blessed7777
Active Member
I am currently transitioning with hopes to have thicker hair. For the ladies that stop relaxing and went natural or you are transitioning, have you noticed thicker healthier hair with more density?
Did your hair become thicker when you transitioned/ went natural?
- Thread starter blessed7777
- Start date
melissa-bee
Well-Known Member
I'm almost 9 months post and my hair is definitly bigger, even though i flat iron it.
beans4reezy
Well-Known Member
Yes, absolutely! I am going from bone straight relaxed to texturized hair and the difference in density is amazing. It's been a year since my last touch up, but I am still going back and forth between whether to just quit with the chemicals altogether because I am loving the increased thickness
Here is a before shot:
Fried, thin, damaged in 2008:
Here is an after shot:
This was a few weeks ago:
Lots of shrinkage -One year post
Here is a before shot:
Fried, thin, damaged in 2008:
Here is an after shot:
This was a few weeks ago:
Lots of shrinkage -One year post
blessed7777
Active Member
wow! great job 
Distorted Barbie
Well-Known Member
ABSOLUTELY...I always thought I had thin hair, and got layers of the time because of that. Now, my hair is very thick.
BostonMaria
Well-Known Member
My hair was definitely thicker as I transitioned. Once I did the BC it took a few months to get used to touching my hair and not having a "OMG I can't believe this is my hair" moment LOL I would say it was 50% thicker than the relaxed hair. I love it
beans4reezy
Well-Known Member
This thread is also useful and very inspirational:
Naturals who were once relaxed, post photos of your relaxed days:
Naturals who were once relaxed, post photos of your relaxed days:
westNDNbeauty
Well-Known Member
I personally believe thickness may be an illusion. When you transition from permed to natural, does the actual hair strand thickness change? More than likely, not. Because if you were to flat iron your natural hair, it would probably be similar thickness to what you had when permed (just may appear healthier/fuller due to non use of chemicals or your new found knowledge on caring for your hair).
I say this because I am natural and my hair appears thick in its natural state, but when it is flat ironed, I have the thinnest ponytail ever. So basically, the curls, windings & kinks give the illusion of thick, dense hair, when in fact my hair strands are thin.
I say this because I am natural and my hair appears thick in its natural state, but when it is flat ironed, I have the thinnest ponytail ever. So basically, the curls, windings & kinks give the illusion of thick, dense hair, when in fact my hair strands are thin.
glamazon386
Well-Known Member
Nope 
Sianna
New Member
Yuppers!
I used to always notice that my hair didn't feel as thick when it was freshly relaxed. I actually liked it because my hair is REALLY thick. Now that it is completely natural it seems even thicker! Not only that, but the more it grows, (I'm post BC by three months) the thicker it seems to get.
Don't know how I'm going to manage it as it gets longer...
I used to always notice that my hair didn't feel as thick when it was freshly relaxed. I actually liked it because my hair is REALLY thick. Now that it is completely natural it seems even thicker! Not only that, but the more it grows, (I'm post BC by three months) the thicker it seems to get.
Don't know how I'm going to manage it as it gets longer...
Your hair strands do not get thicker. However, your head of hair gets more voluminous because of the curl pattern of African hair, giving it a thicker look and feel. In addition, you might suffer less breakage, resulting in longer hair, which also gives the appearance of thicker hair. However, your hair strands remain the same in diameter.
If your relaxed hair had some problems (scalp issues causing thinning, broken off layers, etc), it will seem like going natural caused your hair to get thicker. Really it's just the thickness it should have been all along. It will seem more voluminous due to the texture, but your scalp will not spontaneously sprout new follicles, nor will you suddenly start growing coarser hair instead of fine.
It's also the case that a hair strand naturally tapers, which is part of why the ends look thinner than the roots. This is magnified if you have layers. When you do the BC you are cutting off a lot of tapered ends, so each hair is closer to being the same thickness from root to tip--this is another reason why your hair will seem thicker, and also why your hair seems thicker after a trim in general.
It's also the case that a hair strand naturally tapers, which is part of why the ends look thinner than the roots. This is magnified if you have layers. When you do the BC you are cutting off a lot of tapered ends, so each hair is closer to being the same thickness from root to tip--this is another reason why your hair will seem thicker, and also why your hair seems thicker after a trim in general.
