NaturallyCurly at first glance, is a space dedicated to women. Nevertheless, it is a space that men with curly hair can learn a great deal from. After all, men have enough space in this world as it is. So, what’s my take here? Well, maybe that’s why it’s taken me so long to write this article.
This is a huge THANK YOU to everyone at NaturallyCurly for doing what you’re doing.
I have learned more about my hair from the writers and community at this website than any other. I know I’m not the only guy out there who uses this site on a regular basis. The point of this article is to share a few reminders with guys who are new to the site. Last year I was told that curly hair “makes men look weak” by a potential employer at a job interview. To which I responded: It makes me strong. After all, my 17 month old son, Cullen has the exact same curl type. What kind of example would I be setting for him if I had accepted the employer’s comment? My hair looked particularly awesome that day so I also had extra confidence. That wouldn’t have been possible without NaturallyCurly. Your website has helped me to become a more confident man as well as more skilled at managing my curly hair and my son’s curly hair.
I know that there is a decent sized population of curly haired men out there who, having nowhere else to go, get their tips from NaturallyCurly. I am one of them. So here are 3 tips for the male readers out there on embracing your curly hair and how to use this website as a resource.
1. It’s all hair, man.
Hair is hair. Both women and men have it. All that changes are the textures and styles. Texture was given at birth and style is something we choose within the limits of our texture. Methods used to care for curly hair like LOC or Curly Girl Method apply just as much to men’s hair as it does to women. Use it! Do not think for one minute that the Curly Girl Method makes you girly (unless that’s your thing – which it’s cool if it is”>. It’s an excellent way to take care of your locks and keep them healthy. The same applies to most of the information on this site. You can learn a lot here if you keep an open mind.
2. Don’t be afraid.
Have no fear. Yes, this site is feminine. It was built by some very amazing, forward-thinking women primarily for other women with curly hair. If you have a problem with that, I don’t know what else to tell you other than “Deal with it.” Just because you’re here browsing the articles for usable tips to apply to your hair doesn’t necessarily make you feminine, and if you are an effeminate man, you’re probably not worried what other people think anyways. No one here is going to judge you. You’re learning how to take care of what grows out of your head rather than resort to shearing it off. Alexander the Great had curls, why can’t you? Unless we’re talking about an incredibly ornate princess updo (and if you have that, please rock it!”> you can make anything on this site (styles, protective styles, products, DIY recipes, hair care methods, regimens etc.”> work for you (ie. more masculine…because you want your hair the way it’s supposed to be”>. For instance, when making a DIY product, instead of using lavender scented essential oil, try cedar if you want to. It’s all about perspective.
3. You are learning from the masters of curly hair.
Have you just started growing your business cut, buzz cut, or undercut out to realize that you have curly hair? I started growing my curls about 17 years ago when I was in high school and I can tell you I had no idea what I was doing. It did not look cool and I could not make L.A. Looks work for me no matter how hard I tried. Through trial and error, and after many years of blow drying it straight, I found this site. Not only have I learned how to take better care of my hair, but I’ve learned how to make my own hair products. There is a big possibility that the women who run this site have been managing their curls a lot longer than you have. You are learning from the masters.
Overall, this website has made me a more confident man. I feel incredibly welcome here and really enjoy the wealth of information I’ve been taught through reading NaturallyCurly articles. So, I encourage men to not be put off by the fact that this site has been originally geared towards women. There a ton of helpful articles here, so stop on over and build confidence in building your mane.
Thank you so much to our reader, Ryan Gilbert, for submitting this story to us!
Ryan is an activist and singer/songwriter, English teacher, and former museum curator in Seoul. He is also first and foremost, the curly haired dad of a curly haired son.
