My Hair Story

So, my hair story is pretty much the same as many other black women, I received a relaxer at about 4 or 5 years old because I would BAWL every time my mother put a comb to my head, and not only because it hurt to have it combed but because she actually popped me with it (not cool lady). So I was in kindergarten with a perm, and trust me I wasn't the only one. However, my mom still did my hair like a little girl with thousands of barrettes and bubbles (as we Jamaicans call the elastic hair holders with the balls @ each end). It was time for my first touch up after the initial process and thats where the trouble started. 

The fool who did my hair put relaxer on all of my hair, not just the new growth which lead to breakage, of course. And that's when I first experienced the infamous relaxer burn, I remember crying and feeling like I was gonna die. Anyway, the breakage was pretty bad, I lost quite a few inches of hair so my mother transitioned me out of a relaxer. She would roller set my hair for the most part, and I had braids once as well. Anyway, eventually my hair was natural again and as I got older my mom decided to press my hair (can you say torture, ARGH). 

About 5 years of burned ears, scorched scalp, and rivers of tears later, and my mother finally gave up and let a friend with experience relax my hair. It took two boxes of relaxer and I was so happy but my fears were still there. I associated relaxers with pain and hair loss, every time I got a touch up I would all I could to avoid burns, no scratching, lots of grease, no water for weeks. But it was like Russian Roulette, I never knew what would happen. Mostly it would burn the hell out of me and I'd retrace my steps for the past week trying to figure out what I did wrong to no avail. It seemed like no matter what I did there would be burns and tears. And when I didn't get burned I would do the same thing retrace my steps for the past week and try to figure out what I did right.

I had always thought natural hair could look really good, but until a girl I actually knew decided to take the plunge, I never thought I could do it. Anyway, her decision piqued my interest and I decided to do some research, but I never went through with it because I thought I had no choice but to do the BC (big chop). Anyhoo, fast forward to January 22, 2010 and me at 22 years old, the day I got my last relaxer. I thought I had found a stylist who knew what to do to keep my scalp from burning. But alas, that wasn't the case, I got burned again and I feared that my hair would fall out for the last time. Finally, after the last burn I said to hell with it, I'm done. And here I am now, 9 months into my transition and I couldn't be happier.