attention”, I started thinking about my journey and how I’ve grown, being natural. Though many think it is, I’ve learned that most of the transition isn’t magical. Successfully embracing and rocking your natural curls isn’t just about knowing the techniques or about the products. The first thing a natural girl has to master is being confident.

My decision to transition my hair to its natural state was mostly impulsive. Whenever anyone would ask me about making the transition, I wouldn’t really have a specific answer for them. I just told my hairstylist “I don’t think I want to get relaxers anymore” and she stopped giving them to me. I gradually trimmed my hair as the months went by and by spring 2013 my hair was full of curls. I had no idea what products to use. At the time, I wasn’t a YouTube watcher. I definitely didn’t know how to style my hair or the difference between what was healthy and what wasn’t. I had no plan. My plan was just to figure it out.

During my first few curly months, I found myself struggling between wearing my hair curly and straightening it. The natural trend has taken over society and, every time you look up, someone new seems to be catching on. The only issue is: confidence can’t be caught. When I first started, the struggle between wearing my hair straight or curly wasn’t because I didn’t know how to work with my curls. Of course, the natural thing was new to me and there was so much for me to learn, but that wasn’t the main problem. I felt less confident when my hair was curly. There were so may times when I felt ugly with my curls. One thing I was unaware of as I transitioned to being natural was the amount of confidence you must have as a natural woman. I know it sounds crazy. Why do you need so much confidence to be yourself? As much as we try to change it, our society does not appear to favor the look of the “natural” woman. We’re growing into it, but, traditionally, we have all been told what beauty is and, for some reason, in many areas, beauty is not natural.

Despite the world’s view of beauty, which changes every day, and no matter what trend you’re following this week, whether it be a life adjustment or a new jacket, nothing will appear to be beautiful if the wearer is not confident. For some, the curly adjustment period is longer than it is for others. Now, I LOVE MY CURLS. Wearing your natural hair is just as beautiful as not wearing it. The knowledge will come, but your confidence is the first thing that makes you beautiful. Even with all the techniques, products, and youtube reviews (which are soooo helpful), the most important thing for a natural girl to be is CONFIDENTLY CURLY.

Stay Beautiful (and confidently curly).

XO,

Sydney