perceptions of curly hair....

[beatrixpotterspencil]

I was a child in the 80's with curly white hair, I hated it, everyone else loved it. I was singled out because of it and always told it was special, enviable, etc. I never liked it myself and thought people were mad!
Hair stylists encouraged me never to colour or straighten it as people would pay a fortune for what I had naturally.

This lasted up until my mid twenties, so into the 2000's. And then suddenly the compliments vanished and people even occasionally told me they had sympathy for me having to suffer curly hair!
Hair stylists in the past 10 years have even said my hair is 'problem' hair.
Such a turnaround!
This went hand in hand with straighteners and ghd's exploding on the market.

So I guess I lived through a fashion change, a massive alteration to the perception of curly hair. I have always semi straightened mine and never liked the curls from being a little kid, so none of the fads really affected how I wore it, but I did notice how deeply and suddenly the rejection of curls came about.

So, all the way to the present day, I still see people trying to avoid wearing their curls. It is often seen as 'unprofessional' or untidy, and people say they don't feel groomed or well put together with their curls.

Strangely, nobody said that back in the 80's or 90's.

do you believe fashion dictates this, and our perceptions of what is well groomed?
Will curls have their day again, and flat straight hair become the 'ungroomed' look?
Having lived through these changes of perception and noticed how others react to my hair, it is quite interesting.

I take the middle ground, I prefer it wavy, haha!

I have a mop of madly curly brunette hair that cannot be straightened. I love it. However I have never met a hairdresser that can style or cut it. I've had one haircut in the last 20 years and it was such a disaster never again!

On the plus side, I was probably the only person in the country who didn't need a haircut after lockdown :)

Chubbiness is generally regarded as cute and adoreable in babies and toddlers but as a problem and lazy a few years later.

Not all curly hair looks good, same as straight. I think curly hair is more maintenance than a poker straight wash and go.
I had my curly hair described as wool and witchy. By contrast i get more compliments when i straighten my hair.

A friend of mine has very beautiful red curly hair. I certainly would not describe hers as scruffy

Mine on the other hand has an occasional wave and tendency to stick out at odd angles and definitely can look a mess. I tend to try and tie it up

I never used to get attention from boys with curly hair but would get loads when I straightened it!

Gypsywater, same.
Incidentally, the hottest guy that asked me out said he loves curly hair.
One guy was so surprised to find that my curly hair is actually soft when he touched it.

I have the straightest hair imaginable and if there was one thing I could change about myself it would be to have a huge head of unruly curls. I love that look but it's not something that can be artificially recreated i think.

I have a friend with the most glorious mop of auburn curls. I'm so envious.

I think men are just as susceptible to fads too, as I recall men going nuts over my curls when they were fashionable.
I still maintain that it is fashion which dictates our perception of it, even if it is sometimes difficult to tame or care for.
But I also think that hair is only perceived as 'difficult to care for' when it is out of fashion.

If frizz and curl were as hot now as in the 70's we would probably not think it was hard to care for.

in response to a PP's question: my hair was pretty white, not albino, and my skin tanned very quickly, so not overly pale. It was like a white cloud until I was 8, then slightly more yellow, then pale gold as adult. It has become a darker ash blonde sine I turned 40. No grey yet, but I hope it goes white again at some point!

yeh, weirdly enough my curls are softer to touch than when I straighten it, which feels slightly rougher in texture.
my curls are very whisky and loose though, and fine.
my hair is naturally quite frizzy, which ive learned to embrace a bit, but in fairly good condition even though I pull some of the curls out with a straightening brush twice a week.

I suppose we all have different curl types, too.
the curly girl method was dreadful for me, and I tend not to prefer very structured curls. I like them soft and more natural - even if that has some asymmetry and frizz.

This is the exact reason that so many black women have deep rooted issues with their hair (excuse the pun).

I agree that curls have gradually been coming back in over the last five years or so but the preceding 15 were quite curl hostile. And actually throughout my life I've had problems finding a UK hairdresser who is good with curls.

