Going back to natural

[Neen]

Well, I thought I would be okay going back to relaxer since I gave my hair a break and I was armed with more product knowledge than ever before...WRONG. I have found myself being CONSUMED with my hair, more than ever before. I investigate every peice of hair that comes out of my head. If I don't see a white bulb on the end I panic, wondering if my relaxer was too strong or if I brushed too hard, etc. I just put a relaxer in last night (a corrective one since the other one did not take) and I felt like I was playing with fire. Wondering 'what if stays on too long or not long enough?''what if my hair falls out or turns to mush?'. For the record, it was underprocessed again. Too much stress for me.

I think the bottom line is that my hair is too fine (meaning the shaft is thin) and I just can not do relaxers. Milds don't take and Regular's make my hair crisp. I get breakage no matter what and it never looks as good as I would like it to. I know so many people who have healthy hair and relaxers but I guess I am not one of those people. Plus, I hate the fact that if my hairdresser is booked then I have to look raggedy all weekend. What kinda crap is that

I did the BC in January but the short hair was a bit more than my confidence (or lack of) could bear. BTW, there is a pic of the BC in my album. So, I think I will actually go through a transitioning phase this time with the use of braids. Give myself a little more hair to work with after the chop. I have been seeing so many threads on natural hair and so many inspiring stories and pictures. And I do miss the low maintenance of natural hair (literally wash and go

). So ladies, wish me luck and pray I won't do the relaxer again.

 

[Ayeshia]

You can do it!

I know what you mean about the low maintenance...I now spend less than five minutes doing my hair. Compared to my 15-20 minutes when I was relaxed

 

[TigerLily]

Good luck, Neen!! You can do it!!

 

[UmSumayyah]

You can do it, Neen!

And we look forward to following your progress.

 

[jetcitygirl]

You can do this! I'm like you with the relaxers. It was always a gamble how my hair was going to come out and it was seldom consistant. Got tired of keeping my fingers crossed every time I went in for a touchup. I can't believe I played "russian roulette" with my hair for that long.

Some of us just can't tolerate relaxers and have our hair thriving so going/being natural is pretty much mandatory if we want to keep hair on our heads. I wish you success with your decision!

 

[Ipanema]

Good luck, Neen! Transitioning with braids is the easiest way. Be careful not to damage the hairline, though.

 

[patience]

Congrats on your decision. You can do it!

 

[Neen]

Thanks for the support ladies

I love this board!

 

[gabrielle2]

wishing you well and much hair success!

 

[chicamorena]

Good for you Neen! My mom is actually doing the same thing you are doing, transitioning with braids. She chopped of most of her relaxed hair and I do the braids for her. Just make sure to keep your braids really moisturized so that your hair won't be dry and damaged when you take the braids out. Congratulations!

 

[Maestradiva77]

Best of luck Neen!!!

 

[sassygirl125]

[ QUOTE ]
it never looks as good as I would like it to.

[/ QUOTE ]

You sound just like me.

Even after I learned how to take care of my hair, it never looked as good as everyone elses.

Chemicals don't agree with my hair, either. You can do it!

 

[jainygirl]

I'm happy about your decision

I have to say that i thought you looked great with your twa. Sometimes i think we judge ourselves WAY to harshly. That cut looks good on you in the pic with your son. Cant wait to see your next BC pics

-- jainygirl

 

[DelightfulFlame]

Hang in there Neen. You can do it. Your big chop looked great by the way. I chopped short too, and I understand that it is a lot to get used to. Take your time, transition, and do whatever is best for you. Have fun no matter what!

 

[ChildlikeEmpress]

I just checked out your Big Chop pic, and you've got nothing to worry about.

You look so cute! And so does the baby! *g*

Anyway, congrats on making the best choice for you and your hair.

Good luck with the transition!

~Rochelle.

 

[nurseN98]

You can do it!

I've been transitioning for a while now and it hasn't been the easiest, I'm still trying to figure out a steady routine. But I could NEVER go back to relaxing! I am so looking forward to cutting away the processed hair. The fact that I can rinse or wash my hair without blowdrying or taking up hours styling my hair is the best part for me.

In anycase you will find support here either way it goes. Have fun!

 

[inthepink]

Good luck with your transition!

 

[Tai]

Good luck transitioning!

 

[sweetcocoa]

Good luck transitioning!

 

[Karonica]

You have plenty of support.

 

[lsubabiedee]

Good luck Neen!!

 

[deeplyrooted]

Congrats, Neen!

 

[Crysdon]

So sorry to hear about this Neen. Only you know what's best for your hair. I wish you the best with your transitioning.

 

[dreemssold]

Good luck transitioning, and don't worry--you look SO cute in the pic after your BC!

 

[kitchen_tician]

Go 4 It!!! U Look pretty with the BC.

 

[JenJen2721]

Neen,
I understand what you're going through. I had the same results with Mizani relaxer that I had been using for a long time, it stopped working on my hair and I kept getting underprocessed. My hair became extremely resistant after wearing braids for just 4 weeks.

I consider myself to be in the pre-transitional stage. I'm doing research and also concentrating on skin care right now, but I'll make the decision sometime between now and when I would normally get my next relaxer. I applaud you for making the decision.

I may be PMing you soon because it would be nice to have a transitioning buddy. Good luck to you, and I agree with the other ladies that you looked very cute with the TWA.

--Jen

 

[NaturalRox]

Neen, congrats on your decision to continue your journey for natural hair! Your BC looked really cute too. If down the line, you have any doubts just try to remember why you made this decision to go natural. Best of luck to you!

 

[cocoa2122]

I know how you feel. When I did the big chop I was not comfortable at all. I had no desire to relax, so I just had some braids put in. I transitioned mostly with braids and cornrows and time flew by. You can do it! Good luck.

 

[Bublnbrnsuga]

Wow- how wonderful!! Like I mentioned earlier, find a support group that will encourage you to stay on the road to napturality...ooopss no need to say that, you have us here!!

 

[ricochet]

[ QUOTE ]
Bublnbrnsuga said:
Wow- how wonderful!! Like I mentioned earlier, find a support group that will encourage you to stay on the road to napturality...ooopss no need to say that, you have us here!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Word up!