‘In 2005, I had never seen anyone whose hair is like mine,” says Yean Reaksmey, a 22-year-old who works for an art organisation.

Reasmey started to grow his hair after he shaved it off and it changed from straight to curly. “It is my symbol, my identity. It says that I like doing something different,” he says, adding that even though it makes him the odd one out he likes it.

Despite gossip and criticism from the people including his friends and teachers, Reaksmey doesn’t mind too much. “I was teased by my friends, they’d call me ‘curly’ and some of my teachers disliked me in high school. But I still kept my hair the same to prove that it is not wrong to grow hair like that.” he says.

Not everyone finds his style weird. Some consider the style unique and beautiful, and respect his decision and preference he says, adding “most of my colleagues respect me, so they do not say anything about my hair. And some even appreciate my style, claiming that it’s nice.”

Maintaining his style isn’t easy “I spend at least one hour to have my hair shampooed, oiled twice a week,” adding he prefers having someone else combing his hair because it hurts less.

For the moment Reaksmey wants to keep his style but in the future might make a bit of a change and might cut it short but let it remain curly.

When asked if there are fleas on his head, he laughed and said: “Sometimes, we have to let them live.”

Seng Litor