Does Pressed Hair Grow Faster than Relaxed Hair

[Nonie]

I remember a looooong discussion about whether O was relaxed or not and I think we established she was.

I don't know about celebs but have known a lot of relaxed ladies on this forum with loooooong hair, and I'm talking BSL and beyond. I have actually witnessed more relaxed heads with such long hair than pressed.

 

[vtoodler]

Mamato, do you wear protective styles? What's your hair regimen like?

 

[MAMATO]

Mamato, do you wear protective styles? What's your hair regimen like?

Yes I do most of the time (week days). Very loose braidout ponytail in general. I have a link to my regimen in my siggy. HTH

 

[msa]

But Mrs. O lives a very active lifestyle. Can you still have your pressed hair looking good all the time even though you live a very busy life?

Yes, you can. Mrs. O is relaxed (she has said so herself) but when I was a pressed natural (for most of my life) I was able to keep my hair straight for 3-4 weeks at a time.

In middle school I played sports year round and my hair stayed straight...all I did was wrap my hair at night. But, my hair was heat damaged (or trained as some people like to call it) so it got straight easily and it stayed straight easily.

How many fully black celebs (no mulatresses) do you know with naturally long hair (no weave)?

Do they have a relaxer or a perm?

I'll start:
Aaliyah--press (I believe)
Ashanti--press (I believe)

Most (99%) of black celebrities wear weaves so you can't go buy what you see.

If you want "proof" that "fully black" people can have long hair, just look around the board. Though, ethnicity doesn't matter (and you have been here since 2006 so you should know that), hair care practices do.

If you want to press your hair or get a relaxer, your success is going to depend on the characteristics of your hair and how well you take care of it.

 

[BroadstreetBully]

Same here, I think thats because its much easier to just be a straightened natural and retain length especially if you have coarse strands then to be anything else. My hair would require ALOT of TLC to get long and strong relaxed between having to restore strength and moisture whereas when I was a straightened natural I would wash, use a rinse out condish, apply heat protectant, straighten in sections and call it a day. It didn't require much so I think that may be why.......just my thoughts.

I agree.

The girls I knew who pressed were more DIY. They'd wash/condition every 2-3 weeks, blowdry, and press. The girls I knew who relaxed usually had their hair done at the salon, where they would use heat on top of relaxed hair. The salons they went to weren't the type to do a good deep condition as a deep conditioner usually costs extra and they'd use like a quarter sized amount of conditioner. It just so happened that because of all this, the pressed girls usually had longer and thicker hair.

On here, both relaxed, natural, and heat straightened naturals take care of their hair, so I don't see the same trend. It all depends on what's easier for you to take care of. For some ladies, a relaxer works better for them, so they retain more length.

 

[BroadstreetBully]

Yes, you can. Mrs. O is relaxed (she has said so herself) but when I was a pressed natural (for most of my life) I was able to keep my hair straight for 3-4 weeks at a time.

In middle school I played sports year round and my hair stayed straight...all I did was wrap my hair at night. But, my hair was heat damaged (or trained as some people like to call it) so it got straight easily and it stayed straight easily.

Hmmm...you were living in Cali right? Down here (South) 3-4 weeks is stretching it. The humidity is crazy which is why relaxers are more popular in the South. But once the hair is heat stretched, I assume it stays straight longer regardless.

 

[jamaraa]

Most of these celebs don't wear their own hair or cut it very short cuz of all the drama stylists put it thru, esp when they are working. Ever watch a fashion show's backstage? Ouch...the yanking and pulling explains why almost every female celeb wears fake hair at some point. IMHO, celebs aren't the way to go for hair inspo. Their circumstances are abnormal.

 

[msa]

Hmmm...you were living in Cali right? Down here (South) 3-4 weeks is stretching it. The humidity is crazy which is why relaxers are more popular in the South. But once the hair is heat stretched, I assume it stays straight longer regardless.

