There are multiple factors that play into how one wears their hair, including thickness, length, convenience, and hair type. For some, the choice can change daily and can even affect their confidence and the outfits they wear.
Finlay Kavanagh, a sophomore from Concord, Mass., has natural curly hair, and she finds herself doing a half hour hair routine three times a week.
“I get out of the shower, and I put spray leave in and brush the leave-in through my hair. Then I’ll like scrunch it lightly with like curl cream and then I put in mouse, then gel, and then I scrunch it with like a t-shirt,” she said.
When she wears her hair curly, she tends to wear “something more plain because [her] hair is more of the outfit.” However, occasionally, she will straighten her hair and will typically wear “hoodies or chunky sweaters, just something that’s bigger and not as plain.”
Sophomore Kiran Matamala also has curly hair, but his hair is much shorter than Finlay’s, so he has a bit of a simpler routine.
“I wash it in the morning, then I put my curl cream in and then I let it sit and dry. It takes like 25 minutes,” he said. His simple routine only costs around $10.
For him, his hair is not a factor in what he wears, but can contribute to his confidence because “if [he doesn’t] think it’s right in the morning then [he] won’t feel right for the rest of the day.”
According to other boys who spoke to The Willistonian, it appears that, generally, boys spend less time and money on their hair. Whether the reason is simply length or care of appearance, remains unclear. However, the routines of a boy with a buzz cut verses someone with a bit more grown out hair remained similar.
A number of boys refused to be interviewed claiming they do “nothing.”
Ellie Parsons, a senior from Florence, Mass., has naturally straight hair, so her routine differs from the routines of Finlay and Kiran.
“I try to wash my hair with shampoo every other day and I put conditioner on the ends every day. I usually put some form of a leave in conditioner after my shower for extra hydration especially during the winter,” she said. “All of this doesn’t typically take me that long, usually just a few minutes. ”
As for clothing, Ellie believes that “all neck lines work with hair that’s down, but a v neckline is really pretty with curly hair.” She adds that “putting your hair up when wearing a high neckline is also flattering.” With this mentality, Ellie says she doesn’t usually pick out her outfits on her hair unless she curls it.
Daryn Fox, a junior from Bermuda, has the opposite hair type as Ellie.
“I have naturally very curly hair as a Black girl with a 3c textured curl. I love to wear my hair out natural,” she said. She also adds that she loves a good slick back. Daryn doesn’t believe that her hair negatively affects her confidence, but she feels that it is a big part of who she is.
Day-to-day, her outfits don’t necessarily change based on what her hair looks like, but she said she is “starting to experiment with different necklines more recently and seeing what looks good with [her] hair.” She notes that “since [her] hair is usually curly, [she] can’t wear hoods often.”
Regarding hair care, Daryn doesn’t have an extensively long routine, but has a few important components in her formula.
“I put water mousse and curl cream in my hair every morning. I try not to wash my hair too often because my hair is already very dry naturally and the water will make it dryer, but my routine is pretty simple,” she said. “I also deep condition once a month to help with breakage and chemical damage.”
Concerning cost, when Daryn gets braids done it can cost up to $250, and she says this doesn’t include washing or blow drying. Her “natural hair is a little less expensive, but [she spends] around $150 when [she goes] to the store to get more supplies.”
To some, it may come as a surprise that Noura Younes, a sophomore from Newport, RI., has naturally curly hair since she “only likes to wear it naturally in the summer.”
Noura’s straightening routine is straight forward: she lets it dry after the shower and then straightens it. She says this takes around an hour.
While that process isn’t very costly, she does admit that when she gets her hair done every few months it costs “anywhere from $230-$450.”
While continuously straightening hair isn’t for everyone, for Noura it’s about control and confidence.
“I usually feel more confident when I have more control over it, which is why I usually straighten it because with curly hair it looks different every day and you don’t know what you’re gonna get when it’s dry,” she said.
On the topic of outfits, Noura has it down to a science.
“I like to wear one neutral color and no patterns when I have my hair curly. When I slick it back, I like to wear turtlenecks or something that has a higher neck or even a hoodie,” she said. “When it’s straight, I wear almost anything except for turtlenecks and hoodies when it’s down.”
