For many people, hair is more than just a thing that grows in strands out of their head. It holds the significance of being an extension of oneself. Hair is something to care for, style, and love. How one styles their hair displays the varying parts of one’s identity. It expresses individuality through different styles, and the way that one cares for their hair shows their self-love and the effort they put into being who they are.
In this collection of stories, want to focus on a few MHS students’ stories of loving and caring for their hair. This story specifically is about Isabella Williams.
In Bella’s experience, she has had lots of changes within her hair journey over the years.
“I have expanded with many hairstyles like braids, twists, and leaving my natural hair out, and trying new fun Pinterest styles.”
For her, a memorable moment was when she made a big change in how she chose to style her hair.
“The first time I ever got braids it made me feel so confident and happy. For a long time, I never did anything with my hair, so getting braids was a big change for me and I had to learn how to look after them properly.”
For many, maintaining the upkeep of one’s hair is a peaceful and important part of their routine, and who they are. It builds the bond between the person and their hair, while also strengthening their self-love. Bella shared,
“My hair has been through so much with me and means a lot to me personally. No matter if I don’t like it sometimes, or it can be tough to manage, it’s still my hair at the end of the day and I need to take care of it.”
Bella’s hair closely relates to her emotions. Although there are sometimes those knots that are impossible to get out of the difficulty of choosing what style to wear it in, her hair continues to mean a lot to her.
“When my hair is freshly done I feel confident and new. But as the hairstyle gets older I want that fresh feeling back again. I sometimes even feel dirty when I keep a hairstyle in for a while. When I have my natural hair out I feel as though I need to switch things up.”
When she chooses to “switch things up”, she usually does her ideal hairstyle.
“My go-to hairstyle for every day would be a slick back ponytail or bun because they are easy and simple for me to do. Whenever I need to get my hair done for a trip to save time I go for box braids because they are very strong.”
When she chooses to do a slick-back, there’s always one trick she swears by.
“don’t soak your hair with water first, leave it a little dry so the gel sticks better.”
One pet peeve of Bella’s is when others give their opinions on what they think she should do with her hair.
“I have been told constantly to just straighten my hair by many people. I don’t like to use harsh products on my hair like dyes or heat tools so this kind of makes me think that my natural hair isn’t pretty enough.“
Learning to ignore others when it comes to hair has been a difficult lesson to learn. She shared,
“I would tell my younger self herself not to listen to what anyone has to say about my hair and that it is beautiful the way it is.”
Opposing what others have told her, Bella would love to see others flaunt their hair.
“ I really wanna see girls start embracing their natural hair and stop using heat on their hair. I think all types of hair are beautiful and deserve to be shown off.”
I hope you enjoyed Bella’s story and read the other ones that are a part of this collection. For more curly and coily stories, check out the Mhs auroran website!!!!
