Naturals - how many years did you relax your hair?

[Evallusion]

I remember my mom putting a hawaiian silky perm in when I was about 4 years old. After that it was Vigorols, PCJ and Just for Me perms. When I got older I used pretty much any boxed perm that was on sale. I went natural at 22 years old. (I slipped up and texturized my hair 3 times) I am now 25 and still natural. I went natural out of curiosity, I needed a change, because of more styling options and also because I had gotten a bad burn on my scalp from a perm.

Long story short, I've been perming for at least 18 years. No more perms for me...I am so done.

 

[NikStarrr]

For like almost 20 years, give or take! From 6th grade until 2 years ago. Crazy...

 

[Lola Laughs]

I was relaxed from age 14 (after begging and pleading with my mom for a couple of years) through age 25, so roughly 10 years.

 

[jshor09]

I was relaxed by an aunt at 10 without my mother's approval. I did my first big chop in 2006. I got another relaxer in 2008. I did another bc in the summer of 2008. I think i'm done with relaxers. My hair thrives without them. So that would be about 16 yrs relaxed

 

[ms.blue]

the first time from 1991-2004 then went natural from 2004-2006 relaxed again b/c I didn't know how to deal w/ my natural hair. Had my last relaxer in dec 2007 & now natural again

 

[Southernbella.]

25 years!


ETA: From about 3 to 28 years old.

 

[ceebee3]

I was relaxed from 13-15

Natural from 15-18

Relaxed from 18-21

Natural 21-26

Relaxed from 26-30

Now I'm transitioning for the first time back to natural. All the other times I just let the relaxed hair fall out but I didn't know anything about transitioning.

So I've been relaxed for 9 years total.

 

[darlingdiva]

On and off--four years (ages six to nine & ages 18 to 19). My mom used PCJ each time.

 

[PistolWhip]

I would say roughly about 1983 to 1996(unbelieveable) then alot of weaves(with damage to my hair)

 

[katblack]

I was relaxed at the age of 12, that is around the time I begged my mom for a relaxer because all the other black girls had one. Then my edges were breaking and my hair was pretty much suffering. So, cut off my relaxer and grow my hair natural and I remember this to be in middle school, and remained natural for atleast a year and a half. I relaxed it without my mothers permission by my friend, but for some reason I think I went natural again in high school? Either way in about a year in a half ago I went natural and I was so I was around 20. So I was relaxed generally anywhere from 1-6 years.
The funny part being that I always missed my natural hair and would always think back to it. How fast my hair grow and how little problem with breakage I had.

 

[coolsista-paris]

i had no choice! i GOT relaxed at 10 so continued not kwowing anything about natural hair. THEN i stopped this stuff in december 2007. so for 13 years!!!!

 

[ConsiderCamille]

So sad I have no clue when I had my first relaxer cause my mom was doing them when I was so young so I'm assuming 15+ years, this is my 2nd yr natural

 

[julzinha]

I was never really relaxed I got one once when i was 7 because the lady said it would make my braid extensions smoother and another time when I was 14 because we had an 8th grade cruise and i couldn't get my hair braided in time. Then once that all broke off now I am natural.

 

[TrendySocialite]

I was relaxed from age 5 so 1980 until 2009...almost 30 years.

 

[msdeevee]

Everyone always forgets about the lifetime naturals...I know the question isn't directed at us but we like to be included .

I envy people like you that never had to or wanted to experience the lye.

I got my first relaxer when in 1971 and I went natural in 2006. I relaxed for 35yrs WOW.

I thought I was gonna be alone here. I got my first relaxer at about 13. I have never forgotten that experience because that 1st relaxer took all of my hair out. I went from long hair to picked off nape length . It was horrible and traumatic at that age

Why didn't I learn then? I relaxed until 6 years ago when I just got tired of the lye , not being able to scratch my head. Those long salon appts. all the rest that goes with it .

So I relaxed my hair for a little over 35 years , wow!!!

 

[bkprincesa]

I was relaxed from age 5 in 1993 until recently. I had my last relaxer in May 2009 at the age of 20 and I am currently transitioning to natural, looking forward to never using a relaxer again ever in my life!

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

1991-2007.....looks like someone's tombstone yearserplexed. I got my last perm right before I started my 1st job out of college in August 2007. I didn't BC until June 2008, so I transitioned like 10 months....(I had planned on just growing it out long enough to perm again so I didn't even know I was transitioning until I started doing research last year...go figure!?!)

