The story of how my 3c Curls made a Comeback

Written by: Diana Cepeda

Growing up, wearing out your curly hair was not ideal. I remember my abuela saying "Nanna, tu no estas peinada". What I understood from her was.. "bitch, you know very well your hair looks a mess. Funny because I talk about her saying that as if she had said it so many years ago. I'm pretty sure she gave me that speech last Thanksgiving, LMAO. Needless to say, I was not empowered to wear out my fro.

My mom did her best with what she knew about my hair type. She kept that shit braided as much as she could. And when it wasn't pulled back into some sort of braid-related style, it was straightened. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVED my hair straight growing up. So much so that I rejected the bounce of my natural crown daily. I could not go out without "touching up" my hair with the handy-dandy.... flatiron. That phase lasted all-throughout middle school and high school. So much so that come 'wash-Sunday' I couldn't recognize the helmet of dead swamp above my head that I called hair.

I can't say I had this crazy "ahaa" moment. All I know is that when I started college in 2016, my curls started to find themselves again. They just decided enough was enough. I vowed I would never straighten my hair again. College might've actually been the first time I styled my own fro. I discovered the power of volume, a pick, establishing a wash-day routine, and so much more. I surrounded myself with people who lifted me up for wanting to give my curls a comeback. I got so many compliments, so much empowerment about how healthy my hair looked. Yet, I was still unhappy with what I saw when I looked into the mirror.

I wish I could tell you that I found my happy ending. That 5-6 years later, I am secure and 1000% happy with my 3c curls. This has been and will continue to be a process for me. I am still learning new ways to style and appreciate my fro. What I can say is there is a power in deciding to no longer burn, and therefore hurt a piece of your natural self. I am becoming more aware of how detrimental this type of trauma can truly be. And yes, I will call it trauma. I was taught to hate and change a part of myself in order to better fit in. It's something my family and so many others can relate to. But we can't continue to sow these insecurity seeds into the generations that follow.

I vow to LOVE the curls that my future children wear. I vow to uplift my future granddaughter when she asks how her protective style looks. All in all, I vow to continue to journey through my curly hair story, and to find ways to embrace who they continue to become.