curly hair - Jezebel

posts about #curlyhair more →
The Princess And The Frog Impacting Moms; Girls With Curly Hair
Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
Will We Ever Be Able to Stop Talking About Black Hair Politics?
Hair Apparent
Yesterday I Dried My Hair With A Towel: Confessions Of A Curly-Haired Traitor
GMA Investigates: Could Straightening Your Hair Change Your Life?
This Week We Dealt With A Load Of Crap
Dear Oprah, Mariah & Leona: Don't Forget That Curly Hair Is Beautiful Too
Why Is Straight Hair The Epitome Of 'Style'?

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LadyNo Fondles Sweaters
12/12/09

In reply to The Princess And The Frog Impacting Moms; Girls With Curly Hair
I know that Disney princesses are kinda the standard for all things princessy, but my favorite fairy tales growing up had heroines with more hair diversity.

East O the Sun, West O the Moon, with beautiful illustrations by PJ Lynch features a self-sufficient red head with amazing curls:
[www.pjlynchgallery.com]

Dove Isabeau is a somber, forlorn princess who is turned into a dragon. Her hair is just what you'd expect from a princess living on a cold northern shore: washed out, brittle and broken.
[www.fantasticfiction.co.uk]

I don't remember her hair, but Petronella is a bad-ass! I always pictured it as short and functional.
[www.amazon.com]
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CurtCole
12/11/09

In reply to The Princess And The Frog Impacting Moms; Girls With Curly Hair
Part of me is thrilled that my little nieces and nephews don't know the history of this. I want to take them to this movie and just let them think this is how it should be, and that the race of the characters isn't a factor. But, I guess this is also an excellent opportunity to discuss race with them.
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Edited by CurtCole at 12/11/09 6:57 PM CurtCole was starred CurtCole was unstarred

thesciencegirl wields the truth like a mighty axe.
12/11/09

@CurtCole: Maybe just follow their lead. Ask how they liked the movie, and if they bring up race, take it from there. But I wouldn't worry about forcing the conversation.
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CurtCole
12/11/09

@thesciencegirl wields the truth like a mighty axe.: That sounds like sage advice! They live in a very conservative town, so I always feel the need to be their cool liberal uncle, in fear that they'll grow up to be racists. Thankfully my sister is liberal minded too, so maybe they will approach her about it.
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Edited by CurtCole at 12/11/09 7:15 PM CurtCole was starred CurtCole was unstarred

thesciencegirl wields the truth like a mighty axe.
12/11/09

In reply to The Princess And The Frog Impacting Moms; Girls With Curly Hair
I was just on Amazon shopping for Prince and the Frog-related gifts for my brown-skinned, curly-haired 4 year old niece. SO psyched for this movie!
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femme-bot
12/11/09

In reply to The Princess And The Frog Impacting Moms; Girls With Curly Hair
Is her hair in a updo the whole time? I mean, the time that she isn't a frog?
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unsecretcrush
12/11/09

@femme-bot: The outfit and hairstyle in the promo images is actually only a very brief scene in the movie. The rest of the time it's in a low pony tail, or some dream sequences it's in a flapper-ish bob. I can't remember how her hair was in the big finale, actually...
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unsecretcrush
12/11/09

In reply to The Princess And The Frog Impacting Moms; Girls With Curly Hair
I find it interesting that the little girl came to the conclusion that no princesses have curly hair. As a little girl with stick-straight hair, I saw lots of curls in those drawings. Belle's ponytail and even her formal updo culminate in big round curls. Aurora's hair, while highly stylized, reads as "curled" to me as well. Maybe it's a difference of interpretation of what "curly" really means, though. (Like I said, my hair is really straight, so I possibly have a looser definition of "curly" than a little girl with tight, bouncy curls.)
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femme-bot
12/11/09

@unsecretcrush: Their hair isn't stick straight, but it's totally straight.
I guess they have "volume".
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thesciencegirl wields the truth like a mighty axe.
12/11/09

@femme-bot: I never gave it too much thought, but all of the prior Disney princess hair sort of read as straight but thick to me.
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GGobsessed
12/11/09

@unsecretcrush: I think girls are socialized to feel bad about themselves, be it hair or bodies.

So if you have curly hair, you feel bad. If you have really straight hair, you feel bad. it's a no win situation.

even if you have supposedly perfect hair - "straight blond, " i'm sure there is some way to feel bad.

It's interesting, becasuse no one talks about hair length much. My hair is wavy when it's long, but when it's short it's curly.
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Alys Brangwin has a huge talent
12/11/09

@femme-bot: Aurora's hair reminds me of mine, in that it has a very small curl at the ends. My Aurora Barbie doll had that same look to her hair: long, straight, curled upward at the ends.

