If you had long (bsl+) relaxed hair, and are now natural or transitioning.. why?

[JudithO]

Im scheduled to relax my almost bsl hair tomorrow for the first time.. im getting nervous already so i wanted to hear from you former relaxed heads... if you had long, healthy, relaxed hair and are now transitioning or natural... why did you decide to go natural?? Thanks ladies..

 

[*CherryPie*]

I've always had long hair (APL-MBL). At the time I decided to "go natural" (BC'ed Jan. 2011) my hair was MBL.

I loved my relaxed hair. I just couldn't keep a good amount of my edges because of the chemicals. I was told by my Dermatologist, a LONG time ago, to stop relaxing my hair. I wasn't trying to hear that though.

It had to take really being fed up with my thin edges before I gave up the relaxer.

On January 3, 2011 I BC'ed to about an inch of hair. Then on January 21, 2011 I cut it again to about 1/4 of an inch.

I'm so glad I did this! AND my edges are almost all the way back.

 

[FoxxyLocs]

My relaxed hair was healthy. I stopped relaxing because I didn't like the chemicals and I hated going to the salon. Once it finally occurred to me that I didn't have to relax, I stopped.

 

[curlcomplexity]

I have long, 'healthy' relaxed hair (as healthy as it can be...once you break the protein bonds it's technically damaged). It's something that I've wanted to do for awhile...I love the look of 'fluffy' hair in braidouts, blowouts, twistouts, etc. Besides, natural hair is versatile...if I want to wear it straight I can. Natural hair that's been straightened has a healthier, fuller look to it.

 

[charmtreese]

I had bsl relaxed hair and bc the back after about 6 months of transitioning. I've yet to cut the top, but I will soon. I just really want to be relaxer free and grow my hair natural hair long.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

My relaxed hair was healthy. I stopped relaxing because I didn't like the chemicals and I hated going to the salon. Once it finally occurred to me that I didn't have to relax, I stopped.

This right here.
When I first joined in 2009, I thought I was in the middle of a 6 or 9 month stretch, then a bell rang in my head - If I'm only relaxing once or twice a year, what was the point? Maintaining CL/APL relaxed hair was no problem, but I figured it would be waaaay too much work to grow my relaxed hair to WL/HL/TBL and keep it thick.

With natural hair, all I have to do is sit back and let the inches pile up. No worrying about under/over-processing, no protein treatments, no salons, etc. Natural hair fits my (lazy) lifestyle.

 

[southerncitygirl]

@*CherryPie*

you look so pretty in your siggy,lady! its great that your edges grew back!

 

[Dee Raven]

2 things led me to go natural. First was that salons are horrible. I was sick and tired of paying ridiculous amounts of money to someone who somehow knew less about my hair than I did and treated it horrible. I was double processed by one woman. I am super tender headed and I've had stylist rake rat tail combs through my fine dense hair. It was horrible. Every time I would go I would hate the stylist and swear I would never go back. In my five years of being natural I've gone to the salon 3 times and NEVER AGAIN. I'm done. The second reason was because I wanted to know what my hair looked like. I hadn't seen my natural hair in over ten years. Now that I know how to take care of my natural hair, I can't imagine any reason for going back to relaxing.

 

[SherylsTresses]

I had MBL relaxed hair and grew tired of see through ends. I got tired of paying someone to continue thinning out my hair. Now I have the thickest hair I've ever had.

 

[dachsies_rule!]

I had almost WL relaxed hair and went natural because the chemicals were damaging my scalp and hair. Best decision I ever made

 

[Ms. Tiki]

I have BSL relaxed hair and I decided to transition back to natural. I realized that texlaxing was a mistake. I relaxed just as I was starting to figure the whole being natural thing out. I realized that I wasn't using the right products or tools for my natural hair and I got frustrated. I just relaxed in July after being natural since 09. I miss my curls and I hate having to be so dang gentle with my relaxed hair. I relaxed to be lazy and it has turned into a pain. If I wasn't BSL I would probably just BC again.

 

[lalla]

I loved my relaxed hair.

I went natural because I was curious about my texture. I thought (wrongly so) that not relaxing would solve my split end problem. The last reason was that I had left home and I didn't want some unknown/unskilled person to relax my hair.

