Perm Box Girls: Where Are They Now?
They shared the nostalgic moment of walking down the beauty supply aisle past hair rollers, Blue Magic jars, braided hair, and barrettes, but stopping in front of the box with all the pretty girls in front of them. Hair looks so smooth and flawless. No kinks or kinks are visible. You’re thinking about sitting between your mother’s legs for hours, tugging and tugging at your curls, sitting under the dryer and what felt like an eternity. Stove sizzle. Then there was the smell of burning hair in the air. We all wanted to be permbox girls to look in the mirror with bumpy ends and see our hair return to its coiled shape in real time.
When black girls’ hair was compared to white girls’ hair, it was disapproving. Mothers struggled not only to manage their daughters’ crowns, but also their own. This is why perms and texturizers have had such an impact on the black hair community. The positivity of the perm had an impact, but it was short-lived because the natural hair movement came in and shook the table.
Arguments that perms can cause cancer and that black women can be self-loathing when they perm their hair have made many perm advocates skeptical. On top of all the criticism directed at perms and texturizers, natural hair care brands were popping up left and right. I accepted it. Then came the pandemic.
Black women grew frustrated with their hair and all the rules for keeping it up. Many companies are opting for more permanent, low-maintenance changes such as locaching and locaching back to permAnd they do it relentlessly.
With all the recent fuss surrounding perms and texturizers, it’s been a given for Twitter users. from @prettyestluxury A tweet saying she wants to be one of Permbox’s faces makes sense. @AshTheDonLeon The girls who made a huge impact on black girls around the world quoted tweets wondering where they are now.
ESSENCE caught up with six iconic perm box girls about their experiences with perms and natural hair movement, the footprint they left in the black hair community, and their thoughts on the resurgence of Creamy Crack.
Sean Smith for ORS Olive Oil Built-in Protection No-Lye Hair Relaxer
Sean Smith Posing in a windswept bob, this photo lives rent-free in the minds of many black women. It was the first original model of the ORS Olive Oil Built-in Protection No-Lye Hair Relaxer. She had a follow-up campaign, but she remains the brand’s most-used stock photo for nearly two decades.When asked if Smith had ever used the product, she said: said. The company had their top stylists prep the night before for the actual photo shoot. used both. ”
Unlike other perm box girls, Smith was older when she was asked to shoot for the campaign. said to It was about 10-12 years before her that natural hair became accepted and trendy. I have always believed in hair care, so I loved relaxing then. ” Smith enjoyed a relaxing time, but she affirmed: But I’ve also learned to manage my hair and plan wash days.I alternate between a few styles and it works. The biggest thing for me, I think it’s okay if all the strands are not in place. “
Natalie Guitou “Dark, Lovely, Beautiful Beginnings”
As a film student in Johannesburg, Natalie Guitou He was just four years old when he was asked to model for Dark and Lovely, Beautiful Beginnings. Her mother was working at L’Oreal when they were looking for the next face, so of course she had to plug in her daughter. Rilakkuma was my favorite. I liked the smell, it felt more gentle than the others. ”
Githu, the face and user of Dark and Lovely, Beautiful Beginnings, was upset to learn through a viral Twitter thread that other brands were perming girls who didn’t have them. “A lot of young girls saw the relaxer box as inspiration for their hair and thought it was the only way to relax their hair and achieve that hairstyle when it really wasn’t at all. It’s dangerous and dishonest marketing.” Since then, Githu has started embracing her natural hair. “I stopped relaxing my hair in 2018. I fell in love with doing box her braids in different styles and haven’t looked back since. Now that my hair is completely natural, I’ve grown my hair long.” I can see it growing and getting healthier.”
Sisters Aria & Alexis Davis For Kids Organic Hair Softening System
sister duo area When Alexis Davis Texturizing Box was scouted by Chuck E Cheese in 2008. They were eight years old at the time and had actually been using Kids Organics Hair Softening System for years after the original ad was completed. rice field.
“Having a perm definitely affected my curls. Besides, I always kept my hair straight. Now that I’m older, curly hair is beautiful and should always be accepted.” I think,” said Aleah. “Perms interfered with my natural hair journey, but at that age, I was willing to do whatever it took to get straight hair. But once I grew it out, I saw it as an opportunity to work out my natural hair…my confidence has grown so much since I started embracing my natural hair…” says Alexis.
Both sisters are now finding creative ways to embrace and protect their natural hair from damage. I appreciate that, but the choice to go natural has had a bigger impact on my personal life. Aleah says it’s a work in progress. “I learned how to style my hair by learning tips and tricks from various videos on YouTube. I’m here!”
Diamond Block For Just For Me Texture Softener
diamond blocks My mother started modeling when I was about five years old. Her agent just picked her for her Four Her Me casting her call, and she was one of her two girls selected out of her 30. When asked in a Twitter thread what she thinks of other permbox girls who have never had a perm, she said: Personally, I wish I didn’t have to get a perm on my head just because it changed the way my hair reacted to it, and then had to use it for 11 years. There was no option to go back, just because. “
“For me, perms really ruined my relationship with my hair. , I didn’t get the chance to learn how to treat my natural hair.Now that I’m an adult, I struggle with how to handle it….” Since then, Brock has embraced the challenge of maintaining his natural hair. I have been working on It wasn’t easy, but having the opportunity to reconnect with her dark hair history gave her the strength and confidence to embrace curls, she says. and have regular appointments at the hairdresser,” adds Brock.
brena damerson for just for me texture softener
Alongside the diamond block, the Just For Me Texture Softener Box contains brenna damersonDahmerson has been modeling since she was a child and had the opportunity to be one of the faces of the Just for Me Hair Softener campaign when she was nine years old. When asked how he felt about his contribution as an adult, Damerson said: When she sees her younger self in the box, even at that young age, she becomes an advocate for other young girls who may feel the same way she does, letting them know there are others. She is proud of what she did. There are people who look like them and face the same problems. “
Dermerson used the Just for Me Texture Softener in the campaign and afterwards. She also received a realistic doll styled to resemble a perm box cover. Being biracial, I’ve never used a full perm, but got tired of using texturizers to loosen my curl patterns and decided to start my natural hair journey. To manage, I do a lot of trial and error with products, brushes, techniques, etc. It’s a process I fell in love with and wish others who faced the same challenges as me would do the same. I hope so,” asserts Damerson.
https://www.essence.com/hair/the-perm-box-girls-where-are-they-now/ Perm Box Girls: Where Are They Now?
