Tight Curls or Silky Straight???

[misskriss01]

Hello all!! I have to do a news article for a journalism class and I need your help. A lot of sisters either choose to wear their hair natural or some choose to go to the salon every 6 weeks and have their hair relaxed...some do it for the convenience, the look, or some may say, trying to emulate European standards of beauty.

What is your opinion??

I'm looking for anyone who has chose to go either route, why you chose that route and your opinions on women who chose to do the opposite of your choice. Also, any comments on the subject as well. My article is due Friday, so, if you like, you may respond to me privately on email at misskriss01@hotmail.com or we can start a discussion right here in the forum!!

Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to your comments!

[Poplife]

I stopped perming in high school because I just got tired of the whole chemical process. It's that simple.

I was tired of getting touch ups, having to avoid water unless I was washing my hair, buying all these "maintenance products" to keep my hair from breaking off, getting trims to get rid of WHAT DID break off, not being able to scratch my own head before my appointments, waiting forever in the salon...etc. When I looked at what I was doing to maintain a "look" it started to LOOK really SILLY. So, I just stopped.

People ALWAYS ask me what do I do to my hair. I love to say that glorious "n" word.

NOTHING!

Any natural person can tell you that maintaining a chemical look is a lot more work then being nappy. I threw %90 of my hair products in the trash when I let go of the lye. As of now I own a bottle of shampoo, moisturizer, a pick, a wide-tooth comb, and a bottle of Olive Oil. That's all I need. Talk about wash-and-go!


What do I think of women that perm?

Well, there is only one kind I can't stand. Those are the women that get scared every time they THINK about new growth. The ones that go to get a perm every two weeks to flatten the new growth that hasn't even showed itself yet. It's one thing to like the way a perm looks, but it's another to hate the way YOU look without it. I don’t care what anyone says!! Every black person in AmeriKKKa has been influenced by white culture...you can’t avoid it. BUT, how much someone plays into this influence lies solely in the strength, determination, and awareness of that person. Black has never been nor will it every be beautiful to other people, and they will always make that known to us. Some of us believe it.

There is so much more about being natural that I love, but unless you have experienced it you can’t really understand it.

Being natural is a state of mind. It has to be. You have to be ready to for the mess that the world will throw at you.



[This message has been edited by Poplife (edited January 23, 2001).]

[spankee]

I perm my hair, but only because I feel I have to. My mother started perming my hair when I was two! It is that coarse!
I have wanted to go natrual for a while but I was worried about not having options. I am so used to going to the salon and asking for a ponytail, flip, twist set, parted in the middle or whatever. I am the type that goes to the salon every week. I always ended up spending too much time there (3-5 hours) or too much money. Now that I am a full time student I don't think I can do it anymore. I realized last semester that my hair was one of the largest sources of stress in my life. That is ridiculous! I spent $130 on a weave for this past mini-semester because I knew I would be busy.

As far as perms being a way for us to emulate european standards of beauty...I do think that was the reason for the creation, but it is so much apart of our current culture I wouldn't attribute perms to that.
Poplife-If you have any advice, or any info about how you went through the transformation please e-mail me.

Misskriss01-Thanks for the great topic!

[This message has been edited by spankee (edited January 23, 2001).]

[jazbri]

I've spoken on this topic on two previous threads. Two years ago I had shoulder length relaxed hair. I allowed my new growth to grow in for approximately four months and chopped all of my hair off. To my surprise, my hair was naturally curly and manageable in a 'very' close cut. It was very easy in the summer time because it was simply a wash and go style. Come winter I froze. This past summer I decided that I'd try growing it back natural. Problems arose after it got to be about 2-3 inches.
No matter how much I coiled, twisted it, or just let it do whatever it wanted to do I still wasn't satisfied with the look. This stage was a very trying stage for me because I felt that it took much more for me to maintain it naturally. I'm a neat freak and aside from the coils (which took 2 hours to do) I really couldn't get it to look neat.
I then said to hell with it and relaxed it. I am now in the process of growing it relaxed. My point is that I feel no less or no more in touch with my 'roots', if you will. For me, it's truly what I feel comfortable with. My hair doesn't define me. I can easily decide to cut it all off again if the mood strikes me. It's what I like and not what society (African American or Caucasian) dictates.
BTW Poplife, it's true many sisters run to the relaxer when their new growth starts growing. It may seem trivial; however, the fact of the matter is when you have two separate forces growing you will sustain much breakage if you don't stay consistent with the relaxer.

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"Unless you know the road you've come down, you cannot know where you are going"
~Temme proverb, Sierre Leone~

[Poplife]

Originally posted by jazbri:
BTW Poplife, it's true many sisters run to the relaxer when their new growth starts growing. It may seem trivial; however, the fact of the matter is when you have two separate forces growing you will sustain much breakage if you don't stay consistent with the relaxer.

No, No. I said that some women run to the Salon BEFORE they even SEE some knew growth. It's a difference between THAT and actually having some new growth there. I know the deal. I used to do it.

[jazbri]

Originally posted by Poplife:

No, No. I said that some women run to the Salon BEFORE they even SEE some knew growth. It's a difference between THAT and actually having some new growth there. I know the deal. I used to do it.

Oops, didn't mean to misquote you.

