Black Women Share Their Hair Stories Ft. Amandla Stenberg

KAY: I used to attend an all girl high school, and majority of the students were white. My first year, I tried to fit in with the white girls. I straightened my hair every week, wore lighter contacts and everything. I realized that they still didn't like me. So, by my second year I gave up and started wearing my hair natural, and took out the colored contacts. They still didn't like me, but at least I liked me.

Big Boss: black women shouldn't feel ugly cuz trust me that's far from the truth.

Pixie Johnson: whenever I told white girls that I only wash my hair like less than once a month since I have braids they would always be eww and that's disgusting, it's like they wanna know about our hair but they don't realise our hair isn't like theirs Edit: after 3 years I'm really surprised to see how many likes this comment got, thank you! Secondly, to everyone still saying it's gross to wash your hair once a month, please refer to the part where it says 'I have braids', if I had my hair natural I would obviously wash it more often and it's surprising that black women still have to explain what we do to our hair do make other people feel comfortable, a message to all the black girls out there: whatever hairstyle you have, you look great and keep doing you!

Eddie😍😍😍: OMG these ladies are beautiful and the hair is amazing

Aurélia Joy Pae: I'm so proud to be a black woman and i love my hair. Thanks girls for this video

KiKi Pepper: Love this :)

Mz Kegz: I love every single one of these women

BooksAndBigHair: I chemically altered my hair when I was 13 and it burned my scalp every month!! Ugh. But at 21 I cut the chemicals out and started all over. I still struggled and tried to hide my hair but now I am so comfortable with it! I still straightened it sometimes but I know that wearing my Afro out is okay!! Im 24 now, and I'm so glad we have girls like Amandla in the mainstream to show little girls what I didn't have growing up <3

LA STELLA 🌟: I like Amandla soo much I love the fact that black women are embracing their natural curls even more.

Monsieur Blain: this lit. Black people are awesome

Kimberly Ann Parker: This was great dialogue and I love the women you chose to have the conversation.

Pillar Sturkey: I use to strengthen my hair and blow it out to make myself fit in. But when I found out I was pregnant and having a little girl three years ago I stopped. I wanted to show her that she is beautiful the way she is. Now we rock our curls together. I'm still not the most confident person when it comes to my big red curls, but I do it for my little girl so she won't feel the way I did when I was little.

Person Anon: my mama does this, anytime I have my natural hair out she calls it ugly and blah blah and it makes me want to cry. and she just pushes it further calling me a street rat , like my hair ain't even that bad tf

chilewithcarnage: I saw TK and her sister in a Target commercial last month, and i was marveling at how pretty their hair was and then my momma said "They need to comb that it looks matted." i was like "no ma thats just what long 4c hair looks like." I think my mom's been relaxing her hair for so long she forgot how kinky hair works.

Maryam•EMProductions 𓂀: What makes me mad are the black girls that bullied me for curly hair. I've left my hair natural ever since I was a child. I wasn't allowed to have weave or perm. Then all of a sudden the girls who bullied me for my hair want to twist their hair and leave it "natural" -_- Like did anybody else go through this...? Is there anybody here who bullied a girl with natural locks out of jealousy?

Kuniya Asobayire: When I was in Elementary School , every single one of my classmates were Caucasian. There were only three African-American students, including me, in the entire school. Each time I arrived at school in the morning , the girls in class would have their hair still wet from their washes in the morning. They used to ask me why mine wasn't wet in the morning. They would ask why brown people had 'hair that looks like that' and why it stood so straight. A particular group of girls would always touch my hair and say, "I'm so glad my hair isn't like that." At home , I told my parents that I wished I was white, so my hair would be the same as my best friends' hair. I added chemicals, straightened it every morning , and after a lot of persuasion , my mom decided she'd let me wash my hair every morning so I could see what would eventually happen. My hair thinned and shrank, and I had to wear extensions to school every day at the young age of 7. I moved to Africa for Middle School, where the girls loved and admired each others' natural locks. I started taking pride in my hair. I moved back to the US to begin high school, and I wear my natural hair confidently and with pride now, and many of the girls in my school do too. I guess I have started to feel more comfortable now that every student at my high school is African American, but I also think that as I have grown , I have gotten to realize that my hair is a part of who I am, and I do not need to damage or change it for anyone!

