Can a girl with uber thick, coarse type 4 hair ever go natural?

caribeandiva

Human being
I'm seriously contemplating transitioning since I'm 3 and 1/2 months post anyway. The only thing that worries me is how unruly my hair is right now. How will I manage it when I'm natural. Oh the detangling sessions! :eek: I mean I have extremely thick, coarse hair! I've never seen anybody else outside my family with hair that thick. That's the only thing that stopped me from going natural before. I don't wanna let fear rule any aspects of my life anymore. Anybody else feel the same way?
 
Thehairlab started a thread where ladies with 4a/b natural hair can post pics, you may wanna check it out for inspiration. As for me, I have type 4 hair and I've been natural for almost four years now. Do I think about relaxing? Yes, I won't lie. But I love my natural hair too much, so right now that's what I'm gonna deal with.
 
Of course you can go natural!! :grin:

I would say to try not to give it a chance to tangle, keep it stretched out most of the time so that it cant shrink onto itself, try wearing braids/twists/braidouts/buns, etc. I think it will be easier for you once you get past the awkward short stage.:yep:

And dont be afraid of thickness, thats actually a good thing to have!
 
There are women here with the hair texture and density you describe so yes.
There are no pre-requisites for going natural only the desire to do so and that's it.
 
Uhm...yes. I'm one of them. Providence didn't give you anything that you aren't able to handle. You didn't come into the world with a relaxer so yes, I'd say that you are able to be natural and be perfectly fine.
 
In your avi, your hair really doesn't look thick to me. Maybe you've just psyched yourself out.

My little sis has incredibly thick hair. You can't get in it without coming out with carpel tunnel. One woman who blow dried it started tearing up midway through and had to get someone to help her. My sister struggles with being natural, but for the most part she lets others style her hair. She detangles it herself on wash day, but she gets it braided or straightened once a month by someone else.

It's all about where your mind is at, you have to mentally prepare to be natural. You have to take the good with the bad. Sometimes I wonder how woman can stand to burn their scalps to a scabby mess every month, but the thought of getting it braided every six weeks is too much. There are pros and cons for both relaxed and natural.
 
Have you tried daily cowashes and bunning? Cowashes were a life saver while transitioning and I still do it everyday as a natural. Just find the right conditioner that gives you AMAZING slip.

To answer your question, YES. There are too many gorgeous heads on this forum of lucious, thick, gorgeous natural hair. :)
 
Of course you can go natural..it's the hair G-d blessed you with!

eta: Returning back to your natural hair texture truly is a mental journey. You will learn not only about your hair, but yourself during your entire journey.
 
Don't be afraid of going natural b/c of hair thickness. Also your new growth will feel thicker against the relaxer hair. The dentangling sessions are not bad if done once a week but you should look at you hair as a chore but a hobby, then it would be enjoyable experience.
 
I don't see way not. I'm sure there are plenty of people this hair board who have the exact same hair as you. lhcf is like, type 4 hair heaven.
 
Do it! Do it! Do it! :lachen:

I've always thought we have similar hair and Im transitioning (3 days away from being one year post relaxer). Its not as hard as you think. I think my hair has benefitted greatly. I don't consider my hair uber thick at all though, I have fine to medium strands.
 
You should definitely go natural! There are plenty of other women with thick, 4 hair whose hair thrive (check out Mwedzi). Its all a matter of just learning how to manage your type of hair, as all naturals have to learn. It will be different from managing relaxed hair, but IMO, its not harder or more difficult. Just different. And help in that department is why we're all here at LHCF. There are tons of tips, strategies, techniques, products, creative geniuses, and hair twin ideals on here to help you.

If your hair is really as thick as you say (you'll never truly know until you actually find out, because honestly most people seem to think that before they go natural) you'll rock most natural styles the best, because thicker usually looks better.
 
Of course! Just grow to know your hair on your journey, don't be frustrated when it doesn't "behave" like another hair type and embrace it for what it is! Lots of resources here! If you transition, enjoy the journey!!
 
To me from your avi it doesn't look thick but it's not thin either, which is good! Since we live in the same place just make sure it's really moisturized because a brillo pad is not a good look:nono:.
 
Heck yeah you can go natural! I've been told by many stylists and others that I have the thickest hair they've ever seen. I'm not sure about all that but my hair is crazy thick and I'm natural and lovin' it. I don't really have problems with detangling (thank you Lord), but I'm sure you can use some of the techniques that others w/ thick 4b hair have posted and you will be fine.
 
