Can You Tell the Difference Between Relaxed and Natural Straightened?

Can You Tell the Difference Between Relaxed and Natural Straightened Hair

  • Yes I can almost always tell the difference

    Votes: 79 27.2%

  • No I can't really tell most of the time

    Votes: 83 28.6%

  • I can sometimes tell.

    Votes: 128 44.1%
  • Total voters
    290
  • Poll closed .
There should be a test then and have a bunch of straightened/pressed natural heads and then relaxed heads to see if people really can tell or not.

Everone can tell mine is natural cause it always has it's kinkiness still. There are plenty girls at my college you can't tell off the bad and some you can. It really depends on how silky straight they can get it and how their texture naturally is.
 
If both heads of hair are healthy, no I cannot tell.

Just look at the heads of the members of this board. Compare Pinkskates 4a hair that is pressed and Sylver's or Traycee's relaxed hair. All look the same to me, healthy.

If we are talking chewed up relaxed ends versus a pressed natural, I can spot that.
 
It's hard for me to say, because I rarely verify whether my suspicions were correct IRL (I don't ask random strangers if they relax or not).

It's not really about thickness to me -- my hair is fine and thin whether relaxed or natural, for example -- but it's something else...hard to put your finger on it, but it's the way it moves or something... (which reminds me, this question kind of depends on whether or not you are seeing the person's hair IRL or just a pic -- pics are much harder IMO)

I think it depends, though. The more texture your hair has, the better the press/flat iron has to be, especially at the roots. Now if there is texture left in the hair deliberately, whether chemically or heat altered, it's a tough call.

When I straighten my hair "bone straight" with heat it looks pretty much like my relaxed hair. Well, actually it looks better, especially the ends, but the straightness is about the same.
 
no not really. people can tell when i do however bc i don't flat iron really straight anymore. think claire huxtable straight i guess
 
I usually can't tell. If the hair looks thicker and "bigger" I will assume it's natural hair, but I'm usually wrong.

I'm at the salon right now getting my hair did lol and if you were to see me in 3 hours you'd probaly assume my hair is relaxed or BKT'd cuz it's literally bone straight. Most people assume I relaxed... Till it rains and my hair goes POOF.
 
Sometimes I can tell. Now Dominican Blown out naturals. :nono: I can't tell to save my life. They get that hair BONE STRAIGHT.

I am relaxed and have been mistaken for being natural. I have been told how healthy and bouncy my hair is. I think stretching is the key to it.
 
I can usually tell. Of course, it would be impossible to tell between Pinkskates and Sylver2, but irl a natural usually has more texture even when flat ironed.
 
I agree with those who said healthy relaxed and healthy natural hair look almost the same when straightened, but chewed up relaxed hair is always a dead giveaway.
 
Awe :hug3: thanks love I hope you get it one day tickledpinkies09 its a good time lol

Thanks mom! lol

Seriously though, you're perfectly beautiful the way you are:yep:
 
Not if the natural is really pressed straight. And damaged, gelled-up relaxed hair is always obvious.

As for thickness, flow, shine, and all of that... my straightened natural hair looked exactly the same as my relaxed hair.
 
Usually.

To me, even when natural hair is pressed really straight, there's still something different about the look of it...it has more body.
 
People can't tell. When I'm stretching, folks think my hair is natural. There is no way that people can tell if hair is relaxed or not when straightened. I have been relaxed for many, many years and my hair is super thick. I see naturals, even on this board, straighten and their hair is very thin.
 
I can't tell. I know a co-worker of mine who always wears her hair straight and she's 100% natural. I thought she was relaxed since I've known her almost two years and she doesn't wear her hair in its curly state.

I think when you are comparing a healthy natural head to a healthy relaxed head, they look the same if the press/flat iron got the natural head really straight. I've seen some naturals who press, but they leave some texture. Others, like my co-worker, get pressed bone straight.

