Credit: Emily Davids

Styling curly hair, a task that may sound simple, can instead feel like a burden to many students. “Hair can be so annoying, and sometimes I just give up on it,” freshman Talia Kohl said.

Shower, apply leave-in conditioner, curl cream and mousse, quick scrunch with a microfiber towel and air dry. This is the nightly routine that sophomore Sawyer Whitcher follows to define her natural hair curls.

For some, this isn’t just a once-in-a-while endeavor; it’s a daily ritual. Why go through this lengthy process to style your natural hair?

Every single day, some people with curly hair feel a constant external pressure to have defined and bouncy curls. Throughout the decades, Wayland High School librarian Kitty Smith has watched the common trend of straight hair unfold.

“I think there’s some pressure in high school to have long, beautiful, straight hair,” Smith said. “Not everybody follows that [beauty standard], but I think it’s been followed throughout the decades.”

The process of maintaining this glorified image can be a tedious task that some curly-haired individuals may not know how to achieve. This leads some people with curlier hair to straighten their hair and avoid learning how to style it naturally.

“I didn’t really care for my natural hair until this year, which is sad,” Whitcher said. “I would basically just straighten [my hair] every day last year.”

Sophomore Franchi Ingwersen also sees this stress present in students at WHS.

“I feel like what people mostly strive for is perfect, sleek, super straight, shiny hair,” Ingwersen said. “I feel like there is a lot of stress over wanting [your] hair to look super perfect, but I feel like there shouldn’t be, because all hair is cool.”

Instead of combating their natural hair type, individuals may formulate routines using specific products and techniques to reduce frizz and create definition. However, a major downside of following a hair routine is the sheer time it takes.

“When I’m doing my curly hair routine, it normally takes about 45 minutes,” freshman Talia Kohl said. “I know [for] a lot of other people, it takes a lot longer.”

The time needed for a curly hair routine doesn’t always fit within the realistic amount of time that high schoolers have available. Between homework, extracurriculars, and time with friends and family, students are busy. While some students with straight hair typically have a quick morning hair routine, students with curly hair are constantly in a time crunch to get ready.

“I think that a lot of people who have straight hair can just wake up, brush their hair, and call it a day,” Kohl said. “I either have to do a whole curly hair routine or slick it back, and it’s only a big challenge.”

Kohl uses social media to share hair-related content by posting her hair braiding progress on her Instagram account, Braids With Talia. Social media taught Kohl the ropes of styling curly hair, and now she posts inspiration herself.

“When I was younger, my hair was a hot mess, but the videos [online] taught me how to take care of my hair better,” Kohl said.

More and more, people with curly hair are embracing a more natural look, seeking inspiration on TikTok and other social media platforms. Also known as “CurlyTok,” curly hair-related content on social media is popular among students. According to Ingwersen, “CurlyTok” provides inspiration and advice for curly and wavy hair routines and hairstyles.

“I didn’t know how to do a wavy hair routine, so I looked on TikTok, and I kind of combined some of [the routines],” Whitcher said. “I went to CVS and got what I saw [and created a routine].”

Through the many hours of scrunching, styling and defining curls, it’s easy to lose sight of the scale of the challenges associated with curly hair. Having hair that you are proud of can make or break a person’s confidence.

“It feels like a way bigger issue than it is,” Whitcher said. “I was like, ‘oh my god, I can’t go to school, my hair looks horrible’. It’s honestly just all in your head, and you need to just be confident about yourself.”