 

[Goombay_Summer]

I had a relaxer from 1992-1994, in 1994 I mistakenly got a Hawaiian silk curl and then a relaxer again from 1996 until 2005. So I am totally guilty of abusing my hair. I BC'd originally to give myself a break from relaxers until I could find a competent hairdresser, little did I know that I would continue on my natural hair journey.

 

[Katherina]

i only had one relaxer. i was 10. my mom didn't really know what it was & thought she could wash it out. she didn't leave it in very long, so maybe i was texlaxed, lol. i didn't do a BC & my hair was shoulder length (& breaking at my growthrate of 1/2 inch per month), so i guess it was all out by eighth grade .

 

[luckiestdestiny]

Re edit. I miss understood your post. I was relaxed for 6 years only. I'm natural in my siggy. I never thought of any of it as a journey as I was natural for such a long time and was told my natural hair was beautiful every FIVE minutes. And I'm not kidding I'd walk down the street and people would say how beautiful I was and my hair, then they'd ask to touch it. I think it's because I was in Germany and they weren't used to seeing that many black people in the area where I lived. But at the same time, it was great for my hair self esteem and I never really had issues with my hair (as in feeling that it was bad or good or whatever and having to retrain myself).

 

[Lucky's Mom]

Age 12 - 1981 - to age 31 - 1998............

 

[grownwomanaz]

I'm transitioning, 10months post (kinda lost track for a minute), but I think I got my first "perm" when I was 11 or 12. May 12, 2009 was my last and final relaxer. Thank you Jesus! I have seen the light. I never new how beautiful my natural hair was until now at age 42. I'm so thankful for all the knowledge I've gained and continue to gain from LHCF...love ya'll.

 

[sweetpeadee]

I was relaxed only about four years out of my life, and that was four years too long

I have no one to blame but myself. My mom NEVER wanted me to get a relaxer but I wanted to be "down" and "fit in" the kids in HS.

Same here! I was natural up until high school! My mom refused me and refused me, but finally she gave in and said I can get it relaxed...and then the problems began for me! Before relaxing it was at least past my shoulders/ APL, but after it broke off...A LOT!!! Then I got it cut short, started growing it out from there only to have the back break off...to the point where I didn't wear it out because it looked so lopsided!!! So then I only wore it in ponytails and buns...which (of course) only caused more breakage!!!

::sigh:: So young and naive....

 

[anon123]

From around the age of 11 or 12 to 16.

 

[sweetpeadee]

I just want to confess that sometimes I'm secretly jealous of you life long naturals b/c you never had to endure the sometimes traumatic side of relaxers. So lucky!!!

I know what you mean...If I had only held off...

 

[CocoGlow]

I can't vote b/c I relaxed for 6 months!

That's exactly how long it took to develop a bald patch smack dab in the middle of my head & massive breakage all over!!

I didn't want the relaxer in the 1st place but I felt I had no other options...

Before that I had worn my natural hair in extension braids for YEARS .. it never occured to me that I could/should wear my natural hair as is since I didn't have that "good hair"

I was very fortunate to find the natural hair forums in the midst of my relaxer debacle b/c I would have certainly worn extension braids for the rest of my life had I not been inspired/enlightened

 

[ctosha]

I relaxed my hair for about 6 years from age 16 to 22 or 23. I had no issues but just got tired of working 5 days a week then waking up early again to go to a salon on a Saturday morning and leaving at 4pm in the afternoon. Best decision I ever made regarding my hair.

 

[Janet']

Oops, I said 10-15 years, but it was really 20 plus years- from 1983-2004...I was 5 when I got my first relaxer and my hair was still thick as heck...My hair suffered from me (in my middle and high school years) using too much heat, not enough moisture, bad braids, too many dominican blowouts (well, actually the high heat blow dryer), I could go on and on

In my album is a pic of me with a fresh perm...

 

[Whimsy]

13 yrs before my first bc
16 yrs before my 2nd "bc"

I was 11 and ignorant about relaxed hair when I got my first one. And through the years, I loved my hair, it grew in it was healthy etc...but every few months I'd have to go get the hellish relaxer...I BCed my first time, texlaxed again, then BCed finally and I don't think I'll ever relax my hair again. Actually, I know I wont. I LOVE my natural hair, it's so ME!

 

[Carrie A]

about 22 years