Easier to grow long- relaxed or natural hair?

[Lioness]

This is a quesion I have always wondered, and now I find myself in this hair conumdrum

To illustrate-
I have kept my '4b' 100% natural hair in full head weaves for about 9 months now, and the other day, when I took the weave out, I straightened it. There's been a lot of growth- the longest part of my hair (nape) is now armpit length. Through wearing weaves, my natural hair was uncombed, and just nourished with oils and braid sprays, this perhaps is one of the reasons I had a LOT of growth.
But, as the hair is getting longer, it is also becoming very thick and hard to maintain and style without heat. Combing actually hurts my scalp!!!

I want it to continue growing, but I don't want to be dependant on weaves, and yet I get very board with 'natural' styles!
Pressing it keeps it managable, but is this worse than relaxing?

So, the question I pose is: Is relaxed hair easier to grow long than natural hair?

 

[sweetascocoa]

imo, natural hair is easier to grow

 

[sunnyjohn]

Relaxed or natural, its more about protective maintanence. Your hair grew when you had that weave because it was protected from heat (curling irons, blowdryers, flat irons, hot combs) and cold (wind, weather). The style also protected your hair from harsh manipulation by styling tools. It also sounds like you took good care of your scalp with the oils and braid sheen.

Some will tell you that the relaxer will set up a chain of events that will prevent your hair from growing. Other will tell you that natural hair can't grow because it is too hard to comb/style and will break off. I don't believe this is so.

Most folks find if they keep their hair in protective styles like buns, braids and weaves the majority of the time, their hair will grow long. Natural or relaxed, the effect of protective styles and gentle manipulation on hair growth is the same.

(I am partial to natural hair because my own hair is natural)

 

[so1913]

So, the question I pose is: Is relaxed hair easier to grow long than natural hair?

It comes down to getting a handle on caring for your hair in whatever state it's in rather than one being easier than the other.

 

[Miss*Tress]

I agree with, sunnyjohn. Try checking out Nay's album and hair care routine for ideas on how to manage your natural hair. There are others, but she is the first one that comes to mind. Good luck!

 

[Candy_C]

i wouldn't know in general, but my hair is basically the same when it was natural.

it was EASIER when i was natural as my mum would wash grease and platt it up every 2 weeks and done!

 

[Country gal]

My hair grows faster in it's natural state. I notice with twists my hair starts growing like tweeds. I agree with the previous poster that protective styles are very key.

 

[balisi]

In my personal experience, there is no difference. My hair's growth rate doesn't seem any different than when it was relaxed. ITA with Sunnyjohn and so1913.

 

[Healthb4Length]

My hair grows quicker when it was natural. All I had to do was wash, condition put some moisturizer on and go! With relaxed or texturized hair you must deep treat with heat, protect ends, do reconstructors etc...there's a lot more work IMO with chemicals vs. natural hair. When I had natural hair it seemed like it was never growing but I now know that was shrinkage.

 

[MeccaMedinah]

To illustrate-
But, as the hair is getting longer, it is also becoming very thick and hard to maintain and style without heat. Combing actually hurts my scalp!!!

I want it to continue growing, but I don't want to be dependant on weaves, and yet I get very board with 'natural' styles!
Pressing it keeps it managable, but is this worse than relaxing?

Try combing your hair only when there is conditioner in it.
If you are always pressing your hair, you may be better off relaxing it.
2 cent

 

[balisi]

I want it to continue growing, but I don't want to be dependant on weaves, and yet I get very board with 'natural' styles!
Pressing it keeps it managable, but is this worse than relaxing?

So, the question I pose is: Is relaxed hair easier to grow long than natural hair?

It's hard for me to understand how you can be bored with 'natural' styles if your hair is at armpit length. To what kind of styles are you referring?

I agree with everything MeccaMedinah said.

 

[MizAvalon]

In my personal experience, there is no difference. My hair's growth rate doesn't seem any different than when it was relaxed. ITA with Sunnyjohn and so1913.

I agree. Your growth rate is what it is. It doesn't matter whether you're relaxed or natural.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

I totally agree. This is one of those ? that is hard to get a definate answer. It really does depend on everything you stated. There are some pple that are relaxed and natural that never makes progress for yrs and others on both sides that do.

