First Relaxer?

You're not weird. I have many friends who got perms on their hair around 2 or 3 years old. I got my first perm when I was around 10 or 11. I actually begged my mom to get one. I remember vaguely how my hair used to look like before then.

I was young and naive and assumed that I needed the perm in order to "fit" in but now I don't give two hoots anymore. If only I knew then what I know now.

I was five when I got my first relaxer. MY mom relaxed my hair after being pressured by friends who said "when you gonna perm her hair...who wants to deal with all that nappiness?" I think my cousin was permed at around two. Don't really see any childhood pics of her without a relaxer!

10, my mom didn't want to do it but I recruited my grandmother in my efforts to convince my mom.

Wow I'm vaguely horrified at the fact that relaxers have been used on children as young as two

I got my first relaxer when I was 12 years and I had to beg my mother for it to happen. She tried to talk me out of it lol And when I told her I was going natural last year she only halfheartedly tried to talk me out of it. I think she's curious about seeing my natural texture again.

I got my first relaxer at 11 years old and I had to beg my mother to do it. Before it was relaxed, I used to wear my hair in cornrows a lot. I loved it when she would braid my hair b/c it meant that I didn't have to get my hair combed for at least week. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

10 and then when all of my hair broke off, I stopped. Then, my dumb 12-year-old self decided I wanted to give it another try (even though EVERYONE was against it) and my hair broke off some more. I stopped relaxing my hair probably after that first relaxer I got. I learned my lesson and have been natural since eighth grade, pretty much. I never BC-ed. It's sad though, cause I never "needed" a relaxer in the first place. But I guess..who really does?

I had always had long hair as a child, thanks to my grandmother who was an old school hairstylist that didn't think children should have relaxers. She lived and died by the pressing comb, lol.

So when I was 14, I decided for my first day of high school, I should get my hair cut into a cute bob. I told my mom and one of my friend's mothers recommended their hairstylist at JcPenney's hair salon, lol. When the stylist asked me and my mother if we ever thought of me getting a relaxer, my mother said it was my choice but that I would have to know how to take care of it. It was the first time I ever contemplated a relaxer, and the thought of no longer getting my ears burnt by the hot comb was more than appealing.
So I got my first relaxer at 14... which barely took, but I loved the fact that my mother allowed it to be my choice and at an appropriate age to make that choice.

I was actually 11 years old when I got my relaxer. My mom's a hair stylist who had my hair in braids and pressed up to that point. I don't remember much, but I do remember getting burned sometimes. Yet, my hair took the relaxer well...within minutes you could see my hair getting straighter.

i didnt get my first relaxer until i was 14 years old..i just got to highschool and i seemed to be having a lot of bad hair days compared to the other girls and i knew nothing about a flat iron so i got a relaxer

I was 8 years old when I got my first relaxer. In the weeks that followed, my hair broke off terribly and I can remember my mother feeling bad about it when she'd style my hair for school in the morning. She said that she was sorry she'd even considered it since my hair had broken off so badly. Two years later, I begged my mom to relax my hair again because I was just so tired of getting my hair pressed. I also had three older sisters that wore their hair relaxed and I really wanted my hair to look and "swang" like theirs LOL. My mom was reluctant, but she gave in after a lot of begging, so I began getting a relaxer consistently at 10 years old.

I got my first relaxer at six years old...My mom told me that she was tired of doing my hair that that she could never get the front edges to lay down and she didn't know any better at the time. She took great care of my hair though--she never put a lot of heat on it and kept it very moisturized...and it stayed long until I colored it for the first time.

I got my 1st relaxer when I was 10 or 11 and it was because I wanted to wear a hair style that my cousin was wearing at that time. It guess what it was..........FINGER WAVES w/ 4 curls in the middle of my head! LOL! Now that I look back, I ask myself what was I thinking and why did my mother allow that. Crazy! But overall she took great care of my hair until....I got old enough and started doing whatever to it. But you live and learn.

got my first relaxer at age 16 and had it for about 5 years

I was six.

Lilith_Eve wrote:Wow I'm vaguely horrified at the fact that relaxers have been used on children as young as two

I know, me too! I'm honestly trying to figure out why. I mean was it laziness on my mom's part? Did she just not feel like combing through my natural hair? Was my hair "that bad"? Was she trying to impress other people and make it look like I had "good hair"? Like everyone else, I thought I was about 7 or 8 when I got my first relaxer. I have virtually no photos to refer back to.

Two?? My goodness! I was 13 and went off to the salon with my sisters (23 and 25) and told the stylist I wanted a relaxer and a wrap style. My hair was long and virgin and he was all too glad to do it. My sister's paid, as a middle school graduation gift. Needless to say, when I got home my mother was livid! I can laugh at it now, but I still regret ever doing it. Wanted to fit in...ahhh teenagers!

I don't remember exactly how old I was, but I do remember I was in the 9th grade! My mother never forced me to get a relaxer, but because I wanted one, being that I was getting older, in school with older kids, etc...she gave in! And plus, I was a cheerleader and hated that after every game, my hair would be poofy and frizzy! LOL! (If only the CHI irons were out then...geez!) So I got my first relaxer, but I would get the kiddy perms. I think my first one was a "Just For Me" relaxer (Do yall remember the theme song? "I want style body and shine, a look that's totally all mine...hair so soft, silky and free??? I want something Just For Me...Just for Meeeee!" LOLOLOLOL..I know y'all remember that commercial!) I really loved it when I first got it! So yeah, I stuck with the lil box perms. If only I would've remained true to my natural hair! I look back on some of my jr. high pics and i get amazed at how long my hair was! On a mission to get that length back!!!!

P.S. I had to do it-----> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfPe5EqSBBo [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You are not weird. I got my first relaxer at four and had no idea what my actual hair looked like until six months ago. Now that I've gone natural I've heard family members and friends say that I had nice hair as a child so I'm wondering why did you put a relaxer in a four year old's hair. I have yet to get an answer.

I was 14 when I got my first relaxer. I was tired of the jheri curl. Don't laugh. Don't you laugh!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

@ natural83 - - Has anyone ever told you that you look like curlynikki?

Lynnieluve wrote:I was 14 when I got my first relaxer. I was tired of the jheri curl. Don't laugh. Don't you laugh!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

LynnieLuv you stole my story! I begged for a relaxer my first year of high school because there was no way I was going to high school with a Jheri Curl! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

@pfarley No, I haven't heard that one...but I will take it as a compliment [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] ! I definitely aspire to have big, curly hair like her though!!!!