All Long Hair (spinoff)

[Sazzy4Evr]

CurleeDST mentioned that she saw a lot of long haired women in Atlanta and many of them were pressed. Do you think that it is easier to grow long natural hair while pressing it than relaxed hair? I'm considering either continuing to transition to texturized hair or go natural. And if I transition to natural I don't want to big chop so I was thinking that maybe I could press my new growth while I grow my hair out. What do you guys think?

 

[ichephren]

I have almost the exact same question. I think that it is easier to grow long natural hair and press it than it is to perm since you don't have the position of having "damaged" hair that needs constant care. The problem is when I tried to press, my hair was stiff and immovable. It was straight and stiff...this is not the look that I'm going for, so I relaxed and I am very happy. If someone could tell me how to get straight, nonstiff pressed hair that doesn't revert in a minute as a 4a, then spill the beans

 

[bellezanegra826]

when I was natural I could not grow my hair for the life of me because I was getting it pressed every week or everyother week. Now that its permed it is the longest its ever been

 

[caligirl]

I have almost the exact same question. I think that it is easier to grow long natural hair and press it than it is to perm since you don't have the position of having "damaged" hair that needs constant care. The problem is when I tried to press, my hair was stiff and immovable. It was straight and stiff...this is not the look that I'm going for, so I relaxed and I am very happy. If someone could tell me how to get straight, nonstiff pressed hair that doesn't revert in a minute as a 4a, then spill the beans

I used to get my hair pressed religiously every 3 weeks. Here's the secret:

1. don't use any product after rinsing the conditioner (zero, zilch, nada). You can put a little oil sheen after your all done for shine. This is the KEY for non-stiff hair.
2. blow dry it fairly straight first. This helps the press to last longer.

 

[Nightingale]

I think it depends on how you care for your pressed or natural hair. Presses hair might not have chemicals, but if you burn it...

 

[ThursdayGirl]

I think it depends on how you care for your pressed or natural hair. Presses hair might not have chemicals, but if you burn it...

This is what I was wondering. My Mom presses her hair and its permanently straight now, because of heat damage. Ive also read a lot of accounts of people getting a hard press...their hair is swanging and all... but when they wash it, it doesn't curl back up. I'm thinking if you want straight hair you should just go ahead and texturize to make it easier. At least then you can get a smoother rollerset and when your hair gets wet it'll still curl a bit for ya.

 

[Sazzy4Evr]

thanx for responding
bumping for more responses

 

[hairmaster]

My opservation is pressed hair over relaxed,Lye relaxed over No-lye relaxed.
Pressing the air with Ceramic flat irons over the Marcel irons that cause the irons to get hotter than the hair can take, and cause damage, Those using curling irons cause
the end to be damaged and break, do to the hair being pressed between the barrel and the clamp.

 

[cocoberry10]

CurleeDST mentioned that she saw a lot of long haired women in Atlanta and many of them were pressed. Do you think that it is easier to grow long natural hair while pressing it than relaxed hair? I'm considering either continuing to transition to texturized hair or go natural. And if I transition to natural I don't want to big chop so I was thinking that maybe I could press my new growth while I grow my hair out. What do you guys think?

I also agree that it depends on how you take care of it. I was natural for 2 years. The first year, my hair grew like crazy. I had it pressed regularly, but not religiously (like every week/2 weeks). The second year, I moved to a drier climate (before I lived in a humid climate), and it began to break really bad. Also, when you consistently press, you have to use heat (blowdrying and pressing), whereas with a perm, you can avoid heat. I would say, if you find the right stylist, it can work. Also, you can't constantly moisturize with a press or it will revert. You may find texturizing or limiting the amount of times you relax better.

 

[blackbarbie]

I remember my mom doing it. I didn't get a perm until the weekend I got ready to go to college. In all my mother's 40+ years of life, she had never had a perm either, always pressed it. So after I got my perm, she just fell in love with the way my hair looked (even though the guy didn't pull the perm all the way through the first time) and on a whim, ran out the next weekend and got her a perm. The very first time she shampooed it and tried to roller set it with the magnetic rollers, she said it was too time consuming and said she could blow dry/air dry and press her hair in under an hour. She decided at that point to let the perm grow out. It hadn't even been in for two weeks. She was able to do it and still maintain a head full of thick hair. A stylist (she had never gone to hair dressers in her life either; had always done it herself, as well as did mine) told her to keep the new growth moisturized so it wouldn't break off and just as I have heard people here describe how the dominican's do a blow out by blow drying the roots, that's what she did with her new growth and the straightening comb. She never had to cut ANY of her hair out, or as I hear people say "cut the perm out". She was sure not to get the straightening comb too hot. And as far as her not having the "press and curl" look (stiff and motionless), the only thing she uses to press her hair is a little vaseline. Even when I got my hair pressed and ears burned for all those 18 years, she used vaseline and that was it. My hair was never heavy and the only drawback I had was "big hair" when it was humid. Her hair doesn't react to the humidity the way mine used to. That was over 15 years ago and my mother still presses her hair today. She keeps it in a blunt cut at shoulder length and it has more body and looks healthier than I have seen some relaxed heads look. If ceramic irons existed back then, I would have never gotten a perm, that's for sure!

 

[Lucia]

I think you have to take care of your hair no matter what. Their are some long naturals here, Nay, Vintage coily, IRIS etc...But for me it's much easier to have long healthy hair natural/pressed than with relaxers they just don't work for me, but they work well for some look @ Allandra, Adrienne as examples for long relaxed/texturized hair.

 

[CurleeDST]

I am considering getting press and curls over the winter so I won't have to manipulate it as much. I was told to also get trims every 6 weeks vs. every quarter. She told me over time my hair will get used to the pressing and be easier to straighten once trained. My appointment is next week but as long as it still kinks up that is all I need so I can go back and forth!

 

[joyous]

It was easier for me to grow my hair long being natural and pressing. Even when I used to press my hair every two weeks my hair was healthy, bouncy and shiny. I have fine hair so perming after a while tends to thin my hair.