A floral scent of curl creams, mousse, and gel, or the burning smell from a flat iron. Society has taught people that the ideal beauty is pin straight hair, but now society is also accepting curly hair as beautiful.
Before curly hair was frowned upon as “natty” or “untamed hair.” Straight hair is considered neat and well-presented. But why do people think it is the most common when curly hair is genetically dominant in the world? People are born with curly hair every day, so why has curly hair been seen as a bad thing for so many years? Social media portrays that the perfect hair is straight, especially for younger audiences. On the other hand, some influencers help people learn how to take care of and help them learn to love their natural hair. While curly hair is viewed as beautiful, it takes a long time to style and maintain.
For instance, not everyone has a positive experience with their curly hair journey. Sophia Salazar, a sophomore student at Liberty with wavy hair, straightens her hair every day. She stated that one time someone told her she “looked like Hagrid” from Harry Potter because, at the time, she did not know how to take care of her wavy hair. After that, “Messy hair made me feel singled out,” Salazar continued. She agreed that society and social media have affected beauty standards of hair. Salazar explained, “Yes, it has affected beauty standards with influencers. In middle school people straightened their hair, and that was the thing.” She has been straightening her hair for 4 years. She prefers to have straight hair to fit in.
An article from the New York Times about curly hair, written by Marisa Meltzer, “your so brave to wear your curly hair” is mistaken as a compliment. For someone who has curly hair, it can be taken as a compliment, or it can make them feel lazy or sloppy.
Sidon Samuel, a sophomore at Liberty with short curly hair, says his hair is his “most prized possession.” Micrah Conley, a sophomore at Liberty with medium curly hair, explained that it takes her around an hour to two hours to style her natural hair. She admitted her hair “was frustrating and irritating at a young age. But never desired a different hair type.” She concluded that “Curly hair is beautiful, and being naturally born with it should be appreciated.” On the other hand people can gave a better experience with their curly hair.
Furthermore, people around the world may have difficulty or no difficulty with their hair.
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