I have curly hair.

Maybe you’ve noticed.

For approximately 22 years and 2 months of my life, I didn’t know how to deal with it. If you’ve known me a while, you’ll know that I (used to) wear my hair up a lot and always had a headband or barrettes in. I’d like to think that’s how many naïve curly girls start out, unless they’re lucky enough to have a parent or close family friend who has already mastered the art of having curly hair.

But one thing is certain... no matter where you are at in your curly hair discovery process, you’ve likely experienced the following 11 things.

1. Everyone tells you that you're "so lucky" to have curly hair.

This person probably also told you "I would die to have curls like yours". Translation: they have paid (or would be willing to pay) lots of money to curl their hair to make it look as "natural" as possible. Natural curls are hard to come by, which is why many women are jealous of curly hair.

This is why if you're a curly girl, you've got to own it! I've recently (finally!) learned how to manage my curls, and it is incredible (dare I say life changing?)

2. You've (at least once) wished for straight hair.

Of course, you grew out of those thoughts, but amidst curly-hair struggles, you've definitely considered what it would be like to have straight hair. There are so many straightening or anti-frizz treatments out there, maybe you went so far as to have one done. I personally had a Keratin treatment...immediately afterwards, I had perfectly stick straight hair for a couple days, and let me tell you I loved it...but then soon after wanted my curly hair back. Plus, the "anti-frizz" claims weren't altogether true.

3. Yes, the frizz is real.

Especially after a night's sleep. No matter what you've done the night before, you wake up with your hair sticking up all over the place, looking like a mess. Honestly, this may be the worst effect of curly hair. So many years I'd wake up, look in the mirror, and have to resort to putting my hair up in a ponytail. Or, more often than not, I'd run a BRUSH through it, bringing me to my next point...

4. You learn that brushing is NEVER the answer.

Maybe you cringed when I mentioned that I used to brush my hair in the mornings, but of course all of us curly girls have been through it. Our hair is a knotty mess, so we brush it, right? Makes sense...but no. Brushing is the worst thing to do for curls (I know I'm preaching to the choir here). In the end, the brush gets thrown away...for me, this was only just a few months ago (I was a bit late to the party).

5. Humidity = your worst nightmare.

If it is humid outside (aka the entire summer), your hair goes CRAZY. Curly hair cannot take the humidity. Even if you think you have the frizz under control, the humidity will make you think again. If you've found a solution to this, feel free to share your wisdom.

6. Blow drying is a no-go.

For most people, you can blow dry your hair, and that will make it straighter. Well, not for the curly girl. When I was younger I tried blow drying, having high aspirations for what my hair would end up looking like. Boy was I wrong...it ended up looking more like a frizzy triangle than the stick straight I was expecting. With curly hair, diffusers are the way to go (supposedly). Don't ask me what a diffuser is, because I truthfully don't know, but maybe take a look at this article.

7. You've spent many a times on Google searching for how to make your curls look, well, curly.

There are an infinite number of articles out there claiming to have solved the curly hair problem. You’ve read a lot of them, I’m sure Some of them are too out there, some take too much effort, and some are just crazy enough that you think they may work. For me, I'd get all amped up about trying a new "method" and then would shortly after lose my motivation, and go back to the same old brush and ponytail routine.

8. You've tried to identify your "curl type."

During your journey to find a solution for your curly hair, you've likely come across an article that discusses different "curl types" and provides a quiz to help you figure out your "curl type". I've tried doing this myself, and it's a bit difficult to analyze your own curls. Apparently the way you treat your hair depends a lot on curl type, though (think about wavy versus tight curls).

9. Along with reading a ton of articles, you've tried a ton of hair products.

Our wish for easy-to-manage curly hair causes us to get sucked into the product trap, especially when those phrases "frizz-free" or "for curly hair" are included. They all say something new or different, and it always sounds so good! I don't know the science behind shampoos or conditioners, so if a shampoo tells me it will take the frizz out of my curls, I'm inclined to believe it...and want to try it. Most often, the outcome is disappointment...leading us to the next product!

10. You've gone to the hairdresser and asked for "just 1/4-inch off, please."

One of my favorite parts about getting my hair trimmed is getting it washed, but it is a well-known fact among curly girls that our hair is a lot longer when wet than when dry. So, when you get your hair cut when it's wet, it can (and will!) get a lot shorter than you'd expect. For many years, I'd go in and ask for 1/4-inch off, feeling ridiculous, but secretly wishing I could actually ask them to cut off 1/8-inch, because my hair just grows THAT slowly.

11. You've bonded with someone because of your mutually curly hair.

True story: I met my best friend in preschool because we both had curly hair. Apparently, we saw each other across the room and I said "Mommy look! That girl has curly hair like me!" (she had a similar reaction) and the rest is history...

So go forth and proudly wear those curls. :)