YL

Age: 30-64 years

Occupation: Real Estate Portfolio Manager

YL’s hair is natural, curly, and short. She does not love her current hairstyle’s appearance, but she loves that it provides her with freedom and flexibility in her lifestyle.

When she was a young child, she wore hair in plaits. She relaxed her hair when she was twenty years old. She tried various hairstyles with the relaxer until she noticed that it was breaking as she got older. She also did not like the smell of the curling iron, nor did she like sleeping on hair rollers. The most pressing problem YL identified was that she was not able to exercise as much, as she was trying to avoid ruining her hair. She realized that the relaxer lifestyle was not a healthy one.

“I had to choose a style that I felt I could maintain that was best for me and my personal health,” YL said.

With her current hairstyle, YL is less dependent on hairstylists, she does not have to use a hot iron on her hair (causing breakage), she can exercise more, and she feels generally freer and more healthy — so she is confident in her decision.

“Even though straight hair is considered to look better, and even though a lot of people in my family would prefer that I straighten it, I don’t, because I don’t think that relaxers are healthy and I don’t think they promote a healthy lifestyle for Black women,” YL said. “I didn’t want to be a part of perpetuating that image.”

However, her hair journey is not done. As YL grows older, her hair continues to change. Her curl pattern is changing, and she is still learning how to manage it. She had a bad experience with one hairstylist who cut her hair too short, so she is also learning how to style her shorter hair.

“It’s a never ending process,” YL said.