My hair is longer now than it ever was before, I don't regret going natural at all.

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

I always had long hair. However, after so many years of relaxing, I got tired of terrible salons, burnt/itchy scalp, and the unnecessary need for relaxers (for me) period. I'm almost 20 months into my long transition and my hair feels so good.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

There was only a few years where my relaxed hair was in good shape. Once I left that stylist ( she retired) Almost everything went down hill... I transitioned because I was tired of the scalp burns and almost complete hair los on my edges.....

I can wear kinky, curly or straight.... I am much happier...13 years later...

 

[Raspberry]

Why are you doing this to yourself the night before your appointment?

ETA: I don't mean to pick at you judy4all, if you still have doubts maybe it's good you're asking these questions before you take the plunge.

 

[SmilingElephant]

I went natural because i was tired of burning my scalp....and paying money every month to make my hair do something it wasn't meant to do in the first place. Plus, my hair was thinning.

I chopped of 23 inches of my waistlength hair when i went natural. I do NOT regret it!

 

[nappystorm]

I had bsl hair and I was just tired of looking the same and I was always in love with my new growth. I envied the wash and go girls I went to college with

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[ProtectiveStyling]

I was BSL and went natural because after getting my hair colored for a fashion show, the lady gave me no advice on keeping it healthy so a lot broke off soon as I put a relaxer in it. Plus I was heading to college and didn't trust anyone here to nurse my hair back to health.

My ex manager had natural hair that she always wore flat ironed. I feel in love with her fluffy full thick straight hair. I had no idea that natural hair curled when wet or anything. I just wanted strait fluffy hair. So that sealed the deal for me.

When I first started to notice my natural curls I was like WTF lol and super exited. Didn't learn about the natural hair community until a year later.

 

[JudithO]

Raspberry lol lol ... i know im making it worse.. i dont think i can go thru with it... i was having dinner with my husband and he looked me in d eye and said, "baby, please dont do anything to your hair.." he thinks my decision is too rushed and i should give my natural hair some time... and take it one month at a time... i can always perm if it gets too much, but i cannot go d other way around easily.

This is just so risky..im sure i can get to my goal length with my natural hair in a yr.. i have a solid reggie already... there are so many ladies with healthy relaxed hair.. but what if something goes wrong with mine?? Lol

I know i cant stay relaxed forever.. will have to transition someday.. but i dont want to return to short natural hair.. it was so hard
...

Thanks for all the input ladies...

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[biancaelyse]

I stopped relaxing mainly because it no longer suited my lifestyle. I had 2 children back to back and no longer had 3-4 hours on a Saturday to spend in a salon to do my WL hair. I also began working out and I would sweat my hair out daily so there wasn't a point in wearing it straight.

I BC'ed with a pair of very dull scissors after transitioning for a year. I had just enough hair to pull into a stubby ponytail and I loved it.

An added bonus is that my hair is now much fuller and damage free. I've also saved thousands of dollars in products and services. You couldn't pay me to relax my hair now!!

 

[NikkiGirl]

I have always had long hair, but the reason I originally relaxed to be honest is that I saw it as a rite of passage. I grew up in South Carolina where it is so humid and basically everyone or mostly everyone was relaxed. I hated how my curly hair poofed up so much and it would annoy me. So it wasn't about length. I just wanted a look I couldn't get with my curly hair. Yeah, I know I could have just flat ironed, but I didn't know anything about it then and I thought a relaxer would get my hair completely straight. Which it never did. I still had curls, just frizzy damaged curls that I would then flat iron to get straight. It was just too much work, I am just at a point where I want to just let my hair be. I just straightened for my year end length check and the entire time I was praying I didn't get any damage and I have only straightened a few times this year. I have come to enjoy my curls. I want to protect them and love them.

 

[amwcah]

I've always had long hair (APL-MBL). At the time I decided to "go natural" (BC'ed Jan. 2011) my hair was MBL.

I loved my relaxed hair. I just couldn't keep a good amount of my edges because of the chemicals. I was told by my Dermatologist, a LONG time ago, to stop relaxing my hair. I wasn't trying to hear that though.

