Tell Us Your Curl Story - My Curl Story - Fanny

We grew up in France, where there tended to be more afro hair culture in the 80s and 90s, but that didn't automatically make the care and routine any easier.

My name is Fanny, I'm 41 and I live in Munich. My mother is from France and my father from Cameroon. My sister and I both have coily hair, with the special twist that my sister's hair is dark and mine is naturally blonde.

Back then, many hair products weren't very gentle on the scalp or the hair itself. Many products were rather chemical, contained very few natural ingredients and simply weren't gentle. I remember them feeling very greasy and always being heavily perfumed. That bothered us even as kids, so we often ended up with standard products (meaning not afro products). Now and then we also had products from the pharmacy, but that wasn't the rule, partly because it was very expensive back then.

Our mother always devoted a lot of time and patience to our hair, always trying to find the balance between what was right for our hair and what was practical. As kids we mostly had short hair, sometimes worn out, sometimes braided (by our mother or by our lovely neighbour from Mali).

Over the years I've of course tried a lot, from my teens until today. From short to long, from curly to not curly, from chemically straightened to afro. It's been a long journey, and I'm still on it. Like many others, I went through the „I straighten my hair permanently“ phase for years. There were many reasons for it back then: not just because I liked the style, but also because it was practical, because I could choose a haircut… and because I found it more „appropriate“ at work. I've since read many times that lots of people have grappled with this „societal“ feeling. This feeling never came from my parents or friends, but from myself in the working world. Until I felt it was slowly time to go back to my hair's natural texture.

There were several triggers back then: I got tired of having my hair washed, blow dried and straightened at the salon every week. Even though Parisian women often do that, I didn't want to put myself and my hair through it. And above all there was my wish to have children, and I knew chemical straightening isn't healthy.

This important step led me to bring my hair back to its natural texture… after an in between short cut (where the straightening was still visible), by way of the big chop. Radical. Tough. But the right thing.

I didn't think this step would change so much in me, but suddenly wearing your hair very short and curly takes a lot of self confidence and patience. Until you feel comfortable with it and don't immediately reach for a scarf to hide everything.

I keep discovering my facial features anew or, let's say, differently. The styling around it, from jewellery to clothes, everything gets reinterpreted. Some days with full energy, other days with a bit less motivation… On those typical bad hair days, my „spontaneous“ hair (as I like to call it!) needs an extra portion of self confidence and kindness towards myself… But it feels good to have found the right length and styling for me by now.

After the big chop I reached a point where I'd now like to look for care products that suit my hair type and are also right for blonde or lighter hair. I think natural products are best, although I lean towards the practical option. As a young mum, everything needs to go a bit faster right now. But that shouldn't rule anything out for our hair either. That's why I'm grateful to keep finding more tips and reading about afro hair. I've only been on Instagram for a short while, but that's how I discovered you at Afrolocke . Big praise and thanks for taking us along on so many different hair journeys.

At 41, it probably sounds late to some people to „discover“ your hair, but I'm convinced it's never too late. My hair texture is changing, and so am I.

Life events shape you, and your own personality keeps growing through them. Learning to love my hair is part of that growth, a beautiful and valuable one.

Warm regards,

Fanny