Zendaya is a truly inspiring role model, but she wasn’t always the poised young woman she is now.
The 19-year-old admits that she struggled with confidence issues when she was younger, especially as it pertained to her hair.
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In a new interview with PeopleStyle, the actress explains how she learned to love herself as she is:
“Growing up, I wasn’t very confident in my curls. It wasn’t like the hair that girls around me had. And nobody really knew what to do with my hair. My mom is white and my dad is black ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ they have two very different hair types. So we learned how to manage my hair together, and I also watched YouTube videos to find easy styles to do.”
She also went through the phase of trying to change her natural looks:
“Obviously you want what you can’t have, so I wanted different hair than what I had. And it wasn’t until I got older that I learned you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. There is nobody out there that is completely, 100 percent satisfied with every portion of themselves. And as you grow up, or as you grow older, you have to learn about yourself and you have to become more familiar with yourself.”
Now she’s the kind of fearless person people twice her age wish they could be:
“When I was younger, I was afraid to experiment with my look because I was worried about what people thought. But as I’ve gotten older and become more confident in myself, I just don’t care.”
Z also addresses the Oscars controversy with Giuliana Rancic from last year:
“I think a lot of lessons were learned from a lot of different people. I didn’t know that people were going to pay attention to the paragraph that I wrote on Instagram. I was just thinking that someone out there is going to read this, and it’ll stop them from being insensitive. I was raised to stand up and say something when you feel that something is wrong.”
The actress and singer is determined to help others love themselves more:
“I like who I am, and I hope that I can help a lot of other young women get there. I think that a big part of that is showing that you can dress and wear your hair however you want. People will say whatever they have to say, but as long as you feel good and you feel confident and you’re taking those steps to feel comfortable with yourself, then you’re good!”
Her goal becomes even more important when she remembers that her younger relatives are watching:
“When it comes to my nieces and stuff, you have to get them to love your hair, especially my little niece who’s gorgeous with a curly head of hair. I just really want them to love what they have.”
You’re doing a great job so far, girl!
Keep it up!
See some of her various hairstyles in the gallery (above)!
[Image via Pacific Coast News Online.]