Re: First Relaxer?

by ~JOME~ 9th February 2010, 5:38 pm

Janique wrote:Me too since I was 12

I have been raised in the truth all my life, but I got baptized 3 years ago.

by MsJay1121 9th February 2010, 5:48 pm

Amazing how we found eachother!!! LOL

I was raised around it (my mother was raised in it, but has yet to make it her own...)

I got baptized @ 18 (five years ago.... Very Happy

)

Who's Yoli???? LOL sorry, I'm new to the forums....

by hurjurnee 9th February 2010, 5:52 pm

My first relaxer was when I was about 9. I wanted to fit in, as I've heard others state. Now that I've been natural for the last couple of years, I can thankfully say that my daughter is embracing her beautiful curls. She will be 9 in May, and I've been experimenting with different twisted and cornrowed styles (shout out to Ms. Butters-n-Bars). My daughter loves it! I'm just thankful that I can be her hair role model.

by Janique 9th February 2010, 5:53 pm

i like how we made this our own little side discussion LOL

by ~JOME~ 9th February 2010, 5:55 pm

Janique wrote:i like how we made this our own little side discussion LOL

In the relaxer thread of all places, lol! I feel sorry for everyone else though....they probably wondering what we are talking about.

by MsJay1121 9th February 2010, 6:03 pm

~JOME~ wrote:
Janique wrote:i like how we made this our own little side discussion LOL

In the relaxer thread of all places, lol! I feel sorry for everyone else though....they probably wondering what we are talking about.

That's what makes it fun!!!! Wink

by MsJay1121 9th February 2010, 6:03 pm

And to think, it all started because of a siggie!!!! lol

by LadyV69 9th February 2010, 6:46 pm

I didn't get a relaxer until I was 14 and in high school, although my mom pressed my hair occasionally for two years before that. I'm shocked that other people had relaxers at the age of 3. As a child, I didn't know anyone to get relaxers before age 10 or 11. Anyway, I actually had wanted a relaxer by the time I was 12, because I'd gone to predominately white schools and I often envied the straight hair that the white girls had. From the time I was about 8 until I was 14 I'd go to a neighbor's house to get my hair cornrowed, since Mom didn't know how. That was torture(the neighbor probably used a fine toothed comb, which I know now is a big no-no). Sometimes, she'd put beads in my hair, which was nice, but the rest of the time, I didn't like my hair. My mom refused. I only got the relaxer at 14 because her friends and some family members told her I was getting too big for braids. Over 20 years later, I wish she hadn't given in to that kind of pressure.

by iri9109 10th February 2010, 5:51 am

i was going into 6th or 7th grade so 12 or 13?

by KinkyNappyHappy 10th February 2010, 9:24 am

I was 4 and back then the only perm was UltraSheen...my hair was soo thick that my mom and one of her friend used a super on my hair. One did the right side and the other did the left.

All I could remember was sitting there in the middle!!!! I went back to the wash and press in high school, but by the time I got to college I had enough of my mom burning me telling me it was the grease!!! So I went back to the perm..those were my Dark'n'Lovely days...

The rest is history...started getting my hair done by a professional and then hopping from one stylist to another. I think I've been to almost every stylist in Houston..just kidding but I've been to a lot.

Just got tired of the whole process (5 to 8 hours in a salon) and watching my hair get so thin over the years. Maybe if I would have stuck with the first stylist I would have my thickness, but he wouldn't show up until at least 6 clients was waiting to be curled. Rolling Eyes

Oh...let me stop sorry got off track... lol!

I was 4!!!

by QuietButterfly 14th February 2010, 2:26 pm

I don't quite remember how old I was, but I do know I was in the 6th grade. My Mom always did a good job with taking care of my sister and I's hair......she always kept it in cornrows or in some other kind of easy to maintain style. We started going to this older lady to get our hair pressed out and after a few appointments with her, she told my Mom that she might want to think about putting a perm in my hair because she always had more trouble with my hair compared to my sisters.....I had the thicker hair, was always breaking combs and that kind of thing lol.

So a few months later my sister and I both went and got our first perm.

by raina 14th February 2010, 3:40 pm

I was 18 yrs old when i got my first relaxer.I lived with my grandparents and my grandma did not have a perm, she wore a press and curl.If I wanted a relaxer i had to pay for it myself.

by danycurls 18th February 2010, 1:06 am

I was 18 when I first got my relaxer. At the the time I was getting ready to come study to the US from Africa. I just wanted the sleek look of African american women I watch on TV. I thought That was the way to go comming in a more civilized society. I was wrong, I will never ever go back to relaxed hair. I love my natural hair , I have always love it, I just relaxed out of ignorance. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Curliana 18th February 2010, 4:09 am

I was nine when i got my first relaxer and I was soooo hyped...I thought i was so cute. Recently, I asked my mom why she permed me and she said 'cus you wanted it.'...i also wanted a second hole in my ear for another earring, i also wanted a phone line in my room and cable and air maxes...didn't get those!

by LuvMeLuvMyFro 9th March 2010, 10:27 am

CurlieCutes1121 wrote:Amazing how we found eachother!!! LOL

I was raised around it (my mother was raised in it, but has yet to make it her own...)

I got baptized @ 18 (five years ago.... )

Who's Yoli???? LOL sorry, I'm new to the forums....

