#istaycurly

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It's been while... #navyblueeyes #nudelips #curls . . . . . . . . . . #istaycurly #curlyhairjourney #curlyhairtransformation #transitioninghair #curlyhair #curlsrock #naturalhair #naturallycurly #curlyhairenthusiast #curlyhairdontcare #curlynaturalhair #curlyculture #curlnation #curlsundersood #latina #blogger #curlboss #luvyourmane #crownofcurls #selflove

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Today's line-up #washandgo #curlyhair #naturalhair #curlygirl #istaycurly @redken @marcanthonyhaircare @cantubeauty

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#christmaseve2017 #curlyhair #day2curls #curldefinition #nofrizz #curlyhairjourney #naturalhair #cantu #marcanthonyhaircare #istaycurly

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Teddy bear inspired DIY "costume" #diycostume #cheapcostume #lastminutecostume #teddybearmakeup #spacebuns #curlyhair #istaycurly #halloween2017

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Loving the #fentybeauty #profiltrfoundation. I have dry/combination skin and the foundation is soft matte but it's working well for me so far. The consistency is liquidy. Its medium to full coverage and buildable with a damp sponge. It dries fast and slightly oxidizes. The #killawatthighlighterduo was ok. One side of the duo is more subtle than the other and could be used as eyeshadow. I got the shades girl next door and chic phreak. It's not that visible in this lighting but it's pretty in person. #istaycurly #curls #makeuplover

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My Curly Hair Transformation From 2013-2017

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My Curly Hair Journey

My curly hair journey has been like most other women that have struggled with taming the beast a.k.a naturally curly hair, from flat irons to relaxers to just throwing it in a messy bun and going on with life. To be completely honest it took me years to fall in love with my curls. I never felt beautiful and I would envy girls that had bone-straight hair with no frizz. It always looked so perfect. I wished that I could wake up like that. So just like many, I damaged my hair completely to try to fit in and feel “pretty”.

I clearly remember the first time that my curly hair was straightened. My cousin wanted to see how long it was so she had me lay my head on an ironing board..yes I said ironing board, and she straightened my hair with an iron, not a flat iron. This was in the early 90s and we were poor so we didn’t have those luxuries yet. There was no heat protectant, just virgin hair blasted by the 400+ degree heat…what was I thinking? I was just a little girl that was curious to see how my hair would look and I loved the results. It was so soft, long, and straight with no knots or frizz. It seemed easy but little did I know of the damage that comes along with all that heat.

My addiction to straightening my hair and my mother’s inability to take good care of my hair eventually led me to getting relaxers multiple times during my teenage years which damaged my hair even more. It looked great for a couple of months but my hair just felt weaker and weaker after each relaxer. I remember my friends telling me that I didn’t need it but I was convinced that my hair was just too “rough” to be in its natural state so I continued until one day I noticed how fragile my hair became. I had extreme breakage and had to cut most of it off. It used to be passed my waist and now I had a bob right above my shoulders. I was devastated.

The hair relaxing days were over for me but that didn’t stop me from straightening my hair. I thought I learned from my mistakes but why leave my hair curly? I thought curls just weren’t for me so I flat-ironed my hair daily and used heat protectors and hair gloss to make it look shiny and “healthy”. The damage was clearly still there and I was in denial.

One day in my early 20s I had a change of heart and decided to give my hair a break. I wanted to see my natural curls so I did a wash and go. That’s when I really noticed how bad my hair had gotten. My roots were curly but my ends were brittle. They weren’t curly and they weren’t straight. It was a horrible texture and I didn’t even know what to do with it so of course I just went right back to the good ol’ flat iron. This continued for a few more years until I was about 25 years old and became a mother.

Motherhood was a challenge and spending hours on my hair wasn’t really an option anymore. Aside from that, I had some baby weight to get rid of so I worked out every day. Spending hours to flat iron my hair and then sweat it out after a workout plus taking care of a newborn was too draining so I had to find a solution. I decided to research curly hair care on Youtube and came across numerous videos that taught me how to care for my curls and transition them back to their natural state. Most of those videos shared one tip in common that I find extremely important…PATIENCE. Patience is key when it comes to transitioning.

My transition began in 2012 and it has been 5 years now. I feel like my hair is still changing and improving. It came a long way and it’s so noticeable. I only straighten my hair once a year now and even when I do it doesn’t feel right. I immediately begin to miss my curls. I’ve received many compliments and the journey has not been easy but it is so worth it. My hair is part of who I am. It’s part of my culture and it should be enhanced, not hidden. I know this all sounds deep but keeping my hair natural and caring for it has given me so much confidence. Beauty comes in all forms and everyone should be proud and grateful for their unique features. It’s what makes us one of a kind.

If you’re interested in details about transitioning to natural hair such as what products and techniques to use please stay tuned for more in-depth blog posts in the future. If you’d like to know more about me and see what I’m up to then let’s be friends…

IG: @istaycurly   Twitter: @istaycurlyy   FB: facebook.com/istaycurly

XOXO,

Steph