Amirrah: I am 14. My mother never let me chemically alter my hair because she knew from personal experience that it can be very harmful. My hair is all natural, no dyes, no chemicals, no extra added hair, never been cut, and it is almost down to my butt length wise. It's very thick and naturally kinky. I keep it straight because I am a competitive dancer and it is easier to manage during the year with all the competitions I have to attend and the hair style that they want us to do which someone that is white came up with. The majority of the styles that they make us do require a substantial amount of hair, which is not a problem for me, but the other small amount of black girls that dance with me, it can be a challenge because of the damage to their hair from year of heavy braids and chemicals. If had a dollar for every time a white person came up to me an asked if my hair was real, or if I had extensions, or a weave, or why I never wear it natural, or why it wasn't dry like their hair, or they asked if they could touch it, or why it was so long because the other black people that they knew had short hair and weave, or what would happen if it got wet, or why it was so thick, I would be a millionaire!! And it's been going on since 6th grade, and I'm currently a freshmen in high school!

MAJA MINTON: I am a black girl too. I was born in England but raised in Germany ( in a small village) growing up there wasn't always easy for me cause I was the only black child there. When I was in kindergarden I didn't notice the difference between me and the other kids because all of my family members are white. But suddenly at school I got bullied because of my black skin and my curls which made me very sad and somehow I didn't feel like the others. when I was little I just saw myself in the mirror but now I saw everything what separated me from the white people but you know I had one thing to learn in my life, we're all people white and black people and everyone is beautifull the way he looks! We have to except ourselves the way we are or no one will. God made us perfect!!! #curlyhairidontcare #ilovemycurls #blackgirlsrock I know I am only 14 years old and some of you might say: little girl you can't tell me what to do! - but I think I can give you the best advice. Love yourself the way you are, god made you perfect! Love you all ♥ ( if you want you can hate, I don't care. I learned to ignore hate and mean words over the years! )

MaryCynthia Okundaye: Its not just all about the hair, there is alot more to it. A very big step to loving yourself regardless of what people think! Thanks for sharing!!

Omg Giiirl: It took me 30 years to learn to accept my lovely African textured hair I inherited from my Dad! My Mom is Korean so I grew up with her as my ideal beauty, and even though she always made sure I knew I was loved and very beautiful, I still wanted my Mom's hair. Now, being grown, and tired of the baggage, I decided natural was the best for me, and even my husband loves my sexy texture more than when I relax it. So for now, natural is where my hair stays@

Denisha H.: Growing up, I had that break a comb hair texture. Very thick and coarse, but I was rarely teased about my hair. I would often get my hair braided from women in my community, if my mom didn't do it. They would tell me how beautiful my hair texture was, and how STRONGER my hair was. My mom said I could get a relaxer if I wanted to when I got my period, so when I turned 12, I got one. I mainly got the relaxer because getting my hair pressed didn't last as long. As I got older, I started seeing the negative side of getting a relaxer. I remember watching Good Hair, and I began educating myself more about what I was putting on my hair. I would go from braiding my hair to a relaxer, back to braid and so on.. In 2013, my hair decided it was time for a change because the relaxer did absolutely nothing for my hair anymore. I'll be 1 year back-to-natural on my birthday (April 6)! The transitioning process was great because I was able to work with my natural hair and relaxed hair.. However, the more my natural hair grew out, the more I was pissed off with getting relaxers in the first place! I love my natural hair. To anyone considering transitioning back to natural: definitely research, have patience, look at a variety of naturals online for styling tips, and love your hair!

Zuzuspeaks: Growing up, I had dolls with straight hair. Also observing black woman on the television made me wonder why is their hair so straight. Similar to Amandla's story I internalized those subliminal messages. I told myself I wanted "white girl hair". I never wore a full relaxer but I always kept my hair straightened. I thought I looked better. Until high school, I realized how unique my hair was and finally accepted my natural hair texture.

