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Can You Tell the Difference Between Relaxed and Natural Straightened?

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Can You Tell the Difference Between Relaxed and Natural Straightened Hair

  • Yes I can almost always tell the difference

    Votes: 79 27.2%

  • No I can't really tell most of the time

    Votes: 83 28.6%

  • I can sometimes tell.

    Votes: 128 44.1%
  • Total voters
    290
  • Poll closed .
Sure, if someone is going for the kinky-straight look then its obvious.

Me personally, I'm a person of absolutes, if I'm wearing my hair kinky, I want it kinky from root to tip, if I'm wearing my hair curly, I want curls consistent from root to tip and if I straighten I want it consistently silky.

If you're like me, and you go for the silky pin straight look when you straighten, then people cant tell unless you let them know. Alot of times people do tell me they weren't sure but they knew my hair looked thicker and more bouncy then relaxed hair.

Its hilarious watching the reactions on peoples faces when I tell them I'm natural when I happen to be rocking a press & flat iron. I came up to this girl sitting at a large table with her friends and complimented her on her twa I was like "yay for being natural" and she was like "are you natural too?" I was like "100%!" all the jaws at the table she was sitting at dropped I was like:lol::rofl: "see ya!"
 
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Nope! I recently told a sales lady how pretty her shoulder length bob was. Then I asked her which relaxer she used. She said she is 1100% natural and had been that way for 5 years. Her hair was fiya and looked relaxed straight...it was beautiful!
 
My sister and I can almost always tell, but it also depends somewhat on the texture and/or pattern of hair that has been relaxed.

For instance, no, I did not know that a self described "Italian American" college girl's hair had been lightly relaxed as opposed to straightened because the end result looked just like European-straight hair with a mild wave. There was no way to know that it had undergone a chemical process as opposed to the blow-drying out and flat-ironing that I learned (once living in a dorm with them) many European-ancestry women do daily.

IMO, the tighter the natural curl or kink OR, alternately, the thicker or coarser the texture, I think it becomes much easier to distinguish chemical processing.

However, I do not think *most* people--and certainly not most men, as per that post--have any way to distinguish that. My sis and I grew up analyzing hair like hawks because we're from a very mixed ethnic background where people are always gossiping about "whose hair is naturally that 'good" (quite common for us) and whose hair had to be processed such (also common), and who just had an excellent stylist who knows their way around a hot comb.
 
BlackMasterPiece said:

If you're like me, and you go for the silky pin straight look when you straighten, then people cant tell unless you let them know, its hilarious watching the reactions on peoples faces when I tell them I'm natural when I happen to be rocking a press & flat iron. I came up to this girl sitting at a large table with her friends and complimented her on her twa I was like "yay for being natural" and she was like "are you natural too?" I was like "100%!" all the jaws at the table she was sitting at dropped I was like:lol::rofl: "see ya!"
Click to expand...

I can imagine those folks drooling over all that lovely hair!:lachen::lachen:
 
chellero said:
When people straighten their natural hair it tends to look thicker and healthier then relaxed hair.
Click to expand...

I used to think this too until I started seeing people on this board with thick, healthy, lush relaxed hair like Silver2 and Tee.

I'm thinking that if your hair is already thin, ANY type of straightening (thermal or chemical) will make it appear thinner.

As for healthiness, do you think that thick = healthy? or are you using some other measure for health?
 
Jazala said:
Wow it's looks fabulous! I would not be able to tell.:grin: I do see some texture but, my hair looks a bit textured when I rollerset (most likely because I'm not bone-straight).
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Thanks I really liked the way it came out:yep: For me, if my hair is pressed, I pretty much have to convince people that I'm natural, then I have to show them that my texture isn't loose curls. I carry around my camera and show people my texture and different styles like I'm showing off a new born baby:giggle: At that point most people just go "Wow" lmao
 
YankeeCandle said:
My sister and I can almost always tell, but it also depends somewhat on the texture and/or pattern of hair that has been relaxed.

For instance, no, I did not know that a self described "Italian American" college girl's hair had been lightly relaxed as opposed to straightened because the end result looked just like European-straight hair with a mild wave. There was no way to know that it had undergone a chemical process as opposed to the blow-drying out and flat-ironing that I learned (once living in a dorm with them) many European-ancestry women do daily.

IMO, the tighter the natural curl or kink OR, alternately, the thicker or coarser the texture, I think it becomes much easier to distinguish chemical processing.

