Did you ever think you'd see the day...

[Anew]

when so many ladies were going natural? I didn't think I would ever go natural, well not that I didn't want to I just never had thoughts about it. I'm starting to see it more and more IRL, at least I'm starting to notice.

 

[Ms_Twana]

Not even just actual texture naturals, there are a whole lotta straight hair naturals.

Oh my goodness. I was the MINORITY at my friends baby shower this past weekend. Most of the ladies there didn't have a relaxer. There was a mixture of natural texture and straight haired ladies. Some of them were mad at me because I relaxed again, and they were influence by ME to go natural!!! I was a sell out!!!

 

[Coffee]

I go back n forth being natural. When I want a change, I'll switch. I had been relaxed about a month when I found LHCF.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

Its a wonderful thing, isnt it?

Soooo many on campus and when I go to the city fugeddaboudit, we're all ova!!

 

[melissa-bee]

Well i was suprised when i saw the LHCF Census and it showed that the majority was natural and a good number was transitioning, including me. But i think this natural is popular across hair boards and not so much in others.

 

[lovenharmony]

Times are changing...and I love it! We still have a long way to go though, but at least the word is going aroud about how damaging relaxers can be.

 

[JayAnn0513]

I never thought I'd see the day that my mom and sister would be 100% natural and I'd be transitioning. My sister hasn't relaxed in 2 years and my mom hasn't relaxed in 18 months. I also have a couple of weave wearing natural friends but they NEVER wear their natural hair out.

 

[chiprecious]

ITA! When I first came on this board, there were not this many natural threads. Now I'm transitioning!!

It's a positive movement so that EVERYONE can feel beautiful. Long, short, straight, nappy, curly, whatever!

 

[MoniintheMiddle]

What do you ladies think is the cause of this trend? I'm transitioning myself. I was in the mall yesterday and a sales lady had a BEAUTIFUL midback length bob. I told her that her hair was beautiful and asked where she got it done. She said she does it herself. Then I asked what kind of relaxer she used (I immediatialy assummed that flowing hair was relaxed). She told me she was natural....

 

[Anew]

I've been inspired by the ladies on the boards, I don't see too too much where I'm from but there are noticeably more women going natural. I don't know if I'd be transitioning if not for hair boards. I honestly never took a real look at my new growth before the last few months. I never knew I had coils, kinda crazy. I'm actually in love with that stuff, lol..

 

[Geminigirl]

IDK why it's becoming popular. Possibly because it's different and people are starting to see the beauty and embrace.

It just came to me one day I wasn't going to relax anymore when my hair was damage to the point the best was to cut it off. So I started transtioning. Not to mention watching youtube videos on naturals who had more videos than those relaxed and watching their hair shrink and then them pull it to their AP or BS. It just interested me and I was hooked after that.

 

[Ms_Twana]

Its a wonderful thing, isnt it?

Soooo many on campus and when I go to the city fugeddaboudit, we're all ova!!

Now YOUR hair is GORGEOUS!!!! :lovedrool:

What do you ladies think is the cause of this trend? I'm transitioning myself. I was in the mall yesterday and a sales lady had a BEAUTIFUL midback length bob. I told her that her hair was beautiful and asked where she got it done. She said she does it herself. Then I asked what kind of relaxer she used (I immediatialy assummed that flowing hair was relaxed). She told me she was natural....

You should have asked her if she was Niko's cousin!!!

I'm not certain about the trend to wear natural texture. But like someone said before, I think the natural ladies that straighten realize it's a lot less damaging to just straighten, rather than relax AND straighten.

 

[Miss AJ]

Honestly, no. And I never thought i would be able to walk around with a fro and not hear snickers or crude jokes. Being natural is actually a normal and praised thing now.

 

[CurlyMoo]

Unfortunately, I still see a lot of damaged, relaxed hair. It's one thing to be relaxed, well groomed and maintained and another to be very dry, damaged, broken off, stingy and neglected. I have seen natural heads as all of my friends are natural.

 

[isabella09]

your absolutely right, I’m currently transitioning to natural also (Not for any deep reason other than I fancied a change and I’m so happy/excited with my decision, can’t wait to be fully natural). For me the fantastic thing to see here is women gaining the knowledge and confidence to take care of their hair themselves therefore being less dependent upon stylists some of whom value style over health. I’m so happy to see so many ladies capitalising on their hair’s full beauty and health whether it be natural, relaxed or BKT.

 

[shamarie]

Im not natural but I have noticed it and I love it.

 

[Lovestyr]

Well the thought hasnt crossed my mind to alter and go natural.

 

[bbdgirl]

I only know three ladies that are natural and that is because they hve been wearing weaves and braids for a very long time. They don't bother relaxing their own hair anymore.
Most of my co-workers are still relaxed and I still see alot of relaxed heads, but actually I see alot of wigs and weaves so who knows.

 

[brucebettye]

I do see more natural haired woman, but I also see the same old tired weaves and wigs still.

