How old were you when you

[Atdow71]

I was 13, right before I entered high school. I remember I begged my mother for a relaxer because all through elementary & jr high I was teased for having "nappy" short hair yada yada yada. The crazy thing is my mother never had a relaxer, her hair was short, but baby soft, and my dumb *** couldn't do hair so I wore the same hair styles over & over.

Looking back, I would've never gotten a perm because no matter who did my hair, I always got scalp irritation.

 

[Gracie]

The crazy thing is almost everybody wanted it. We wanted perms/relaxers. I thought it was going to solve all on of my hair styling problems. It became such a part of our culture that we not only thought it was something wrong with the people that didn't have one but we thought we couldn't do our own hair. Maybe it was lack of tools and technique or maybe it was brainwashing but all I know is that every 2 weeks, and when I made more money, every week I HAD to go "get my hair and nails done"!! Lol

 

[Kindheart]

i was 12 ..My mother hated my hair ,she didn't like curls and ended up brushing my hair everyday in attempt to "erase" the curl pattern ,needless to say it looked pretty messy .
I straightened my hair pretty much all my life ,I started appreciating my texture browsing forums such as this ,Ezboard,or NP .

 

[Evolving78]

when i was 11 years old. i don't regret it, but just wish my mother and i knew more about haircare. my mother was more into styling my hair relaxed/natural. my hair didn't stand a chance to grow past neck length anyway.

 

[lolascurls]

I got my first relaxer at 6 years old. My mum got some bad advice that my sensitive, itchy scalp would be 'helped' by a relaxer. My mother having had natural hair until her early twenties and a short cut (shorter than a TWA) all the time before her relaxer had no idea what to do with my natural or relaxed hair.
I think I was WAY too young to get a relaxer and that I would have appreciated knowing what my own hair looked like eventually.
I felt weird having a relaxer at 6 because the other girls thought I was stuck up and I just didn't like my 'flat' hair!

 

[30something]

Maybe 9, I really don't have any feelings toward it now. It is what it is. I honestly it was that or the pressing comb, in the early 90's no black girl walked around my city with natural hair by 6th grade. No one. My hair relaxed or natural had no chance with my mom lack of knowledge.

 

[proudmommyoftwo0911]

I got my first relaxer at 6 years old. My mum got some bad advice that my sensitive, itchy scalp would be 'helped' by a relaxer. My mother having had natural hair until her early twenties and a short cut (shorter than a TWA) all the time before her relaxer had no idea what to do with my natural or relaxed hair.
I think I was WAY too young to get a relaxer and that I would have appreciated knowing what my own hair looked like eventually.
I felt weird having a relaxer at 6 because the other girls thought I was stuck up and I just didn't like my 'flat' hair!

Although I got mines @ 11, that's the same reason why my mom decided to relax my hair, plus the doctor ordered it.

 

[carameldimples]

I was 5, went to stay with my grandmom temporarily and she relaxed me and my sister's heads. I don't have any feelings about it, it was the 80's so it was what it was. I am natural now and loving it, with absolutely no plans to relax my daughter's heads. They can chose to do so maybe their senior year in HS.

 

[shasha8685]

I was 12 and I only got one because I begged my mom to get one. My mom was happy with my hair if I could get it into a decent ponytail or into 2 french braids but I wanted to fit in. My hair broke off badly afterwards and my mom put the kibosh on relaxing for a long while.

If I had it to do over, I would have waited until I was older--late high school age at the very least.

 

[melissa-bee]

I got mine at 18. I wanted one at around 13/14 but my mum said no, lol.

 

[sylver2]

i begged and begged and my mom finally let me get one at 16. my life changed still happily relaxed 23 years later

 

[bride91501]

I was 12, nearly 13, when I got my first relaxer. My mom was staunchly against it but being the authentic Nigerian mother that she is, she never felt the need to explain why . I snuck behind her back and got one of my newly-arrived-in-the states young aunts to do it lol.