She is another natural on here. She mainly post in the FL meet-up thread.

by naturalmommyGA 9th March 2010, 10:33 am

I was 11 when I got my first relaxer! I begggggggggeeeeedddd my mom to let me get it and she complied I think she was tired of fighting me to press my hair on Saturday's. However, I did a lot of damage to my hair in middle school because I was "attempting" to style my hair. It got so bad my mom took away the curling iron and bought me some rollers!! lol

by Ameenah 9th March 2010, 12:15 pm

I don't remember how young I was I do remember i was in elementary school. After a couple of years when I was in middle school maybe 13 I started putting them in myself. I remember I had really curly hair when I was young and everyone was wearing the jeri curl my mom would put gel in my hair to make is look like I had one. But then she put a perm in my younger sister's hair and I wanted one to. I really regret going all of those years using perms. I am finally back to natural and I love my hair.

by marbar1908 9th March 2010, 1:23 pm

Well I was 4 or 5 when I got my first relaxer. A lot of the things people are saying in here sound so familiar. My family always says, "Oh you had hair like your Grandmother" or "You had really thick, pretty hair when you were younger" so, I asked my mother why did I get a relaxer?

Her response... We moved to Sumter, she'd gotten a job as a principal and she didn't have enough time to try to fight my hair into appropriate little kid styles. LOL Well, I wish I would've known. Fortunately, my hair has never broken off tremendously bad from a relaxer so I'm thankful!

Very Happy

by KreyolKatt 9th March 2010, 10:02 pm

I got mine during spring break in 6th grade.( So i guess that made me 12 or 13). I beggggged my mom to let me have one. I explained to her that I was the only black girl in the WHOLE school ( slight exaggeration ) without one. She finally caved in.... I got my perm.."fit in" a little bit better... and we all lived happily ever after... Wink

by blondie 9th March 2010, 10:12 pm

~JOME~ wrote:
Janique wrote:i like how we made this our own little side discussion LOL

In the relaxer thread of all places, lol! I feel sorry for everyone else though....they probably wondering what we are talking about.

Y'all are talking about being a Jehovah's Witness! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by NaturallyLovely 9th March 2010, 10:22 pm

pfarley wrote:Hey ladies! Brief introduction: My name is Princess and I've been transitioning for almost 3 months now.

Out of curiosity, I asked my mom how old I was when I got my first relaxer. She snickered and told me that I was two...years...old...

My mouth dropped and for some reason I got a lump in my throat as if I were about to cry. Two years old? What can a relaxer do for a child at two years old? Make my hair more "manageable" to put in pigtails??? I have two daughters under two years old and at that age they are so innocent (well, not all the time...but you know what I mean).

Aside from my new growth, I've lived pretty much my entire twenty-five years of life not knowing what my God-given hair looks like. It makes me really sad. Am I weird?

How old were you when you got your first relaxer? What is with this stigma?

Hi pfarley,

I am with you on the dropped jaw. When I read the two years of age my mouth was so open. However my mother was not and is into relaxers. I got my hair pressed on Easter, the first week of school or if I was a flower girl in someone's wedding (twice). My choice. My first press was in the fourth grade, for the first week of school. It was only pressed if I asked my mother and she felt up to doing it.

I first relaxed my hair at the age of 16. It was my choice not my mother's. I have always love/enjoyed creating new styles and making women look beautiful by bring that which is within out. So I decided I wanted to try a relaxed look so I went to my local BSS and purchased a Dark and Lovely relaxer and got to work. I followed all the instructions to the T and I was cute!!! However I did not relax my hair due to me trying to make it more manageable but I want to try some new styles. It never mattered to me whether I was relaxed or natural I just love styling hair and having healthy hair.

Note: I almost forgot about the Jheri Curl. I got my first one in the 7th grade up until the 9th grade. I stopped getting them after I asked my aunt who is a hair stylist can I put a relaxer in my hair and she said I had to grow out the curl first. So I did over about 6 months before I relaxed. I got the Jheri Curl because I asked and it was my aunt who performed the procedure. I use the term "I asked" because I was a great child. I did not disobey or disrespect my parents in any manner or rearly asked for much of anything. So when I did ask my parents, most time they would oblige. (Just in case someone reading this thinks my parents did what ever I asked.)

by Janique 9th March 2010, 10:43 pm

blondie wrote:
~JOME~ wrote:
Janique wrote:i like how we made this our own little side discussion LOL

In the relaxer thread of all places, lol! I feel sorry for everyone else though....they probably wondering what we are talking about.

Y'all are talking about being a Jehovah's Witness! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

LOL...yup blondie....u would be correct!

by blondie 9th March 2010, 11:32 pm

Janique wrote:
blondie wrote:
~JOME~ wrote:
Janique wrote:i like how we made this our own little side discussion LOL

In the relaxer thread of all places, lol! I feel sorry for everyone else though....they probably wondering what we are talking about.

Y'all are talking about being a Jehovah's Witness! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

LOL...yup blondie....u would be correct!

Not much gets by me!! Smile

by ~JOME~ 10th March 2010, 12:04 am

blondie wrote:
Janique wrote:
blondie wrote:
~JOME~ wrote:
Janique wrote:i like how we made this our own little side discussion LOL

In the relaxer thread of all places, lol! I feel sorry for everyone else though....they probably wondering what we are talking about.

Y'all are talking about being a Jehovah's Witness! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

LOL...yup blondie....u would be correct!

Not much gets by me!!

Yay! Someone caught on, lol.

by sydnilux 10th March 2010, 2:36 am

Let's tell my story...

I got my first relaxer when I was in the second grade, around 7/8.

I had a kiddie perm and my hair broke off so bad I was bald around the sides.

My hair grew back, thank God!

I didn't get my next relaxer until I was 11 when my mom was tired of pressing my hair.

From 6th grade until 12th I remained relaxed.

Then I added color and by accident went natural.

I've been natural for almost 5 years!

by Sponsored content