Jasmine Jimenez: Loving your self as a black women has always been hard. As for me ,it led to self harm and a bad eating disorder. My curves and my big hair as ways seem to be a "danger" to society. It hurts for people to ask you why you look a certain way and you have no answer. The desperation for me to fit societies mold set me in a deep depression. I was all ways taught as a child "PERM" is my life saver, and at 16 I finally realized it was only killing me. I had shaved my head many times and resort to weaves to hide my hair but it never helped. . As years went on my self harm cuts had gotten deeper and they all need stitches to be prepared.

JALO: This is what I say when people touch my hair: "I have lice."

peachykokoro: When I was in elementary school, my best friend (who is mixed, so has very frizzy hair) didn't have it braided in cornrows like she usually did. She came up to me bawling her eyes out because she didn't want to face school with her 'puffy' hair. She was embarrassed. She forced me to braid it for her (of course I did it) and if only she knew then how beautiful her natural hair was! To all people who think your hair is too big, or feel embarrassed about your hair, know that YOU are beautiful and YOU are AMAZING. Love it because you're stuck with it :)

Ana Collins: Tomorrow is going to be the first time I'm gonna wear my natural hair to school. I go to a prominently white school so this is a big deal to me. I've been flat ironing my hair since I was 12 and now ( two years later) I've finally decided to accept my hair the way it is. Wish me luck

Serafina: When I was a child (age 10), the school performed mandatory Lice Inspection periodically. I had just had my braids done the day before and had no idea that the nurse was going to insist that my braids be taken down! I did not have lice, but the nurse and her assistant thought it necessary to carry out their will on the head of a 10 year old child. I was then sent back to class, mortified, violated and upset that my hair was a mess and I was not able to fix it propperly because the lack of understanding of the teachers and nurse. This trauma brings tears to my eyes even 28 years later. Ignorance can hurt people deeply.

LovefromCara X: Black women are so beautiful.. Their skin complexion and hair they all should never feel ashamed of who they are.

Blue Pineapples: I went to a catholic school and I was the only black girl in my class, and my sisters and I were the only black people IN THE SCHOOL. And they would make fun of my hair all the time. I heard one girl say that my hair was so ugly and I've probably never heard of shampoo and conditioner.

SURA: I watched this video 5 years ago and Julia is the reason I went natural last year. I couldn’t get the image of her out of my head. I was amazed she had the confidence to be seen as she is! I thought it was unimaginable before I saw her. Now, I am on my natural hair journey again and doing my best to stay positive throughout. Stay strong, y’all! ✨

Karla Francis: so true. Don't judge a book by its cover

Heavenly S: I really love how simple and how cute amandla is so proud to see her in a lot of movies recently ! #BlackGirlsRock

witch, please: I went natural in January. I started off the new year with new, natural hair. I'm still learning to love my hair.

SimplyNay: I love this! I love the next generation for being so themselves and unique. I think my generation got stuck somewhere in the middle of finally getting a voice and not really having one still but to see the next generation expressing themselves in ways we always dreamed is my release, my "its ok". This next generation though younger inspire me to find me voice, daily!

WackeyStat: I used to want straight hair, but then I figured out how to love my hair for who it is. Even when people tell me to straighten it, it's what make me unique and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thx so much for making this video Teen Vogue!!

Tamron Brown: I remember in grade school wearing my natural hair out for the first time. My school was predominantly black at the time but I’d wore my hair straight before and I was mortified that everyone would be staring at me and this giant puff on the top of my head. I remember feeling so self conscious and I think I kept my hair permed until sophomore year of high school.

Bevie _Oxx: My friend (who is Asian btw ) thought my hair was fake the one time I went to school with it naturally curly. To be honest I was more surprised and found it funny than any other feelings, but then again everyone isn't the same or will take things the Same.

Yang&Ying Fashion: Amazing Thank you for putting Amanda On the Cover she is awesome and i was laughing throughout the video. Its amazing to hear other stories from females who suffered the same self-hatred forced by society or ignorant people outside our race.

