A few short years ago, PuffCuff founder Ceata Lash realized the hair accessory industry actually had a bias. Most, if not all, the products on the market were designed for straight hair and not for naturally thick or curly hair. 

She also felt that the products for natural hair were really designed to entice you to straighten your hair in order to use the product successfully. After years of using chemicals on her own hair, she was ready to embrace her natural curls; and that, we could say, was the beginning of The PuffCuff story… but not quite. 

The story actually began with Ceata’s 99-year-old grandmother. “I was blessed to have her live with my family during her final years,” says Ceata. “The impact she had on our lives was profound. 

“She had seen so much history and so many changes for the better. She was my heart, and I loved her dearly. In our quiet moments together, I often wondered, ‘Did she pursue all of her dreams? Had she done everything she wanted to do?’” Then the answer came, and it was a confident, “Yes!” 

“After that, I found myself wondering if I lived to be 99, could I say the same thing? This is when I decided I had to try to step out on faith and develop what we have today: The PuffCuff—a nationally known hair product that is gaining new users every day. 

I thought, “If I failed, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying” says Ceata. “But here I am! I took the leap with my husband beside me! And we have never looked back.” 

PuffCuff, LLC launched in November of 2013, and the first PuffCuff was available for purchase in February 2014! Recently, Ceata was named the recipient of the Sally Beauty President’s Innovation Award. 

This amazing story also has another amazing fact: The PuffCuff was developed for all curl types. “This product is bringing people together,” says Ceata, “and that also is a goal I had from the beginning.”

"Order the big plate, take small bites, drink plenty of water and do the best you can.

Don’t give up. Keep running when you’re tired. And don’t stop until the Lord tells you to… and He hasn’t told us to.”

Watch the full documentary on our YouTube page. 

Summer is coming to an end and it’s time to get ready to go back to school. As parents, we prepare our children for their return to school by making sure they have everything they need to start the school year off right. This includes shopping for school clothes and crossing every item off that long list of required school supplies. But what about the things not on the list…like curl shaming. Have we prepared our curly headed and naturally textured hair children for what they might experience from their peers on the playground?

According to blogger Christina Vega, "Curl shaming is when a person criticizes or puts down someone for their natural hair texture, possibly causing them to feel insecure about their hair." Vega connects churl shaming to a form of racism because referring to the hair texture of a person of color as unruly, unprofessional, nappy, and unkempt could be considered a comment with racist undertones.

Simply put, curl shaming is bullying. It stings to be on the receiving end as an adult. However, it hurts even more if you are a young child at school just discovering who you are and learning to be comfortable in your own skin...and naturally textured hair.

In 2015, Makayla F., then 11 years old, joined a local Texas cheerleading squad. Makayla, who has thick long curly hair, was told by the general manager of the team that she would need to straighten her hair in order to compete with the squad. According to Makayla's mother, the reason given for the straight hair requirement was for all the girls to look "in uniform". Makayla's mother explained that this would harm her daughter's hair. This was not taken into consideration by the squad, and so Makayla left the cheerleading team with her curly hair in tact.

Kareem S., the father of 8-year-old Journey, recalls the day his daughter went to school with her hair in two full Afro puffs...one on each side, held in place by micro PuffCuffs. Journey left for school feeling beautiful and returned at the end of the day feeling ashamed and embarrassed. When questioned about what had happened, Journey stated the kids at school said her hair "looked weird and she looked like Minnie Mouse." Some of the older kids on the playground told her "It's not crazy hair day." Journey's mother tried to explain to her that the kids at her school (predominantly white and lacking exposure to cultural diversity) were just not used to seeing her hair in that style. Perhaps they found it “weird” because it was a style they were not familiar with. Usually, Journey wore her hair in braids… a more recognized and therefore accepted style at her school. When asked if there was anyone that said they liked her hair, Journey replied only two friends and her teacher who said her hair was "cute." Despite her parents’ efforts, Journey was convinced Afro puffs were not the style she wanted to wear. In tears, she begged her mother to "fix it" before school the next day. Her mother obliged, not wanting her 2nd grader to deal with unwarranted shame and ridicule.

Curl shaming is real and it is hurtful. How do we in the curly/ naturally textured hair community stop this from infiltrating school playgrounds, classrooms, cafeterias, buses and cheerleading squads? Unfortunately, there is no quick fix or easy answer. The media has embedded the image of straight, fine, blonde hair as the epitome of beauty for too many years. Erasing those ideas and images could take a lifetime. Instead, we need to stand up for our children who are being curl shamed and label it for what it is: bullying.   Many schools have anti bullying rules and curl shaming should be included in those rules… spelled out in clear language so there are no questions about when it happens. More importantly, we need to focus our energy and attention on uplifting our curly headed, naturally hair textured children. We should be intentional in letting them know just how beautiful and unique they are. We should embrace the gift of curly hair and model the acceptance of this gift for our children. A great way to accomplish this is to comb their hair in a fashionable low maintenance style that allows them to show off their natural curls and hair texture. The PuffCuff is the perfect tool to achieve this look and allow your child’s inner beauty to shine through. The added bonus it that it will not damage their hair!  When a child feels good about how they look, they walk with confidence. The hope is that this will help them cultivate a deeply rooted self-love that softens the harsh blow curl shaming can give.

