I was 14 when I relaxed my hair for the first time, I was ashamed and disappointed with my hair. I don't remember exactly how and from whom I heard it, I only remember that dry curly makes your curls bigger. I wanted that! I had dry curly put in for the first time in Rotterdam. My hair looked fantastic! I was over the moon. After about a month I started to lose a lot of hair with brushing. I went back to the hair salon and the owner said that the curly had been put in wrong so I got the treatment again, for free.
Name: Irm
Occupation: Juice therapist
Blog/website: http://www.letsjuice.nl
Eventually almost all my hair broke off to a cm short with a few long strands in between. Really horrible, my hair looked awful.
I had braids for a long time to make my hair grow well again. At the same time I decided never to do anything chemically with my hair again.
Years later I decided to get a short haircut. I relaxed my hair and it was fine. Not too much work. The only thing was that I had problems with my scalp. Itchy and flaky.
After relaxing I often had burns on my head. Someone advised me a mint shampoo to stop the itching. It helped for exactly 1 day.
After spending so much money on relaxing and all kinds of (very expensive) hair products, that did not do what they promised, I was so fed up with the hair that I decided to let it grow and not do anything with it anymore. The hairdresser I went to at the time said: your hair is not frizzy at all. What a revelation, anyway, I was done with it. That was 8 years ago. My hair is long now and I am happy with my hair the way it is. No chemical stuff and expensive shampoo for me. Pure nature!
What was the hardest part about going curly? Absolutely nothing!
I was really ready for it too.
And the best part?
Accepting myself. Letting go of the pursuit of “western hair”.
What have you learned from going curly?
That when I do what suits me, it makes me happiest
Describe your worst haircut and your best haircut.
Worst was when my hair broke off. I looked like an escaped lunatic (in my experience) and the braids I had afterwards fell out on the street or at school and then there was a braid on the floor.
The best haircut is how my hair is now.
Looking back now, has your perspective on frizzy hair changed?
You don't necessarily have to have “western hair” to look beautiful or have a nice hairstyle.
What's your favorite hairstyle?
Stuck in a ponytail
I love my hair because it is a part of me
More about Irm: Check out her curly hair profile