Anyone thinking of throwing in the "NATURAL" towel for 2012?

I think about being relaxed every humid summer. But I don't do it. It's hair...nothing to overanalyze do you and be happy.

The great thing about black hair is that we can go from relaxed to texlax to natural to bald fade.

Do what makes you happy.
 
I have to agree it takes about 2 years. Since it has been a year I'm wondering why you ony have 3 inches? Whats your regi?
 
just went natural Dec 10, but I keep it in scalp braids for wigs and sew-ins so natural or perm is not a big deal cuz I only see my hair once a week.


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
 
I wore my hair natural for 3 years and I recently texlaxed my hair. My hair was breaking off way too much from dryness and the coils. For awhile I wore my hair straight but it would puff up after 3 days. Now, I rollerset once a week and I'm satisfied. I'm not sure if I will wear my hair 100% natural but I will definetly be a long-term stretcher.
 
like many relationship it can take 18 months to 24 months to really know if you wanna hang in there :lol: i've been natural since 2004 and it was only THIS YEAR that i figured it out AND absolutely loved my hair. i loved my hair in the beginning then became frustrated, contemplated being a flat ironed natural, wore wigs for a minute, then found youtube and this site.

simplifying my reggie and learning how to retain length has made a difference. now that i know what i'm doing i feel like relaxed hair would be too much work.
 
I agree with others that a year is not long enough and to simplify your regimen to basics and build on it from there.

Napp said:
I had planned on staying natural until the end of the year and i decided to jump the gun and relax 2 months ago. natural hair has been pretty much all i knew and Im happy for the change. My natural hair is not difficult to take care of but i found that i just didnt like styles that worked best for my texture. Now my hair is easier to comb and style, styles lasts for much longer and my hair is more predictable,all of which i prefer.
Click to expand...

Yea this influenced my decision to relax a lot. I've always had fast growing hair so length retention wasn't an issue for me. I kept my hair twisted quite a bit because it was easy.. but honestly most of the natural styles that were easy for me weren't all that sexy. They were presentable but not that hot..

If I go natural again I will keep my hair stretched as much as possible, only washing in braids/twists,etc to avoid awful detangling sessions and ssks. Thing is I need to wash frequently because my scalp starts to itch at about the 4 day mark, and If I work out regularly I need some type of water in my head every 2-3 days. My natural journey would've been easier if I didn't have to balance frequent washing with(cute) styling so much. I didn't experiment with heat training because frequent washing and workouts made that a pointless endeavor.

It's simply easier for me to have sexy hair on a regular basis while relaxed then natural. I may feel differently in the future.
 
Well...I may be the odd ball here, but I say go ahead and relax your hair. You've only got three inches of hair anyway so I don't see it as much of a loss if you decide you don't like the relaxer. Also, you may decide that you would enjoy the natural journey more if you just transition from relaxed to natural instead of BCing to a baldie.

Hey, natural hair care and styling ain't for everyone. :ohwell:
 
Nope not me! Been there done that (texlaxed then ended up relaxed later on) and I'm still regretting it. I keep saying if only I would have hung in there and just learned how to deal with the SSKs, just trimmed the damage when I pressed it and it wouldn't revert, all the mistakes I made... I mean I dealt with set backs when it was relaxed and it improved just fine. If I would have just learned how to deal with my natural hair, my hair would be down my back now! Well maybe. Anyway, I started over, got it shaved off in July and there is no way I'm going back. I'm slowly getting back to being able to do the fun things I used to do with my hair and I'm loving it! :yep:
 
Love the feedback from ALL of you! Thanks for the encouraging words and reality checks; cant wait to share these with my friends as well. :)
 
Zaz said:
One thing I will say is that try not to do things because you think that's what naturals are supposed to do.

When I first joined the board there was an old member with a lot of great advice who always insisted that frequent wash n gos would lead to ssk and stunt your growth. So for the first couple of months being natural I always had it in the back of my mind: once I stop being lazy, I'll do more twistouts, braidouts, bantu knot outs... And I felt kinda guilty about it as if I was damaging my hair somehow based solely on her words and not my hair's actual state.

Then I realised my hair seems pretty cool with what I'm doing now and I'm retaining just fine as is. Sometimes I'll do the occasional stretched style but it's more to get a look than because I feel I have to do it :yep:.
Click to expand...

