The Curl Chronicles

Just like fingerprints, every girl’s curls, coils and ringlets are one of a kind. We sat down with three curly-haired women to get real-life tips and figure out how to live your best bouncy-haired life.

- Parizaad Khan Sethi

Curls are not just a hair type but a lifestyle. There’s no easy cruising for curly girls because your hair constantly keeps the mystery alive—one day you’re rolling with glorious springy ringlets, the next you have a tangled mass impersonating a bird’s nest. Women who choose to wear their hair this way sign up for a lifetime of unpredictability and commitment. We do it because the rewards are many. There truly is no other look as full of life and freedom as a head of well cared-for curls. We put together advice from a panel of women who have earned their curls. There’s model and TV show host Kamal Sidhu who’s conducted a life-long masterclass in superior curlology. Actor and theatre star Meher Mistry’s got a stunning mane of spirals that serves as her calling card on stage and screen. As for me, I own my curls because they make me stand out; as a journalist, my hair—and people’s reaction to it—has made me ask important questions about identity, femininity and prevailing beauty standards. As a beauty editor I’m constantly encouraging my curly brethren to embrace their twists and turns.

CURL JOURNEYS

Kamal: I grew up in Canada and was surprised that people were strangely in awe of my hair when I came to India in 1991. It was the talk of the town, I became identified by it and was asked about it in every interview. I found it amusing, but I understand why: curly hair is common in India but there’s been such a fascination in the past decades to have straight hair that girls would be subjugated to straightening it.