Permanonymous

Hello beautiful people. Feel free to post your comments about your experiences with natural hair care and transitioning from chemically processed hair to chemical-free hair. Here is a letter I received a few months ago. I thought it would be fun to read. If this is you, we will be posting a help line for you to contact us for help. Stay tuned.

Taliah!!! I am fiening for a touch-up. It has been three weeks and I see the waves coming in. I know that I should wait at least four weeks before I get a touch up but these waves are not laying down. I used gel and spritz but it don't look like I am going to make it to my next touch up appointment.

I don't need to perm my whole head. I can go to the beauty supply store and get the new touch up kit to hold me over. This way I know that I won't get carried away and use a whole jar of relaxer. Those touch up kits only have enough perm to do the edges so I can just touch up the wavy hair that shows when I pull my hair back.

I wish I could make to four weeks. I know that I should wait. Every time I get a touch up my scalp burns and I know that I should not be getting relaxers. I heard the horror stories. My stylist says that I really should wait until five or six weeks because I have good hair but I can't wait!! I need a touch up now. Shoot, I sound like a damn alcoholic. I feel like one too.

A lot of people on my job are talking about and going 'Natural". I can't imagine doing that. I would not know what to do with my hair. I don't even know what my hair looks like without a perm. Everybody in my family says I have good hair. Sometimes I think to myself, if my hair was so good why did they let me get a perm when I was 10 years? I am kind of embarrased that I don't know what my real hair looks like and I am afraid to let my hair grow out of this perm. To tell you the truth, I only wear my hair slicked back in a ponytail after a day or two of having my touch up done. That is because I have breakage at the top of my head and only my stylist can cover it when she styles it. Once I slick my hair down it hides the breakage. I was going to get a weave piece to cover that thinning part.

I hate to admit that the breakage may be due to getting too many perms. It may also be stress or diet. I don't know what it is. I can't really think about that now. I just need a touch up. Please help me to wait. Tell me what to do. I don't want to damage my hair more.

Anita in Texas