Didn't we have a weather girl who was criticised for her curly hair not being professional a few years back?
Anyway, yes. I'm v curly - I spent 16 years dragging my hair back into a bun wet, so that it was under control for work. I had very close colleagues who didn't recognise me when my hair was down.
Two years ago I had it cut short. Long and curly is great, and sexy, but it is virtually impossible to cut the 'honestly I am a professional' mustard, when you inevitably look like you have been dragged through a hedge backwards if you so much as walk out of the door into a slight breeze, or the humidity in the air changes.
If you are a creative type, it's just about possible. But any other work situation, they expect 'grooming'. Pah.
Having it short (pixie short) makes it tolerable. I don't feel inadequate every morning when I look in the mirror, and have to spend time trying to change the curl to make it look less scary.
I love curly hair. But the rest of the world hates it (except old ladies) so in order to appear as competent as other workers, you end up trying to conform.
It's all bollocks, really, of course. I mean, the state of my hair doesn't reflect on my ability to use my brain. But it does rather seem that a lot of supposedly intelligent folk think that it does... Those born poker straight have no idea how easy they have it. ;-)