The curly girl struggle is real. But in addition to wash day woes and the empty pockets that come along with being a product junkie women with type 4 hair have to deal with an unjust lack of representation in the beauty industry and the media. Not only is not seeing yourself represented in the entertainment and informational content you consume irritating and offensive it’s impractical and potentially costly. Women with type 4 hair rarely see the products they are considering purchasing being modeled by or illustrated on women with similar hair types leaving them to rely on hair care trial and error.
The mainstream media might be trying to tell them that they aren’t worthy of attention but women with type 4 hair know better. They are embracing their natural texture as every bit as as worthwhile as it’s beach wave counterparts each and every day.
We asked some about the moment that they fell in love with their kinky curly hair. See what they had to say below.
Source: Keyaira Boone / Hello Beautiful
“So, I just became natural in January of 2018. That’s when I was really like ‘Wow! My hair is beautiful the way it is. I can wear it and still be able to be beautiful and be bomb and still be able to slay.‘ And ever since then I’ve been rocking my natural cut and been loving it. That’s when I really began to embrace my natural beauty my natural hair and be all that I am.”
Source: Danielle James / Hello Beautiful
“I think there’s two parts to that. I think the first it was like I always loved it but I think as I started to realize what it could do…I kind of wish I knew what it could do now when I was in junior high school and when I was in elementary school because back then I would just put it in two braids and that was it and there’s so much versatility with our hair. I just embrace my hair for what it is. Sometimes I’ll see a picture and I know my hair’s not gonna do that so what I do is I’ll actually look for inspiration where it’s a kinkier or a coiler or more textured hair and it’s just as beautiful.”
Source: Keyaira Boone / Hello Beautiful
“I’ve been natural since high school so it’s been an ongoing process of me falling in love and re-falling in love with my hair.”
Monique Hawthorne
Source: Keyaira Boone / Hello Beautiful
“I recently started the journey of loving my curls. I regularly put in protective styles but now I’m starting to wear it out more. I just wanted to be comfortable in any style that I was in. I didn’t want to feel beautiful only in protective styles. I wanted to feel beautiful in my natural curls.”
Source: Keyaira Boone / Hello Beautiful
“Actually I used to wear wigs a lot and I just decided out of nowhere to take the wigs off and give my hair a break. And when I went to work everybody was complimenting me and saying how beautiful I am and how my features showed more. Thats when I kind of fell in love even more.”
Source: Keyaira Boone / Hello Beautiful
“It was actually by accident. I was wearing a lot of braids. I was in college and I didn’t wanna deal with my hair. So it started with Senegalese twists, then it went to braids, then kinky twists everything! So then when I had finally let my hair breathe I only had maybe two inches of relaxed hair. So I was got some scissors and was like okay! It was in that moment between ‘Am I bout to be natural or am I about to get a relaxer?‘, I cut off my relaxed hair and I’ve been natural ever since.”
Source: Keyaira Boone / Hello Beautiful
“2018 when I went home to go to the beauty salon and she gave me a relaxed look with a pressing comb. I was like ‘whatttt?’ I could get the straightness without the chemical?’ And then after that I was like ‘why do I even WANT straight hair? What am I gon’ do with it? I’ma roll it. I’ma curl it. I can put it in a ponytail. Curly hair? I can twist it. I can braid it, cornrow it, afropuff it, honeycomb it, color it, it’s so many more options!”
Source: Keyaira Boone / Hello Beautiful
“Seeing my hair in it’s full natural state was the first time I fell in love with my hair.”
Tolani Ayo-Vaughan @tolaniav
“When I really started seeing my curls for what they were.”
