When I was 12, I desperately wanted a relaxer (or as I grew up calling it, a perm). I never thought my hair was especially long but I knew it was pretty thick because people would tell me so constantly. From Ms. Arnold at the salon in Atlanta to strangers on the street. There were even a few times when people asked if I had a weave which always struck me as funny. I thought women only got weaves to make their hair longer. It never occurred to me that they also got weaves to make their hair thicker too.
My mom had always been against having my hair relaxed and it really aggravated her seeing little children with relaxed hair. I could understand that. Children are constantly growing and changing and all of those chemicals too early could seriously affect their hair and skin. My mom also felt that children should look like children and have plats and ribbons and barrettes in their hair, not look like little Diana Rosses.
My third birthday
My third birthday I didn't really think about what my hair would look like after having a perm and I really didn't care. What I did think about was how much easier it would be to deal with, and ultimately that was my main motivation to get it done.
