Mamy

I have very coily hair and I think one of the most important things I’ve learned is to accept what my hair is able to do and what it cannot do. Especially when I first cut my hair and started getting to know my texture, I used to spend so much time comparing my hair to other people’s and it’s helped me a lot to move away from that because I now feel like I can really appreciate my hair for what it is and remove some of the pressure I used to feel to achieve looks that don’t work for me.

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Maia

I’ve learned that I love to get out of my comfort zone with hair styles! But it is so important to do your research before (whether it’s the style, salon, stylist etc) and to know what works for your hair texture. In my case, my hair is thick but the curls are quite loose and so I can’t do hairstyles that are too tight or heavy on my head because my hair can’t support the weight. While I am so appreciative that I can do so much with my hair and I’m excited to try new styles this year, I plan to make sure I’m doing styles that are suited to my hair texture so I can keep my hair healthy.

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Zainab

My biggest takeaway on this hair journey has got to be to align your styling and care routine with your hair goals. My focus in 2022 was length and volume, which meant that I couldn’t do as much manipulation and styling as I had done in previous years. And, right now, my hair has never been fuller or longer. Looking to the future I am more about balance and having more fun. I think I got too into my own head with my hair being a core attribute of my identity so I’m actually trying to move away from excessively chasing length and volume particularly because I never wear my hair straight so any incremental length is just not that visible. At the end of the day, what’s the point in having all this hair if I can’t play with it!

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Bonita

Recently I’ve been on a journey of finding the perfect products for me. I’m an absolute fiend for little travel sized products – I treat them like sample packs that I can test out before I commit to the real thing. I always grab a couple minis at the Sephora checkout. At this point my bathroom cubbies are filled with half-finished hair goodies weighing less than an ounce. Some favourites so far include JVN’s Complete Hydrating Air Dry Cream (so effortless it’s crazy), Naturelab. Tokyo’s Perfect Texture Leave-In Conditioner (smells really good with a milk-like consistency), and Living Proof’s Full Thickening Mousse (my bible).

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Didi

The last few years have taught me the importance of pouring into my hair the same way I do so many other aspects of myself. Growing up, I feel like my kinky curls were always something to braid away or tie down despite how carefree my childhood was and this was of very little benefit to my hair’s health. Part of healing that relationship with my hair has definitely been about giving it the opportunity to flourish and be seen in that unique way that afros naturally do and I think everyone should let themselves have that moment at least once.