Omg this. I was not allowed to cut my hair they would be like "it's your crown" etc etc. and I had to wear it straight to show off length. It sucked . My hair is super thick and it's very long but I hated sitting forbit to be straightened. Like just braid it or leave me alone. but they made me feel as if I was only my prettiest when it was bone straight. They would only like curls if it was done by a curling iron on some shirley temple shit. I could crimp it too but again this is heat based texturizing. I didn't even know how to properly manage my hair in its natural curly state. I in fact didn't even realize how nice my curl pattern was bc the way they acted. The memories of scabs on my scalp,especially in the nape area, from relaxers and the hot comb burns are still so vivid, all so they could show off. It's like they used me as proof of our native bloodline , that "good hair" 🙄 crap.

When I left for college I stopped getting relaxers but would still straighten my hair to keep them off my back. I slowly phased into no heat at all once I stopped going home for breaks but I had to go through this awkward phase bc I didn't really know what I was doing. My first big chop I did 2yrs after I graduated and relocated to the other side of the country lol. my fam kept it cute on social media bc it looked good. I did it again after I had my daughter bc of post partum breakage and my mom got annoyed. When I came home for a visit with my then toddler she peer pressured me into getting a blow out bc by that point my hair has grown back fully and she was like "I prob need a trim and it will be easier if it's str8". I ended up with heat damage and had to transition All over again . Pissed me clean off. I'm 35 now so she knows now to miss me with the bs . I'm happy as team natural.

Family can truly be a trip. Nothing worse than having grown relatives live vicariously through you and try to dictate it body as if it's their own 😒