I Don't Know What I Want: Relaxed or Natrual

[beyondcute]

For me, there are only cons to relaxed hair. I can't think of anything beneficial or any reason I would go back to relaxing my hair. BUT, I have no desire to wear my hair straight or to alter the texture in any way. The best thing about my natural hair is that it is healthy, strong and growing faster than it did when it was relaxed. I don't have to use chemicals/get touch ups/worry about hair loss and burns. Don't have to worry about the weather. I guess if I ever decide I want to wear my hair straight, I will just blow it dry. But over all, I'm very happy with my natural hair.

ITA ITA ITA!!!!! For me there were no pros. Hours styling, infrequent washing, thinning, breakage, money, time at the salon, chemical burns, heating appliance burns, dodging the natural elements (humidity and air), and feelign like I felll for the white mans plan to assimilate.

Butin the end its all about how you feel. If you look at this list and say WOW I really agree with so and so or DANG I never looked at it that way. Then thislist has done you well. But dont take someone else reasons and try to make them your own. You must adapt these to your own experiences and feelings. If you enjoi the time spent in a salon, the comraderie of the ladies, the transformations done in every chair, then enjoi it! DOnt let anyone else tell you how bad the salons are. Make this decision and experience personal for you. I hope you enjoi whatever decision you make and in the end if what you decide changes over time, just realize its only hair

 

[so1913]

Ok...after reading some things here, I urge those with very thick, tightly coiled hair to check this album out. This is inspiration at it's best. This is one of my FAVORITE people to visit on fotki. Especially check the March album where after wearing twists for a month, she wears a twist out, then a puff....not detangling for a total of 6 weeks to date (twists, twist out, and puff). Her hair is BEAUTIFUL, No problems with locking, no matting...she's been natural for years and these things don't worry her, why? Because she's learned how to work WITH her hair. THIS IS THE KEY. She doesn't do wash n' wears often, probably because it's more work than what it's worth for her. But she's found the things that she can do with her hair and it looks absolutely WONDERFUL!

http://public.fotki.com/merie/

ETA: She gives LOTS of details on what she does with her hair and her thoughts about her hair. Although my hair is nothing like hers, she is one of my ultimate inspirations. Going natural is not about what texture your hair is, it is all about accepting your natural hair whatever texture it is.

 

[Cheleigh]

But she's found the things that she can do with her hair and it looks absolutely WONDERFUL!

http://public.fotki.com/merie/

Thank you for posting her link--her hair is gorgeous. I'm amazed she can go six weeks without detangling. I'm scared to go more than a week without detangling.

I also encourage people, whatever you think about the site's politics, to visit the hair sections of nappturality.com if you have thick, super coily/curly/nappy/kinky hair and are natural/trying to go natural. With so many natural curlies around, sometimes it can be frustrating to be natural if you have kinky/nappy, thick, coarse hair. There aren't too many loose (non loced) hair idols and inspirations in the media or in the mainstream for us. There are not as many hair resources out there for us either.

I can never say never, but I don't think I'll ever go back to relaxing again. Everytime I think about even temporarily straightening my hair, I start getting paranoid about loosing my curls/coils/kinks. My natural texture has become a security blanket for me--I take confort in feeling it when I'm bored, under stress (have HIH (hand in hair) disease). There is no part of me that misses getting retouches on any level. I have to keep reminding myself that it's okay to scratch my scalp anytime I want to.

I didn't decide to transition because my hair was damaged or anything. I just realized that I didn't want to relax it anymore, didn't need to relax it, and was bored to tears with the whole relaxing ritual. Oddly, my hair line is again developing "baby hair", and is filling in a hairless divet on my hair line, so I guess I must have had a little relaxer damage after all.

 

[Country gal]

I like nappurality's site except it takes too long to load the pages.

 

[baglady215]

http://public.fotki.com/merie/

Great album! Thanks for posting the link!

 

[caligirl]

Ok...after reading some things here, I urge those with very thick, tightly coiled hair to check this album out. This is inspiration at it's best. This is one of my FAVORITE people to visit on fotki.
http://public.fotki.com/merie/

Thanks for posting. She is a very pretty lady with beautiful hair. I need to go stalk her album now and take notes because I am at wits end with my hair.

 

[locabouthair]

first let me say that i have seen some natural styles that are beautiful and i am not against natural hair. BUT since I have been wearing my hair natural it has been stressful and very time consuming for me. I always have to plan events around my hair. Which I never had to do when I was relaxed. my main style is cornrows which makes me more dependent on others to braid my hair. i depend on other people more than i did when i was relaxed. when my hair isn't done it's a hat or scarf which i have worn for almost 2 weeks. i have never worn hats or scarves so much since being natural.