Yup, cali born and raised. We do have dry heat as opposed to humidity though. But like I said, I had practice or a game every day and my hair stayed straight. I think it was for 2 reasons: 1) the infamous cali hard press (blowdry on high heat, press, and then flat iron with marcels) and 2) because heat damaged ("trained") hair stays straight much easier.

 

[LaidBak]

It just seems to me that all the fully black celebs have/had pressed hair.

Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, Aaliyah, and I believe Ashanti.

How do you know these women are "fully black"? what does that even mean??

 

[Chin]

In my case it did. I went from shoulder length to bra strap in one school year. I was blow drying and pressing it every two weeks. When I had the relaxer I didn't apply any type of heat but my hair stayed the same length. I wore my hair in a pony tail for both natural and relaxed.

 

[missann]

How do you know these women are "fully black"? what does that even mean??

for intents of this discussion, probably some variation of type 4 hair.

 

[SmartyPants]

Michelle Obama is a also pressed (or flat ironed) natural from what I gather.

Michelle Obama has a relaxer. She has referred to her "permed" hair in an interview.

 

[CurlyMoo]

I noticed that I retained more length with relaxed hair than than I did with pressed and natural hair. It was so low maintenance now that I think about it. Less breakage becaue there is less resistance with relaxed hair.

Pressed hair has to be constantly manipulated with heat more frequently, you are washing less because you don't want to lose the straightness, therefore you have a clogged scalp. A clogged scalp does not allow for hair to push out freely and with ease.

Natural low/no heat hair is constantly fighting the comb especially if you haven't concurred tangles like me. So there is breakage or hair loss from both pressure from the comb and the knots that have to be cut out.

I also realized that due to my hating getting my hair relaxed and a well earned disdain for hairdressers, I was inadvertently stretching my touch ups. I would only go twice a year. (Much to the chagrin of my co-workers.) However, it was all for naught because when I celebrated the length my hairdresser took off her version of an inch and BSL/MBL hair was then shoulder length.

 

[Sapphire_chic]

thats such a shame curlymoo *dreaming of all that length* there should b e a new term called a hairdresser's/stylist's inch which in reality is anything from 3-6 inches erplexed

 

[Celestial]

I don't think heat or relaxers will make your hair grow faster but I noticed those who rather press their hair looks healthier and appear to have less breakage. It depends on technique.

 

[spelmanlocks]

For me no. I pressed my natural hair for some 15 years and had serious heat damage. It got to the point where I would touch my hair and it would just snap. There would be hair all over the floor when I pressed it. My hair is the longest its ever been now that I'm relaxed I'm a little below BSL and I use minimal heat.

 

[SmartyPants]

For me no. I pressed my natural hair for some 15 years and had serious heat damage. It got to the point where I would touch my hair and it would just snap. There would be hair all over the floor when I pressed it. My hair is the longest its ever been now that I'm relaxed I'm a little below BSL and I use minimal heat.

Yeah...

When I first got a relaxer, my mom didn't allow blow dryers, curling irons, or flat irons in the house. My hair was consistently APL and healthy. Then during that age range 17-25 I discovered curling irons, flat irons, blow dryers--and the worst of all--dye! By the time I found this board, my hair was a mess. My hair was so bad off I cut it all off and went natural for a little while (which didn't work for me). Then I discovered this board and save for a couple of false starts where I figured out my regimen (for example my hair HATES hard proteins), my hair is the healthiest it's been in years. I've gone back to my DC and no direct heat regimen of my 13-17 days and my hair is thanking me for it.

 

[Celestial]

For me no. I pressed my natural hair for some 15 years and had serious heat damage. It got to the point where I would touch my hair and it would just snap. There would be hair all over the floor when I pressed it. My hair is the longest its ever been now that I'm relaxed I'm a little below BSL and I use minimal heat.

Everyone I know who used grease before they pressed got heat damage. Heat damage is normally caused when you put product on the hair, especially grease, right before you press or if the iron is too hot.