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I grew up at a time like that as well. As soon as I was old enough, I got it relaxed, then chopped it all off, then grew it back as the knotty, kinky bush God gave me, and now I'm 4+ years into it as locs.

It's such a varied, flexible thing, hair. It's fascinating how much individual and collective history we all carry within it.

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Where are your curls? I want to see them.

There used to be a time in my life, my country, when hair straightening with lye was a coming of age thing. We grow it kinky with knots, enduring the shrinkage because of the "better days" where we straighten our hair and feel no pain.

I was there for years but I left soon enough.

I hated heat

I hated relaxers

I hated not being able to wash my hair at will because of the next retouch.

I hated the burns and grease applied on my head to make it heal.

So I went back to kinky and the struggle my dear, continues.

This is about hair and I love it.

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