"I'm not relaxed" (Huh?)

[KurlyNinja]

I'm not going to lie, before I found hair boards, I thought relaxing is what you all call texlaxed hair. When I relaxed, it was NEVER 100% bone straight. I don't know if thats because the poeple doing my relaxer didn't know what they were doing or because they did know what they doing. I was actually really surprised one day my best friend told me when she washes her hair, its still straight when she gets out the shower. I was so SHOCKED! I didn't know hair got 100% straight with a relaxer. So to each their own I guess...

 

[aquajoyice]

I refer to myself as being texlaxed because when I say i'm relaxed people start looking at me crazy becuase I still have a lot of my own texture. I get shrinkage and my hair isn't straight most of the time. So to stop the constant questions I say texlaxed then 9 out of 10x I have to define what that means. I am an under-processed relaxer user lol. I notice there are some women out there that get offended when you say they use a relaxer, but like someone posted before it is another form of the brown paper bag test. Good Hair vs Bad Hair is nothing new and still alive and well in our community. That term creamy crack to me means your not a fan of relaxers becuase you know the damage that is being done to your hair, but continue to use it out of neccessity. For those that don't know how to manage their natural hair.
For those that don't know how to effectively use it as a tool and become a slave to it probably refer to it as creamy crack.

A short test to see if you fall under the term Creamy Crackhead.
-List 5 staple products, if relaxer is in the top 2 ....you might be a crackhead
-If you were stranded on a deserted island and was only allowed to have a lifetime supply of 1 product and you pick relaxer....you might be a crackhead.
-If you get super excited about relaxer day...you might be a crackhead
-If you wont even allow a wave to grow out of your scalp before relaxing...you might be a crack head.
-And last but not least...you will endure a burning sensation close to what the flames of hell feel like to ensure your relaxer "takes"....you might be a crack head.

This was me before the hair care journey LOL. I can laugh about it now but in high school it was a pretty serious thing for me. I wore my hair straight 24/7. But wasn't quick to tell anyone I got a relaxer.

 

[nappystorm]

Here is how most of my convos go:

Someone has a question or comment about my hair

I answer the question or respond to the comment

SO: Yeah, I don't perm my hair either

NS: REALLY!?! How do you get it that straight? (Gets ready to take notes)

SO: Well I only come a relaxer in for 5 minutes/I only perm it once a year/I have a kiddie perm.

NS(mentally)erplexed :Oh okay

 

[Minty]

Here is how most of my convos go:

Someone has a question or comment about my hair

I answer the question or respond to the comment

SO: Yeah, I don't perm my hair either

NS: REALLY!?! How do you get it that straight? (Gets ready to take notes)

SO: Well I only come a relaxer in for 5 minutes/I only perm it once a year/I have a kiddie perm.

NS(mentally)erplexed :Oh okay

 

[nappystorm]

Giiiirrrrlll, that used to work my nerves!!

I remember a natural making a thread about that very thing a while back but by the time I got in the thread, it was crazy. I know exactly what you're talking about though.

 

[danysedai]

Before I read the whole thread I have to sat,OP, that I agree with you.
Case in point,one of my BEST friends recently "confessed" that she uses a mild relaxer,and we've been friends for YEARS. She has everybody fooled saying that's her natural hair, you know, the "good" hair and that she doesn't "need" a relaxer. She's also the queen of wrapping hair,she has perfected that in her quest for that "good" straight hair.
Another is my sister who is a natural with a gorgeus head of curls but wanted to "release" the curls a bit. I didn't want her to, but she finally found a brazilian straightening system (not BKT!) that releases the curls a bit. I looked the ingredients up and it is basically a thio relaxer, so I gave her info about thio relaxers and how not to put a sodium hydroxide relaxer on top of that. Anyways, they are calling it "alisado" and "onda fria" (cold wave) in cuba when it is a relaxer. There's this assumption that only people with "bad" hair relax their hair
I used to use a really strong relaxer buying into the myth that I NEEDED the super strength. I now use Affirm Mild and I like it as it relaxes but doesn't burn.