The familiarly pungent fumes filled my lungs as I sat patiently in the salon chair. I watched my Turkish hairdresser wrangle my natural curls into a mellowed-out version in a regretful attempt to “tame my hair.” I was at my biannual keratin appointment, a phase I’m happy to say I have outgrown.
No one in my Ukrainian-Jewish family has curly hair besides me and my younger brother. Growing up, my hair was pulled back into a ponytail or braid or worn down, and super frizzy. My mom’s inexperience with curls and my childlike unknowing resulted in me brushing my dry curly hair out (eek) and rocking a frizzy ‘do. Formal events always called for a blowout or straightened hair because that was easier to manage and looked better.
In third grade, I started doing rhythmic gymnastics, a sport that required tight buns, and that became my new hairstyle 24/7. In eighth grade, amid my gymnastics career, my hair rarely caught a break from its top knot and was a perpetually tangled mess. My mom recommended getting a keratin treatment to make my hair smoother and more manageable. “Your hair is too curly,” she would tell me, and I didn’t think twice. I did a quick google search on the trendy treatment and agreed to try it. Although my hair became shinier and smoother, the treatment wrecked my curl pattern, turning my ringlets into awkward, uneven, wavy locks. I looked past my doubts about my new hair as everyone remarked on how much better my hair looked.
Once COVID shutdowns ended my hair salon visits, the process of growing back my natural curly pattern unofficially began. I wasn’t upset by the pause in keratin treatments; I took the time to learn more about my curly hair. I spent more time on the internet, perusing different curly hair styling methods and products. I had a fair share of experiments with different washing techniques and viral products; naturally, not all of them worked.
I researched different curly haircuts, and for the first time in my life, I went to a hairdresser who specialized in curly hair. Before, I had gone to my mom’s array of hairdressers, who had all straightened my hair before cutting it, evidently resulting in an uneven cut. I learned a lot about styling from my new hairdresser and began curating the hair routine, which keeps my natural curls moisturized and healthy.
Despite my mom’s suggestions to return to keratin, I had entered a new chapter of embracing my natural, curly hair. Regardless of my mom’s and hairdresser’s opinions, I realized that the keratin treatment did not look good. God gave me curly hair for a reason, and I began to see that. I know I am not the only girl who went through a hair-altering phase, whether through perms, relaxers, or hair straightening, and I encourage those in this phase to explore ways to love styling their natural hair. I recognize there is a media-driven societal draw to straight, silky smooth hair, but it’s important to see past that and admire the beauty of your own hair.
Your natural hair is your natural hair for a reason: embrace it; it’s beautiful.