Has anyone been natural their entire lives?

[Vinyl]

I've noticed a lot of people are transitioning or have in the past... Is there anyone who hasn't dealt with anything but their natural hair? I'm in this boat and seem to have all the same frustrations, since I wore braids and weaves and never really learned to care for my hair. I did attempt to get a relaxer a few years ago, but it didn't take.

Sooo, anyone else always been natural?

 

[truequeen06]

Me! I've never worn weaves and had braids only when I was going on a over night trip for more than a night. My mom has been natural her whole life as well so she did a pretty good job of taking care of my hair.

 

[carib_n_curly]

i have
everyone in my family had a relaxed in there hair in the past and is now natural but i never did, never saw the point or purppose of it. i never had that wanting for straight hair i didn't get the hype when i was younger.

the fact that i'm subborn and i hated people telling my mother what to do to my hair when they had a bald patch made my resolve stronger.
i like my hair how it was and my mother never forced me to do anything to my hair i didn't want.she alway thougth i should have a choice plus she was anti relaxer and had one

 

[tdwillis]

I have been, but my mom pressed my hair on a weekly basis growing up. One time on a weekend trip, my aunt took me to get a relaxer because my uncle told her my hair was too nappy. The stylist sat me down and looked in my hair and said it was actually too thin to ever hold a relaxer and refused to do it. Thank god for the stylist because my aunt was going to do that without my mom's permission.

 

[yuriko]

I have been, but my mom pressed my hair on a weekly basis growing up. One time on a weekend trip, my aunt took me to get a relaxer because my uncle told her my hair was too nappy. The stylist sat me down and looked in my hair and said it was actually too thin to ever hold a relaxer and refused to do it. Thank god for the stylist because my aunt was going to do that without my mom's permission.

OMG, why do people do that. If someone tries this with my kid, they will be catching a beat down. Thank God you were spared getting something that neither yourself or your mother wanted

 

[JustKiya]

I've been relaxed just long enough to know that it wasn't for me - about 18 months total out of 32 years. I still just learned how to actually take care of my natural hair about 3 years ago.... Damn shame. *sigh*

 

[Cassandra1975]

I wish my momma had left my hair alone. But back when I was younger it seemed like a "rite of passage" to get a relaxer. My three best friends all had long gorgeous hair...I had broken off hair that was not retaining length because I was frying it and killing it.

Two of the girls, their mothers/grandmothers forbade them to get relaxers, and neither did until our senior year of high school. They both had thick, gorgeous hair. One of them still has long hair...her hair is just naturally long and thick, even though she's been TRYING to kill it with every color under the rainbow. I think she finally stopped relaxing, and has just been going to Dominican salons. The other, she went to college and really wasn't taking care of her hair. Then she developed issues with her thyroid, and a condition where she used to pull her own hair out (I know it has name, I can't remember what). I think she might be shoulder length again, but it has never been as long as it was in high school.

I say all that to say, I wish my mom had left my hair alone and been against me having any kind of chems ('cause I had the dreaded jheri curl too...ugh) until I was an adult. Me, and my edges, would have been much better off.

 

[msa]

I've been natural my whole life...I didn't even know what relaxers were til high school because my friend had one. And, I didn't really understand them completely til college. They weren't really talked about in my house. When I was younger I had twists, ponytails, and braids. Then in middle school I started getting my hair pressed. Once we didn't have any money it was back to braids. I haven't had my hair pressed for a couple years now.

I just really started learning how to do my natural hair in college because a student budget is tight lol. Now that I have more knowledge I don't see any reason why I can't have the hair that I want. For '09 I'm putting myself on a personal no fake hair challenge so that I can truly learn to care for my hair, day in and day out.

 

[SEMO]

I haven't been, and I only know only a few people in real life who are. But honestly, I don't regret the years I spent relaxed (even though I started relaxing for a stupid reason--I was going to be in my aunt's wedding and got a relaxer instead of a press on my first trip to a stylist). It was an interesting experience and for that time I enjoyed straight hair. But now I'm natural again and I really enjoy it. I'm pretty sure I'll never go back to relaxing.

 

[hairedity]

Very interesting thread. It's sad that more of us can't answer yes to this question. I think the newest generations will have less "permed since I was four..." stories, and more "I've been natural for life..." experiences.

 

[ilovemy3bhairdoyou]

i am 27 years and counting. i used to want one and one time i asked and the hairdresser told my mom i really didnt need it. so after awhile i never thought anymore of it. she didnt really start pressing my hair until high school.

 

[tdwillis]

OMG, why do people do that. If someone tries this with my kid, they will be catching a beat down. Thank God you were spared getting something that neither yourself or your mother wanted

Yeah, my mom put me in the wrong hands to spend that weekend. My uncle always teased me and told my family that you needed a rake to comb my hair. My mom should have known that leaving me with him would cause an immediate trip to the salon. My aunt had no backbone at the time, so she was just trying to please him and thought she was doing something "good" for his family. Now, her daughter's hair is a hot mess. She relaxed, then colored it bright red. I was like, your mom let you do that huh?

 

[BostonMaria]

Very interesting thread. It's sad that more of us can't answer yes to this question. I think the newest generations will have less "permed since I was four..." stories, and more "I've been natural for life..." experiences.

So true! I hated the fact that it was never MY choice. Both of my daughters (19 and 10) have natural hair.

 

[SEMO]

Yeah, my mom put me in the wrong hands to spend that weekend. My uncle always teased me and told my family that you needed a rake to comb my hair. My mom should have known that leaving me with him would cause an immediate trip to the salon. My aunt had no backbone at the time, so she was just trying to please him and thought she was doing something "good" for his family. Now, her daughter's hair is a hot mess. She relaxed, then colored it bright red. I was like, your mom let you do that huh?

Way to try to damage a child's self-esteem.

 

[mommy2kaela]

I've always been natural my mom never permed our hair and rarely pressed it, I got my first press when I was 11 so I learned to style my natural hair early on.

 

[that_1_grrrl]

I wish I could say yes. I got a relaxer when I was 7 or 8 because I wanted a hairstyle that required straight hair. It was basically the mushroom bob. I loved the hairstyle so much, and it was my staple style for so many years.

So, unfortunately, I missed out on having natural hair all my life. My daughters won't be getting relaxers until they are grown and out my house.

 

[BeautifulRoots]

Yes, I have been natural my entire life. My dad would not let me get a relaxer when I was younger. He wanted me to keep my natural hair. As I got a little older, he let me decide whether or not to get one, but I chose not to. My mom took good care of my hair while growing up...I used to get it blow dried or pressed most of the time...sometimes had braids too. Glad I didn't get one now that im starting to learn how to care for my hair better and find styles that work for my hair.

 

[Libra08]

ME I begged my mom almost every day for a perm when I was younger and every day she would come up with an excuse Thank God for those lies she told me because I love my braidouts!

 

[tdwillis]

Way to try to damage a child's self-esteem.

Yeah he had a way of making me feel real ugly. Once, while he was making this "rake" comment and my mom was combing my hair, the comb actually broke. I was so embarrased. He had a field day with that one. But now that I think about it, it was kinda funny. I can only say that now because of my hair now compared to what it used to be.

 

[Aalize]

I've always been natural my mom never permed our hair and rarely pressed it, I got my first press when I was 11 so I learned to style my natural hair early on.

This is pretty much my story right here.