Computer Blue
It's only mountains and the sea
ITA totally
Junebug D
Well-Known Member
Thank you. This is such a big MYTH being promoted over & over. When I was natural I thought my hair was thick until I had it pressed and saw otherwise.
BlackMasterPiece
Well-Known Member
My pressed pin straight hair is wayyyyyy thicker then my hair was in its relaxed days....WAY thicker....and I do thorough pin straight presses.
My hair is also much stronger and more resilient. As a natural I can get away with being very sporadic with my DC's and using high heat on my hair on the regular....that would never fly when I was relaxed.
My hair is also much stronger and more resilient. As a natural I can get away with being very sporadic with my DC's and using high heat on my hair on the regular....that would never fly when I was relaxed.
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ms.blue
Well-Known Member
It depends b/c if the relaxed hair is bone straight then the new growth is going to appear thicker. Also it depends on the eveniness of the hair b/c hair that is all even and in one length will appear thicker than hair that has layers regardless relaxed or natural. Hair density also plays a factor in thickness, some have high density and some have medium to low density which can appear thick or not and lastly strand thickness will also determine if the hair is thick or not.
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TaraDyan
Natural again ... this time for good!
Nope
Thank you. This is such a big MYTH being promoted over & over. When I was natural I thought my hair was thick until I had it pressed and saw otherwise.
I had to do some serious multi-quoting here
. ITA with all of these posts. My flat ironed natural hair is certainly stronger and healthier than my relaxed hair, but it's not thicker at all. The coils and curls give it the illusion of volume, but that's not the reality of the situation.I just have fine hair and I have to deal with that fact.
Mad Scientist
Well-Known Member
I had to do some serious multi-quoting here
I just have fine hair and I have to deal with that fact.
Same here. My hair is BIGGER, but not thicker. Also, natural hair is a bit harder to get bone straight than relaxed her. So when I flat iron my own hair, it may seem thicker, but it's really just the fact that it's not as straight as it could be.
naturalmanenyc
Well-Known Member
My natural strands are not thicker than the relaxed strands; however, my flat ironed natural hair does appear thicker than my relaxed hair.
flat ironed natural hair
relaxed hair - I think the see thru area (right side) is from overlapping of the relaxer
flat ironed natural hair
relaxed hair - I think the see thru area (right side) is from overlapping of the relaxer
davisbr88
Well-Known Member
Definitely! I am now about 8.5 months post-relaxer. I have always had fine hair, but the last time I straightened in January (and I got it REALLY straight with no signs of waves or bumps or anything), it looked like I had a full press and curl with lots of volume and fullness. I love it! I can't wait! It might also have something to do with the fact that I got a really short cut last year where the back of my hair was shaved. There's that old wives tale that when you shave, your hair grows back thicker, and while I don't usually believe in stuff like that, I am really thinking there is some truth to it, at least in my case.
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knt1229
Well-Known Member
I'm 16 months post relaxer and the few times I have flat ironed my hair during my transition my hair appeared fuller than my relaxed hair. My hair looked relaxed but it was fuller and had more body than my fully relaxed hair ever had. I don't believe the strands are thicker but I do think there is something about relaxers that thins hair out. Now that I am mostly natural my straight hair is more voluminous than it ever was as a permie. And the relaxed ends are still thin looking.
My hair definitely is thicker now that I am natural compared to when I was relaxed. I wear my hair in straight styles all the time and though the strands themselves may not have plumped up my hair as a whole is thicker and not as thined out as when i was relaxed. When my hair is styled bone straight it is nowhere near as thin as when I was relaxed so it is definitely not the coils and curls at all that make it seem or appear thicker.
kblc06
Well-Known Member
Most definitely! My hair has always been dense (the strands are fine/medium), but since I've gone natural, it seems as though I have more hair per sq. inch and the strands have become thicker and more resilient. My nape did not grow at all when I was relaxed, but now it's starting to fill-in. I broke 2 ponytail holders yesterday trying to get my hair in them . I love it!
. I love it!
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glamazon386
Well-Known Member
Thank you. This is such a big MYTH being promoted over & over. When I was natural I thought my hair was thick until I had it pressed and saw otherwise.
ITA... People always comment on how "thick" my hair is and I look at them like
. It's not thick. It's just an illusion. When I get it straightened she usually gives me layers and feathers though which makes it look shorter but bigger.
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