Key Takeaways
- 1Curly hair styling is a skill that grows with practice.
- 2Not every style will work on the first try, and that is normal.
- 3Small changes in parting and front pieces can refresh your whole look.
- 4Taking breaks during frustrating styles protects your peace.
- 5Your curls deserve patience, play, and more than one go-to hairstyle.
My goal for this week was simple on paper: by the end, I wanted to know how to do my curly hair a little better than I do right now. Not master every braid on Pinterest, not become a stylist overnight. Just learn new styles, get more comfortable with my texture, and stop acting like a basic ponytail is the only option.
Curly hair is beautiful, but it really is a full-time hobby. Wash day, product combos, detangling, shrinkage, frizz, all of it. Then after all that work, the idea of spending another thirty minutes on an actual hairstyle feels like a personal attack. This week was my way of saying, “We are not running from this anymore. We are going to learn.”
Day One: Half Up, Half Down With Braids In Front
For day one, I kept it “simple” in my head: half up, half down with two little braids in the front and some braid action at the hairline. Cute on Pinterest. Slight chaos in real life.
I had my inspo photos, a spray bottle, and way more hair than the girl in the picture. Right away I ran into my biggest struggle: parting and sectioning. Getting curls to separate cleanly is its own sport. One side always has more hair than the other, and your arms start burning before you even begin braiding.
Once I finally got two front pieces, the braids themselves only took a few minutes. That part surprised me. The hard part was the “fancy” braiding near the top. My fingers were confused, my eyes were half covered, and I kept losing track of which piece went where.
The finished style looked cute on camera, but it came with two problems:
- The braids sat right in front of my eyes
- The half up section was heavy and not very even
I liked seeing something different when I looked in the mirror. I did not love feeling hair scratching my eyelashes every few seconds. Still, day one did its job. I proved to myself that I could try something more advanced than a puff, even if it took thirty minutes and a small attitude.
Day Two: Braided Pigtails That Made Me Feel Like “Her”
Day two came with pigtail braids, and this style had me in my feelings in the best way.
I fully soaked my hair, detangled, and created a middle part that actually looked decent. Then I put two high pigtails on the sides, pulled small pieces in the front, and braided from the base of each pony.
At first I worried I would look too childish. Once both sides were done, something clicked. The style felt playful and still pretty. It framed my face nicely, kept my hair off my neck, and felt secure enough for a busy day.
The only drawback was the slight unevenness between the two sides. One pigtail sat higher and looked smoother. The other had more bumps and felt a little lower. That is where perfectionism tried to jump in and ruin the mood.
Instead, I reminded myself that this was literally my second day of this challenge. For a beginner, this style was a win. I even gave it a ten out of ten and said I would repeat it, which is huge for a girl who used to run away from styles that involved this much effort.
Day Three: Twist Style Meltdown
Day three humbled me fast.
The plan: a twist style that pulled the sides back into a half up look. In my mind, this was the “easy” day. No rubber bands, no detailed braids, just twists.
Reality: I could not get the twists to sit flat, stay tight, or look clean. Every time I thought I had it, the section loosened, puffed up, or curled away from my head. My hair is dark, my vision is not the best, and once my fingers got tired, everything blurred together.
I tried again and again until my scalp hurt, my patience disappeared, and I started to feel genuinely overstimulated. At that point, the hairstyle stopped being a fun challenge and turned into pure frustration.
So I did something that felt strange on camera: I quit for the day.
I put my hair in a bun, took a breath, and accepted that today’s inspo picture would not come to life. Not every attempt needs a pretty ending. Sometimes the win is noticing your limit and picking it up again tomorrow instead of forcing your way through tears and knots.
Day Four: Side Braids And A Confidence Reset
By day four, I needed a rebound, so I chose a style that felt like a cousin to day one. Think: braids near the front, curls out, but with more control and less hair in my eyes.
I created a “headband” section along my hairline, left the rest of my curls out, and braided small pieces with little curls left out of the braids. This gave soft detail around my face and kept my hairline neat without covering my eyes.
This day taught me two big things:
- Styling curls is mostly about what you do with the front
- Many styles are just small variations of the same base idea
Once I realized that, the whole “curly hairstyle” concept felt less scary. I did not have to reinvent my entire head. I just had to change where I parted, where I braided, or which pieces I pulled out.
I loved the way this one turned out so much that I considered wearing it to a wedding. That is a big shift from “I can only wear a bun” to “I might wear this to a formal event.”
Day Five: The Side Swoop Half Up
For the last day, I went with a half up style again, this time with a side swoop in the front.
I created a side part, carved out a little “headband” section, and gathered the top portion of my hair into a ponytail. Then I swooped a front piece across, secured it into the ponytail, and let the rest of my curls hang freely.
This style felt like something I could wear on a regular day without needing a tutorial open in the background. It was simple, pretty, and still gave that little extra detail in the front that makes curls look styled instead of “I rolled out of bed and hoped for the best.”
It also reminded me that half up, half down can exist in many forms. Small changes in parting, height, or front pieces create a brand new look without changing your entire routine.
What This Week Taught Me About Curly Hair
By the end of the challenge, I picked up a lot more than a few styles:
- Parting, braiding, and twisting are skills, not magic tricks
- Some styles require more patience than others, and that is fine
- A failed attempt does not mean you should stop trying new things
- Your arms will burn, your shirt will get soaked, and your floor will collect random strands
- The more you practice, the faster your hands move, and the less scary it feels
Most of all, I realized my curls respond to effort. When I give them time, water, and intention, they show up for me. Even on the twist meltdown day, my hair was not the enemy. I just needed more reps and a calmer head.
This week was not about looking perfect each day. It was about showing up for my hair, learning how it behaves, and slowly building a little toolkit of go-to styles for different moods and plans.
If you are on your own curly journey, let this be your sign to try that style you saved three months ago. Set a small time window, keep your vibes light, and remind yourself that your hair is allowed to be a work in progress, same as you.