I guess the hair is healthier while natural. People say that relaxers take the moisture out of the hair but natural hair tends to be dry anyway. the tighter the curl pattern the drier the hair. And I guess with natural hair you can stand out from other women. The one thing that does bother me about a relaxer is that it can be absorbed through the skin. But so can hair dye which is why I don't understand why some naturals are sooo against relaxers for health reasons but continue dying their hair.

Plenty if you decide to press your hair for certain occasions that is YOUR choice and their is nothing wrong with that. It really kills me that when white women decide to wear their naturally straight hair curly or wavy it's ok. But when a black women decides to straighten her hair whether its permanent or not it's a problem. Please. Black women are not the only race who straightens their hair. My old roommate was hispanic with naturally curly hair and would
ALWAYS wear her hair straight. Wearing your hair straight or curly is a preference, everyone needs change sometimes. Now if you are changing your hair texture because you are ashamed of your natural hair that's different.

 

[Plenty]

Ok...after reading some things here, I urge those with very thick, tightly coiled hair to check this album out. This is inspiration at it's best. This is one of my FAVORITE people to visit on fotki. Especially check the March album where after wearing twists for a month, she wears a twist out, then a puff....not detangling for a total of 6 weeks to date (twists, twist out, and puff). Her hair is BEAUTIFUL, No problems with locking, no matting...she's been natural for years and these things don't worry her, why? Because she's learned how to work WITH her hair. THIS IS THE KEY. She doesn't do wash n' wears often, probably because it's more work than what it's worth for her. But she's found the things that she can do with her hair and it looks absolutely WONDERFUL!

http://public.fotki.com/merie/

ETA: She gives LOTS of details on what she does with her hair and her thoughts about her hair. Although my hair is nothing like hers, she is one of my ultimate inspirations. Going natural is not about what texture your hair is, it is all about accepting your natural hair whatever texture it is.

It's official... I am going natural! I am going to do it with cornrows this time.

 

[Plenty]

first let me say that i have seen some natural styles that are beautiful and i am not against natural hair. BUT since I have been wearing my hair natural it has been stressful and very time consuming for me. I always have to plan events around my hair. Which I never had to do when I was relaxed. my main style is cornrows which makes me more dependent on others to braid my hair. i depend on other people more than i did when i was relaxed. when my hair isn't done it's a hat or scarf which i have worn for almost 2 weeks. i have never worn hats or scarves so much since being natural.


I guess the hair is healthier while natural. People say that relaxers take the moisture out of the hair but natural hair tends to be dry anyway. the tighter the curl pattern the drier the hair. And I guess with natural hair you can stand out from other women. The one thing that does bother me about a relaxer is that it can be absorbed through the skin. But so can hair dye which is why I don't understand why some naturals are sooo against relaxers for health reasons but continue dying their hair.

Plenty if you decide to press your hair for certain occasions that is YOUR choice and their is nothing wrong with that. It really kills me that when white women decide to wear their naturally straight hair curly or wavy it's ok. But when a black women decides to straighten her hair whether its permanent or not it's a problem. Please. Black women are not the only race who straightens their hair. My old roommate was hispanic with naturally curly hair and would
ALWAYS wear her hair straight. Wearing your hair straight or curly is a preference, everyone needs change sometimes. Now if you are changing your hair texture because you are ashamed of your natural hair that's different.

Thanks alot. I may only on occation sport my hair in natural styles. I plan on press and curling every two weeks. I also plan on doing natural twist which I am hoping I can do my self.

My main reason for going natual is to achieve long healthy hair and not having to depend on others to carelessly put chemicals in my hair.

 

[morehairplease]

http://public.fotki.com/merie/



thanks so1913 for sharing the link!

 

[SocialWorker29]

I must be a nutcase, because just 6 months ago, I was complaining about being natural. ( natural for around 4-5 years). Got a perm. Got a cute sew in style. But this morning woke up and wanted to be natural again.
But I do know that the next time I go natural, it will be with locs. Natural loose hair was just to hard for me.

 

[sareca]

Warning for potential transitioners: don't be fooled. Not all natural hair is wash and wear. Even an afro needs to be picked out and shaped properly. You may be very disappointed if you are expecting soft waves and curls to grow out of your head. I know I am and I may go head and texturize because my hair is a JOB.

That was my experience. I spent way too much time w/ twisting, plaiting, or under a du rag trying to keep it from fizzing or forming into a lumpy fro. Texturizing gave me wash and wear hair, but I've been having issues w/ upkeep lately (inconsistent results, stretching, etc.)