[naturalbeauty08]

Hey All!
MissKriss this is an interesting topic to do a report on. Good choice!!
Well I haven't had a relaxer for almost four years now. At first I went natural because I thought I needed to (I wore braids for 3 years and read that after taking them out you have to let your hair rest for about a month before perming).
After I wore my hair for that month I knew there was no going back. With natural hair, for the first time in my life I felt beautiful for myself 100%. It was hard at first. Hearing uneducated comments from family and men wore on me. Then I learned to take these comments in stride. Actually wearing my hair natural has filtered out the men who are interested in me genuinely and the men who just wanted me for a certain "look".
Also wearing my hair natural has also had a spiritual impact on my life also. I won't get into all of that now but if you want to hear a little about it send me an email.
Oh and I definitely have to agree with Poplife. Everything you said was on point. You go girl!!

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...Taking control of my beauty... loving me for me...

[misskriss01]

Thank you everyone for your responses!! It's interesting on how we all feel about this issue.

Classy_Diva5 - what method are you using where you don't have to get a relaxer AND go back and forth between natural and a relaxed look?? Girl, if I tried to do that...well, let's just say it wouldn't work.

Thanks for the comments and keepin' coming!

[Resplendent_Maria]

Originally posted by Classy_Diva5:
To my knowledge, these products have NOT been tested by the FDA for being a cause of cancer, or other health problems. It was stated in a book (can't remember the title) that when autopsies are done on people with relaxed hair, the skull is coated with a light green film/slime.



Classy_Diva5,
Where did you hear this from (and how long ago)? That sets an uneasy feeling to me, especially since relaxers have been used for many years now and the government has not preformed thorough tests.

[This message has been edited by Resplendent_Maria (edited January 23, 2001).]

[Poplife]

Originally posted by Resplendent_Maria:
Classy_Diva5,
Where did you hear this from (and how long ago)? That sets an uneasy feeling to me, especially since relaxers have been used for many years now and the government has not preformed thorough tests.

Actually, my own Grandmother has been hot combing her hair for 5 years since she learned the same thing. She attempted to persuade the rest of the women in family to follow suit, but to no avail.

I do know that people are warned to used caution when perming. I read in article at the FDA website and it admits that RELAXERS DO NOT HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE FDA TO BE MARKETED. The only time they can step into action is when there are complaints (i.e. the Rio disaster). The article can be found here:
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdahdye.html


I’m still unclear as to whether or not they test them, but I’m under the impression that they don’t. If anyone knows please contact me.

[Classy_Diva5]

I used to relax my hair in the past, because I thought that it was the only way that I could tame my hair to "act" the way I'd like it.

But now that I have found a healthy hair-care specialist, I've learned that I don't need a relaxer. I've been relaxer-free for 1 year 2 months and counting . My hair is a little past shoulder length, & I can wear my hair natural, or if I want to wear it straight, I have her flat-iron it and dry-wrap it-this style lasts me 2-3 weeks.

I've learned a lot about relaxers, and one of the reasons that I stopped getting relaxers is because of the long-term effects. No one really knows what they are. To my knowledge, these products have NOT been tested by the FDA for being a cause of cancer, or other health problems. It was stated in a book (can't remember the title) that when autopsies are done on people with relaxed hair, the skull is coated with a light green film/slime. I definitely DO NOT want to use a product that does that to me! Sure, it gets the hair straight, but is it worth risking the chance of having problems in the future? Now, I only use organic-based products, and they work really well for me.

As far as my opinion on women that use relaxers....
More power to them! I used to use them myself, so I can't judge them for what they do, nor can I say that they are trying to emulate the European beauty standards-even though it was this culture that said that straight=great/nappy=not happy. If they want to alter their hair to have it more managable for them, then that is what they choose to do. But for me, I chose to get rid of the relaxer because I know that I have alternative choices to get the same look that relaxers give.

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"Mind ya own, stay true to ya own, be ya own."
Peace and God Bless
Classy_Diva5

[Poplife]

Originally posted by Classy_Diva5:
Since learning that relaxers aren't tested by the FDA (because relaxers/products generate so much $$$ in sales, I am pretty sure that they will NEVER be tested because if there are harmful effects, they may have to be pulled from the beauty supply stores), I will never put that stuff on my hair again.

I'm with you girl. There might be long-term side affects that are harming millions of women. But since no testing has taken/will take place, we will never know. That's a Capitalist nation for you. If it's making a lot of money then let it slide. It's kinda scary when you think about it.

I wonder what avid perm wearers would do if relaxers were pulled from shelves. Do you think there would be an underground perming ring?

[Classy_Diva5]

Poplife-I am at work CRACKIN UP!!!
An underground ring!!! I hope that no one takes it that far!

Well, back in the day before relaxers were made by real companies and put on the shelves, they used to boil lye and lard/grease together in a pot and apply it DIRECTLY to the hair/scalp. Now you know that that had to burn like crazy!!! I hope that no one (male or female because we know that some brothas still sport that fresh-outta-the-cell-block permed look, ESPECIALLY here in CALIFORNIA) goes there again.

I know that the FDA won't even go there with testing and all, because if it is true that damage and harm are caused by the use of relaxers, there will be lawsuits flying left and right-myself included .

It's a shame what some companies will put out for us to use just for their own capital gain .


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"Mind ya own, stay true to ya own, be ya own."
Peace and God Bless
Classy_Diva5

[Resplendent_Maria]

Thanks Poplife and Classy_Diva5,

Your info and website was informative. I only began to relax my hair two years ago, and although I like the way my hair is now, I'm thinking about flat ironing my hair and growing out my relaxer.

[Little32]

I have never had a perm before. I wear my hair natural, its about shoulder length. When I want it straight I go and get it pressed.
The trouble is that lately I have wanted to change my look and experiment with different hairstyles. I am not willing to lose length, but I am dying for some new ideas. If anyone has suggestions on how-to books, or how-to magazines (the ones I normally get don't include instructions), I would be eternally grateful.