NC: What is the best thing about being curly?
KG: Despite popular belief, I love how low maintenance my hair is! Sure, I spend fifteen minutes on it in the shower and applying products, but when you compare that to the hour I used to spend on it every day, I’d say that my hair is super easy to manage. I also enjoy how I stand out in a crowd, and people are constantly complimenting my hair (I would have never in a million years believed this could be the case”> and asking for curly hair advice. I just finally feel like I’m “me” fully, and I love it.
NC: How do you think having curly hair has impacted your life?
KG: I have so much more time on my hands now! I can now do pool parties and impromptu beach trips, and I’m no longer afraid of a little rain. It’s amazing how much more spontaneous and fun my life is now!
NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?
KG: Sick with it. Even when you feel like ripping your hair out, work through it. Braid it, wear it up, or do whatever you need to do through the transition period. I have seen the other side and it is glorious! I had no idea that I could love and embrace my hair, and I am still overwhelmed by how much going natural has changed my life. I feel unique, beautiful and like I am finally myself. I hope others can be encouraged by my story and find peace with their natural selves the way I have.
NC: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects!
KG: I’d like to tackle a Master’s Degree in American media and pop culture sometime soon. More specifically, I’m really into analyzing gender roles in the magazines, films, television and video games. I’d also love to pursue a career that helps me encourage and empower women. That career is a big question mark right now, but I do know that all women deserve to feel special, unique and beautiful, with or without curls, and it is my mission to reach as many of them as possible to tell them that.
MORE: Ava Raiin’s Real Texture Talk
