Why Natural?

[blazingthru]

I actually decided to become natural when I join LHCF. I was curious about it but all I could remember was the pain of trying to comb natural hair I would never go that route but the more I saw the twist the more I liked it and so when I join and found out that many on here was natural I studied it out for about a month and decided that was it I would go natural. I brought books and I read everything on here I could and join other natural sites and I made a decision. I had to study it because I didnt' know anyone natural. No one. except this girl on my job but she wasn't even there anymore. My last relaxer was 10/05. I transition for 6 months and did the BC I ended up doing it twice and I never looked back, The relaxer thinned out my hair and I got so many sores from the strong chemicals and I couldn't take it anymore. No matter what length of time I put the relaxer on it left me with sores not burns but sores and a scaly scalp even when I used color same difference. I had to leave it alone. It was not easy as I said I had no support I was mocked, made fun of it was hard I got through it because I researched everything about it and I had to love me for what I saw in the mirror. I have great lovely wonderful hair and its mine. Nothing added and when I accepted that It was all good from that point on. I was actually amazed at the texture of my hair. I have many different textures so its hard to really define. I have very curly hair in some areas and light curls and there is one section which happens to be my sides that just does not curl its just there. The back its way to straight. When my hair is wet its flat and straight

 

[remilaku]

I went natural basicly because I was tired of looking like the person next to me. Straight haired.

I stay natural because I see all the problems that permed people have. If you see a person hit their head into a brick wall and say ouch, you don't have to hit your head into that same brick wall to know that it hurt. I see them losing their hair, going bald, having no hair line due to relaxers. I will not make that same mistake. NOT EVER!!!

 

[AllAboutMoi]

I am relaxed and I have never had any issues with my relaxed hair. It has always been long and thick. I am transitioning mainly because of my daughter. She wants to do everything like her mom. She wants her hair straight like her mom and she has beautiful curls. So I am trying to be natural hoping she will not want to relax her curls into nonexistence.

 

[keriplz]

Same reasons as the OP.

1. My relaxed hair had no volume. It was just thin, and well... straight. I love big hair, but the relaxer wouldn't give me that look.

2. Whenever my hair reached APL it had to be cut back to SL due to excess split ends. erplexed

3. I miss my natural hair! In a way this is journey of self-acceptance for me. If I was meant to have straight hair, I would have been born with staight hair.

 

[lovelynights]

I decided to go natural after ds2. He and his brother have some gorgeous 3c4a hair and i wanted to see if they got it from they momma

 

[Daughter]

Apart from the fact that though I didn't have permanent damage from relaxers, I began to question why I was doing it, especially one time when I was in the salon and the lady next to me was freaking out about her new growth and kept going on about how it "needed" to be done. After 2 transition attempts I began to really love my natural hair and here I am 11 years later and counting

Even my former stylist told me not to go back to relaxing and she's got permed hair!

 

[bnatural]

I wanted something different. I had done just about everything u could imagine to my relaxed hair. I know that I still have the option of wearing it straight but my curls are so beautiful.

 

[Daughter]

I was tired of making my hair do something it clearly didn't want to.

Yeah that! Whilst my relaxed hair was v straight, sleek hair just was not for me. Sadly I constantly fought my hair to get it to "behave"! I'm glad my hair rebelled though, I think big hair suits me and I'm known for it now,

 

[Jazzmommy]

This is my second time going natural. I tried in college back in the 90s. My hair as a child was very thick and long, but my mom couldn't deal with it, so she threw a Revlon perm on my hair as a child. With having a perm, my hair thinned out, turned a lighter color and would easily break. I went natural in college, but the type of products we have today weren't around and neither were the various forums to offer support and information. So, I eventually let a hairdresser talk me into a "mild" perm -- what ever that is. And, again, my scalp just couldn't take the chemicals so my hair started to fall off and think out.

So, some 15 years later, I decided to do it again. I am very happy with my decision... my hair is thriving once again.

