What age did you get your first relaxer?

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

17 and I totally regret it

 

[FRESHstart101]

7 or 8

 

[constance]

12 or 13. My mother was against it but my sis and I wore her down. And we both lived to regret it--we just did not know how to take care of our hair (mom took care of it when we were au natural).

 

[DrC]

11-12 The first relaxer my mother put on my hair was a "Just for Me" and it didn't even take.

 

[Cloefa]

never had one, natural from the day i was born...why do people feel the need to relax their children's hair?? i just think it feeds the social standard that black women need to have straight hair to be pretty and accepted, as if there were something wrong with wearing your hair the way it grows out of your head?? jmo...

 

[kmn1980]

I was 10 and on vacation visiting my dad, his wife said my hair was too coarse and was cutting her hands so she relaxed my hair without my mother's approval.

WTF?! If I was your mom, there would have trouble.

 

[Poopiedo]

never had one, natural from the day i was born...why do people feel the need to relax their children's hair?? i just think it feeds the social standard that black women need to have straight hair to be pretty and accepted, as if there were something wrong with wearing your hair the way it grows out of your head?? jmo...

Same reason adults feel the need to relax their hair. I wouldn't relax my child's hair at a young age but I can't knock a decision a parent makes for their child. Differences make the world go round.

I started getting my hair pressed when I was five.

I still have relaxed hair to this day and my mom has natural hair. We are both pretty with the choice we have made regarding our hair.

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

13. I have had them in my hair for 21 years. I'm now transitioning.

 

[Sondice]

I think I was prob 7 -8. At age 21 I decided to go natural. Did that for about 2 years. Jan of this year went back to relaxed.

 

[Nonie]

I was 16 or 17, when I first got my hair chemically processed and had my juice drippin' jheri curl/curly perm or as we called it, curly kit.

 

[EllePixie]

I was five...my mom didn't know how to do my hair and my dad told her he was tired of seeing me in pony puffs, smh... I wish I had never gotten one.

 

[krissyprissy]

Age 4 and my mom used PCJ professional formula, which is the lye version. She's a stylist and my hair was very healthy through school. My hair didn't go downhill until I decided I wanted a glue in weave at age 18 and became addicted to the extra length.

 

[Bella02]

I don't recall the exact age-- but it was somewhere between 5-7. Thinking closer to 6ish. What I do remember is the day it happened. My mom would take me to the salon to get my hair pressed every two weeks and my stylist would always deep condition before styling. Well on this one particular day, she was overbooked and could not keep her clients straight and ended up applying a relaxer instead of the conditioner to my hair. Needless to say my hair fell out in patches a few weeks later and my mom not knowing how to properly care for my hair took me to another salon who suggested I just keep getting them (relaxers) to nurse my hair back health otherwise the two different textures would cause even more breakage .

 

[Superfly Sister]

I was 14, it was my mum's idea after she saw that my aunty had it done. That was 1998. My last relaxer was in November 2005 or 2006 I can't remember, all the years are bluring in to one now

I only ever got my hair relax once a year or I would get it done over a year later, I didn't go for regular touch ups.

I remember going back to school the weekend after I had it done, I felt so grown up and I got lots of really nice comments and a couple of people couldn't keep their paws out my hair. Yeah... that was a funny time for me.

 

[rosieposey]

Either the first of second grade. My hair was "2 much" for my mother. Still to this day she likes the slick straight stick to your head look. I LOVE my BIG 2 MUCH hair lol

 

[che1219]

My mom wouldn't let me get a relaxer because she had a bad experience with one. So I got one when I was 19. I was tired of getting a press and curl and all my friends had relaxers.

 

[youwillrise]

i was 4. yikes!

and the last was when i was 21 (i'll be 27 in a few months)

 

[CandyCurls]

...............................

...............................

 

[Mrs. N Lugo]

I was 7 or 8 years old.

 

[BlaqBella]

"13"year before high school and everyone at school went crazy for a bit. "Her mom let her get a perm?" I was probably apl -ish. I SO wish me and my sister would have left her alone about relaxing our hair.

 

[FoxyMoxie]

I was 10. My mom sent me to my next door neighbor's house and she applied the good ole Just for Me on my hair. Eleven years later I still get relaxers and as a result my hair has gone to the pits. I am hoping to change that now by transitioning.

 

[~Sparklingflame~]

4.........

 

[Teddy B]

I got a jheri curl at the age of 12 because I wanted to be in control like miz Jackson . It grew as fast as it broke off , so at the age of 13 I got a relaxer with a shortcut alla miz Berry. After that relaxer I let my hair grow by rocking it natural for 2 years. I relaxed at 16 again and from there on I switched from natural to relaxed and back. Right now I am more natural but have some bone straight relaxed ends. After a while I guess I will texlax. but never again bone straight

 

[NAPPYCHICK86]

I was 4 years old. Im finally natural and loving it

 

[qchelle]

I asked my mom cuz I don't remember. She said 4. It was Just For Meeeeeee.

I see alot of you are saying you got your hair relaxed when you were older (teen/young adult) against your parents wishes/sneaking it, etc. I know alot of people on this board have said that their children won't ever have a relaxer 'as long as they're under my roof and when they're an adult they can do as they please'. Then they go on to say that they'll do everything they can to keep they're child from getting a realxer by setting an example/praising natural hair.

Was this you? Did your parents set an example of glorifying (or whatever) natural hair but you still wanted to get one anyway?

I ask this because I know people who this happened to (yes, it's a great tragedy ). Mom was natural/set the example/always had great hairstyles&care=adult child relaxed. It must be hard to be the ONLY example for your child I hope this doesn't happen to my future DD's

But.... I guess I'm glad that my mom relaxed my hair when I was lil. I don't think I would have enjoyed being 'different'. Of course I regret it now (I'm transitioning) though.

Sorry for the long post

 

[lolascurls]

I was 6 years old!

 

[NYDiva]

got a curl at 11, probably relaxed at 14 or so. didn't know how to care for relaxed hair and damaged, cut, damaged, cut many times. my daughters are relaxed, both close to apl. my goal is to teach them proper hair care whether they want to eventually be natural or stay relaxed.

 

[MissSenegal]

21. I decided I wanted to try something new. I went from apl natural to a pixie cut. 5 months later I bc'ed to about an inch. Now almost a year later I realized I should have bought a wig cause I change my mind too much for something as permanent as a relaxer.

 

[FebeeSigns]

I was 13. I was crying about how I was sick of doodoo braids and fat twists while all the girls in middle school had lucious straight hair that even stayed straight when wet. Before that, my mom swore she would never put a relaxer in my hair and Im so happy she did that. She never supported me when I wanted that relaxer in my hair and I had to get my dad to take me to the salon and pay for it. Years passed, hair got weak, fell out and I figured Momma knew best.

 

[ladylina]

I cant remember if I was 10 or 11, but I was in the 5th grade, man I felt so lucky lol. My mom was still doing my hair too she just wouldnt relax it I went to the shop for that.