Recently a girlfriend complained to me about how she’s contemplating giving her 9 year old a relaxer. I couldn’t help but to look at her like she was crazy. Typically I don’t care what grown women do to their hair, but I do have an issue to harsh chemicals being applied to a child’s head.
When I was a kid, my mother had 3 heads of hair to deal with, and with all various grades of hair. There was my long, curly and fine hair. By long, I mean almost waist length. My sister had extra thick wavy hair, which was almost waist length as well. And my younger sister had coarser hair, somewhat a mixture of both textures, and also long. Every night my mother would do our hair for the following morning. It was a long and arduous task, but she did it. Chemical free.
I didn’t receive my first relaxer and hair cut, until the 11th grade. Needless to say, I was underwhelmed by the results of my first relaxer. After that first experience, it took about 2 years to grow it out and I never went back.
Although I don’t have any daughters of my own, I will say that if I did, a relaxer would be the last thing I would think about applying to my child’s hair. Not only are there possible health implications, but it’s not just a one and done deal, which can end up being costly. People should realize there are other options besides relaxing a child’s hair.
Just this week, my friend posted a photo of her daughter’s new hair style. I noticed she opted out of putting in a relaxer and went with a two strand twist hairstyle. The little girl loves them.
At what age did you receive your first relaxer?
The post Open Thread: How Old Were You When You Received Your First Relaxer? appeared first on Coco & Creme.
