Seriously??

Now at the end of this video, I figured he was joking with the wording on the box. But, really?? Why would a person with already straight hair want to use a relaxer?? I don't get it.




What people who are not familiar with relaxers should do is research the products. Unfortunately for black people, relaxers is something that we've been programmed thinking that we NEED. When in fact our hair is perfectly fine.

Being a Punk!

I’ve always been a simple maintenance type of girl. But, right now, my hair is working my maintenance nerves. Last night, I had scissors in had, ready to just cut it all of. What stopped me?

FEAR!

Fear of what I will look like with a TWA (Teenie Weenie Afro). I’ve never had short-short (different than just short) hair before. The shortest I’ve had my hair was just below my ears and that was in high school….and relaxed. Most of my life, I’ve had my safety net of a ponytail when having a bad hair day (like today).

Fear of the stigma from having short hair. Hair is very important to black women (not all, but most) and going natural is a big thing for us. Many of us think about it, but the fear of actually doing it is what makes us go back for another relaxer. You can look at black hair magazines and not see many natural hair styles. Mostly are relaxed hair styles…even the short hair ones. So, going from straight to a natural curly texture is scary to say the least.

I know I’m being a punk about my hair. I'll get over it soon...

Natural Relaxer

(I'm multi-tasking. Watching 'He's Just Not That Into You' and typing a blog...if I go off topic, you know why..lol)

This is me pre-relaxer. I was about 5 or 6. Adorable right?? I had a HEAD FULL of hair. My mother never used a hot comb because she didn't like the amount of heat that came out of it. This from the woman that used to use an iron to straighten my aunt's hair but that's another story.

I had to ask my mother recently when was the first time I got my hair relaxed because I don't honestly remember. She said it didn't happen until I was 12 and she regrets ever doing it. I don't know why she did it exactly, but I think it had something to do with the amount of hair I have. But, I do remember this relaxer she tried on my hair when I was around 16. It was some sort of natural relaxer. I don't know if you can remember this informercial from the 90's about a natural hair relaxer...so natural you can eat.

We tried between relaxers. I didn't get my relaxers every 3 months during that time, so I always seemed to have alot of new growth. So, we (she) ordered this relaxer and get it in the mail. When it arrived, we even tasted it like the commercial said..lol. Don't recal it having a pleasant taste. What I do remember is...breakage and nothing much got straightened.

My hair broke off so much that I had to cut it the shortest it had ever been. Into a bob to my ear lobes. My hair from that point was not good. But, then again, I had no idea at 16 on how to manage my hair. I was never one of those girls who was always into appearance and did my hair. Money was an issue and I was never into getting my hair did! (yes DID! lol).

So, here I am almost 15 years later trying to get back to that original hair. My hair! I'm excited about my transition. I've said before, my new growth doesn't bother me at all. I love the progress and can't wait to let the straight pieces go.