 

[melissa-bee]

Couldn't trust anyone including myself to relax my hair.
Last time i relaxed my hair one side of my scalp felt like it was gonna drop off.
Relaxed hair is too flat for my face, and i feel awkward wearing it.

 

[2inspireU]

Natural hair fits me plan and simple. I like the versatility because I mostly wear my hair 99% curly and 1% straight(usually special occasions). I like how I can just wash it and go or just get up and rub some moisturizer in my hair and pull it up and leave. I love the many styles I can do on my own without having to go to the salon. The point of it all is that natural hair fits me, and it took me a relaxing my hair again after I first went natural to realize this.

 

[Diva_Esq]

Relaxers were killing my scalp and my hair had begun to thin. I had also been saying for years I wanted to be more myself and that my relaxed hair didn't match my personality. Lastly, I have been relaxed most of my life and I wanted to see myself with my natural hair.

AMEN! I finally feel like ME!

Because:

Got tired of stunted growth, scraggly, weak strands with no fullness and volume and thinning temples.
Was unable to retain length because of the weakness due to chemicals
Wanted to see what my natural hair looked like
Didn't see the logic in going through treatments to put the good things back into my hair that the chemicals broke down (ie. protein, moisture, strength, etc.)

Exactly! And now when I think back at how stupid I was to get a fresh relaxer to get a rod set, I laugh! I could've had curly hair without all that!

I'm currently transitioning to natural b/c
*I love my NG.
*The chemicals in relaxers make me nervous. I am too through depending on incompetent stylists to properly manage those chemicals on my scalp and hair. Everytime I got a touch-up, my paranoid self expected my hair to fall out from overprocessing and not enough neutralizing. I was miserable at self-relaxing; I always underprocessed my hair and ended up having to pay to have it corrected anyways.
*At this point in my life, I find textured hair much more interesting than straight hair.
*I'm tired of blending in with the crowd.
*I'm transitioning not only in regards to my hair, but in my whole life...letting go of what society, my friends, and family say I "should" look like is my way of taking one more step towards fully embracing myself.
*I think my hair has much more potential to grow in its natural state.

This is me as well! A full lifestyle change & loving it! New hair, new finances, new job, renewed commitment to my marriage and kids, new attitude, new outlook, new health/ fitness consciousness, and NEW HAIR! LOVE IT!

The damage it did to my scalp was unbearable and I also wanted to color my hair. I actually transistioned with the idea of being a straight haired natural, you know just pressing it, but I grew to love my coilies.

1. My hair was boring!
2. I remember reading Malcolm X's autobiography in college. One of the many parts that struck me was the seen where he is conking his hair and the sink's not working so he ends up with his head in the toilet. I identified so much with his desperation to be pretty, to be accepted. I read about how blacks had to straighten their hair to appear acceptable to whites, and saw some of those old ads promising to rid you of "unsightly naps". At that point I began to equate relaxing to trying to bleach my skin. Everytime I heard other blacks putting my natural hair down it just makes me realize how brainwashed we were.
3. Could think of no good reason why every race but my own can wear their hair natural
4. I was tired of my hair appearing thin. Actually, it's quite thick in it's natural state!
5. I love the versatility and the feel of my coils. They are downright erotic. This thread makes me want to take my twists out right now and enjoy! (but I still have a month to go)

I totally agree with everything you said, especially the bolded portion!

I went natural to be free.

A-to the-MEN! I feel SO much more enlightened and free! It's a beautiful and hardly describeable experience! I am loving my transition (mental & outward) and looking forward to being COMPLETELY relaxer free!

I, too, had severe scalp dryness, nasty dandruff & chemical scalp burns that are all THANKFULLY gone now!

I have thick relaxed hair, but it seemed like I could only get to a certain length before it would "stop growing." I had no clue about retention and the damage that relaxing was doing to my hair shaft.

I also have serious concerns about the chemicals and what they do to our bodies.

Finally, I wanted the versatility of being able to rock my hair straight or curly on a whim!

Simply put, after 20 years of relaxing, RELAXERS aren't for me anymore!