Amanibs: I loved this video so much. I am transitioning to Locs in april and I'm so looking forward to it. I am 16 years old and I've always felt like my hair wasn't really matching my personality because I've always worn Braids 'till this very day. I'm sure to find myself within the Locs. Thankyou so much for this video. You guys are simply the best. Much, much love and peace from Belgium

Shantel Chambers: This series is so beautiful. Thank you so much Teen Vogue for using your platform to bringing attention and spreading the message that black is beautiful, powerful and unique. Us, black girls truly appreciate it.

ZVEdwards: This was such an amazing and inspiring video!!! I love my big hair!

FaZe fort: This is so beautiful. I wish I had been taught to love my natural hair. My mother relaxed my afro textured hair when I was 4 because it wasn't like her own silky curls and she didn't know how to deal w it. I teach my babies in my class that all of our hair is different and all equally beautibeautiful

turtle shellz: I definitely feel like I'm still trying to break out of this "socially acceptable" mind set, but I'm getting there. These videos help encourage a lot. Like it's actually ok to be yourself

•• •: amandla makes me smile everytime she opens her mouth. she's extremely smart and beautiful and she knows it and she rocks it.

ruth,: I always get teary eyed watching these kinds of videos its so great and amazing when people come to accept and love who they are

TheSCL: They are all so beautiful omg Nice to see finally a place for black women

A'Dorian Murray-Thomas: I've watched this so many times. Subscribed to teen vogue because of their coverage of Amandla. So proud of this sis!

Tosin Jerugba: Omg! I wish my mom was an empowered woman I could look up to....I've been wearing my hair natural for almost a year now and no one...absolutely no one has hair-shamed like she has! I mean she's said shit I can't even repeat. She's made me cry. Here in Nigeria we need a natural hair movement ASAP.

Mari Tyle: I chemically altered my hair in the 8 th grade because I wanted that flowy, easy to manipulate hair. I went back natural nearing the end of 9th grade and I have developed a new found love for my hair texture. Sometimes though I still feel insecure or afraid of being too bold.

Maame B.: I've been transitioning from relaxed hair to my natural hair for about a year now. I really love this video!!

ashley778909: Wow! Love this I have been natural going on one year now. I love it I was always insecure about my hair. I knew I had to go natural because I burned my hair from heat damage. I straightened my hair every week sometimes twice a week for 3-4 years. By the end my hair ends were fried and static-y. My hair was brittle, i had split ends, dry and it stop getting really "straight". I also used the wrong shampoo. I used head and shoulders, garnier and treeseme. My hair was uneven, it stopped growing too. So crazy. I wish I knew about natural hair. I love my hair now. I'm overwhelmed sometimes but I'm learning and it has truly been a journey. I learned almost everything from YouTubers so I thank them so much.

thecomplexgirls: I went natural about 3 years ago and it was the best decision I ever made because I never knew what my curl pattern actually was. I love my curly hair now and am starting off fresh again with a TWA. I'm rocking it! and it has really made me embrace myself and natural beauty. Great video! Keep them coming!!! ✊

Jennifer Anyaegbu: My earliest hair story was in 4th grade when I first moved to texas, a girl came up to me and asked why my hair was so nappy oily and why I didnt just wash and brush it. I was so affected by it that I got my mom after days of crying to perm my hair. Now that I am 16 and just got the big chop I look back and which I could tell younger me to embrace my mane.

So Nelia: so great! i love it! i wish Teen Vogue would make more videos like this!

Lindsey Burnside: This is probably the best thing Teen Vogue has ever done, Brava! These stories resonate to the core of my being. It helps that each of these women are Beloved Black Women of the Internet in their own rights, but all together in one video? *Swoon.*

Jayla Lowe: I've pretty much just started my hair journey. At the age of 11 I got my first relaxer ( which my mom didn't want me to do) I kept getting them 3 years later, and at the age of fifteen I said enough with all the damage and hair breakage, so I stopped getting relaxers and it's been more than a year. My hair is recovering nicely, it's thick, unruly and does what it wants to, but I love it now, it's so much more convenient. It's growing fast and it's usually soft.I can wake up in the morning, fluff it up and leave.

