It’s not uncommon to feel that the grass is somehow greener on the other side in life, especially when it comes to things you can’t control — like your hair. How do most curlies feel about their hair, though? Do the wavies wish they had more bounce to their hair? Do the kinkies wish they had straighter hair that didn’t require so much upkeep? If this describes you, you’re not alone!
Do You Have Hair Envy?
Loremipsum, a poster on the NaturallyCurly.com forums, says that she totally envies her co-workers perfectly bouncy hair.
“There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t have major hair envy.” she says. “Her curls have so much volume and spring to them that my limp stringy hair can’t help but be jealous.”
Why do we get jealous of other girls’ hair? Is it because we assume that they don’t have to jump through hoops with hour-long evening routines, homemade hair masks, three types of conditioners and separating hair strand-by-strand as it dries? Unless you’re there with the subject of your envy when she does her hair (or she’s your BFF so you totally trust what she says”>, you can’t really know what she does and doesn’t have to do to get that fabulous hair. It’s doubtful that she just rolls out of bed looking that gorgeous!
Can You Get That “Great” Hair?
OK, so even if that gorgeous wavy or kinky you know doesn’t wake up looking that fabulous, are you willing to do what it takes to get her hair? Better yet, SHOULD you necessarily do what it takes to get her hair? Maybe that straighty is naturally a 3a, 3b or 3c, but she processes her hair to get stick-straight results.
Sometimes, it’s amazing to learn just what someone goes through to get the hair they present to the world. We know of some “straighties” who actually have naturally 3b/3c hair, but who apply gobs of product, let their hair dry (or blow dry it”>, then apply an extremely hot flat iron. Total time of drying and straightening — about 45 minutes. Looking at these girls, you’d think they were born with that hair, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Watering Your Own Lawn
So you already know you don’t want to over-process your hair just to achieve a certain look. What CAN you do, then? If you’re a 2 or 2a, try Curlformers to give your hair some more bouncy curls. If you’re a 3a, 3b, or 3c, you can try braiding your hair to loosen the curls without resorting to heat. For 4a and 4bs, apply a leave-in conditioner after you towel try your hair, then gently comb the hair into a low ponytail and wrap it. Your kinks won’t be bone straight, but they might at least have a little wave and added length.
Walk a Mile
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side; sometimes, it’s browner and you’ll be better off just doing what’s best for YOUR hair without envying what others have.
Another NaturallyCurly.com forum user, Robin-in-FL, says “I love seeing the tightly curly, and really think it looks fantastic, but no, if I could choose only one hair type, I would like to have the perfected version of what I have now.”
Now that’s what we’re talking about! If you learn to love what you have, you might find that your hair envy disappears. Sometimes, enjoying your hair is just a matter of learning how to care for the hair you were given.
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Final Thoughts
If the grass looks greener, it might just be time to water your own lawn. No matter what kind of curl you have or want, our unique waves, curls and kinks are perfect the way they are. Water your lawn and your grass will be JUST as green!
