Convenience, Choice, and Our Complicated Relationship with Hair

For a long time, I was struggling in life in ways that didn’t always show on the outside. What did show, though, was my hair. I simply didn’t have the capacity to take care of my natural hair anymore — not the way it deserved.

Getting a GinaCurl quite literally gave me back about 36 hours a week. And no, that’s not an exaggeration.

Suddenly, I could wash my hair after a workout and be fully ready to go within 30 minutes. I sweat a lot when I work out — my entire head gets saturated — so being able to wash my hair without mentally preparing for a full wash day was incredibly freeing. My hair was always done. I could be spontaneous again. No more planning my life around wash days.

That convenience changed everything for me.

The Judgment around Curly Perms

Any time I talk about the GinaCurl, people have a lot to say — and it’s often laced with moral superiority. This whole topic puts people on edge.

I’ve posted maybe four times in the last three years about my GinaCurl, and every time, there are people in the comments saying outlandish things — making sweeping judgments about my character. I’ve been called mentally ill. I’ve been accused of being “a slave to the white man.” (Yes, really.)

There are also people who’ve made it their life’s mission to legally stop Gina from training other stylists. This perm gets people riled up.

I try to stay transparent and neutral about my experience. I’m not here to convince anyone — just to share what worked for me.

For me, it really was about convenience. Nothing more. Nothing less

There are plenty of women who have never let their natural hair see the light of day because, whether they want to admit it or not, they don’t like it — or it’s simply too much work for them. They keep their hair in braids, wigs, or protective styles year-round. And guess what? That person is no better or worse than me for choosing a different option.

We all deserve autonomy over our hair — without judgment.

-Joy