When Twitter user @AshTheDon quote tweeted a photo of an old-school relaxer box range with the million-dollar question ‘where are these girls today? show yourselves’, a wholesome moment on Twitter was born.
Ash's tweet quickly hit over 37.9K retweets and 231.5K likes. As the tweet gained more traction, the ‘perm box girls’ themselves – who modelled on the relaxer boxes back in the ‘90s and early ’00s – checked in to flood the replies with before and after pictures of themselves.
The viral moment reminded me of my younger self, who used to look at a relaxer box and think, "I want my hair to look just like that." These girls – and their silky-straight or perfectly wavy hair – were the beauty inspirations for many little Black girls all over the world.
Many of us recall the first moment we watched our tight coils transform into a looser, more straightened curl pattern. From the burning sensation and the irresistible urge to itch our scalps to hunching over the bathroom sink as we rigorously washed the chemicals out of our hair, those experiences continue to stick with us.
Alexis Davis, 22, and Shiyenn Scott, 20, are two of the most recognisable faces of Africa's Best Kids Organics Hair Softening relaxer. The pair modelled together for the hair brand as children and gave us some of the most popular back-to-school hair inspo.
"It was crazy because everyone was like, you're a part of my childhood. Someone even said, ‘I literally have that box in my bathroom right now,’” Alexis told GLAMOUR.
"I remember telling my Mum, 'I want to be the girls on the [perm] boxes’, once I did see myself, it was a moment of reflection to me like, wow, is this what beauty is?” Shiyenn added.
“You know, those questions run through your mind. I was only five years old when I [was] featured on it, so having been so young, it really shaped how I look at myself. I feel like I criticise myself, [and] sometimes I can be overly critical of myself because of it. It made me want to start straightening my hair.”
Relaxing your hair was once deemed the most acceptable solution to managing natural hair. At some point, the hair process was so ingrained into our culture that it became a rite of passage for many Black girls.
We endured this extremely uncomfortable hair procedure, despite being fully aware of all the risks we were exposed to. Why? Because we just had to have the sleekest edges and the glossiest ringlets just like the girls on the perm boxes.
The “biggest plot twist” of this all was the fact that many of the women from the perm boxes no longer rocked chemically straightened or relaxed hair. In fact, a lot of them had always been natural and used other products to achieve the glossy ringlets and pristine updos many of us tried so hard to recreate.
It was heartwarming to see that a lot of these women were now showcasing healthier hair goals, but it was also a bittersweet reminder that many of us aspired to reach a beauty standard that was unrealistic and unattainable.
"Advertising and media really blind you," Shiyenn said. "I don't think it explicitly says on the box, 'This is what these girls use in their hair,' but it does give you that false hope that can make anybody think, 'If I put this product in my hair, it might look similar,’ it is unfortunate that they didn't portray a hundred percent of what is authentic.”
As we look back, it's hard not to recognise the lasting impact chemically straightening our hair at a young age had on us. These exact feelings of frustration is what fuelled the resurgence of the natural hair movement in the early 2010s. The movement that was deep-rooted in the rebellious act of self-love quickly grew to become a big middle finger to the unrealistic beauty standards that have long plagued women in society.
"I became completely natural as I got older," Alexis said. "My mum has long, straight hair, so she didn't really know how to deal with our hair. She ended up using the perms to perm our hair and make it easier for her. As I got old enough to do my own hair, I decided to stop doing it because I really wanted to see how it could grow and how it could become in its natural state."
The natural hair movement embodied the essence of self-love and made many of us look at our hair differently. Social media became a big tool to teach Black women about their natural hair and the many different ways to style and take care of it. Many of us were encouraged to do the “big chop”, which saw a lot of us cut off our chemically processed hair to start from scratch.
It is unfortunate that they didn't portray a hundred percent of what is authentic
"I would love to show people how to embrace their natural hair and do it healthily," Alexis said. "Whenever I'm on TikTok or Instagram, I have little kids asking questions or adults asking, 'How do I style 3C hair? How do I style curly hair?' I want to be the person to answer those questions for them. I spent a couple of years online, and it took a long time to get it to where it is – education is key to that."
According to both Shiyenn and Alexis, their experience modelling for the relaxed brand was extremely eye-opening for them. It became a defining moment that forever changed the relationship they have with their hair.
“Looking back, this entire journey has been very beneficial because it provided more insight into our perspective on our hair and other people’s opinions,” Shiyenn added. “I’m really happy to have [had] that opportunity because I embrace my hair to the max now.”
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