I hope I will be natural for life but I cannot say that I will never get a relaxer again. I recently thought about it but then I remembered how much length I lost because I caved in and relaxed in 2005. A year later I bc'd again because my hair was a mess. If I hadn't relaxed in 2005 I would have so much hair now, for me that is a major regret. I love twists and they look so wimpy on my relaxed hair. I like the thickness and lushness of my natural hair. I do not like how long it takes on wash day but I know it will get easier with length. When someone says I put my hair in 4 braids or 2 braids I just think, I wish! My hair is too short for that, but it getting easier as it gets longer. My relaxed, actually texturized, hair needed more ongoing attention than my natural hair and it shed like crazy, my natural hair hardly sheds at all. I think patience really is key, so I am trying to hold on for the length, I am determined to wait for the length.