I had the Belle Barbie doll too, and her hair was totally curly. It came in an up-do but every strand of it was curly. Jasmine is the one who has the thickest and longest straight hair.
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NellMood
12/11/09

@unsecretcrush: I always thought their hair seemed straight or wavy (or plastic-y), but I don't think a 4 year old would necessarily see "wavy" as similar to curly.
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unsecretcrush
12/11/09

@femme-bot: Yeah, volume is probably a better interpretation with Aurora's hair. Another thing my hair has always lacked! I know my own experiences are far from universal, but I still find it hard to understand all the news reports of little girls feeling bad about their appearances based on the depictions of Disney princesses. I was aware that the princesses were "pretty" but I never internalized that I was supposed to look like them, so I don't understand why it seems like so many children are doing so now. I'm probably not making a lot of sense so I'll cease my ramblings...
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marciax3
12/11/09

In reply to The Princess And The Frog Impacting Moms; Girls With Curly Hair
Okay, I'll be honest: my sister and I (both sistas) are more excited about this damn movie than our daughters.
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siandt
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
Oh for straight hair. I cut my curls off a few months ago and have been growing it back out since. The combination of gigantic, very insistent curls and short hair leaves me looking like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket.
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taliewalie
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
If there is one thing that I've learned about hair in my short time on earth, its that everyone wants what they can't have.
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taytay18
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
I have auburn curly hair. For as long as I can remember, I have received comments from friends, family and strangers regarding 'how gorgeous' my hair is. Just last week, I had 2 separate instances of drunk women I had just met petting my hair (kinda weird, but I'm used to this). During the 90's and 00's, when I was in HS and college, these random comments prevented me from doing anything to change my hair. Enough people told me I was lucky to have my hair that I started believing it. So if tou would like to promote the curly style, then compliment a small child on their curly hair. It might mean more to them then you think.
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boxspelunker
12/07/09

@taytay18: Agh, that was about half the reason I stopped going to hair salons. People kept talking about my hair as if it had magical powers - oh, look how curly it is! I would do X, Y and Z if I had your hair! It made me so uncomfortable, I ended up cutting it all off myself. I'm 22, and I haven't been to a salon since I was about 14. I cut and style my own hair, because I think it's so creepy when people make a thing about curly hair D:

Also, when I had hair down to my waist, people kept touching it. Don't touch my hair; I don't know where your hands have been.
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knbfay
12/07/09

@taytay18: TayTay18, on a similar note, it seems that a lot of men have a fetish for curly hair (or in my case, curly red hair). I often have a lot of creeeeepy men come up to me on the rail, in cafes, at the bank, etc and make remarks about my hair. It's often something along the lines of "Oh, a redhead. I LOVE redheads. Your curls are fiery, GRRR! heh heh heh."

It's really disturbing! It really bothers me that these men see me, not as a normal human being just like them, but as a "type" in their sick genre book of women to jack off to.
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taytay18
12/07/09

@boxspelunker: I actually didn't go to salons from about age 8 to 22 because when I did I would come out crying! Maybe missing those salon-adorers was a good thing for me. Also, my mom was a lot cheaper.

I typically dislike the people that grope my hair, but I was in a good mood last week and didn't really mind. When they do annoy me, however, I find discussing the last time I shampooed will make them stop quickly. (I am a firm believer in only shampooing my hair when it is oily, which is about once every 2 weeks).
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boxspelunker
12/07/09

@taytay18: Ha! I wonder if it had an effect on us. I hate salons - I get all angry and bitter, as reflected in my comment above. My mom also went to the $10 per head salons, so... I imagine pricier places would be better about different hair textures than Cheapy McFamily Hair Place.

I find no one wants to touch dreadlocks. It's fabulous for me. They assume I never wash or comb my hair, which is, in fact, not true! I like your method, though. If I ever cut these things off (and I probably will one day), I will borrow this.
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Hana Maru, used up old slutbag on the pole
12/07/09

@taytay18: Julia Roberts says she washes her hair only every two weeks.
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taytay18
12/07/09

@knbfay: You are right on. There are so many creepy, creepy guys out there that love redheads! And curly redheads! I ignore any guy that comments on my hair in the first 5 minutes, as they clearly are looking for the 'type' and not the person.

But I did find out that my current BF has a thing for redheads. He told me after we had been dating for over a year. I told him that he is lucky he didn't say anything earlier, as I probably would've dumped him based on that alone.
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taytay18
12/07/09

@boxspelunker: One of my best friends in high school had dreads, and we'd touch hers all the time.But, I won't touch strangers unless I ask first. And after you ask, then you typically feel like a creeper and won't actually do it. I will also say that while it stinks to pay more for a 'curly' haircut, it isn't that bad when I take into account that I only get 2 haircuts a year.
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Edited by taytay18 at 12/07/09 5:08 PM taytay18 was starred taytay18 was unstarred