Melissa Weiss: I’m biracial and am the only coloured person in my class. So it was always hard for me to accept my hair. But I’ve grown to love it.

Ngoni Griffith: I remember being in class and a classmate of mine smelled my hair. They commented that my hair smelled like coconuts ( thanks to a hair grease product I was using at the time). Then they called over some more of my classmates and everyone started smelling my hair. I guess it debunked their theory that all black hair smells bad.

Brianna Italia: When I was nine, my mom took me to a salon to get my hair relaxed. My sister had just gone off to college and my mom had no idea how to do my hair because my sister had always been the one to do it. When I came out with straight hair for the first time, I thought I was beautiful. I got so many compliments about how my hair was so long, thick and nice. People thought that I was pretty because my hair fell in the middle of my back. One day, I decided not to straighten my hair, and just wear it with the little amount of curls that it had left. Everyone told me: "Why would you wear your hair like that" or "I like it better when you straighten your hair". That was when I started to think: what is wrong with me? When I was twelve, I saw Amandla Stenberg in the Hunger Games and showed my mom that I wanted to have curls like her. My mom told me: "Your hair will never be like hers, natural hair just isn't for everyone." How is my hair, that grows out of my head, not for me! This is when I cut my hair. I avoided appointments for relaxers and I wore my hair wild and free. Sometimes I hate my hair, and sometimes I want to chop it all off, but I think going Natural changed me as a person. On days where I think my hair is ugly and I don't want to have curls anymore, someone will come up to me and say: "Your hair is beautiful, I wish I could get my hair to do that." For anyone worrying about going natural, do it! Embrace yourself! Embrace your hair! It is hard at first but it is a reward in the end! I'm glad Amandla embraced hers :)

Marsha Ann: I always loved my hair growing up until my mom made me press and then perm my hair in the 7th grade which damaged my hair so badly all the way up to senior year of high school I had like no hair left. So i stopped with all that nonsense and went natural by putting braids in, letting it grow, and learning about my hair and which products are natural and best. It def is a journey if you're starting over because let's face it, this hasn't been a mainstream lifestyle since the 1960-70s. We didn't know what we could do with our hair. Were just now learning about how our natural hair works and our regimens are different for everyone. My hair is now very long, big and beautiful and all kinds of ppl compliment me on it all the time! ❤

prince: I remember I had my hair in a puff and a fellow classmate (also a black girl-colourist) for some reason was talking to me about my hair and she told me it looked raggedy or nappy and a mess and people were laughing. Frankly I was completely shocked that the black girls around me were laughing as well when they have similar hair. I can't begin to understand how Black people can be so disrespectful even when they're the same.

Isabella Turner: I love head wraps and the first time i wore one i felt so empowered, beautiful, and proud to be a natural young black girl. So i went to school with one for the first time and was shocked by everyone's faces, people were staring hard at me looking confused, uncomfortable, shocked. All the boys and some girls were asking me why i had a turban on my head, boys were laughing at me, and i was so mad at the end of the day. I had to keep explaining over and over again: why i wore it, what it is, what does my hair look like under, why it isn't a turban. At the end of the day i was so mad and astonished that i had to go to school and educate everyone, basically on who i am

Rafaella Yorke: I love this!! This reminds me of myself. I wore my natural hair majority o my life. 3rd grade was my 1st perm then I went back natural 4th grade. Started middle school 6th grade but I was the odd ball because I was the only one wearing my natural hair & box. So I permed my hair again. Then all of highschool my hair was straight. Then at 18 I went natural & it's staying that way. I always had a head full of thick curls & regret ever straightening it to fit in with my peers.

Brooklyn M.: Reminds me of this story my aunt used to tell my sisters and I about when she first came to London from Zambia with her family. The girls would all giggle and touch her hair and stare at her and my aunt was getting so tired of it. Girls would ask her over and over why her hair was "like that" and she would just ignore them, hoping they would understand that the question was rude, until finally she stood up and shouted, "BECAUSE I'M BLACK, BITCH." And none of the girls ever asked her about her hair again. Hands down my favorite answer hahaha

Maggie Paul: I used to get mad bullied for my hair when I was little. Hairs always been the same, always will be the same, natural! Been to the all white schools, I had alot of friends eventually, but it did take awhile I'll admit. Had my hair let down and kids were putting stuff in it, put it up in cornrows and kids was tugging at the ends, I fade it down and kids were laughing at me. Can't win em all,and frankly I don't care to. When I have kids of my own they gon be rocking that hair proudly no shame.

