This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.

Edited by Avleen Grewal

I’ve spent years trying to fall in love with my hair. I’m sure other curly girls can relate. We have good days, and bad–like really, terribly bad– days. Our curls can be long and silky and flowy one day, and resemble a rat’s nest the next. It’s a rough life dealing with curly hair-here are just some of the struggles we curly girls must endure.

The Frizz

You haven’t seen frizz until you’ve brushed out all of your dry, curly hair, and end up resembling our good friend Hagrid, from Harry Potter. Brushing curly hair is a risky business, especially dry, as it can actually brush out the curl pattern, creating that lovely halo of frizz around your entire head. It’s best to comb your hair when wet to avoid that frizzy puffball.

Me and my frizzy hair.

Finding the Right Length

My hair is very, very thick. And it puffs up very easily. I’ve gone back and forth between long and short hair, but either one I tried resulted in some unfortunate “looks.” When my hair starts getting too long, the ends pull down and get thinner, almost like tendrils, but the upper part of my hair is still really puffy and thick. As one not-so-nice girl in high school phrased it, I looked like an octopus. Not gonna lie, it kinda stung a bit at fifteen, but hey, she wasn’t wrong. So to counteract this, I’ve also had many very short haircuts. But go too short, and you cross over into looking like Bruce Bogtrotter from Matilda. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good chocolate cake as much as the next guy, but I’d prefer my hair didn’t resemble a chubby eight-year-old boy’s.

So much cringe…you’re welcome, internet.

The Time!

Ok, maybe it’s just me, but my hair routine over the years has always been at least a half hour affair. That is a good chunk of life when you multiply that out across the years. What with washing and combing and putting product after product after product, followed by a blow dry routine and finally hairspray? My god, it’s a wonder I don’t shave my head and call it good. I’m sure it is different for every person, but I know my hair personally doesn’t have the luxury of waking up and running a brush through it (see The Frizz) and walking out the door. It either takes a year and a half, or I just suck it up and try for the “messy bun” look, which does indeed embrace its messiness, again resembling a rat’s nest. The struggle has never been more real.

Products

Luckily, there are so many hair products to help “tame the beast” that is our wild hair. I’ve tried so many over the years, and have worked my way through that entire Target aisle to finally find some of my favorites. My absolute favorite hair product is Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse. You scrunch it through your wet hair, and it helps hold the curls in, and minimize the dreaded frizz. The only problem is you have to find the right balance of product, so you have enough to do the job, but not so much that your hair is crispy-crunchy.

Another favorite of mine is OGX’s Quenching Coconut Curls Frizz-Defying Curl Styling Milk. I usually apply this before the mousse, and it helps lock in the curls and add another layer of defense against the frizz. Plus, it smells like Hawaii, so really, what’s not to love?

The hairspray I’ve been using to hold everything in place after I style it is Tresemme’s Tres two extra hold non-aerosol hair spray. I like this one because, if you use the right amount, it doesn’t leave that sticky, crunchy feeling, but is still able to hold the curls in a little bit better. There are so many products to choose from, and there are many different types of curly hair, so just experiment a bit to find what works best for what you want!

Finally Loving My Hair

It took a long, long time for me to finally accept and embrace my hair the way it is. With constant pressure from family and friends to just get it permanently straightened for many years, it often made it difficult to love my hair the way it was. And being the only person in my entire family (besides my twin!) with curly hair, was often challenging, as no one else could relate to this aspect of me, or offer much needed advice when I was battling against my natural hair. But my hair is such defining aspect of my appearance, and I grew tired of trying to change it. It’s something unique, something beautiful (most of the time,) and something I should never be embarrassed or ashamed of. Yes, it can be a real struggle to have curly hair, but I am continually learning to embrace it the way it is; after fighting against it for so long growing up, I have finally gotten to the point where I really, truly love my hair, even in all its frizzy, crazy wild glory.

Me, my curly hair, and my boyfriend gallivanting around Niagara Falls!

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Curly Hair’s a Struggle, but I’m Embracing It