And the young models, who were once the poster children for these products, represented the pinnacle of hair goals.
“We were images for other little Black girls growing up,” Wandland said. “They could see themselves in stores, on shelves, being displayed. It was something for all of us to be proud of.”
She has since gone from perm box to pageants, representing the state of Illinois at the Miss USA competition, alongside a career as a dancer and choreographer.
Various Twitter users weighed in on the wholesomeness of the thread, which showed many of the former models to now be thriving and still baddies, such as rapper Baby Tate, who appeared on a box from the brand Africa’s Best.
Other users also added how these girls inspired their relaxed hair journey.
“I feel like everybody felt cozy in that tweet,” Leon said. “I did not expect that outpouring of togetherness amongst us. For something so small, at least, seemed small, but obviously, it has a grander impact.”
Life with relaxed hair was characterized by features like its distinct smell and nursing the discomfort of chemical burns because you itched your scalp or left the mix on a little longer than the recommended wait time. Then, you’d suffer the periodic touch-ups to banish the stubbornness of regrowth where your actual coiled texture would push through.
“I thought I was going to be a superstar,” 22-year-old Alexis said.
She described how amazing it felt to receive the box with their faces on it and then to see it appear in advertisements in magazines alongside the likes of Keyshia Cole, Queen Latifah, and Beyoncé.
“It was unreal and a dream come true,” she said.
Aleah, 21, who does not recommend relaxers, credits the experience with helping her embrace her curly hair and inspiring her to pursue modeling, which she still does today.
“It opened my eyes at a young age and showed me exactly where I wanna be,” Aleah said. “The whole experience made me feel so special.”
While some follow-up responses have controversially revealed that not all models had in fact relaxed their hair for shoots, all the women who spoke to BuzzFeed confirmed that was not the case for them.
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Photo Credit: Pixabay