It is unusual to have curly hair in this country, and the genetics (going back a loooong time) are related to Jewish migration south then Southern European migration to Ireland and Scotland. So it's kind of alien in terms of English heritage, which maybe accounts for, variously, hints of "exoticism" towards it and also the undertone that it's ungroomed, unprofessional, somehow less "civilised".

For those of you who struggle with hairdressers as I did for a long time, find one who trained on the continent. They all cut curly hair there.

I have wavy hair, had ringlets as a child which my mother would try to brush out, it was very painful. Then the whole straight hair stuff, which just meant my hair was frizzy and I couldn't let it get rained on. Now, I live. A different life and don't blow dry my hair, just leave it be. Oddly, many people think I spend hours making it look wavy, I just wash and leave it.

Also, hairdressers would always want to straighten it before cutting, to make it easier to cut.

I used to know a woman (with straight hair) who made an odd remark about a mutual friend's wavy hair. She said "it's a shame isn't it? She's so pretty, too"
That comment stunned me a bit, she really did think wavy hair was some sort of genetic tragedy .
Strangle enough, the wavy girl absolutely was beautiful, and her hair was a massive contributor to it!

I also think it's interesting how many women buy curl wands, and how ubiquitous the GHD curls have become. It's as if any curl is acceptable as long as it does not look like a natural one.....

(not a fan of god curling myself, like flat ironing, it looks a bit off/faddy to me)

god curls for the win

(ghd)

this image shows a frizzy before and after. I prefer the first one, for reasons of my own, I guess. To me it looks carefree, youthful, I see a lot of outdoorsy girls leave their hair like this (fuck fighting the elements!) and it's so refreshing. I do think we are trained to perceive it as bad.

the after image is sleeker, but deliberately more glamorous.They are both lovely.

image from Pinterest.

I had poker straight hair as a child and it has got wavier as I've got older. I have always adored really big, tight curly hair. My Instagram is full of adverts for curly hair products to make most of curls. I am sure it is back in fashion (unless it's just because I'm always looking at curly hair on insta!)

@beatrixpotterspencil I prefer it too, but would also say thats hair that is just a bit wavy!

I have really curly hair and I’m proud of it now, I used to straighten it every single day for almost 15 years. I wanted to stop, I found that GHD straightened look made me feel childish and never lasted anyway, so I embraced curly girl!
My hair is so much more interesting and versatile now, curly up dos are amazing and when I wear it down I get constant compliments. I love it.

I have 3b highlighted long hair and get complimented at least once a day on it. I think perception has changed and curls are very much “in” again.
In order for my curls to work, I do have to be careful of what I wear. Nothing patterned ever and nothing high necked that makes me look too much up top. I have to wear more simple well cut classic clothes with low necks so that my hair never has to compete with anything. But always with a twist like a ripped high waist mom jean or assymetric hem skirt. I never wear necklaces or earrings either.
I think if you’re older, in order to avoid a messy curly hair look, we have to up our clothes game which helps to make our hair look a bit more directional. Also volume is everything. We need to own our curls and really fluff them out - not to be scared of a bit of frizz - I would rather have volume over a crunchy gel frizz free curl.

That before picture if not at all curly.

I posted the picture to show a before and after about 'frizz'.

my hair is curly but when brushed goes flatter, wavy and very frizzy.

it wasn't meant to be an example of curls :)

Sorry! My bad x

My hair is neither curly nor straight but something inbetween and it drives me bonkers! I'd love to be properly one or the other.

@JMAngel1 I do think mine has soft curls though and we probably all have a different take on what constitutes proper 'curly'!
it curls up quite a bit after washing, like soft spirals, but they drop out very soon after into very frizzy waves.

the curly girl people advised me to add product, style and was a certain way to encourage the curl, but I couldn't be arsed I think I just wanted to go the path of least resistance and learn to love the frizz. My own hair is very happy with shampoo!

Well I must live in a different world. Have curly hair, have never in my life straightened it. The hairdresser did it once but I looked awful and nothing like myself. Have always had curls and always had compliments on my hair. I did realise straight hair was more fashionable at one point but just accepted I would be less fashionable for a while then. Ain't nobody got time for hair straightening whilst working and looking after 4 small kids.