From the time I was a toddler, I had extremely curly brown hair. The tight ringlets would sprinkle down my back in unique patterns and shapes. Growing up, I hated my curly hair. I used to go to elementary school with girls who all had pin straight hair and I completely envied them. My ringlets always seemed unnecessary and made me feel different from the girls around me. Because I didn’t like my hair, I would straighten it as much as I could. I would curl and straighten my hair every single day throughout middle school up to sophomore year just to tame my thick mane of hair and make it more uniformed. I didn’t realize the damage I had caused to my precious curls until it was too late. The curls were heated so much that their shapes transformed into a sort of bent wave in some areas and had gone completely straight in others. As I figured out how damaged my hair had gotten, I slowly started to ease up on the hot tools. I put my flat iron away (only to be used on my bangs) and let my natural waves start to come back.
After one full year of no flat iron (again, only on my bangs and for special occasions), I saw a transformation in my hair. My natural curls have come back and I’m left with voluminous (sometimes frizzy) wavy/curly hair that is reminiscent of my childhood locks. I love my hair now more than I ever did straightening or curling it. It goes to show that people will always want what they can’t have. Sometimes, what you really want is right in front of your very eyes!