Maya Marina: All my life since I was old enough for my mom to chemically change my hair, I've had texturize. I didn't know how my hair naturally was. The only time I ever got to see it was when my mom was late for me texturizer sessions we'd have with a hairdresser. I would see how my hair was curly and thick, I loved it but I knew my mom would texturize again because she said it was hard to manage. So in February I started my natural hair journey, I'm now 2 months natural and I'm so happy with my decision✨

Annalishea Perez: For job interviews my friends family and old manager encouraged me to always put my hair up in a bun. They made me feel like I would not be taken seriously or hired if I wore my hair natural I actually was told hey wear your hair back and then when you get the job let it be free as you like it. I also use to get a lot of ppl complaining sitting behind me se to complain about my hair it was frustrating because i use to have to fix my hair or hold it in place so they could see..very annoying they thought it was funny but I was pissed and i eventually started telling them no i wont move my hair and they needed to move to see better

Janna Black: I had heat damage from bleaching the ends of my hair, and when I went to the salon to get a trim, my mom wouldn't let them cut too much off so the damage was still there. When I complained to my father, he said I should just keep it long because he doesn't want me to be bald-headed (my hair is past my shoulders, how the fuck is that gonna happen???). Annoyed that everyone was so keen on keeping my hair long, rather than healthy, I just recently cut my own ends and bangs. They aren't going to be happy - but the obsession with having long hair has to stop. My afro is beautiful whether it's short or long. Black girls with short, natural hair aren't excluded from natural hair beauty.

Vanni Lyn Nap: I myself am a black girl with a perm, and seeing everyone with their natural hair kind of made me feel like an outcast. But I realized the perm doesn't seep into my scalp, erasing all of my wonderful African heritage. I absolutely love my hair, but think about wearing a true afro one and a while, there's no telling what the future will. I'm a proud black girl with a perm.

cutepepper: Wow, they are all so beautiful and I am so happy that they are accepting of who they are and are happy in their skin. <3

NoOvernightGuests: I love the authenticity and variety of participants, just wish it was longer.

tui1010: Ever since I was little, I have always wanted hair like what these beautiful women have. I have very straight, dull hair and you can't really do much with it. But women with hair like this have so much variety! SO ENVIOUS! lol. But can definitely understand how some people struggle with hair like this. But honestly, I would trade it for mine any day (:

Ngahuia Riddell: Myself having very large and "poofy" hair, I once wore my hair out as an experiment to see what would happen and what people would do. Over 30 students touched my hair without my permission and only one girl actually asked if she could touch my hair.

Fan Base: I went natural after a big chop about a year ago. I am in love. I never truly knew the texture of my hair from years of relaxing and hot ironing. I would try to wear my hair natural a couple of times growing up, but I was bullied in school because of it. That and my mother is white and she would say, "We're not leaving until you do your hair." It really sucked, but since I am an adult those days are behind me and I am in love!

CaramelQueen Gaming: I love all these women's hair. I wish I had texture in my hair.

sophia g: This was such an inspiring video for all black girls with natural hair Thank You

MyLifeAsMayai: My hair is always puffy and thick ALWAYS and I always said "I wish I had white girl hair!" Because of my hair being so thick and I kept wanting to get texturizers to thing my hair out, but then my dad told me about my ancestors and how I should be proud of my race and color now.. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY HAIR!!!!

Siseko Esqué Dunywa: I’d love this to happen again with the Coi Lerays, Zendaya, zoe Kravitz, Kat graham, Ari Lennox, Doja cat

Diana García: I have my big chop a week ago and the journy is just starting but I am so exited for finally see myself as I really am hair wise. Love the video.