However, I do not think *most* people--and certainly not most men, as per that post--have any way to distinguish that. My sis and I grew up analyzing hair like hawks because we're from a very mixed ethnic background where people are always gossiping about "whose hair is naturally that 'good" (quite common for us) and whose hair had to be processed such (also common), and who just had an excellent stylist who knows their way around a hot comb.
Click to expand...

That's an interesting observation and now that I think about it, it holds true in my experience as well. My uncle's ex-wife had hair that was in the 2's or 3's. She was relaxed and we never knew it till one day I found the relaxer kit she tried to hide in the trash lol. She wanted us all to believe that her natural hair was type 1. She wore her hair long, slightly wavy, and it was thick and very silky. It really fooled me for the longest time! :lachen::lachen:
 
Jazala said:
I used to think this too until I started seeing people on this board with thick, healthy, lush relaxed hair like Silver2 and Tee.

I'm thinking that if your hair is already thin, ANY type of straightening (thermal or chemical) will make it appear thinner.

As for healthiness, do you think that thick = healthy? or are you using some other measure for health?
Click to expand...

I definetely agree with you on this one Sweetie :grin::yep::yep::yep: My own hair is far from being thin, and same goes for my sisters ...relaxed or natural:lachen:
 
I can definitely tell the difference. When I see people with bone straight flowy hair in the streets, I always ask if they are natural and 100% of people I ask say Yes. It is hard to explain how I know. Its the natural sheen, the bounce, and the flow of the hair. No offense to people with relaxed hair, but IMO a natural's press looks healthier straightened. There is a whole different look between a relaxed head and a natural head that is straightened bone straight. Idk..its hard to explain.
 
Thanks xcuzememiss I like when people can tell I'm natural too because that way I can serve as an example of the potential of natural hair:love2:

I totally feel what you're saying lexi:yep:
 
Not really. I can sometimes tell between straightened fine hair vs relaxed fine hair. But definitely not with people with thick hair...
 
When comparing hair that appears healthy you cannot tell. When comparing two chewed up heads, you cannot tell.

Good presses, even with flat irons can look very smooth and bouncy. All you need is the right tools and a good professional or to be an awesome DIYer. There are alot of women in cities like Atlanta, that have competent stylist and get great results.

People often ask naturals who alternate between kinky and straight, if they got a relaxer to straighten. While working out with natural straightened hair my roots waved up because I sweat in the scalp. It looked like new growth.
 
Sometimes I can tell. The main indicator is thickness. Usually, to me, relaxed non-healthy heads seem flatter than relaxed healthy and naturally straightened heads. It's as though the relaxer took away any volume or fullness.
 
Forgot to tell, by the way BMP I love your pincurls results. For an unknown reason my pincurls are always a mess. So I gave up after a couple of trials :)
 
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Thanxsomuch Mamato!:blush3: your hair is sooooooo gorgeous!!!:pant:

My YouTube channel is on its way and I promise this will be amung the tutorials:yep:
 
Jazala said:
I used to think this too until I started seeing people on this board with thick, healthy, lush relaxed hair like Silver2 and Tee.

I'm thinking that if your hair is already thin, ANY type of straightening (thermal or chemical) will make it appear thinner.

?
Click to expand...

Exactly. :yep::yep:

Quite a number of relaxed heads esp on here with nice healthy thick hair :drunk::yep:
 
No, I can't. If both are straighten to pin straight then would be hard to tell the difference only thing I could do is suspect what it is.

If both was flat iron pin straight, used same products and had same thickness would be extremely hard for me to tell.
 
Bachelorette said:
*sighs* You have such beautiful healthy hair, Mamato!

can you include your relaxer in regime? pretty please. lol
Click to expand...

Oh thanks Honey ... Just ORS no lye regular, nothing fancy... 10-15 mins and I am good to go. I am texlaxed by the way. My natural texture is quite coarse and would take at least 45-60 mins to get bone straight :yep:
 
I can't really tell the difference either. In fact, my pressed natural hair was MUCH thinner than my relaxed hair. Not sure why that was/is. I will be posting pictures of both my natural and relaxed hair in December.
 
I think I can tell the difference at least 2/3 times. Something about the texture looks different. Just like at least 2/3 times I can tell the difference between a type 4 straightened and a type 3 straightened, even though they're both straight. The texture still looks different.
 
BlackMasterPiece said:
I carry around my camera and show people my texture and different styles like I'm showing off a new born baby:giggle: At that point most people just go "Wow" lmao
Click to expand...


I assumeyou care for your hair like its a new born baby might as well show her off like shes one.:love5: Once I BC I might have to start carrying around my camara.:gorgeous:
 
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