Ladies, how are you benefiting from being natural or transitioning?

[bkprincesa]

Here's how I'm benefiting:

1.)Terrible headaches I had regularly from childhood, GONE (I found out that people can develop severe headaches while relaxing over time)

2.)Dry, itchy, flaking scalp, I've had since I was 13 or 14, GONE

3.)That old, sweaty smell that clung to my scalp from not washing it for 2 weeks at a time, GONE (now that I'm co-washing 2 times a week, washing with shampoo once every two weeks and using conditioner on dry hair to moisturize it)

4.)Hair that is constantly soft and moisturized without looking greasy

5.)I don't need an umbrella when it rains, if it's not raining too hard. Shoot! One less thing I have to carry!!

6.)I can do things I've always hesitated to do out of fear that I'd mess up my hair, like work up a sweat at the gym, go play in the ocean, and take spontaneous showers with the SO

7.)Either my hair is growing faster than ever or I'm just finally retaining length.

8.)I can use products from lines I never dreamed of using when I was relaxed

How about you ladies?

 

[MsBoinglicious]

Being in the rain: Haha one time while at work it was raining so freaking hard. There were about 10 black woman piled up in the foyer looking out the window panicking because they didn't want to get their hair wet walking to their cars in the parking lot (and they had umbrellas, newspaper, trash bags it was CRAZY LOL). Here I come down the center (No hood, no umbrella, no bag) and just walked out to my car in the pouring rain. I turned around and looked at them and I swear you would of thought I shot someone dead in the street with the cold stares they gave me lol. The look on their face was priceless lol. I loved every second of it!

My hair/scalp is healthier, my hair is super shiny, less split ends, no more scalp burns. I can actually comb my hair (when straight) and there are NO BROKEN HAIRS ON MY SHOULDERS OR IN THE SINK.

 

[bkprincesa]

Thank you Boing Boing =) I'm glad to see someone getting so much good out of being natural! I know I am!

 

[soldierforhair]

I haven't really did much with my natural hair since transitioning but I love the smell of my hair and the cost of being natural. So much cheaper.

 

[prettybyrd]

Benefits of being natural:

1) No more tender scalp from the relaxers I used. Even PCJ was too harsh for my scalp.

2) I have the curly hair I used to pay for. (I went broke on straw sets!)

3) I can ride in my friend's convertible with the top down - this hair ain't going anywhere!

 

[Tene]

My hair is alot healthier and my hair is longer as a natural then when it was relaxed.

 

[ceebee3]

I don't know yet. I'm transitioning but I've never had a problem with relaxers.

The rain never bothered me, if you're relaxed doesn't the hair stay straight anyway? I think it'll be more of a problem when I'm completely natural.

I guess i'm saving money because I wasn't a self relaxer, I always went to the salon, so that's a benefit.

 

[keepithealthy]

1. No more relaxer burns.
2. No more dry broken ends.
3. No more dealing with new growth...it's all new growth now lol
4. Love wash n goes!
5. Curly hair! I always wanted naturally curly hair! I didn't even know my hair could/would look like this natural.
5. No more dry scalp.
6. Natural hair is thicker. I loooooooove thick hair!
7. Not having to fear water lol (i.e swimming pools, beaches, the rain)
8. Less maintenance! (for me anyway)
9. Being able to go from curly to straight whenever I want (which is not often usually curly)
10. Being able to help others who have just gone natural.

Been an all around good experience for me

p.s. the so loves it. He didn't want me to cut my hair at first but now he loves it! When I thought I had heat damage (salon ugh! he was just as upset as me lol fortunately I was able to remedy it with a couple of protein treatments)

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

Thicker hair & no itchy scalp!

 

[hair_rehab]

It's cheaper (except for that brief PJ phase )

I Love taking a shower without having to wear a shower cap, I feel like the girls in the hair commericials now

Embracing my creative side with new heat free hairstyles instead of the usual flat ironing, curling ironing, etc.

The compliments and conversations started because of my hair

The GROWTH!

 

[Diva_Esq]

Thicker hair
Healthier hair
No more daily headaches
No more dry, itchy, flakey scalp
No more burning
No more crunchy edges
I can be out in the rain or swim with no worries
I can co-wash WHENEVER I want...and I do DAILY b/c I love playing in my hair!
Curly, wavy, hair
MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE!
COUNTLESS SALON HOURS SAVED!
No disappointment with paying for styles that I had to doctor up myself at home!
Much more knowledge and self-awareness.
Individuality.
Less toxic chemical exposure.
Versatility in styling.
Less shedding and breakage.
Greater length retention.
More shine & greater manageability (and they say relaxers make your hair more manageable!)
A new interest/ hobby.
Healthier overall lifestyle!

 

[PistolWhip]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^co-signing on this

 

[bkprincesa]

Benefits of being natural:

1) No more tender scalp from the relaxers I used. Even PCJ was too harsh for my scalp.

2) I have the curly hair I used to pay for. (I went broke on straw sets!)

3) I can ride in my friend's convertible with the top down - this hair ain't going anywhere!

LOL to "this hair ain't going anywhere!" I heard that!!