A great way to accomplish this is to comb their hair in a fashionable low maintenance style that allows them to show off their natural curls and hair texture. The PuffCuff is the perfect tool to achieve this look and allow your child’s inner beauty to shine through. The added bonus it that it will not damage their hair!  When a child feels good about how they look, they walk with confidence. The hope is that this will help them cultivate a deeply rooted self-love that softens the harsh blow curl shaming can give.

REFERENCES

Ferreira, J. (2016, Sept 9). 5 Things you NEED to know about curl shaming [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://quemas.mamaslatinas.com/beauty/143826/5_things_you_need_to

Rufca, S.N. (2015, Nov 9). Curl, interrupted: Controversy erupts over a cheerleader’s hair [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2015/11/9/curl-interrupted-controversy-erupts-over-a-cheerleader-s-hair

Keyera Mitchell (2017, Jun 21) Public Relations Specialist, Journalist and Writer Hoping to Change the World.The Things I Would Say to My Younger Curly Self - The Life of a Curly Girl Living in a Straight World. https://journal.thriveglobal.com/the-things-i-would-say-to-my-younger-curly-self-52f247b71f77

1. Sykes, personal communication, February 21, 2017

Mothers and daughters share a special bond. In many cases, this bond is established before birth. That first flutter felt from inside the womb, or in the case of some adoptive and foster moms, at the first look into the innocent and wondering eyes of the new addition to their family. This bond grows and sets the foundation for the infamous mother-daughter relationship. In fact, a study from the University of Georgia found that this relationship has the most influence on a young girl’s self-esteem. This is a serious load for mothers to carry. Sometimes there are factors that cause “speed bumps” along this journey.  Factors like hair texture…seriously. The reason for this could be due to lack of guidance about how to care for curly hair. Women (and some men) have been straightening their hair since the early 1900's. (Here is where we pause and give a special shout out to Madame C.J. Walker for the invention of the straightening comb). In actuality, many of our grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunts, and great aunts all managed their hair by straightening it. There's no one to look to for advice because no one cultivated and cared for their curls. So we have a new generation of moms who have no one to look to for help. Think about your own circle of family and friends. Do you have anyone in your circle that you could ask how to best style and care for your curls or your daughter’s curls who is at least 15 -20 years older than you and has actually been caring for their curls for that many years? This very well could be where the struggle ultimately began.

Tina S., the mother of two daughters ages 13 and 8, shares her relationship with her daughters is “tested” every wash day. Tina’s daughters have extremely thick hair that tightly coils and tangles when wet. Tina’s hair, on the other hand, is thin, fine and when wet produces clearly defined waves and curls. Tina states that wash day is dreaded by all parties due to the anxiety and stress it causes. She confesses, “There have been many times during the comb out process that daughters cry. My eight year old actually asked me with crocodile tears streaming down her face, “Don’t you love me?” Her 13-year-old recently begged for a weave because “it would be so much easier.”

Alicia W., a teacher from North Carolina, is the mother of a mixed-race daughter. Alicia who wears her “thick wooly” hair in locs, struggled with her daughter’s hair “fine, thick, shiny, and oh-so curly” hair. Alicia used some of her tried and true products on her daughter’s hair only to discover, they did not work. According to Alicia, the result was “a mess”.

Virginia R., a college student at the University of Boston retells her the story of her mother trying to tame the “wild curly mess” on top of her head. Virginia states her mom, who had soft wavy hair, was always trying to “fix” Virginia’s hair. This left the unintentional impression that curly hair was not desirable and needed “fixing”. Virginia states, “I began to view my hair as an inconvenience, a mess to be cleaned up, a chore.”  In the end, the flat iron became her best friend and trusted companion.

Tina, Alicia and Virginia’s mother all meant well. As all mothers do, they only did what they thought was best for their daughters. Thankfully, those hair care mishaps did not permanently fracture the mother-daughter bond. In the end, each of these mothers researched, experimented, and researched some more to figure out what worked best for their daughter’s hair texture.

So what do you do when your daughter’s hair is different than yours? You are patient with yourself, and most importantly, with your daughter. You learn from your mistakes (and there will be mistakes). You research and research some more. You have open dialog with other mothers and daughters. Discuss what works and share the knowledge (especially about the PuffCuff Hair Clamp. Wink, wink!). You learn about their curls and share that knowledge with them. You instruct them on how to care properly care for their hair. You embrace their natural texture and you teach them to embrace it. This is the beginning of self-love, and ultimately, that is what all parents want for their children. 

SOURCES:

Alicia W. (2013, June 29). Kinky meets curly: My daughter’s texture is way different than mine [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://babyandblog.com/2013/06/kinky-meets-curly-my-daughters-hair-texture-is-way-different-than-mine/

Roa, V. (2017, March 22). The problem with telling your curly haired daughter to “fix” her hair [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://bucultureshock.com/problem-telling-curly-haired-daughter-fix-hair/