 

[Strangefruittree]

I wanted to be natural because I have always admired natural women since I was a little kid. I loved the fros from my parents old pics, I like the way my hair and sisters hair felt when we took out our braids as kids. i just think that natural hair makes people look their best. When your hair skin and nails are shiny strong and groomed its a beautiful thing... Natural people tend to look younger and brighter. I like it when people show love to my hair when its natural, I get to thank myself, and not cream of nature. Though there are many 3 c curly gurls, you would be hard pressed to get an exact match to my hair on any given day... Not to hate on relaxers, its just boring unnecessary for me and extra stuff to buy and worry about. When i can just wash and go, braid and unbraid and go and basically just go... Natural hair is condusive to me taking care of my body, i dont care if i sweat- i like to sweat now, i feel alive, I can take care of my brain- Im not spending ridiculus time and money on hair care product- aloe, coconut oil, leave in condish, suave condish and deep condish is it, every few months- frees my time and money to do more important ish... everybody might not dig but I love it.

 

[bkprincesa]

I chose to go natural for many reasons. Bare with me ya'll (LOL!):

1.)Because growing up I always dreaded relaxer day...the smell of the relaxer, the unbearable burning (because who ever really listened when they used to tell us not to scratch?!), the way my hair smelled bad afterwards and the way it would just look limp and lifeless

2.)I had always been aware that both of my parents had a nice natural curl pattern and had been told that prior to my mom relaxing my hair at age 5, I had had the same curl pattern. In the past few years or so I'd been becoming more and more infatuated with curly hair and remembering that I had been born with curly hair I suddenly felt angry that I had never been given the choice whether to have my hair relaxed or not. I wanted to give myself that choice.

3.)I decided to transition to natural around the time the documentary Good Hair came out. When I saw how relaxers could have long-term effects on health (way beyond just hair issues) I decided to quit the creamy crack cold turkey. Having some friends who relaxed faithfully every 6 weeks (at the salon) who were experiencing breakage and minimal hair growth helped me make my decision too.

4.) I was tired of the constant upkeep that relaxed hair required. Wrapping it every single night, going to the salon to wash it and have it straightened because I couldn't handle it myself, getting trims every 6 weeks, relaxers...Having to remember dates in general for hair upkeep was just tiring!

5.)Got tired of damn near having an anxiety attack every time it drizzled outside...I wouldn't set foot in a pool or take a shower with my SO for fear of getting my hair wet and ruining it.

 

[Diva_Esq]

5.)Got tired of damn near having an anxiety attack every time it drizzled outside...I wouldn't set foot in a pool or take a shower with my SO for fear of getting my hair wet and ruining it.

Oh yea baby! I'm looking forward to that jacuzzi/ shower/ pool love with the hubby! Great point!

 

[CaliDiamond]

I miss my waves when I make a bun.
I miss the insane volume my natural hair had.
It seemed as if my natural hair grew faster.
Natural hair is fierce!

 

[CaliDiamond]

Ooopps! Double post

 

[lolascurls]

I'm transitioning because:
1) I got bored of relaxed limp hair
2) I was already texlaxing for thickness, wanted more thickness...NATURAL!
3) I thought I would go natural later, but the I thought, why get to Waist length and then start over! Start now!
4) I LOVE big hair.
5) I'm curious....what IS my natural curl pattern like? 4 something but what?!

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

i'm sure i answered before, but i'm natural because for right now, its easier, and i think my hair is pretty. ♥

 

[soldierforhair]

The reason why I am natural is a little bit of a story. I never quite understood my hair. When I went to beauticians they never was really able to tell me how to care for my hair. Basically there answer was for me to come back to them. Don't get me wrong my hair was pretty but never a little past shoulder length. I was getting relaxers to get braids (how much sense does that make), I was getting relaxers to get flat twists (how much sense does that make), I was getting relaxers for my weaves (so the edges would be straight). My girlfriend used to put in my relaxers every 2 months and about a year ago she was like she is no longer going to put relaxers in my hair. Needless to say she went natural and her hair was thriving. She said I had a very pretty texture and that I don't need it. Soooo....... ever since I have been natural and not really knowing how to take care of it. I recently joined LHCF and the journey continues.