Also, the thickness isn't a factor from what I've seen IRL. I know plenty of relaxed heads who have thick hair and some naturals who have lost some of their thickness over the years due to too much heat usage. It all depends on how well the hair is taken care of.
 
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If they do a really good job on straightening the natural hair (like pinkskates or any good dominican blowout) I can not tell the difference.
 
100% agree with you.

my hair is relaxed and it's thick/full with lots of body. it's an inaccurate assumption to say relaxed heads hair looks thinner and doesn't "hang" heavy or whatever nonsense theories.

it all depends on your hair type. I have thick full hair. not every natural has thick hair either to think that would be crazy with all the different types of textures people have in the world. there are naturals whose hair is fine also and when straightened is flat and limp same for some relaxed but it's not because a person is relaxed that their hair is "limp" depends on the strands. some hair also lacks body again nothing to do with a person being relaxed.

it takes too much energy to analyze people's hair. a nice head of hair is a nice head of hair, that's just me.



Jazala said:
I used to think this too until I started seeing people on this board with thick, healthy, lush relaxed hair like Silver2 and Tee.

I'm thinking that if your hair is already thin, ANY type of straightening (thermal or chemical) will make it appear thinner.

As for healthiness, do you think that thick = healthy? or are you using some other measure for health?
Click to expand...
 
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When I was younger and I got the old fashioned press, I use to always get asked if I had a perm. I didn't even know what a perm was.
 
longhairlover said:
100% agree with you.

my hair is relaxed and it's thick/full with lots of body. it's an inaccurate assumption to say relaxed heads hair looks thinner and doesn't "hang" heavy or whatever nonsense theories.

it all depends on your hair type. I have thick full hair. not every natural has thick hair either to think that would be crazy with all the different types of textures people have in the world. there are naturals whose hair is fine also and when straightened is flat and limp same for some relaxed but it's not because a person is relaxed that their hair is "limp" depends on the strands. some hair also lacks body again nothing to do with a person being relaxed.

it takes too much energy to analyze people's hair. a nice head of hair is a nice head of hair, that's just me.
Click to expand...


ITA w/ everything you said :yep:
 
No I can't tell but I guess it's because I never really cared. If I'm looking at someones hair, it's because I like the style or the length, I could careless if it's natural or relaxed.
 
longhairlover said:
100% agree with you.

my hair is relaxed and it's thick/full with lots of body. it's an inaccurate assumption to say relaxed heads hair looks thinner and doesn't "hang" heavy or whatever nonsense theories.

it all depends on your hair type. I have thick full hair. not every natural has thick hair either to think that would be crazy with all the different types of textures people have in the world. there are naturals whose hair is fine also and when straightened is flat and limp same for some relaxed but it's not because a person is relaxed that their hair is "limp" depends on the strands. some hair also lacks body again nothing to do with a person being relaxed.

it takes too much energy to analyze people's hair. a nice head of hair is a nice head of hair, that's just me.
Click to expand...


thank you!!!
i was begining to think this was another hate on people with relaxed hair threads based after reading some of these comments, like "Natural hair has way more shine body bounce bling thickness swang wounderfulness than relaxed hair when straightened". are u serious? it entirely depends on the individual. Like look at sweet cashews hair and sylver2's hair for example. Some naturals would kill for their hair to look half as thick as theirs when straightened.
 
If I felt the hair, I could tell if it's relaxed or pressed. To me, pressed hair feels a bit heavier, IDK why. It also could be the products used by the people whose hair I've touch.
 
cupcakes said:
thank you!!!
i was begining to think this was another hate on people with relaxed hair threads based after reading some of these comments, like "Natural hair has way more shine body bounce bling thickness swang wounderfulness than relaxed hair when straightened". are u serious? it entirely depends on the individual. Like look at sweet cashews hair and sylver2's hair for example. Some naturals would kill for their hair to look half as thick as theirs when straightened.
Click to expand...

OMGoodness!!! How did I EVER miss her hair!!!! :drool::worship2:

Off to seriously stalk her fotki ...
 
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