Took the words right out of my mouth:yep:.....i plan on staying natural for life....i'll be a full yr in May...but with all the head on my hair right now it really feels like i've been natural for 2 years.

I don't know how old you were when you got your first relaxer....but most of us were pretty young when we got ours...so just think how all those yrs...you had time to learn how to deal with your hair and care for it.

I agree...1 yrs natural...compared to YEARS of relaxing...is not enough time to really get to know your hair....it's like getting to know a person really.

Buuuuut if you feel you must go back, to be satisfied...then so be it:)
 
I've been natural for almost 12 years. And I'm not going to front: I don't claim, and will never claim, to be natural for life. :ohwell: I really admire those of you who feel that way but there are times where I contemplate slipping some Dark and Lovely into my deep conditioner. :look:

Yet, I can't bring myself to do so. I simply love my hair. And after 12 years I can't claim that I've developed and mastered a sound regimen, so if I relaxed, I would feel like I was giving up. But yeah. I'm not natural for life. I'm natural for as long as it suits me. It's suited me just fine for the past several years, it's continuing to suit me presently, and I'm open to the fact that it might not at a later point in time. It's just hair. If I don't like it relaxed, I'll cut it all off and start over again. :yep:
 
Just wanted to add, OP, you need to do what you feel is best for YOU. I'm not the one shampooing, conditioning, and styling your hair. You are. :yep:
 
I am really considering becoming a 'straight natural' though. I'm testing it out now. If I don't find any significant damage to my hair during this trail period of straightening on a regular basis, then that is the next route I'll be taking on my natural journey.
 
Last edited:
I went back to being relaxed this year soon after having my daughter- had my daughter in aug relaxed in oct making it a year and 5 mths since my BC- a year and 6 mths since my last relaxer. My decision to do so was based on not being able to take the time to deal with my natural hair and look decent while taking care of and giving the due attention to a newborn. Honestly the length my hair was once i relaxed was the same length acheived before I decided to go natural so there wasnt any major differences except my hair was thicker and stronger. My initial decision to go natural was just for the experience, I kind of wished i would have waited till next year but when I saw all the split ends and ssk's I had then I had no regrets and still dont since I had nothing against relaxers in the first place. I may go back to being natural once my daugther gets to the age where I have to really take care of her hair, only because I do believe that it would be better for her hair during her young years to be at its natural state for as long as possible and I want her to understand like I learned that dispite the misconceptions black womens natural hair is beautiful and can grow.
 
After 7 years I am thinking hard. I barely show my real hair anymore. I like wearing it straight and it puffs up too much/
 
I must admit that first six months of the transition was ROUGH. I definitely had scab hair and I was still trying to use the same products that I used when I was relaxed. I was also trying to get my hair to look as bone straight as it did relaxed which obviously couldn't happen without heat. Fastforward to today, at 2+ years post and I can't imagine EVER going back to the creamy crack. My hair is so much fuller, thicker, longer and easier to manage than it has been since childhood. I actually look forward to washing my hair now when I dreaded the detangling sessions when I was relaxed. More than anything, I don't have all those broken off little hairs all over my bathroom floor anymore.

I attribute all of this to finally finding products and simple regimens that work for me. It doesn't happen overnight but it will happen. And if you decide that you do want to go back to relaxers that will be ok too because you will carry over those healthy habits into your relaxed state and you'll be fine either way. Good luck! :)
 
naijamerican said:
I've been natural for almost 12 years. And I'm not going to front: I don't claim, and will never claim, to be natural for life. :ohwell: I really admire those of you who feel that way but there are times where I contemplate slipping some Dark and Lovely into my deep conditioner. :look:

Yet, I can't bring myself to do so. I simply love my hair. And after 12 years I can't claim that I've developed and mastered a sound regimen, so if I relaxed, I would feel like I was giving up. But yeah. I'm not natural for life. I'm natural for as long as it suits me. It's suited me just fine for the past several years, it's continuing to suit me presently, and I'm open to the fact that it might not at a later point in time. It's just hair. If I don't like it relaxed, I'll cut it all off and start over again. :yep:
Click to expand...


i am ON THE FLOOR! :lachen::lachen::lachen::lachen:
 
I think about going relaxed as a natural as much as I thought about going natural when I was relaxed. I have my moments where I think about it...I will wait until I have more length before I make any decisions. Maybe when I hit full APL. I have a feeling my hair will be easier to manage when I can make a full bun.