 

[LadyRaider]

I don't need a relaxer. It's wasted money. If I want my hair straight, I can flat iron it for free.

 

[sweetpuff]

I like puffs and afros. I love my new growth (can't stop touching it). I can see myself doing 1 big puff or 2 or 4, or just a fro, trying the KCCC, doing twist outs,... braid outs...
but there are time when i want my hair straight.
I got relaxers and got straight limp hair. to take the limp out of the picture, i stretched. then I just did not want to relax anymore.
I did not fear the rain when i was relaxed. Not at all. In fact, I think I will fear it more when natural especially in a humid weather. unless i get my hands on that sabino thingy.

 

[jazii]

Well...,



1) I was natural before and saw my old high school ID pic and missed my huge hair ;'(

2) I saw some of you natural ladies' hair and was convinced ;-)

 

[fluffyforever]

I went natural because my mom told me she was going to stop paying for my relaxers since I had got a part time job my senior year in high school. It was my first job (at Potbelly's Sandwich shop) and I wanted to save every penny for things I really wanted to buy.

The more I thought about it, the more i couldn't justify spending $45 every 4-5 weeks for straight hair, especially since I ALWAYS wore it in a ponytail or bun. Since my mom, grandmother, and aunt didn't relax anymore and had natural hair, I figured, why not just stop relaxing myself and just keep doing my bun? So that's how I transitioned from December to August.

In May, for my prom, my hair was a thick mess. It looked ok in a bun, but not in any other style. So I got micros for the first time in my life and wore them from May-August. When I took the micros out, I did my big chop before I started college two weeks later.

I'm in my third year of college now, and I still have my natural hair !

 

[Dee_33]

Relaxing made my hair thin, I missed the thickness of my natural texture. I didn't like dealing with relaxer day. I enjoy the versitilty of natural hair, I can go curly or straight.

 

[lovenharmony]

Why? Because that's how it should be! I'm tired of all the chemicals and junk I used to put not only in my hair, but in my body! I just want to live an overall healthier life. I look better, feel better and life is simpler since I gave up the relaxers. My NG is thicker, softer and stronger than my relaxed ends, and is much more versatile!

 

[beans08]

I ****** HATE the smell of relaxers.

My hair is on the thin side, and it looks nicer and fuller than when it's relaxed.

I hate the feel of burning chemicals.

I love how soft it feels after a good condition.

I feel that growing my hair out has been much easier since I am natural.

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

I'm simply tired of thin, dry, damaged hair.

 

[PistolWhip]

I decided to go natural because I think natural hair is beautiful and I was tired of perming,damage from perms. I've seen so many sistas with beautiful natural hair. I also am tired of conforming to the eurocentric standard of beauty and people assuming that our hair can't grow( even our own people-how sad!!!)

 

[Diva_Esq]

I'm transitioning because:
1) I got bored of relaxed limp hair
2) I was already texlaxing for thickness, wanted more thickness...NATURAL!
3) I thought I would go natural later, but the I thought, why get to Waist length and then start over! Start now!
4) I LOVE big hair.
5) I'm curious....what IS my natural curl pattern like? 4 something but what?!

Good reason for me to BC...hmmm...

Why? Because that's how it should be! I'm tired of all the chemicals and junk I used to put not only in my hair, but in my body! I just want to live an overall healthier life. I look better, feel better and life is simpler since I gave up the relaxers. My NG is thicker, softer and stronger than my relaxed ends, and is much more versatile!

Agree with each and every point, especially a healthier overall lifestyle!

I decided to go natural because I think natural hair is beautiful and I was tired of perming,damage from perms. I've seen so many sistas with beautiful natural hair. I also am tired of conforming to the eurocentric standard of beauty and people assuming that our hair can't grow( even our own people-how sad!!!)

That perception that we can't grow hair bugs me to no end!