Any positive experiences with hair relaxers?

by Adrienne Rivera
(Georgia)

After 19 years of being alive, I have quite the love hate relationship with my curls. I have really tight curls (none of that wavy stuff that people in the South thinks are curls) and I think I've suffered from the many pitfalls that people with curly hair have ahead of them.

I've had botched bobs that would make Bozo the Clown proud. I've had really long hair that was hard to manage. Currently I've settled for a shoulder length yield sign. Because my curls are so hard to manage I use tons of product (which probably dries it out) and makes it crunchy to the touch.

I really yearn for soft curls (you know the ones I'm talking about? Relaxed curls like...Emmy Rossum or Bethany Joy Galeotti) and a really soft side swept bang. I want to maintain a curl (honestly, I'd miss them if they were gone for good) and I'm completely at a loss of how to do it.

My mom has told me my entire life that a relaxer will RUIN my hair (cue the scary doom music) and I'm really thinking that I want one.

Any positive experiences with relaxers? Any negative experiences? Any advice would be amazing!!!!!!!!

Also, any amazing to die for products that y'all are loyal to?