I honestly wish I'd never gotten a relaxer. Looking back, my hair was so thick and healthy before I did. I'm just starting to get back that health all these years later, 2 yrs post BC.

I have 3 dds, and my oldest has hair like virtuenow describes hers....it's literally the thickest, densest head of hair I've seen ANYWHERE. She has enough for 3 or 4 people, and it's super kinky and coily. It is absolutely gorgeous, although folks always look at me like I was crazy when I say that she will never have a relaxer while living in my home (she's nearly 13). She loves her hair, and I know that's because she's only ever heard me speak positively about it. No complaining when it takes me 2+ hours to detangle, or when it takes **days** to dry....none when it takes 3 hours to style (although this one does sometimes push me to the edge ).

She doesn't want a relaxer, and at least for now, she says she'll never change her mind.

 

[glamazon386]

I was about 5 or 6. I didn't feel one way or the other about it. I had healthy relaxed hair as a child that was maintained with biweekly salon appointments. It wasn't until I started doing it myself as a teenager that I began to have some setbacks.

The oldest Obama daughter has had her hair relaxed for a while now. She's in high school.

 

[ItsMeFre]

I got it when I turned 14 because I BEGGED my mom and she finally gave in. I only kept it for 5 years because it severely damaged my hair. Went from about MBL to about neck length.

My daughters will not be getting relaxers until they are no longer under my care. To me, there's just no point in getting a relaxer. Natural hair is just so versatile I feel there's no need for a relaxer.

 

[venusfly]

 

[drmuffin]

I was about 3. Looking back, I still can't believe my mother did that. She never gave my hair a chance. It was pretty, but at what cost?

 

[ManeStreet]

19 I hated it tho. it felt too limp

 

[alove15]

I was about 6. We had just moved to america. It wasn't my choice to do it but I remember enjoying the silky feeling. I think 6 was/is way too young. I would wait until my future child was 16-18 and they were absolutely positive. Until then I would just flat iron their hair if they wanted it straight.

 

[MsDes]

I was in the 6th grade so I was like 11 I guess. I just did what mama wanted me to do, I didn't think too much of it. I didn't ask her for one or nothing. All I knew was hot combs, didn't know much about perms. My hair was sooo thin and stiff. LOL. I'm so glad I went natural even though my natural hair can be a pain at times but I will get the hang of it.

 

[Curlywurly10]

I got a curly perm at age 8 which is ridiculous because my hair is 3b and the perm made it look exactly as it does now! I can't blame my mum because I remember begging her to let me have it done but I think that was because she used to brush my curls out on dry hair and it would constantly be a frizzy mess!! Then aged 12 I decided I wanted straight hair, so transitioned for a while and then had my permed hair cut off and my ng relaxed. It was about 4 inches long and I cried and cried!! And since then my hair hasn't been past shoulder length due to relaxers, glued extensions, bleach and every damaging thing you can think of! I'm so glad that time has past and I am natural now. I definitely think I was too young but can only blame myself

 

[Monaleezza]

I got my first relaxer when I was old enough to pay for it myself! I was in my late teens and working a part time job.
Because there was no way my mum was planning to fund any Cream. Addiction!

And from the damage I'd seen in people's hair there was no way I was going to experiment at home with a kit and a mirror.

We really have come a long way with us knowing more than salon stylists about hair care!

 

[xNichex]

I was about 13, when my mum finally let me relax my hair. I only wanted because my mum use to get it, plus she always use to complain wen doin my hair. Needless to say i couldnt take care of it and it broke off at the back especially. So i braided my hair and transitioned back to natural till i was about 17 and once again fed up of natural hair, same thing happened again . So i twisted for 3 years and now im back to natural. I will neva relax again, i just cant take care of it! Had my mum not complained so much about my hair i probably wudnt of even done it in the first place.

 

[amber815]

I was 16 going on 17. Right before starting college. Sometimes I wish I didn't get it just so I could have really seen/remembered what my natural hair was like.