Your hair isso soft!!
Her declaration prompted the dissolution of the braid train into a petting session.
I was born with a full head of hair, legendary in my family for its sheer volume.
Courtesy of Rachel Lee
And around 7th grade, my hair texture started to deviate from dense and pin-straight to dense and frizzy.
Over the next few years, my hair grew into something totally new and unfamiliar.
This would be too simple, though.
Courtesy of Rachel Lee
One of the strangest properties of my hair is all the different things it can be at once.
Sometimes, Ill find exactly one single, defined corkscrew curl poking out of the generic frizz and fluff.
And while my mom was right about needing trims, the frizz and general awkwardness remained.
Courtesy of Rachel Lee
This, I found, was the easiest way to squash its unpredictability.
And it gave me hair I knew how to deal with.
I had my process down.
Courtesy of Rachel Lee
I’d devote half of my pre-school beauty routine to my straightening ritual.
On days I was rushed, Id just skim over the top layer hoping to hide what was underneath.
It was like the girl from camp said, Asians were blessed for their soft, silky hair.
Courtesy of Rachel Lee
My hair, on the other hand, was something that needed to be tamed.
The way it stood up in lonely strands that poked in different directions on different days was just wrong.
But after its effects faded, I found myself crawling back to my flatiron.
I was addicted to straight hair to the point where I couldnt leave the house with my natural hair.
Whatever natural waves I did have were totally fried and crispy, making the original problem even worse.
I slowly got more comfortable with the idea.
I also found that the better I treated my hair, the calmer it was.
I can secure a 4-inch-high bouffant with just one alligator clip, no backcombing or hairspray necessary.
Similarly, Ive learned the tools and styling methods my hair doesnt take kindly to.
Brushes and hair dryers are both on the banned list.
Instead, I comb my hair through with conditioner while showering, and I always let it air dry.
Its honestly a relief to finally accept the hair I have for its unique characteristics and abilities.
But its also a reminder that the grass is always greener.
You might also like: Celebrity Hairstylist Sarah Potempa Shows Us How to Do the Coolest Half-Up Rope Braid
