ORLANDO, Fla. – A 13-year-old girl who says she was bullied because of the way she wears her hair is working hard to use her experience to help other kids.
Local 6 first told you Vanessa Van Dyke's story in November when she claimed she was bullied at school for wearing her hair "natural."
[RELATED: Girl in hair controversy returns to class | School responds to hair controversy]
School leaders at Faith Christian Academy in Orlando had threatened to expel Van Dyke if she did not change her hair, a threat they later rescinded, allowing her to return to school.
But she said the bullying continued.
"I tried to tell myself that I didn't need to pay attention to them, but at the same time I was paying attention to them," Van Dyke said.
Van Dyke's mother told Local 6 the bullying got worse.
"She started hurting herself," said Sabrina Kent. "Self harming."
That's when Kent said she started homeschooling her daughter.
"(Bullying) is not going to go away by saying, 'Oh, you'll get over it' or ignore it. It'll get better," she said. "It's not like that anymore."
School leaders at Faith Christian Academy said any bullying that happened to Van Dyke was handled according to the school's rules and procedures.
Kent said her daughter is doing much better now and has gotten a lot of her confidence back. She and her mother have also decided to use a hair care product line they're launching to help other students who have been bullied.
"Vanessa's Essence" website has information about what they're calling a "social mission."
"We also want to stop bullying by starting conversations that raise awareness of the serious consequences of bullying," the website reads, "and provide encouragement and resources to help young girls with their confidence and self esteem."