I am going to relax...talk me off the ledge....

[SunySydeofLyfe]

I have tried the natural thing and my tight coils are snapping off and I am not seeing the growth I want. I did the BC about 2 years ago and went from a short afro to this. I think will all the knowledge I have gained about stretching and deep conditioning I can do this and worse case I can BC again and become a natural do over

 

[ceebee3]

Your hair looks really nice in your pic, why do you want to relax?

It seems you've retained all your growth since the big chop so you were doing something right.

I think you need to back track and reconsider what you've been doing, then search for some more solutions before relaxing and then starting all over again.

Good Luck!

 

[lea86111]

u could BKT or do a strong protein treatment and up your dc. What's your reggie?

 

[Nasdaq_Diva]

I have tried the natural thing and my tight coils are snapping off and I am not seeing the growth I want. I did the BC about 2 years ago and went from a short afro to this. I think will all the knowledge I have gained about stretching and deep conditioning I can do this and worse case I can BC again and become a natural do over

I'm sorry, but from a short afro to that length in only two years..I think you've done well. What are you expecting? Waist length?!

Keep doing what you're doing your results are nice. If your coils are snapping off, do you think you're incorporating to much protein or to much moisture? I'm going through some breakage right now too. I've cut out my light proteins and it's all super moisturizing for me.

 

[Distorted Barbie]

Girl! Ur hair looks good.....p.s. If u have to ask us to Talk U OUT of being on the ledge, U really don't wanna be there...Give urself a month or so..If u feel the same way, then have fun with relaxed hair

 

[Nubenap22]

Have you done strand tests?

 

[Optimus_Prime]

Do eeeeeet!

 

[africanqueen456]

i dont see why you want to relax...I think that is gud growth ma..but maybe you shud revamp your reggie..too me the length you didnt natural you wont retain relaxed...
I think your hair growth is great! Just keep hair stretched to avoid ssks

 

[jwhitley6]

I see nothing wrong with relaxing if your natural hair is giving you grief...especially if you have had good experiences with relaxers in the past (plus your new LHCF knowledge). Go ahead and jump it you wanna. *shrug*

 

[tocktick]

IA with the poster above - where did you expect to be in two years time? I think you've done well for yourself. If your hair is breaking/snapping then maybe you need to address why it's doing this and what you can do to counter-act it. Only finger-combing, handling your hair more gently, pre-shampooing with oils, figuring out your protein/moisture balance etc - there are many other different avenues.

I'm not going dissuade you from relaxing if that's what you feel like doing. However, I do think this notion people sometimes have when they're frustrated with their natural hair that relaxing is the key is not always correct. I think most hair takes work before you go on auto-pilot. Ultimately, just do you though. You can't stay natural for anyone else but you.

 

[Mizz Diamonds]

All I can say that this is your choice and no one else. Do what you want and what is best for you.

Maybe you should ask other naturals as to why your hair is breaking and snapping and change a few things in your regi.

 

[FroFab]

I agree with PPs that say back track and find out when your hair started snapping to find out what changed to cause this to happen. If its a matter of simply wanting a comb to glide through without getting caught on curls then maybe a relaxer might be your option IF and only IF the breakage is related to combing and detangling. However, if you've been treating your hair delicately but its matter of products, environments, etc. then all you'll have is little straight pieces snapping off instead of curls. Either way I say try to attain healthy hair before deciding whether you want to return to relaxers or not.

 

[Curlykale]

If you go back to relaxing, just make sure you do it for the right reasons as you have worked hard for 2 years and you are about to pass shoulder length.

1) if your natural hair grows at this rate (but it seems to me like you are retaining length well), your relaxed hair won't grow faster

2) if you have breakage, your relaxed hair won't break less: you will be more satisfied by finding the culprit in your regimen

3) if you miss being able to see your length all the time and you prefer the look of straight hair, that's a very different reason

Sometimes you just need some missing information to complete your perfect regimen, other times you really want something different. Breakage and growth, though, are issues for both natural and relaxed hair, so changing regimen might give you more solutions than changing style now.

i.e. check:
- how and how often you moisturize
- how you manipulate and what tools you use
- protein/moisture balance
- if your hair likes humectants or not
- if you are keeping your hair stretched / in sections when you wash and air dry
- heat
- satin cap
- ingredients
- how you eat.

Good luck whatever you choose! By the way your hair looks very healthy to me!

 

[I Am So Blessed]

if you say your hair is snapping, i say go ahead and relax it. ive seen how some natural hair snaps just by looking at it good, so i say DO IT. hhg

 

[whitedaisez]

plz don do it!

