It seems that curly hair is a topic coming up more and more frequently in many different forums. With natural hair becoming more mainstream, there’s a good chance that you encounter other curlies on your normal daily activities. So as curlies, we started wondering about when the topic of hair comes up during interactions with people, who do we typically receive more compliments from? Well, let’s see…
Men
I think a majority of guys can appreciate a lady wearing her naturally curly hair, even though they are not as vocal. In fact, I have experienced that men usually give great feedback on curly hairstyles. Not too many guys understand what it really means to be a natural woman, but most appreciate a woman embracing what God gave them.
After perusing YouTube, I found several men giving their opinions on the natural hair movement, but none more well versed and knowledgeable than Drew on his channel sjsafety18. His popular video “Natural Hair: Yo Boyfriend Don’t Like It?” has garnered much praise for breaking down, from a male’s perspective, what men appreciate about women who wear their natural hair.
You may not get compliments from every guy that you encounter, but trust me, most are quite observant and they do notice!
Women
When it comes to dishing out the curly hair compliments, women are by far quicker to share the praise. I don’t think this comes as a surprise to most ladies since as maintaining and styling hair is one thing that we all have in common.
With women, there tends to be a lot more “the grass is greener on the other side” ideology, so straight haired women tend to be quite intrigued with our natural curls. In fact, some of those ladies that share the most compliments may be closet curlies themselves, only hiding behind their blow dryers and flat iron! Most ladies aren’t afraid to follow those compliments with questions about styling, either.
As curly girls we should keep open minds when receiving compliments from non-curly girls. I’ve experienced, as I’m sure many of you have, criticisms wrapped in compliments, and it’s okay! Non-curly women may not get the natural hair lifestyle, but taking the time to explain or educate those who may have questions is a great way to open a dialogue. Who knows, you may be talking to a future transitioner!
Other Naturals
It has been my experience that other naturals give the best compliments! There’s that common bond between naturals and it usually doesn’t even require a bunch of words. Other curly girls know, for the most part, the amount of time and effort that probably went into creating your curly style and they don’t have a problem giving compliments when they see great hair. I definitely love to spread the respect around to other curlies who are rocking their looks. There’s no such thing as too many compliments in the natural hair community!
Most recently while attending the Nzuri Natural Hair Health & Beauty Show in Houston, I was met at every turn with gorgeous hair in all shapes and styles. Even with receiving lots of compliments from other naturals, there can also be some disdain within the community as well.
What I hear a lot of time from other naturals is the “I can’t wear my hair like that!” complaint which shouldn’t even be an issue. We all have our own hair, but there’s nothing wrong with showing appreciation to a cool style!
Want More?
Hear one NaturallyCurly’s co-founders talk about her curlstory and how she found the confidence to go and stay curly through compliments and praise!
Final Thoughts
Natural hair can be a great conversation starter and a great way to share a bit of knowledge with those who find curly hair fascinating. Compliments can come in many forms and from many people. It’s always great to hear something nice from others, whether men, women or other naturals. So don’t be afraid to reach out to your nearest curly and share a few kind words — you just may get a few back too!
Who do you receive more compliments from: men, non-curly haired women or natural women?