It had to take really being fed up with my thin edges before I gave up the relaxer.

On January 3, 2011 I BC'ed to about an inch of hair. Then on January 21, 2011 I cut it again to about 1/4 of an inch.

I'm so glad I did this! AND my edges are almost all the way back.

I had MBL relaxed hair and grew tired of see through ends. I got tired of paying someone to continue thinning out my hair. Now I have the thickest hair I've ever had.

I had almost WL relaxed hair and went natural because the chemicals were damaging my scalp and hair. Best decision I ever made

I have BSL relaxed hair and I decided to transition back to natural. I realized that texlaxing was a mistake. I relaxed just as I was starting to figure the whole being natural thing out. I realized that I wasn't using the right products or tools for my natural hair and I got frustrated. I just relaxed in July after being natural since 09. I miss my curls and I hate having to be so dang gentle with my relaxed hair. I relaxed to be lazy and it has turned into a pain. If I wasn't BSL I would probably just BC again.

All the bolded is how I feel RIGHT NOW! I need to BC and start over. I have 1" of new growth.

There was only a few years where my relaxed hair was in good shape. Once I left that stylist ( she retired) Almost everything went down hill... I transitioned because I was tired of the scalp burns and almost complete hair los on my edges.....

I can wear kinky, curly or straight.... I am much happier...13 years later...

This is what I want!!!!!

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

1. Over processed relaxer, I changed relaxers and ended up with over processed roots

2. I still had to use heat or roller to wear my hair straight

3. I have fine hair and my strands are thicker without a relaxer

4. I primarily wear my hair straight but I want the option to wear natural styles

5. My hair retains length better without a relaxer

6. My hair retains moisture better without a relaxer

7. I dislike the relaxing process

8. No matter how careful you are there will always be some degree of overlap during a relaxer

 

[LovelyNaps26]

my relaxed hair was BSL and pretty thick when i decided to transition. however, i wanted the versatility of wearing my natural hair.

i got bored with my relaxed hair. i may get lazy as a natural but bored? nope. endless possibilities if i want.

 

[Kerryann]

my relaxed hair was apl but took almost 2hrs to dry under the dryer i just couldnt take it anymore
my patience is zero when it comes to sitting and drying my hair
I've always wanted natural hair but my mom wouldn't allow it

 

[brown_skin_poppin]

I had WL relaxed hair and bced to a twa on 6/1/11 . My relaxed hair was texlaxed. It was healthy but some parts were over processed.

I also decided to go natural because I would like long natural hair by the time I decide to have children and show them that natural hair is beautiful too.

Sent from my ADR6300 using ADR6300

 

[sunnieb]

Why are you doing this to yourself the night before your appointment?

ETA: I don't mean to pick at you judy4all, if you still have doubts maybe it's good you're asking these questions before you take the plunge.

LOL! That's what I was thinking! Maybe you should delay your appointment for a few weeks.

You know with a question like this on this board, everybody's going to come in saying how their relaxed hair was and their natural hair is so much better, thicker, longer, etc.

Don't relax (yet)!

 

[JudithO]

Lol sunnieb ..... i know this is just punishing myself.... i wanted to know why pple with great relaxed hair went back to transitioning to see if that will make me hang on for a while or just stick it out.



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[DDTexlaxed]

If my hair was BSL relaxed, I would not have transitioned. I just thought in my head, maybe my natural hair will grow longer and be more healthy.:scratchch When I started thinking about my natural hair, I was shoulder length relaxed. I think now I will trying to make that a goal for my natural hair. You can always change your mind and stay relaxed. Make sure you want to do it. Don't feel pressured to change your mind. What ever you decide, please take pictures!

 

[brg240]

judy4all


I had MBL hair and decided to transition for a couple reasons. It wasn't a conscious decision at first. I had become bored of the pin straight hair relaxers gave me. I also hated getting chemical burns on my scalp. I also had a professor that was natural and her hair was so gorgeous and I loved it so much. She had so much versatility. When i really decided to transition i was also questioning why so many black women were expected to get relaxers and decided I didn't really like the implications.


I'm not fully natural yet but i'm coming up on the tail end of my transition. 38 months so far.