Relaxing started when I was twelve. You know how it is. Friends were allowed to do it in primary school, I was allowed to do it when I went to secondary school as a kind of reward. I worked extra hard at school, because if my parents were happy with my report, I was allowed to straighten my frizzy hair!
Okay, here it goes. My hair story. (I hope my hair can forgive me someday.)
1994
Relaxing started when I was twelve. You know how it is. Friends were allowed to do it in primary school, I was allowed to do it when I went to secondary school as a kind of reward. I worked extra hard at school, because if my parents were happy with my report, I was allowed to straighten my frizzy hair!
Oh how happy I was with my loose, damaged hair. Combing my hair loose every day… Great! Actually, for a while (about 2 years) it went well with relaxing, which by the way was done by an aunt instead of the hairdresser.
1996
Things went terribly wrong when I was introduced to the blow-dryer, curling iron and waving iron. The 3-weekly ritual of washing, rolling and under the hood dryer was replaced by a much shorter ritual. Washing every week, letting it dry or blow-drying it and then getting started with the curling iron. Why would I continue the hours-long ritual if it could be done much faster? After all, I only cared for my hair with hair grease: Dax. I have had all the scents and colours. Red Dax wax suitable for ironing hair, green for when you wanted to wear your hair wet. I even used the black one that was supposed to prevent hair breakage.
My hair ends were getting thinner and thinner. I couldn't keep up with the regrowth. In addition, I eventually used different types of relaxers and had them done by friends and acquaintances. I was always being sold a different brand of relaxer when I went to the hair store. Someone always had a better brand on the market and I just kept trying it out. This went on for years, until I was really fed up with the unhealthy, constantly breaking hair. I braided my hair with fake hair and alternated it with weaving. I didn't dare to do a 'big chop' at the time, but every time my hair had to be braided or weaved again, a centimeter was cut off.
2003