As a curly teenager life wasn’t easy. Very few people around me had similar hair to me and when they did they would straighten it, aspiring to reach the beauty ideal that was presented to us at the time.

I am mixed-race (black & white mix) which means that I am more likely to see myself represented than other black women, especially in the UK. I can say that I am lucky in that sense but I am also aware that we don’t enjoy the same privilege.
Even though diversity and representation are evolving I strongly believe that this is linked to a trend, which makes me fear the rebound effect. What will happen next? Will the diverse range of beauty that are presented to us will still be showcased once the trend is over?

My parents both like my hair but they perceive natural hair in very different ways. My father is one of my best cheerleaders, he doesn’t understand the point of relaxing or hiding your hair. However, my mother is more concerned with the idea that it needs to be ‘presentable’ and neat.

When I was growing up, my mother couldn’t help much as she didn’t know how to take care of my curls.
Now taking a step back I can clearly see that the relationship she has with her own hair is and has always been a complex one.
I would generally see her wearing straight wigs. Even though she still doesn’t leave her natural hair out nowadays, the wigs she is now wearing are curly, so I guess there is an evolution to point out here. Let’s see how far this will go.