One in every of my earliest reminiscences of my hair is complaining to my Mum that my ponytail didn’t swing once I ran like the remainder of the ladies within the playground.
I began straightening my hair once I was about 12 as a result of it was simpler to prepare for college within the mornings.
However the fact of it’s, if you’re in senior faculty, you simply wish to appear like everybody else – and I felt like I match in additional.
It wasn’t till school that I made a decision to start out embracing my curls extra and but I nonetheless couldn’t decide to a curly minimize. Each time I went to the hairdresser I’d ask them to chop it straight, and solely put on it curly sometimes.
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I assume a mixture of laziness and easily rising up meant that in lockdown, I turned extra assured in myself and I fell out of affection with my straighteners. I started to simply accept that my curls made me distinctive and acquired right into a routine of styling them in a manner that made me really feel assured and like one of the best model of myself.
If you happen to’ve acquired curls, you’ll know the battle of going to a salon that doesn’t know what to do with curly hair – and sure, that’s nonetheless a factor. The primary time I mustered up the braveness to ask for my hair to be styled naturally (as a substitute of a bouncy blowout) it left rather a lot to be desired.
So terrified by the considered not sticking with the established order, my stylist forgo brushing my hair after my wash and easily subtle it into the form it was in when she eliminated the towel – my horror was confirmed when my brother instructed me I resembled Brian Might.
I used to be laughing about it, however I left feeling humiliated and annoyed. For 2 years after that incident, I clung to my heat-damaged curls, prioritising size over well being, nervous to let anybody else contact them.
Our relationship with our hair might be so deeply private that I swore I’d solely ever fashion it once more myself
Across the starting of this 12 months, I fell out of affection with my hair for the second time. It felt skinny, it was snapping off, and it wasn’t cooperating. Whenever you’ve spent a very long time cultivating a relationship together with your curls that may really feel so irritating. I discovered myself scraping it again right into a bun, a punishment for its unruliness.
Slowly, because the weeks handed, my Instagram discover web page began filling up with the juiciest, healthiest curly bobs and I knew what I wanted to do. It was time for an enormous chop. If I really meant what I stated about loving my locks I needed to lose the size that I’d been clinging onto for therefore lengthy.
I wasn’t taking any dangers with whom I trusted this time, and acquired booked in to see Superstar Hair Stylist Charlotte Mensah at her Notting Hill salon. It was my first expertise of being in a salon that was devoted to textured hair.
Not solely did they know what to do with my curls, the best way to deal with them, minimize them and elegance them, however my hair was really celebrated – one thing I had by no means skilled or understood earlier than.
There was no muttering underneath their breath on the backwash asking for further help, no discuss of a bouncy blow dry, no ‘umming’ or ‘ahhing’ about one of the simplest ways to deal with it within the shortest time attainable. I felt for the primary time that I used to be absolutely seen, accepted and in protected palms.
After an preliminary session, my scalp was scrubbed, my curls had been handled and steamed and Charlotte labored her magic by sculpting a stupendous form out of my strands. We determined to go for lusciousness over size and I couldn’t be happier with it.
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The completed end result seems to be and feels intentional. Every curl is outlined and joyously juicy now it has been launched from the load of the heat-damaged ends I’d been clinging on to. It’d sound like I’m exaggerating, nevertheless it was an emotionally liberating expertise too.
The notion of letting go of one thing that’s now not serving you in favour of a happier, more healthy final result is one thing that I not solely need for my hair however for my complete life.
It’s given me a contemporary begin the place I can concentrate on caring for my curls and embracing them at their greatest.
I had so many reservations. What if it didn’t swimsuit me? What if I seemed actually younger? What if I didn’t really feel as female with a brief fashion? Finally it has taught me that there’s a lot energy to be present in celebrating your pure magnificence and searching for out folks that can rejoice it with you. If you happen to’ve been on the lookout for an indication to start out afresh, then let this be it.
