1. Confidence

My natural hair gives me confidence no matter what. Now that I know how to style my hair, take care of it, and help it thrive, my confidence has gone through the roof. It makes me feel unique and different in an awesome way.

2. Shrinkage

For those who might not know what shrinkage is, it's basically when black or natural hair appears shorter than it actually is. Usually, this is out of our control and the level of shrinkage depends on how kinky one's hair is. There's nothing wrong with it, it's natural! Sometimes it takes extra effort on our parts to make our hair "stretch" so it can achieve its actual length. However, it's not a necessity.

Since my hair is made up of super tiny coils and spirals, not straight strands, it can often look like my hair is really short. In actuality, my hair definitely is longer than it seems. I don't like to look at this as a bad thing because it's not. Shrinkage makes my hair unique and compact. My puff, although small, feels like it's holding this huge secret that no one knows about. If you were to take a curl and stretch it, it would wrap around past my neat puff and reach the sky. I know that was dramatic, but that's what I think about. It's like my hair has secret powers!

3. The rain is my best friend

While most people complain when it's raining and obsess over the fact that their hair will be ruined or frizz up, I like to embrace the rain. I am a little biased since I love the rain whether or not it affects my hair, but it's nice to have one less thing to worry about!

My hair yearns for water, so when it rains, it's just another chance for my hair to soak up some more. Besides, water is what makes my curls come alive in the first place. The rain will just help my hair blow up with curl definition! It's a win-win for me!

4. There's so much meaning behind my hair

The beautiful thing about my hair is that it's so much more than JUST hair. It's a community. It's a culture. It's a movement. As someone who used to struggle with even accepting my hair the way it is, I'm glad I have moved past that mindset.

My favorite explanation about black hair and its importance comes from natural hair blogger Melanie from Naturally Natural:

"Black natural hair can often be viewed as "nappy hair" that needs to be tamed. But black natural hair is a movement. Women are often discriminated against in the workplace for wearing their natural hair. This is why it is so important for women to embrace their natural hair and be confident when doing so. Natural hair is beautiful and it is important for people to know that. The natural hair movement encourages women of African backgrounds to celebrate and enjoy their hair."

5. EDGES

Doing my edges has to be my absolute favorite part about doing my hair. They're something that I can't leave the house without doing. Making them look sleek, wavy, tucked in place, and held perfectly with gel is such a satisfying feeling.

This is one thing I can say not everyone can relate too. Having naturally curly hair makes doing my edges a requirement, at least to me. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's something I incorporate into my daily routine.

6. My signature style

I stick to one main style with my natural hair. It's not only easy for me to maintain, but it also suits me! As my friends have told me and as I've realized this for myself, my natural hair puff is my signature style. Pulled up with a hair band, curls flying from every direction on the top of my head, with my edges slicked back and curled to my liking: exactly how I like it. I feel most comfortable and myself when my hair is in this state.

7. "No, you can't touch my hair"

Having naturally curly hair usually puts me in a position where people want to touch my hair. Why? Probably because it looks cool and soft and fluffy, which I can't fault them for! But usually, I say no.

While it can get annoying, especially when people don't ask beforehand, I actually like the fact that I get to say no. The phrase, "No, you can't touch my hair" gives me a type of authority not everyone can relate to and I love it. Sure, the attention is great too, but my hair is also really sensitive to touch. In order to keep it healthy and well moisturized, it requires less touching and more free-standing.

8. Versatility and protective styles

Whether my hair is in a puff, space buns, braids, or twists, my natural hair rocks it. The great thing about natural hair is that you can do anything with it and achieve so many styles. While I personally don't like to venture off and do anything crazy, I do like mixing it up every now and then. It's fun to mess around with my hair and see what I can do with it.

Protective styles are styles for natural hair that protect in a convenient way with the addition of a new hairstyle. One of the protective styles I get is shown in the gif above. I get my hair braided into braid extensions. I love getting my hair done in this way because I get to experience what it feels like to have long hair down my back, and it allows me to put my hair in so many other styles I couldn't normally do with my hair in its natural state.