We all know growing out your hair is a struggle. It’s a long, tedious process that requires attention and thought. But growing curly hair takes the awkward stage to DEFCON 7.

The Longhairs have covered a lot of ground about the awkward stage, but there is something especially difficult about growing out curly hair. Whether you need a few practical tips or just a confidence boost to get you through that atrocious curly growth phase, here I’ve shared some of the best secrets I learned while growing out my curly hair.

There are no shortcuts to your end goal, so you just have to accept that you are gonna look like Bozo The Clown for a few weeks, but don’t worry, there are ways to make this process less painful.

I have always wanted long hair, ever since I was a kid, but I repeatedly cycled between two hair styles: the buzz cut and the afro. Growing curly hair long was something I could not achieve until I had control.

I finally started growing it out junior year of high school, right after prom. I had a little “poof” on the top of my head and let that grow while I kept shaving the sides—basically an undercut. I eventually looked like a mushroom, until I could pull it back into a small highball.

I rocked this hairstyle for about a year before I decided I wanted more. Around the same time I discovered The Longhairs and their amazing products, which leads me to our next section.

One thing I found that helped me with growing out curly hair was having goals. I had at least five goals while growing my hair out, and still have some that I have yet to accomplish. A few of my goals were:

1. Be able to tie my hair up;
2. Be able to tie up all the hair from my undercut;
3. Be able to wear my hair up while still having flow in the back.

One goal I just accomplished was having my hair touch my shoulders while still curly, and my next one I’m working on is to have my hair come down to my lower chest. Goals keep you going, they help you see the ends to your means.

Some of the best ways to manage your growing poof are the simplest ones. You want to not look like you just woke up out of bed and you also want to look somewhat presentable.

I already mentioned a hat, a good lid that can tuck up all that frizz and fluff, so no one knows you are hiding a wooly mammoth up there.

However, sometimes the most effective way is not an option. Let’s say you have to go to church, or a wedding or even just to school, the hat doesn’t work so you have to get a little more creative. In these cases, condition your hair to dampen the frizz as best as you can, then throw on a headband, headwrap or just buck up and rock the afro.

My absolute favorite discovery while growing curly hair, however, was braids. As long as you have about three inches of hair, you can find a salon and get your hair braided. These keep the poof in check while offering a neat and presentable style.

Just stick to it, don’t falter, do what you want to do. If someone tells you to tame that beast, just say your goal is to embrace it.

Whatever you do, don’t give in to the pressure. It’s gonna be tough, you’re gonna wanna chop it all off, but then you will always wonder about what could have been.