 

[Diva_Esq]

I know that I was not influenced by the boards to decide on transitioning. I decided that on my own and sought out the boards and other sites as a RESOURCE! My mentality is what convinced me. All the extra is just to support my decision. I am surrounding myself with like-minded individuals through the board, blogs and my natural hair social group b/c for me, as in all decisions I make in life, it helps to have support and a sounding board.

What's IN my head is SO MUCH more important than what's ON my head, but this transition and decision to be a natural beauty is for me! And I'm loving it!

Great thread!

 

[purplepeace79]

when so many ladies were going natural? I didn't think I would ever go natural, well not that I didn't want to I just never had thoughts about it. I'm starting to see it more and more IRL, at least I'm starting to notice.

Yes.

I've always believed in the beauty of natural hair and I've tried to be an inspiration for sisters around me. In college, I definitely helped a LOT of women transition and chop or loc, etc. I have always sounded the horn on the beauty and importance of embracing one's natural tresses and I think its finally catching on.

I do, however, think that the media plays a huge role in this. If you watch mainstream commercials, the vast majority of the women have the natural hair look (sometimes it is real, other times weaves/wigs). You rarely see a relaxed woman in a commercial on CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, CW, etc. Secondly, the exotic, biracial aesthetic is also very big in the media (esp with our new president), and more and more women are wanting to look like that (curly, bouncy, spiraly hair). They realize many of them can do it by just growing their hair out.

Also, the economy is playing a role as well, IMO. People just can't always justify spending hundreds or thousands of dollars a year getting their hair done professionally or with weaves and such. I think many women are reverting back to natural for financial reasons.

These are just my opinions and observations.

 

[kooskoos]

I love to see other naturals...especially when their hair is well-moisturized, etc. I hardly ever see relaxed ladies anymore. If I do, they're usually high-school age or middle age and above. Most of the hair I see is natural or weaved up!

 

[finickyone]

As someone else mentioned, honestly, when I look around me, I see more weaves & wigs then anything else. Since I am transitioning, my younger sister is also transitioning. She was wearing a Fantasia inspired, short & tapered cut, so what a nice length to start transitioning. My mother has started to stretch her relaxers but I doubt if she will ever transition. She still makes comments about my 8 yr old needing a relaxer because of the thickness of her hair.

 

[jamaraa]

More of them did 40 years ago than today. I saw the tail end of it in the late 70s early 80s.

The question is, how many WILL REMAIN natural after a few years? I suspect many will not.

 

[janeemat]

I have noticed that more are going natural. I get excited when I see someone natural and always compliment them. I'm relaxed but naturals excite me. I only know 5 ladies that are natural. The majority I see are still relaxed or weaved/wig up.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

I have noticed this on the board but IRL most of the ladies I see in Chicago are relaxed. Having said that, I am slowly hearing of more ladies transitioning. So the change is taking place, maybe just not as quickly as it is happening in other places.

 

[Tanji]

Honestly, I never really gave a whole lot of thought about going natural. I always thought I'd have relaxed hair. My hair was thriving with the relaxer. My hairdresser was into healthy hair and always took care of it. However, once I relocated not once but twice, I never found a hairdresser that could maintain my hair even though I was spending a lot of money sitting in their chairs once every week or two weeks.

I am now in the process of transitioning (29 weeks today since my last relaxer) and I am loving it. There were a combination of things that brought me to this decision.

One day, I was on LHCF admiring the hair of some of you ladies and it hit me from no where, just no where that I was going to stop relaxing. I felt excited -- didn't know what to expect, but felt genuinely happy with my decision.

My hair was broken in different spots and I was paying my hairdresser a lot of money for the phystospecific hair relaxer. I started thinking, why, why am I doing this? Why am I spending over $100.00 for a relaxer every six/seven weeks and my hair is still not looking healthy.

When I was a teenager, I went to a male hairdresser with my older sisters. He told me that I should go natural. That was 20 years ago. I thought, natural he had to be nuts!!! Me? How? What would I do with my hair? He told me that he would love to care for my hair in its natural state -- that he would keep it well conditioned and blow dry it for me. Unfortunately, I didn't have the money at the time to even consider it, but that always stuck with me.

My girlfriend went natural four years ago, so she's been a big help. I often notice how healthy her hair looks. I noticed her lovely braids, twist outs, even blow dried hair always looks good.

I tell you, I don't know what it's going to be like when I take my braids out in a couple of weeks, but I am so, so happy that I made this decision.

I have made it because of all of you natural ladies on this website. Thank you so much for your encouragement and inspiration. I feel free!!!

 

[Soliel185]

I had already decided to go natural, but it's so nice to see all the support and threads here on the board. They make it easier to deal with people IRL that might now be so open to the idea or the look. I know that without the boards I never would have thought to try some of my staples. I was always a PJ, but I only bought commercial stuff - the idea of putting honey, olive oil, castor oil, rosewater or vatika/coconut oil in my hair never even crossed my mind.

I have seen more on the collge campus lately. I think it's a general swell of pride in the black community that started with Obama's run for President. I honestly think we may be headed towards another 'black renaissance' in parts of the community like we saw in the 70's and I'm excited to see it happen.

 

[Distorted Barbie]

Never....At least not myself (My how times change I'm so happy that I took the plunge...