Was there ever a point in your natural hair journey

[Jaffa]

Wow - I must be in a minority as I have thought about it often over the past few years. I never had an issue with my relaxed hair and only went natural to see what my natural hair looked like after years of chemicals - it wasn't intended to be a long or permanent journey. My transition was made with braids - back to back. After about 2 years and numerous friends telling me I needed to give my hair a break from the braids, I wore it down. Although I love the body, thickness etc it has taken me a while to really love my natural hair. It has now been 5 years and a lot of re-education on how to take care of natural hair. My mistake was trying to get it to look like processed hair i.e straight and also not knowing what products suited my hair. Once I learned what my natural hair can do and how versatile it can be it has opened up a whole new dimension for me.

OP - I would never say I wouldn't relax again but at present I really dont think so. For me the benefits of natural hair far outweigh the perceived drawbacks. If I feel like a change I will get a press, braids, weave etc....BKT is another option I have thought about.
HTH

 

[NYDiva]

Well, my HHJ started on October 24th 2008 when I took out a the clippers and shaved off my hair, down to 1/4 of an inch.....if that! The itch to relax really hit after about a year when I wasn't making as much progress as I thought I should based on past hair growth. I even bought a relaxer, but put it in the cabinet and left it there. I never intended on staying natural, just needed a clean slate, but I knew that I didn't have enough hair care knowledge to not damage my hair if it were relaxed. Got the itch again this past summer, got tired of wearing braids and didn't know how to style my hair naturally. Started to bun with a phony pony for a couple of months and am now back in braids. I can't say how long I'll stay natural, but I know I won't relax before I hit APL. Maybe once I hit APL, I'll have more natural styles that I like and will be able to hold off until I hit BSL. But at some point I will relax.

 

[hair4romheaven]

I agree @ nydiva. I just wanted a new head of hair. Having natural hair is an option not a must. I may texlax in the future just not sure when. I also want more length before doing so.
Good luck with whatever you decide. Just don't make any rush decisions. Give it a few months with whatever you decide.

 

[chebaby]

ive nevr had that itch. i didnt want relaxed hair when i had it lol. i just continued to get one because i thought that was the thing to do. i love my natural hair even in times like now were i feel like putting it in twists so i wont be bothered for a while.

 

[explosiva9]

OP, I am struggling with this so much now. I want to relax my hair every week. lol. Seriously though, I don't know what to do. My fro is getting so big and its only been 8 mths. I'm not complaining about the growth. I just wish my curls were less fuzzy. WHen the curls are fresh out of the shower they look so cute and they have a lil hang, then its downhill from there. I'm thinkingmaybe its the length that is really driving me crazy so I am going to wait until the summer. If things don't get better, I will be relaxing.

 

[iri9109]

i've only been natural for 7 months, but i've never had the itch. natural hair is so versatile, and if i ever got the itch for a relaxer i would just straighten often or heat train my hair.

 

[BostonMaria]

Only during my transition. My hair was a hot mess for months and I got tired of it. Luckily I didn't cave in.

 

[Ms Lala]

When you had the itch to relax so bad! How did you get over it? Or did you just end up relaxing?

OP I am looking at your pics from July and thinking that your hair probably doesn't have enough length yet to hang. What types of styles are you wanting to wear. I have found that just about any style that can be done on straight hair can be adapted for curly or kinky hair.

 

[ToyToy]

I have had the itch before but I never relaxed. My hair is usually in braids, but last year I went through a rough patch and just wanted to do something to my hair. During this time I considered relaxing. I ended up not doing it and promptly went back to my braids.
Natural hair gets rewarding when you really begin to see growth. Friday night, for the first time, I was able to pull my wet hair into a bun . I'm really chuffed now .

 

[HauteHippie]

Absolutely! And then I textlaxed, something I regret to this day! The 1st year can be really difficult. I let my hair get really dry and I just thought that was my hair texture. I had to figure out what my hair likes. My hair is fine-medium, 4b and a little 4a. I went from using the Nexxus products my relaxed hair loved, to using Giovanni products my relaxed hair had simply shrugged at. I was my hair in large braids, apply Giovanni leave in and detangle in sections. That eliminated frustration cuts.

I was tempted before, but I'll never relax again! Now that my hair is happy, I just love the way it feels! Hope that helps.

Another thing, I told myself that college took years of hard work and dedication, and those years just flew by. So, I promised myself that I'd take care of my natural hair for 2 years and if on the 721st day I wanted to relax, then I would. For some reason, that helped.

 

[yaya24]

I have never had the urge to relax since my BC. But when I need a break from my hair I get a sew in.

I am sooo looking forward to long natural hair

 

[lovely_locks]

OP I am looking at your pics from July and thinking that your hair probably doesn't have enough length yet to hang. What types of styles are you wanting to wear. I have found that just about any style that can be done on straight hair can be adapted for curly or kinky hair.

I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT. I JUST WANT MORE LENGTH. THE STYLES I WANT TO WEAR REQUIRE MORE LENGTH. LIKE A NICE BIG OL PUFF, TWO STRAND TWISTS, KINKY TWISTS, EVEN JUST A PONY TAIL. SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS MY COMPUTER IS BROKEN AND THE CAPS IS STUCK ON.