Darla J: I used to beg my mom to relax my hair, and she told me that when i got to middle school i would. Thankfully, in middle school, i started watching natural hair tutorials, started to take care of my own hair, started to realize that maybe curly wasn't so bad. i didn't realize it fully then though because i was doing twist and braid outs, not letting it be because when i was younger i would always see older girls on tv with long straight hair, so i wnted long straight hair, and in middle school, although i did start to appreciate my hair, i still didn't like the curl pattern i had because my hair is curly but it shrinks a lot, so i used to not appreciate it, but now that i've learned so much about my hair and about my race and everything that is going on and how ignorant and bias people can be, i have come to appreciate my hair and love it, and with that have a lot of knowledge of who i am and where i'm at. <3

moto moto likes you: i love how different theyre hairstyles are. i think black hair culture is amazing its hard to take care of it but you can express yourself so much just by taking care of it. it can be braids, locs, natural. in short, beautiful.

tbh.lexisss: When I was young all the way until I was 10 1/2 my mom permed my hair to straighten it. Soon she realized that the chemicals aren't good for my hair. So I went natural. We didn't shave my head, my mom just let the perm grow out. At the time I wasn't allowed to tell my mom how I felt and how I wanted my hair. So she started taking me to my hairdresser and getting it silk pressed. I wanted oh-so bad to tell her I wanted my hair to be curly instead of straight. She still gave me silk presses but let me wear my hair curly for a while. I still want to tell her that I want my hair to be curly and kinky. Hopefully as I get older she will let me have some say over how I want my hair. As of now I have not gotten a perm since last September. I am 11, my name is Alexis and this was my natural hair story.♥️

amelia Balfour: Soooooo relatable love this ♥️

Rynae Masawi: The story of my life (: now I am writing a dissertation about this feel that I have reached a massive milestone as black woman.

Lado Isla Bonita: It took me 20 years to reach my acceptance point with my hair because of my density but I am glad I got here. I just wished that I have done it sooner. It was just easier for me. I don't think it was about been accepted. I am lazy when it comes to my hair(So I am learning to manage). I just want my hair to grow as long as it wants.

Ali Rae: About a year ago I let my hair go natural and I was struggling about if people would except it. I recently went to school with my hair down and I was really self conscious about it. Two of my friends(who are white, not that race matters) said that it was too big and uncontrollable. They asked me if I had a hair tie. It made it even worse for me so I put my hair up, no matter what my other and closer friends said. I later decided not to care, and it's hard because I am at the age where you care about what people think. This video showed me I'm not the only one.

Crystal K: My hair was so thin and brittle and I always wanted hair like these gorgeous people. Now I shaved my head bald and rock that. I also have giant wigs with huge afro curls and lots of flowers put in. People ask me why I want to look like that and can't understand. I honestly don't know what to say in response other than "I'm awesome."

Jennifer O: I'm so grate full time for all the people that fought for rights and showed me how beautiful my natural hair and skin is. Thank you.

Achol Deng: One time one hair extension fell out at the basketball court of my school and people have been holding that against me for a while then I stood up for myself and explained to every one that I wore extensions to protect my hair not to protect my identity because I love my hair.

Melissa JB: I used to want to perm my hair so much to tame it more but my mom would never let me and for that i am grateful because I LOVE my natural hair so much!

Terri Sargent: It took years for me to embraced my hair since at an early age working in a black law office and I worn my hair natural. My black attorney supervisor called me in the office and his way of saying "it would be better if you don't wear your hair natural because it may have an affect on the clients (who many were white). I changed my style than quick the job maybe 5 months later, but his voice played on my young ears for years and I permed my hair for years. Now at an age where I don't give a hoot who thinks about how I wear my hair, I still work in an office and were my hair all kind of ways, AA ways and am proud of it.

Reiko Myles: I've been natural since 2013. I love love love it, though it can be challenging at times. I would not change it for the world. Natural Girls rock baby.

Aishah H2o: I have always loved my curly hair, but when I was in middle school, which was a private school so mostly white students, my aunt forced me to relax it. My hair started to fall out and I was like damn... this is not healthy. About a year in a half to two years later I cut it all off, and this was my freshman year of high school and I watched to grow and people had s*** to say but I was like you can never be this different and that in itself was my statement for all the people who wanted me to conform. Just yesterday I cut curly bangs and they are so wonderful! Thank you Teen Vogue for sharing this well done empowerment series with the world!