Do what you have to do to satisfy yourself op. Goodluck.
 
I have thought about it a few times but I know I wont do it. I really do like my hair. I would be hurt if I didn't get in the shower and see my hair curl up. But I think I am going to be wearing it mostly straight, braided or weaved up this winter for ease. I'll definitely be wearing it curly during warmer months though. I'm taking my time with using heat since I have only used it a few times since my 2 years of being natural. I am just now at 2 years beginning to actually like the length of my natural hair and finding what things work for me. (oils my hair loves em!) OP do what is best for your hair but make sure you before you do it. HHG :)
 
I'm thinking on it but it's after promising myself 5 years and hanging in almost 7.
many of you knew I went natural because of scalp issue.
I've found a few working reggies hair has had some growth and I've learned a lot BUT with my length no styles that I can do put a smile of confidence on my face and there's not many I see and I've seen plenty but none would suit me... Also although my guy has helped me and tried being supportive sometimes you can't hide the truth which is he'd still rather it be straight always and in the end so would i...
only reasons I haven't are
I'm afraid it will all break off if we relax it
I'm scared my scalp will get bad again
I'm clueless as to what will work for my relaxed hair
I want to have wl natural hair
I want no regrets
 
For 2012 I am gonna take my "natural" towel and:

Burn it.

Stomp on it.

Jump up and down on it.

Run over it.

And bury it.

I am so done with this frizzy, split end, fairy knot, super dry, shedding, slow growing, shrunk up mess of a mop on my head. I just want to cry because I hate it so much.

Wait a minute................:cry:

Sniff, sniff, I feel better now.

You see for me natural hair never worked. I wore a relaxer all my life and found it easier to take care for my hair. I never spent as much time, money and effort on my hair as I have since wearing it natural. Plus when I grew my hair to bsl it was relaxed. But because of all the "natural" problems I listed above I have been unable to retain length beyond my collar bone.

I only went natural because my rare incurable lymphoma chewed my bsl hair just about bald. In fact the whole front of my scalp was bald. I knew I had to nurse my hair back with extreme caution. Therefore, no relaxer/color or chemicals for 7years. I said 7 years.

I will either relax in January or in the early spring. But trust me. It will be done. It's time.
 
fletgee

I am sowwie things have been so rough for you these past years. :( I hope when you get your relaxer your hair make a quick recover and blow in the wind again. =3
 
I am a strong believer that you have to train your hair. and if this your first year your hair has not had the time to suck up the moisture that it needs. this is the same thing I went through with my daughter when I first started doing her hair but see the thing is with her and I know how her hair was when she was little she didn't remember so she was not a believer until time went on and she saw her hair thrived. I say give it time find out what product your hair loves and you will see what it is all about.
 
I shaved my head on NYE so I have been natural for 10.5 months and i have come to the conclusion that I am going to be a straightened natural. I have decided to heat train but and i have flat ironed/blow dried twice in the last 4 weeks but my main goal is just to get rollersets at the Dominican salon every 2 weeks. The SSKs are what did me in for good. I cant deal and for some reason i dont remember having this many back when i was 17.
 
I have been natural for over a couple of years now (frequent heat user), and yes, I am just now getting over the dry hair issue. It was a lot of trial and error, but the dry hair issues are pretty much gone forever now. And I will finally make apl in the next few months, but the more I see progress made by other naturals (and former lhcf natural/heat guru's ex: Pinkskates,Gabannagirl, Stargazer, & remember my own pressed hair as a child) I know I will soon be passing apl too. I hope you are okay with the choice you decide to go with.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

HeavenlySkies
Thinking about throwing in the natural towel...
2 3
Replies
72
Views
12K
She-Ra
She-Ra
A
Step away from the towel and the shampoo!!!!!!!!!!
Replies
8
Views
872
Kha
Kha
santia
I'm throwing the towel in (well not completely)
Replies
20
Views
4K
hairdrama:{
hairdrama:{
Smiley79
Anyone doing a Big Chop by end of 2012?
Replies
24
Views
4K
HairPleezeGrow
HairPleezeGrow
mly3e
Does anyone use a silk towel????
Replies
13
Views
3K
mly3e
mly3e
Back
Top