Calling on those that are natural or almost natural

[mrshicks2002]

I have been thinking about going natural from relaxed hair. I dont know how I would deal with alot of NG and grow out the relxer and I dont want to BC.
Do anyone think If I wanted to go natural and I really dont like heat, but would warm combing my NG a couple of times a month help with trying to transition. I would love to do this, but if its going to or might cause alot of breakage then I might have to change my plans.
I was thinking about the pressing comb with the cord like this one below

http://www.beautysupplyproducts.com/hottoprhotpr.html

Eventually when I transitioned 100% will I have to always either press my hair or flat iron it just to get it straight.

 

[cheetarah1980]

There are ways to blend the two textures that don't require using direct heat. Rollersets, strawsets, braidouts, and twistouts are styles that blend the two textures seemlessly. Now if you want to wear your hair straight while transitioning, then yes you'll probably have to use heat. But if you're okay with curly/wavy styles for the duration of your transition then don't bother with the pressing comb.
Once you're 100% depending on your texture you may be able to straighten your hair with a roller set on magnetic rollers and a light blowout. However if you have tightly coiled hair the only way to get it straight is to use direct heat. There are ways to minimize the heat usage (banding or large twists to stretch the hair while drying instead of using a blowdryer), but you a flat iron or pressing comb will still need to be used. Hope this helps and good luck with your transition.

 

[PinkSkates]

When I was dealing with transitioning, I wanted straight hair most of the time; so I pressed my new growth with the old fashioned hot comb because the cord on the electric one would get in my way. I liked the look and feel of my pressed new growth so much that I finally cut off the relaxed ends and after that straightening my hair was so much easier. Good luck with your transition.

 

[tropicexotic]

I used to stretch out my roots doing bantu knots, so did my best friend...it gives the whole head a curly style that I liked. I really liked that it was no fuss once you took them out. But if you're going for a straight hair look, it might not work for you. I think heat is always a gamble as far as breakage/damage is concerned. No matter what you do throughout your transition (if you decide to transition) deep condition, deep condition, deep condition. Good luck, it's always good to have options!

 

[CurlyGirly327]

I have to warn you that if your goal is to be 100% natural, you really don't want to use heat on your hair on a regular basis. Constant straightening of your natural coils with heat will weaken them, causing breakage, and may burn them straight, causing your hair to simply remain straight, even when wet. If you want to transition with having to BC, you should try keeping your hair in braid extensions until your natural hair reaches a length where you feel like you can comfortably cut off the relaxed hair. Regular heat usage is like playing Russian roulette with your hair, regardless of whether it's natural or chemically treated.

 

[Hair Iam]

I have to warn you that if your goal is to be 100% natural, you really don't want to use heat on your hair on a regular basis. Constant straightening of your natural coils with heat will weaken them, causing breakage, and may burn them straight, causing your hair to simply remain straight, even when wet. If you want to transition with having to BC, you should try keeping your hair in braid extensions until your natural hair reaches a length where you feel like you can comfortably cut off the relaxed hair.

Regular heat usage is like playing Russian roulette with your hair, regardless of whether it's natural or chemically treated.

Dis fi true
what she said

 

[Crackers Phinn]

Eventually when I transitioned 100% will I have to always either press my hair or flat iron it just to get it straight.

Why do you want to go natural? If your goal is to wear your hair straight then you should probably remain relaxed, because the amount of heat you'll have to use to maintain straight styles will probably lead to damage and breakage.

 

[mrshicks2002]

Thanks ladies for the advice. After some thinking I think I have made my mind up and decided not to transition because I know I am not going to want to deal with braid and such until I am 100% natural and I am going to always want straight hair and it doesnt look like that is going to be a good thing applying heat to get the straight look while transitioning.

 

[ClassicBeauty]

Well if you don't want to go natural, it's totally up to you, but I use heat regularly and my hair usually grows fine and my ends are fine. When I transitioned, no one even knew unless I told them because my hair didn't change. I wore the same roller wrap that I always wore and I never did a big chop. I just went for more trims to get rid of the relaxed ends.

I had to flat iron my hair to get it straight when it was relaxed anyway, but when I went natural I had to use more heat. (I've learned from this board that when I was relaxed, I was always just texlaxed, but that means relaxed to me. My hair was never bone straight though.)

There are others on this board who use heat often and have very long and healthy hair. Different people have different experiences, but my experience has been fine.

 

[glamazon386]

I would say don't do it. You could damage your natural hair. The styles Cheetarah mentioned are good. I'd say just still with low manipulation styles and try and work with your hair instead of against it. It would be less damaging to blend your relaxed hair in with the new growth than the other way around if you are going natural. If you plan to wear your hair straight most of the time you might as well stay relaxed.

 

[Ennyaa]

As much as I love my natural hair now at first I wasn't really prepared to let go of having straight hair most of the time. It was hard because I'd been relaxed for SO many years and my family wasn't that supportive. But after a while when I learned to just enjoy my hair with all it's kinky curliness just the option of straightening once in a while became enough for me. And then I found that most of the time I didn't even want to straighten at all. It was a process for me.

Now of course that's just MY journey. Everyone is different. Almost all of my girlfriends who are natural get their hair pressed/flat ironed at the salon every two weeks. I haven't been to a salon in more than a year. Some have long hair and some don't. Some wear weaves, some don't. Again everyone is different.

Good luck to you whatever you choose.

 

[LadyPaniolo]

Gosh, I hope you aren't scared away from going natural. At first I felt like I'd need to straighten my hair when I went natural. Then I spent the first 8 months of my transition using NO heat at all. Not even a hood dryer. I went from one extreme to another. Now I see that heat isn't necessarily evil.

It's true that if you blast your hair with a hair dryer on the highest setting and no heat protectant, and you do it every week, there's a good chance of damage. But you could alternate between a curly style one week and a straight style the next, cutting your heat usage in half. There are lots of options. Don't give up on natural hair without at least trying it for a few months. You might be surprised what your hair is like.
Good luck!

 

[thefineprint]

I agree with some of the other posters. Why go natural if you wish to wear your hair straight? many naturals flat-iron but doing so consistently over a period of time is asking for breakage. why not transition with extensions and cut the relaxed ends off afterwards?

 

[glamazon386]

Then I spent the first 8 months of my transition using NO heat at all. Not even a hood dryer. I went from one extreme to another. Now I see that heat isn't necessarily evil.

This is me... I can count on one hand the amount of times I've used my hooded dryer. And I bought it back in 2004. I wasn't really a big heat user as a relaxed head either, though. You might just realize that you prefer not to even deal with heat.

 

[gradygirl]

There are so many ways to transition and its all just a matter of personal preference. My hair has never been straight it was texturized at best and to get it straight I would have to always use heat. Now that Im transitioning I still use heat when I want to although I would not use it anymore than twice a month or every two weeks. I also use half wigs usually on the weekends. Some hair responds well to heat while others dont. My hair responds to heat well but not to relaxers so even if I did want to wear my hair straight all the time I would still be better off natural and pressed rather than relaxed and straight. Do what works for you and good luck on your decision.