Relaxed or natural, its more about protective maintanence. Your hair grew when you had that weave because it was protected from heat (curling irons, blowdryers, flat irons, hot combs) and cold (wind, weather). The style also protected your hair from harsh manipulation by styling tools. It also sounds like you took good care of your scalp with the oils and braid sheen.

Some will tell you that the relaxer will set up a chain of events that will prevent your hair from growing. Other will tell you that natural hair can't grow because it is too hard to comb/style and will break off. I don't believe this is so.

Most folks find if they keep their hair in protective styles like buns, braids and weaves the majority of the time, their hair will grow long. Natural or relaxed, the effect of protective styles and gentle manipulation on hair growth is the same.

 

[Sascha]

My hair grows the same rate relaxed or natural. But I am able to retain a whole bunch more length as a natural.

 

[Victorian]

So, the question I pose is: Is relaxed hair easier to grow long than natural hair?

It depends greatly on how your hair's texture and the way it "behaves" (whether natural or relaxed) gels or doesn't gel with your own desires, patience, and skill. "Ease" of care depends on a million different things. And how easy it is for you to maintain your hair in whatever state it is in is directly related to how easy it will be for you to grow your hair long.

My relaxed hair was easy for me to care for because my regimen was simple. My natural hair is easy for me to care for also because my regimen is simple. "Simple" is also relative, of course Some consider twisting or braiding their natural hair to be simple. I don't. Some consider roller setting their relaxed hair to be simple. I didn't. I consider my daily con washes simple, but for some wetting their hair every day would be too much, and wearing wash n go's would mean tangles so it actually wouldn't be so simple for them. Et cetera.

Technically my hair grows out of my scalp faster now than it did when I was relaxed, but that's actually just incidental. I was relaxer-free for a full year and a half before I did my big chop, and during that time my hair grew at the same rate it did when I was relaxed. My hair didn't start growing faster until I changed my regimen after my big chop. So again I'm reiterating that your regimen itself is what directly affects your ability to grow your hair long--the relaxed vs. natural difference is sort of an indirect thing. And by that I mean that your optimal maintenence/growing regimen for your natural hair may "gel" more with your desires, patience and skills than your optimal maintenence/growing regimen for your relaxed hair or vice versa. Which one it is (if there is a difference at all) is a wholly individual thing.

And finally, I'd like to add that your desires, patience and skill can change if you want them to

 

[godsflowerrr]

my hair was growing out really well when I had my hair natural but i did notice that the longer my hair grew, it harder it was to maintain and it literally took me hours to comb through my hair very carefully so that i could prevent breakage and if i was in a rush i would find myself ripping through my hair! i also began to notice little knots at the ends of my hair strands. my natural 4a and b hair strands were twirling around each other forming a knot along the hair strand and also forming knots with other strands. the portion of the hair strand after the knotted section of the strand would break off...(the same thing happened with my cousin.) that is when i got a texturizer and then a relaxer. now i don't have a problem with breakage at all. that has been my experience. it is all about taking care of your hair whether you are natural or relaxed. my cousin is 100% natural but her hair so soooo damaged because she is always blasting it with heat. she has split ends and breakage.

 

[sareca]

Mine grew at the same rate natural and relaxed.

 

[beyondcute]

My growth rate is the same but as far as retaining length, my relaxerd hair breaks way more wesaily than my natural hair so over time Id have to say natural hair. Its not stripped or chemically broken down liek my relaxed hair. My natural hair is way healthier than my relaxed hair (despite my best efforts) so I have to say it will be longer in the long run.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Some people say natural women have the grow advantage because we can try products without worrying about our hair 'turning back", tend to have a truncated routine with less product and manupulation and we tend to stay away from temperature extremes applied directly to the hair. Others say relaxed women have the advantage because the hair is easier to handle and they don't have to use stretch tecniques to show that they are at bra strap length. Who knows?

One thing about natural hair you learn quick, its not going to do the same thing that realxed hair does. Not matter how much gel you use, its not going to lie perfectly in a bun. No matter how much you brush it, its not going to be perfectly straight.

.... and if you have natural hair like some women of African decent, its going to grow 'up' long before it grows down. It still long, but its more like a cactus than a running vine!

When I decided to go natural I had to change my way of thinking about my hair. "It is what it is and it does what it does." That saying I hear often from natural ladies. I use it as my motto.

Don't worry if you treat your hair right and take care of your insides, relaxed or natural it will grow.