My hair texture is kinky, and after years of using chemicals and straightening it, my family still doesn’t let me leave it natural.

Society doesn’t accept the way I look.
I hear comments like:
“Okay, leave it how it is in the back, but straighten your bangs because your hair looks frizzy in the front.”
No one understands that part of the reason why I’m okay with how I look comes from leaving my hair as it is.
No one also understands that years of straightening, ironing, and pulling my hair has made me feel like I need to become someone else other than the form I was created in,
So that people will be pleased with me.

I wish my family knew how much I want to leave my hair natural all the time and be proud of it.
I don’t want to dye it, straighten it, or pull it.
My scalp is destroyed because society loves straight hair.
And not just my scalp, my self-confidence, body image, and body acceptance have all been destroyed.

I hope that society finds a way to accept my beautiful natural Egyptian hair, which is like the hair of the pharaohs depicted in the murals.