I continued to learn about my hair, and over time, it felt better. In 2016, my favorite protective style became Havana twists—twists made with kinky hair extensions that look like real 4C hair. In addition to being pretty, they are easy to moisturize and wash. Also, when I used regular braid extensions, you could easily see the difference in texture between my hair and the extensions after just a week. With kinky extensions, I didn’t have that problem.

The more time that passed, the more I chose protective styles that look like natural hair, because I was starting to appreciate everything associated with being Black. Instead of choosing straight, wavy, or curly hair extensions, I selected the coiliest Afro textures I could find. I had once rejected my natural hair, but I now gravitated toward kinkiness and all its textured glory.

“Learning to love my hair naturally helped me to love my other Black features,” read an extract from Laetitia Ky’s new book, Love & Justice