boxspelunker
12/07/09

@taytay18: Sometimes, when people get to know me well, they want to touch the dreads. But strangers give me dirty looks, so I consider it GREAT SUCCESS :D
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Uju
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
Man, as if we curly/kinky/nappy-haired people of the world needed YET another societally-sanctioned rejection of our natural appearance. I can just imagine that whatever "treatments" they come up with to genetically "cure" curly hair will cost a whole grip of cash. Think of the debt some black women will go into to get their hands on this mess, and then think of the pediatric version of the "treatments" that will undoubtedly be produced when they decide the "kiddie perms" they've been subjecting their 3-year-old daughters to will no longer do. Damn, first the Fat Boys break up, and now this.
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LittleShell
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
See, the thing is, the actress in the picture has gorgeous curly hair. And you can bet she got a great cut and spent a lot of time getting her curls to look like that. Normal girls have to deal with their curls on their own and on a budget. My natural hair is extremely curly and thick, and I wore it that way for 20 years. I got a chemical straightening treatment 4 months ago and couldn't be happier with the results. Instead of having to wake up and beg my hair to be good with gels and mousses, I just get up and go.I even wear my hair down all the time, which is something I never felt comfortale doing when it was curly. Straight hair is much more practical for an active lifestyle. So for me, getting my hair straightened certainly wasn't like curing a disease. But it WAS an investment that makes me feel more confident about how I look and saves me a lot of time, energy, and stress that would otherwise be spent on my hair.
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MargaretMoony
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
I would love, love LOVE if someone (I'm talking to you scientists) would figure out a way to make my thick, tangely, straight hair into curls that would actually stay. *sigh* It's my dream...
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Hana Maru, used up old slutbag on the pole
12/07/09

@MargaretMoony: get a perm.
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alotlikelo
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
I'll admit it, the idea of this intrigues me. As a girl with naturally thick, curly hair, I would love to just roll out of bed, run a brush through my hair, and go on about my day. To make my curls look good, I have to work hard, hard, hard at it. And I'm lazy and would much rather sleep in instead of fighting with my natural texture every morning. I can't be the only one.
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boxspelunker
12/07/09

@alotlikelo: I went with dreadlocks and I don't want to look back. It's so much easier for me, and my hair locks up well. It takes a lot of work, but I prefer it to wearing my hair loose.
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SocialAnimal
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
I want EITHER curls OR straight hair. Let me know when they isolate the frizzy, wavy-except-when-it-feels-like-being-flat, cowlick hair gene.
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Lizard in the Wires - Please, call it hamburger time.
12/07/09

@SocialAnimal: Amen. The only solution I've found is a pixie cut.
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SocialAnimal
12/07/09

@Lizard in the Wires - synthesizer signals suspense!: Tried that... but it makes my head look weird. Good for you for being able to rock it, pixie cuts are awesome,

I get crap from people who say I should "embrace my natural hair" and not straighten/curl it, but it just does not look attractive when it's left to air-dry. It looks like I've been rolling in a gutter. If there's a non-horrible way to permanently straighten my hair, I'll take it.
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the dodo, the cuckoo, and the nene
12/07/09

@SocialAnimal: I also can't wear my hair in its normal state-it would be a frizzy, poufy mess. I have spent years experimenting with products that will tame my curls without giving me breakouts around my hairline and that won't leave my hair feeling greasy. I discovered that conditioning my hair every day and washing two or three times a week really helps tame the frizzies, and helps my hair hold its curl better. But of course, the texture of curly hair differs in everyone, and I'm not sure whether that would work for frizzy/non curly hair. Also, I love pixie cuts, but sadly, I will never be able to get one due to the texture of my hair.
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Grim Reaper of the Forest
12/07/09

@the dodo, the cuckoo, and the nene: See, I have fine hair, so if I put in conditioner or products to tame the frizzy waves, I get greasy, string hair instead. From hours 24 to 28 after I wash my hair, it looks good. Other than that, it is a mess.
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knbfay
12/07/09

In reply to Scientists Isolate Curly Hair Gene
errggh. I can't read this. As a young girl with lots of freckles and curly, frizzy red hair I grew up being constantly shamed by my peers for having "wild, unkempt, dirty, messy, ugly, etc" hair even though I took very good care of it.

I've finally come to realize that I LOVE my curly hair, even if it is a huge hassle (esp since I love swimming at the beach too) and I get tons of compliments on it now that curly hair is starting to come back into fashion, but every day I continue to see media that tells me that curly hair is ugly or dirty and needs to be "cured" with expensive devices or damaging treatments or that women with curly hair are somehow more crazy or messy or less organized.

I'm really starting to wonder if a lot of the scorn directed at those with curly hair is an effort to shame them for daring to show that they are any ethnicity other than white or, if they are considered "white," to shame them for being "the wrong kind of white" or "not white enough."
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yvanehtnioj
12/07/09

@knbfay: In keeping with your last point: I'm like, vampire-pale, and when I was younger I routinely got asked if I was mixed based on my curly hair. Sometimes in an accusatory tone, sometimes in an inclusive (don't know how to word that better, there were a lot of identity issues at my school and for many of my black friends it was the highest compliment to tell me they considered me black) way, but often enough that I actually went home and asked my mom if it could be the case. So yes, I think a lot of people see curly as "ethnic", for good or ill.
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Pandorasvoicebox
12/07/09

@knbfay: I always straightened my curly hair because I thought only straight hair was really beautiful. I'm not white, and just about every woman of my ethnicity who's considered "beautiful" wears her hair straight. I was shocked by all the compliments I got from both sexes when I started wearing my hair curly. I've started to really like it too.
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