Coming from a family of beautiful women, there was always some disappointment meeting plain Jane me. In response to someone who said I didn’t look anything like my gorgeous cousins, my aunt said: “You should see her sisters. They’re so much prettier!”. I’m guessing your sister didn’t like these comments either. My…

Me, 1983. I was 10 years old. And my hair didn’t even get really curly until I hit puberty. Yeah, that brushing sure made it look great! Just like Farrah Fawcett!

Mine is more wavy and absolutely wild than curly, but still, brush it dry and it will look like I am wearing Bozo’s wig (the clown)... Still, mother would insist that I have to brush it 50 times on each direction, like a compass... and it would “distribute” the oil, making it smooth and “maybe” straight as fuck, like…

Curly hair solidarity. I brushed mine until I was almost thirteen and finally saw a hairdresser for the first time in my life and she told me to knock it out. She also introducede to the magic of hair gel. And I was like, my hair is curly, not frizzy! It’s a miracle. Even on my worst days I will never look as bad as I…

My mom never commented much on my looks, positive or negative, and mostly focused on things that were actually under my control— my accomplishments, but also maybe a cute hairstyle or outfit. Now that I realize in retrospect she had an eating disorder, I really understand why she did that, and am deeply touched by it.…

While I was getting in the car to go to my little sister’s funeral...

Actually, think it’s a weird need for control. Yet with curly hair, the zen people learn early on - control is but an illusion.

Aggggghhh my mother RUINED my curly hair by brushing it/making me brush it regularly as a child. Like, I didn’t know I had curly hair until probably 8th grade because I always automatically brushed it out after I washed it. And then she would legit yell at me when I tried to wear it curly because it “looked like I…

My mom is so confused by my curly hair, which she calls wrinkly. As in, “Oh, I see you decided to leave your hair wrinkly for your grandparents anniversary dinner.” Like I chose to be sloppy and not iron my clothes or something.

I got this a lot. And I resented my sister for it— then as young adults in peak eating disorder, I was confronted by my sister who begged me to eat again. Not for my health, but because I was the smart sister, and “being pretty is the only thing I have on you.”

I mean, I don’t want to call anyone’s mom an asshole, but dang, if the shoe fits...

My mom is SHOCKED that I started wearing my hair curly - willingly - in college after straightening it for 5 years. I still straighten it now but I'd call it a 50/50 split

Oh my god! My mother is the same about my hair. There is a reason I don’t brush it, don’t cut it past my collarbone, don’t wash it more than twice a week or use a blow dryer. Because I look like the female version of Tarzan if any of these things happen Which nobody wants to see, trust me

Oi, what’s with the whole brushing curly hair a lot myth? It’s like, you *know* that’s just going to make it taller and frizzier, right?

My mom & I were walking along the main street of my hometown when I was around 15, and she casually turned to me and said, apropos of nothing, “Your sister’s going to be much prettier than you when she gets older.”

My dad used to joke when I had braces that all I needed in addition to those railroad tracks were glasses and then I would never find a husband.

As she was putting the turkey on the table for Thanksgiving dinner, “It’s a Butterball, just like Missy.”

My mom is an incredible woman but suffers from alcoholism. Sometimes she is a very mean drunk and during those times she has said the most cruel things about my appearance- seizing on my insecurities I had shared with her and throwing them back in my face. But the worst was when she sarcastically said my rape was hard…

I swear there’s a secret class that some women get invited to. On the other hand, at least I have some awesome lady skills like wearing bomb ass red lipstick and smashing the patriarchy.

Someone tell me how to tell if people are flirting with me, because that’s a lady skill I didn’t get, like applying foundation or having maternal instincts.