IISea QueenII: I understand their pain I'm hispanic but the difference is I have very curly puffy brown tangled hair. I had a really bad relationship at first with it because every girl in school who was hispanic had the super straight black hair (even my mother) and as you can tell nobody liked me and I was bullied, so I thought that if I straighten my hair I'll fit in. So many thing happened to my hair cause it was different like a kid decided to put gum on it and I ended up cutting it very super short, then another kid threw a dead bug into my hair cause it was curly so it caught it easily... that was fucking terrifing.. so because my hair was curly kids threw trash at it cause it was funny.. because of those events I hated my hair and straighten it for almost an entire year but as time go by I was looking up beauty tutorials and everything and I came across this woman called CurlyPenny on youtube. She showed me that curly hair is something so beautiful and luxurious that eventually I stopped straightening it... I'm now an young adult in college and even though my hair is still somewhat short I love it will all my heart cause I can finally accept myself~♡

Jennifer French: I used to analyze black hair when i was a kid. It was fascinating to me. I always admired all the ways my little friends had their hair styled. My hair couldn't even hold a barrette!

Bevie _Oxx: My friend (who is Asian btw ) thought my hair was fake the one time I went to school with it naturally curly. To be honest I was more surprised and found it funny than any other feelings, but then again everyone isn't the same or will take things the Same.

Latiana Blue: THIS IS GREAT! Thank you Teen Vogue!!!

Nobody Behind A Screen: I started straightening my hair when I was fourteen because when I was in kindergarten, I got sad when my hair wasn't fine and didn't fall down to my knees like the other white, Indian, and Hispanic girls did. So I straightened it to look whiter and to look more "normal", I should say. People whose hair would naturally lay would come up to me and say, "I love your hair like this! You should wear it this way all the time!" Eventually, I began to feel less and less like my true self and who I was, and it wasn't until a couple of days ago when I saw tutorials on how to take care of black hair that I realized my hair was perfect just the way it was. I recently got my hair straightened for, like, the millionth time, and honestly, I don't really like it anymore. I want my hair to be big and to be poufy so I can put it in the hairstyles that my hair was meant to be in. I will keep wearing extensions, I will keep wearing fake braids, because I'm black, and I should be proud, not ashamed of that. Black is beautiful.

Syd 7: When I was younger I had no idea what to do with my curly hair. I was so confused that I didn't even want to brush it. One day I had a gigantic knot in my hair that had been growing and when my mom found out, she basically cut most of my hair off. After that I started brushing it more and just putting it up in a ponytail. By 5th grade I started to straighten my hair because I felt like if my hair was straight it would be easier to take care of and make me prettier. Yes at first I loved it, it was easy to take care of and it made me feel pretty but overtime my hair showed sign. My hair was losing its curly pattern which at first I thought it was good that my hair was going to turn fully straight any day. Until I watched a video about what straightening does to your hair. My first reaction was bs my hair will be ok but I researched more about it and it made me rethink of what I was doing. During the summer I completely stopped straightening my and started my transitioning. Even though I been straightening it for less than a year my hair was lifeless. My curls were all messed up. Also my hair wasn't so long so I took vitamins that helped you grow your hair longer and did diy hair mask every weekend. It took me a year to get it back to its original form. My hair is as healthy as ever, but the only thing I don't like about it now is the shrinkage I have 11 in of shrinkage . Overall I'm proud of myself for accepting my natural hair. Plus I get a ton of compliments , and other people tell me I look better with my hair straight when they have no idea of what it looks like (I hate those kind of people). I'm mixed with white and black but I have course hair (im in between 3b and 3c, if you don't know what texture number you have you don't have curly hair)

T Jemilua: I'm in the stages of accepting my natural 4C hair. And I stopped relaxing my hair like 3/4 years ago, but I never relaxed it to feel whiter, it was just because it was hard to comb through and maintain...