Tell Us Your Curl Story! My Curl Story - Tamara

I'm Tamara, 28, and I have type 3b/4a hair. Ever since I was little, my mom did everything to make my hair look beautiful, but all I ever wanted was straight, long hair like the other girls.

When I was 16, my aunt finally granted me my wish, and from then on I had to go to her every 5-6 months for a perm. That meant three hours of washing, blow-drying, and straightening my hair every few days. I actually built up biceps.

I finally had beautiful long hair. It reached down to the middle of my back. Whether it was dry or wet, I could just run my hands through it - God, I was happy.

In my early 20s, I noticed my hair was getting thinner and shorter. All that straightening and the chemicals were destroying it.

In 2014, my aunt had a heart attack and could no longer do my hair for free. A friend helped me out.

In 2016, I'd finally had enough. My hair barely reached my shoulders and was thin and frizzy. I wanted my mane back. For a long time I only wore it in a bun - I was still denying the very thing that made me, me.

Then in 2017, I started wearing it in a braid. It sat on my head like a crown. Everyone commented on it. I looked good - but it was so exhausting to tame and wash all that hair again.

In 2019 I discovered Afrolocke, and I finally found the right care routine. My hair was so soft and easy to manage. A dream. My dad fell in love with your products too.

This year I took a step I'd wanted to take for a long time but was always scared of. I cut a mohawk - and I love it so much.

You have to make mistakes along the way to figure out where you belong. My hair belongs to me - no matter what others say, no matter what others think of it. It's a part of me, just as it is. And no matter how often I try to change it and force it into another shape, it will always go back to its origin.

Tamara