 

[Platinum]

I think you have had pretty good growth and retention since you started out with a short afro. But, I think relaxing at thist point is a bad idea. If your hair is already breaking, relaxing will not solve the problem, it would just lead to more breakage.

What's your regimen?

 

[lesedi]

 

[JFK]

***Gives OP one hard push and watches as she tumbles down into the white canyon...starts running before the LHCF County cops come***

LOL....just kidding....do you.

 

[Imani]

Ummm, yea, thats a lot of growth for two years. I'd love to have that growth

As others have said, I'm sure there are things u can do to prevent breakage. If the hair is snapping bc its dry, maybe do steam dc's for a while with moisturizing conditioner.

 

[Yoshi3329]

I expected you to have a twa, but you have absolutely great growth!

Have you tried incorporating ceramide into your regimen? My hair barely breaks now, you should try it!

 

[nikolite]

You really shouldn't need someone else to talk you in or out of it, although we can give our advice of what WE would do. This is a decision for you to make and you alone. If your goal is simply long hair, relaxing won't automatically bring you that (esp. because your hair will be weaker). You need to figure out what's going wrong. This forum is a huge resource for that. If you do relax and figure out how to retain length that way, then your hair will be long and straight, either way you'd have to cut it again for your natural hair to be long.

Whatever you choose, you'd have to wait a lot longer than two years and do a lot of tweaking with your regimen before truly growing your hair long. Or you may end up going back and forth for years wasting time and staying at ear/shoulder length (like a few of the other posters in here)

I agree with everyone else: Your growth progress is fine. Honestly if long hair is the only reason you went natural and you think getting there will be easier relaxed, then relax. Only you can determine that.

 

[Anew]

That looks like good growth to me

I'd expect a few setbacks from trial and error (not saying that you had any) but some people haven't even gotten to the point you're at now with a relaxer

 

[Chevelure618]

what about texlaxing. just leave it in 4 minutes...almost like natural but just more managable. best of both worlds

 

[Krymsonkween]

OP I wasn't having problems just frustrated with my natural hair. I got mine braided for 2weeks (I know, but the danderuff was so bad) and it was good.

PS: gurly you got some good growth.

 

[Kindheart]

I don't think relaxers will help you retaining more growth and its hard work to keep it healthy.
I don't see the point of bc again ,just leave it be and let it grow instead of giving yourself setbacks.

 

[supermodelsonya]

I see nothing wrong with relaxing if your natural hair is giving you grief...especially if you have had good experiences with relaxers in the past (plus your new LHCF knowledge). Go ahead and jump it you wanna. *shrug*

 

[EllePixie]

There's nothing wrong with relaxing if you want to, but like others have said, I'm not sure what it will solve, especially if your hair is already breaking. You may be able to see length quicker with straight hair, but, your hair may also start breaking even more and you may need to work harder to retain length. Whatever you decide to do just make sure you take care of your hair!

 

[nadiacurly]

I don't get it...why would someone want to put so much chemicals in the hair and scalp? You're only getting damage...i don't see the good things. But maybe because i don't have experience with relaxers.

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

You got great growth...If you are worried about breakage...its not like relaxing will cure the breakage...

You need to treat the problem...backtrack and treat the breakage first, see how you fare, and if you still want to relax, then relax it....Most people who relax after trying the natural thing to me, haven't really achieved the hair HEALTH their natural hair requires....

Its not that being natural is hurting their hair, it still comes down to your hair care practices.....For example....if you relax, and still get breakage, will you BC and go natural????

Then you are just going back and forth...Nothing worth having is easy, and you will not give your hair its chance to reach its fullest potential as a natural by quitting prematurely...All the naturals who have apparantly good looking and LONG hair are constantly working on it (and relaxed heads with amazing lengths)......Give your hair time...My hair works fine 80-85% of the time...but I still have little flurries of hair popping off here and there and so what? My hair looks great...its growing at its own pace, and I listen to what it needs and adjust or tweak my regimen to stop the breakage........
Give it time...but if you quit...you don't get to run your victory lap!

 

[SunySydeofLyfe]

Hey Ladies, I came to my hair cousins cause I knew you all would understand and give your humble opinions and for that I thank you. I don't have a regi per se, but I am a weave queen, I am a self installer so I change them at a whim.

My issues is with my ends, they snap because my hair is so tightly coiled. I do think that I will wait a month and weigh the pros and cons, gather some more information on relaxing, oil rinses and the vast amount of information you all have suggested.

Namely, getting a solid regi, reflecting on what got me to this point and why I am not having a love affair with my hair.

Thank you all so much! (((((HUGS)))))