Girl....I just wish I could have responded first lol.

I have your hair. So thick, that even when I only had 2-3" of hair AND had 2-strand twists in it, you STILL couldn't see my scalp. So thick, that back before I started my LHHJ and knew better, I would REGULARLY break any comb that thought about making it from root to tip on my head.

So thick and kinky, that a stranger in the bank had the nerve to ask me if I was "sure" I wanted to go natural because my hair was so "thick and unruly like" (her senior citizenship status was the only thing that saved her that day- she's lucky I was raised right).

So the short answer is- yes. Your hair, OUR hair, is beautiful. As quiet as it's kept, IMO it's the most sought-after type of natural hair, because of its versatility and thickness.

Get your moisturizing and styling games on point, and you'll be fine. Just do it. And love it. And realize how beautiful our hair really is.
 
Do it! Do it! Do it! :lachen:

I've always thought we have similar hair and Im transitioning (3 days away from being one year post relaxer). Its not as hard as you think. I think my hair has benefitted greatly. I don't consider my hair uber thick at all though, I have fine to medium strands.
:lachen:We do have very similar hair, textures and all.
 
To me from your avi it doesn't look thick but it's not thin either, which is good! Since we live in the same place just make sure it's really moisturized because a brillo pad is not a good look:nono:.
yeah I did the brillo pad thing before and never again. :nono: My hair looks thinner in my avi because it's right after a fresh relaxer and flatiron from the salon.

I've decided to transition! I wanted to BC right away but I'll do it when I'm 1 year post (if i can stand the 2 textures).
 
Girl....I just wish I could have responded first lol.

I have your hair. So thick, that even when I only had 2-3" of hair AND had 2-strand twists in it, you STILL couldn't see my scalp. So thick, that back before I started my LHHJ and knew better, I would REGULARLY break any comb that thought about making it from root to tip on my head.

So thick and kinky, that a stranger in the bank had the nerve to ask me if I was "sure" I wanted to go natural because my hair was so "thick and unruly like" (her senior citizenship status was the only thing that saved her that day- she's lucky I was raised right).

So the short answer is- yes. Your hair, OUR hair, is beautiful. As quiet as it's kept, IMO it's the most sought-after type of natural hair, because of its versatility and thickness.

Get your moisturizing and styling games on point, and you'll be fine. Just do it. And love it. And realize how beautiful our hair really is.
aww... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this post. We could be hair twins! I too can barely see my scalp most times. I've broken combs several times too! Ignorant folks just love to tell me how "extra nappy" my hair is. Again thank you for your post. It gives me great hope.
 
I am a bonified, break the combs, break the brushes and the hair dryers. :dighole: Nothing has been safe. Bobby pins, and barretts fear me. Hair bands and hair sticks cower in the corner when I walk past them. :whip:

Oh Yeah!!! It is not only possible but preferable in my opinion to go natural.

Just remember when you are changing your hair you have to change your MINDset also or it will be a battle from the word GO and usually the Hair WINS everytime!

You know the saying free your mind and the rest will follow. No truer words were ever uttered when dealing with crazy thick 4bz hair. :angel:


I know I am a member of this club. :yep: Go ahead go natural I DARE YA! :grin:
 
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There are women here with the hair texture and density you describe so yes.
There are no pre-requisites for going natural only the desire to do so and that's it.

What Fine 4s said. :yep:

Try not to think of your hair as unruly; just "different". A "different" texture will require a "different" technique-maintenance-wise, etc. There will be adjustments in how you treat and care for your hair, is all.

I say go for it!
 
Are you sure your hair is coarse? Just wondering b/c many women think they automatically have coarse hair, when it's actually fine, just very dense.

And yes, I have broken MANY a comb (wide teeth, small teeth, on blow dryers...) even when I had a relaxer and I was FOREVER trying to layer my hair to thin it out. Then I realized that my hair was not meant to be little or quiet, just like me. I used to love wearing hats because I knew it would flatten my hair a bit when I took it off - now I don't dare try to cover Izzy with a hat (it probably wouldn't fit anyway).

:)
 
I am a bonified, break the combs, break the brushes and the hair dryers. :dighole: Nothing has been safe. Bobby pins, and barretts fear me. Hair bands and hair sticks cower in the corner when I walk past them. :whip:

...
:lachen::lachen::lachen:

Great post! I do think it's preferable because my hair never took well to relaxers anyway. People always assumed I was natural. :perplexed
 
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