 

[bkprincesa]

It's cheaper (except for that brief PJ phase )

I Love taking a shower without having to wear a shower cap, I feel like the girls in the hair commericials now

Embracing my creative side with new heat free hairstyles instead of the usual flat ironing, curling ironing, etc.

The compliments and conversations started because of my hair

The GROWTH!

Lol..."brief" PJ phase? What you talkin bout hair rebab?! I'm STILL a product junkie almost a year later. N probably will be one for a long time lol

 

[bkprincesa]

Thicker hair
Healthier hair
No more daily headaches
No more dry, itchy, flakey scalp
No more burning
No more crunchy edges
I can be out in the rain or swim with no worries
I can co-wash WHENEVER I want...and I do DAILY b/c I love playing in my hair!
Curly, wavy, hair
MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE!
COUNTLESS SALON HOURS SAVED!
No disappointment with paying for styles that I had to doctor up myself at home!
Much more knowledge and self-awareness.
Individuality.
Less toxic chemical exposure.
Versatility in styling.
Less shedding and breakage.
Greater length retention.
More shine & greater manageability (and they say relaxers make your hair more manageable!)
A new interest/ hobby.
Healthier overall lifestyle!

Thanks for sharing Diva = ) See? I knew you were my hairspiration lol.

 

[Vashti]

My hair is healthier and is growing out faster. It's also thicker. I also save money.

 

[Whimsy]

Ever since August of 2007 when i started my transition, I've taken better care of my hair. Since June 2009 when I "bc"ed I have taken even better care of it. My hair is healthy, and despite minor setbacks it is thriving.

The best benefit of being natural is feeling like the hair on my head is really ME. It just feels....right.

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

i can fix a bad hair day just by cowashing my hair

i can wash my hair more often and my scalp is healthier and fees so much better. when i was transitioning i would hold off on washing my hair as often as i should have because of the tangling and my lack of styling skills. now i am nursing my scalp back to health. ♥

 

[lovegymnasts]

no more...
dandruff
scabs from relaxer burns
pain from the relaxer burns
breakage down the center of my head
stinky relaxer smell
dealing with 2 textures because I kept putting off getting a new relaxer
using the curling iron
worrying about the relaxer getting in my eyes, mouth or ears

 

[keykee]

I am transitioning.. finally able to manage the new growth and the breakage. When I flat iron my hair is HUGE because of the new growth and i LOVE it.
I may just transition longer than next month which I was looking to BC.

 

[hair_rehab]

Lol..."brief" PJ phase? What you talkin bout hair rebab?! I'm STILL a product junkie almost a year later. N probably will be one for a long time lol

I snapped out of it when I saw at least three products in my stash that I hadn't even opened and I can't remember when I bought them

 

[Anacaona]

EDGES. I'm about 4 months post and my edges are slowly coming back in. When I used to relax, without fail no matter how much I was careful I ALWAYS lost hair on my edges. I even see some (gasps) cute baby hurs coming out!!!

 

[♦K.O♦]

Thicker hair.

 

[frankle56]

It's so nice to see my natural hair coming in the hair God gave me. Look at my back, totally natural.

 

[Lady S]

• I truly love the texture of my 4b+z-f type hair.
• Not having to juggle sensitive scalp with resistant hair
• I need less stuff to keep it in good shape
• It fits my personality
• I have a better understanding of what's going on with my hair
• It sounds weird, but I think it feels less hot in the summer.
• Less bad hair days
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

[soldierforhair]

Ever since August of 2007 when i started my transition, I've taken better care of my hair. Since June 2009 when I "bc"ed I have taken even better care of it. My hair is healthy, and despite minor setbacks it is thriving.

The best benefit of being natural is feeling like the hair on my head is really ME. It just feels....right.

I agree 100%. My hair was always healthy but I never liked the flat feeling with the relaxer. Once I get to APL I know I will love the thickness and health of my hair but I am cornrowing until WSL. Lord help me.

 

[motherpopcorn562]

healthy body
fuller edges
more retention

 

[MiWay]

I’m still transitioning, but this is what I have so far:

1. My edges and nape are actually growing
2. I can co-wash as much as I want and not spend hours worrying about what I’m going to do with my hair
3. My hair seems to be growing faster than when it was relaxed
4. I have a little more versatility with less effort
5. I have waves and curls!
6. I don’t have to shampoo as much, which dried out my hair
7. My hair dries a lot faster

 

[Chromia]

I have saved lots of money and time by doing my own hair.

I'm not worried about having an umbrella over my head as soon as I feel a drop of rain.

No more relaxer burns.

I'm not concerned with new growth. Now my roots always match the rest of my hair.

 

[Tif392002]

good post:

1, no more chemicals burns
2 thicker hair
3 not having to worry about next relaxer, its actually a great relief to me
4 self awareness, i realized i have pretty hair w/o relaxing it. i realized i hate getting relaxers, i cant believe i actually put myself thru something i didnt really like

5 edges finally growing back, i thought i genetically had thin edges . I dont.

6 greater rentention, my hair is longer than it have ever been. and it prolly neck length stretched.

7 faster growth since i stop getting those chemicals on my scalp, my scalp is healthy, thus healthy strongr hair

8 can get it wet whenever. and its good for it

lots more.