Help Ladies! Mental Anguish Over Whether or Not to Texturize (LONG)

[loverofnaps71]

O.K., ladies! Everyone knows that I love my naps! There's no question about it. However, my hair is doing really weird things. The front is nearly straight, while the sides are of a kinkier/curly texture and the back is a curlier grade. The only way to describe my hair is that it also resembles a bit of a mohawk, with the sides shrinking more and the front and back longer and curlier. So, this past weekend for my birthday, I decided to straighten by hair. I didn't do the greatest job, but let me tell you: My hair is almost brastrap!!! I couldn't believe how long it was. So, I got to thinking, would my hair hold better shape and look better if I texturized the sides at least, so that it'll all be near the same length? I also liked the way my hair looked stretch out...not straight, necessarily, but stretched out! I don't look as heavy as well. However, I am dealing with some mental anguish over it. Would I have sold out with texturized hair? I could no longer call myself natural? Would I have to change by Username from LoverofNaps to "FakeAzzTexturizedNaps?" O.K., that was being a little funny, but seriously...help me out because I'm mulling over the decision. I'm flip-flopping more that Kerry and Bush combined...and that's quite a lot of flip-flops! /images/graemlins/rofl.gif

Anyway, what do ya'll think? To texturize or not? Is it selling out my nappiness? Be honest...(and no nappy-permie wars, either!)

 

[NGC]

Hey LON71!

Girl don't stress. It'll be aiight.
Please don't ever consider yourself a sellout just because you are considering texturizing or if you do indeed decide to texturize.

If texturizing will help you see your hair in the light that you want to see it, then that's all you need. Especially if you have various textures that may be very different from each other.

I'm not sure what you mean by hold a better shape but I do understand what you mean by wanting to see your hair the same length.

Now if you do texturize, my opinion is that you would no longer be "natural". You don't have to change your user name though cause you would still be a "lover" of naps, right? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Anywho - girl go for what you know. The only additional thing I can say is do think long and hard before texturizing cause if you don't like the result and want to go you would have to start over again. /images/graemlins/kissing4.gif

 

[zoya_j]

as a former natural who texturized, i don't think it has anything to do with selling out. it has to do with what works for you. for me the longer my hair got the harder it was for me to deal with. so to make it easier to handle i texturized it, plain and simple. i say go for it /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[honeycomb719]

I agree 1000% w/ NGC.
Do yo thang girl.......

 

[Shai]

I'm a natural head too, I got the same multiple texture thing happening on my head as well, the back curls little so i have a mullet thing going on /images/graemlins/smile.gif
About the texturizer, if thats what you want, go ahead and do it! I'm a newbie/chronic lurker but I think i'd be right to assume that no one here will think you've sold out.

 

[jetcitygirl]

Hmmm, that's a tough one. As a natural I totally understand about having different shrinkage rates on different parts of your hair. That is why I never do a shake and go. The top part of my hair shrinks way more than the nape and it just looks icky when it drys. But there are other ways of stretching your hair other than texturizing. I take the easy route and just pull my hair back until it dries. Then I can wear it out because it will have stretched out more on top. There are other various ways too like braiding, twisting, or diffuser drying. Not too discourage you from texturizing if that is what you want. To be honest I actually considered myself a couple of times. Especially after seeing the b4/after pic in the book "Hair Rules"... /images/graemlins/smirk.gif But then I got too thinking about touch ups and overprocessing and eventually ending up with relaxed-straight hair again. Not something I want for myself. Besides my hair is nothing like the girl in the book and it would probably come out horrible on me. But anyway, first try to determine whether you are just frustrated with your hair for the moment or whether you really dislike it as it is. Make sure you do some strand tests before committing also. If you have serious doubts about texturizing I say wait a few months and see if you still feel the same way, if so go for it!

 

[loverofnaps71]

Thanks, ladies! I think I'mma right it out for the next few months or so and see how I feel after that. Perhaps I need a new hairdo? I thought about adding had for natural-looking two-strand twists...

 

[Honey Vibe]

Loverofnaps, I'm looking into products that will weigh my locks down a bit, without making my hair dirty. A texturizer still seems like relaxing, to me, so I'll only go for that as a last resort.

If you decide to texturize, let me know how it goes.

 

[Nonpareil]

Personally I think it's all about lifestyle - you have to be honest with yourself and really ponder your beliefs on why you wanted to be natural in the first place. After I cut off my relaxed hair - I realized that a part of me was being kind of militant and rebelling against the "standard" of beauty. I wanted my thickness back too - I was really inspired by Irene Cara's pressed natural hair in Sparkle. My mom had been convincing me that I had a good texture and I wanted to see what I had been missing for so long.

Well I tried working with my natural hair and I realized that it simply looked appealing because I didn't have it at the time - the grass always looks greener on the other side. I thought I would want to wear Afro-Puffs, and Twists, and braided styles but I'm really not that type of person (no offense to anyone).

I always admired all those curly-haired models in catalogs and ads - and was very pleased when I became one of them through texturizing. I still have my thick poofy look when I go straight, so I really don't feel too bad about it. I'm happily texturized and it fits me well - no worries about interviews and what society will think.

Do what suits you.

 

[Honey Vibe]

Excellent post.
I wouldn't say I went natural, to rebel against standards of beauty.

People have always told me that I'm beautiful, but I wanted to discover what beauty is to me.

 

[moneychaser]

Texturizing would be a permanent change to your hair, are you ready for that? What about getting your hair blown out/pressed every now and then when shrinkage is getting on your nerves??

 

[ms_kenesha]

Hey sis /images/graemlins/kiss.gif

I would say wait it out a little to make sure you really want to do it, but you can only make that decision for you. My shrinkage was a BI and that killed me because although I love natural hair (still do) I also LOVE long hair and NO, I was not satisfied with just knowing how long my hair was, I wanted it to look long as well. I also had the mohawk thing when I tried to just do a wash and go my sides shrunk like crazy!

If you decide to texturize we still love ya here! Just make sure you go to someone that knows what the hell they're doing! /images/graemlins/kiss.gif