Shereene IdrissBoard Certified Derm, Founder and Chief Nerd

Curly hair? Who dis?! 📞 I didn’t know I had curly hair until I was 40!

12 Oct 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:25

In this personal vlog, Shereene Idriss shares how she only realized she had natural curly hair in her 40s, despite growing up in an Arab family where her mother also had curls but always blow‑dried them. Lacking YouTube and Instagram tutorials, she assumed her hair was merely frizzy. When she began embracing her natural texture, she encountered an overwhelming “curly hair rule book” that prescribes specific washing frequencies, brushing habits, oil and cream usage, and strict protection of curl patterns. Shereene critiques these rules, arguing many are designed to achieve a perfect curl rather than promote hair health. She questions common claims about oil—its role in reducing friction, adding shine, and purported benefits for hydration or hair growth—highlighting that oil does not hydrate hair. She promises a follow‑up, longer video where she will dissect the curly‑hair rule book, explaining which guidelines she follows, which she discards, and detailing her current hair‑care routine.

Chapters

I didn't know that I had curly hair until I was in my 40s, which sounds redonkulous because I'm Arab, my mom has curly hair, and apparently the evidence has been sitting on top of my head my entire life. But my mom always blow-dried her hair. And since I didn't grow up with YouTube videos and Instagram tutorials, I did too. And for 40 years, I didn't think I had curls. I thought I simply had frizz. But here is the part that I find so interesting. Once I actually started talking about my hair and started wearing my hair much more naturally and curly, I discovered a huge rule book for curly hair, which is super intimidating. Like, don't wash it too much, never brush it dry, you must use oil, use creams, use this, protect your curl pattern at all costs. And I was like, where the F do we start? But I realized one very important thing. A lot of these curly hair rules that we are all hearing are designed to give you the perfect curl and not necessarily to give you the healthiest hair. And that distinction completely changed how I think about my own routine. Like? Does curly hair need oil? Oil can reduce friction, it can add shine, but last I checked, I'm not drinking oil to hydrate, and oil does not hydrate your hair either. And rubbing oil onto your scalp is not a guaranteed hair growth treatment. So in the full video below, I'm going through the entire curly hair rule books, the ones that I follow, the ones that I completely ignore, and what I am actually doing with my hair today.