Natural vs. Relaxed Pros and Cons

[amara11]

Okay, I have three (main) goals.

I want to achieve hair health.
I want to maintain my hair's thickness
I want to grow my hair long (bra strap for now)

I have been natural and transitioning for the past 9 months (10 at the end of june.)

To transition I have worn senegalese twists (which were really gentle on my hair compared to micros- very little damage) but Ive mostly used heat to wear it in the straight form. I like my hair's natural texture (for the most part) but......
1) since Im still transitioning and not ready to BC, its hard to take care of both textures on the same head since their needs are so different and....
2) I dont know if I'll even like it when it grows out- what if I go through all of that to find out that I hate how I look/ want my perm back?

My natural hair is very slightly course, but easily tangles and I have problems manipulating it myself without being too rough or causing damage.

My dilemma is, I would love to see what it's like to be natural, but being a science major in my senior year of college, I really DO NOT have the time to practice some of the dedicated regimes that so many women on this forum practice. Im only taking one summer school course this summer and being that my curriculum is so rigorous, my time gets devoted to it, and I have little time to "fight" with my hair. (being that my mother had 3 girls w/ the same hair while she was getting her masters- this is why we got perms so young in the 1st place.)

What then, are the advantages for me to stay natural?-- OR-- go back to relaxed?

Remember that my time constraints are a KEY factor- essentially getting thru medical school is the main priority- that has to play a role.

When I had a perm (which I didnt get often even then-i normally stretched to about 2-3 months) I was able to wash it weekly or sooner, deep condition (use this time to study) rollerset/ or airdry (something my natural roots will NOT let me do- even with the best detangling tips, my hair still gets really tangled) and then flat iron (in necessary). the heat of the flat iron wasnt a big issue, b/c the conditioning and the care i was able to give my hair when it was straighter more than leveraged the effects of the heat.

So what do I do? I want health, maintenance, and growth. Do i go to the state of hair that allows me to take care of my hair within my time constraints, or do I persevere in all of my naturallness being that that is one of the healthiest states my head can be in- even if I am unable to put to use the regimines that make it more manageable/practical due to my schedule.

DISCLAIMER: I am not looking for ANYONES philosophical opinions with regards to the old argument about black women running from their heritage by getting perms. Getting a relaxer does not define my allegiance to my race, nor is it indicative of any innate, deep-seated self-hatred against African American hair engraved in me by white ppl. I think it is unfair to use something that is soo superficial (i.e hair- relative to everything else that makes a person a person) to deem whether someone has depth or is "down" or has pride. I know natural sisters who went natural b/c their natural hair (unbeknownst to them prior) has a texture similar to that which is often deemed "good hair"-- so that cant be used as a measuring stick.

Sorry for the soapbox- i just really want to know. I feel stuck in the middle, and I really want to join the healthy hair/ hair regime bandwagons, but I need to know which one to join!

I want everyone to reply- we're all either relaxed or natural/transitioning- so I want your opinions!!!--- what's made you do what u (or dont do) to your hair????

 

[Crackers Phinn]

Since your focus is time that's all my pros and cons are going to take into consideration.

Natural
Pros:
When you get some length you can always pull the hair into a quick puff/bun.
No time and money spent on touchups.
Protective styles -twists/braids (without extensions) can be left in for 2-3 weeks which frees up to 21 mornings per month of 'hair time'.

Cons:
The learning curve for dealing with your hair is unknown. You might pick up a good regimen/routine that works quickly or you may not.


Relaxed
Pros:
You already know how to deal with relaxed hair.

Cons:
Having to do touch-ups (I HATE TOUCHUPS)
Trial and error involved with finding a non crazy elightened stylist vs self relaxing.

 

[caligirl]

Well I just graduated from medical school and my last two years I was transitioning. I wore braidouts 24/7, only washing, detangling and braiding my hair once a week. During the week I wore my braidout in a single braid wrapped into a bun. It worked for me.

 

[amara11]

Well I just graduated from medical school and my last two years I was transitioning. I wore braidouts 24/7, only washing, detangling and braiding my hair once a week. During the week I wore my braidout in a single braid wrapped into a bun. It worked for me.

Congratulations!!!!!! That's really encouraging/inspiring. I was considering braids/twists to transition. How do you wear your hair now? And in terms of maintenance and care- what is your regime and how hard was that to fit in to your rigorous schedule. (sorry for the interview)

 

[hopeful]

LOL at your disclaimer. You know going natural is a beautiful thing that requires a lot of time initially. Like JCoily said once you get your routine down it is all good and not all that time-consuming. But honestly, if I were you, and I was not having any major problems with relaxing that is what I would stick with for now. Your plate sounds so full and intense. Transitioning and going natural IMO is an intense experience that requires a sense of calm and peace. If you aren't willing or able to dedicate the time to learning and working with your natural hair I think you will be very frustrated. It would be terrible for you to not be able to enjoy the experience.

Maybe there will come a time in your life when you will have more time or when you really just can't stand getting one more touch up. When it's the right time for you to go natural I don't think you will be so torn. I really wish you the best with whatever decision you come to. I am so proud of how ambitious you are, you better get that medical degree.

 

[caligirl]

Congratulations!!!!!! That's really encouraging/inspiring. I was considering braids/twists to transition. How do you wear your hair now? And in terms of maintenance and care- what is your regime and how hard was that to fit in to your rigorous schedule. (sorry for the interview)

No, please ask questions. I've been in your shoes. You sound very focused.
I wear my hair in a puff or a braidout. The pic in my album is of two strand twists. My regimen now is to wash and braid once a week for a braidout, or rinse daily and apply conditioner for a wash and go. Sometimes it was hard for me to spend a Saturday night doing a braidout. But it meant that I didn't have to bother with my hair for the whole week.

 

[Cheleigh]

It actually only took me about a month or two to work out a consistent and simple transitioning routine, and probably another month after my BC to work out a natural routine (bohemian works best for me generally). I still learn lots from the hair boards, but my routine is pretty simple. Most of my time on the hair boards is just in messing around, not trying to find solutions to my hair woes.

My relaxed hair took less time than my transitioning/natural hair, primarily because I never did ANYTHING to my relaxed hair--wasn't on any hair boards back then, rarely washed or conditioned it, mostly wore it in a bun or ponytail. Now, I CW my natural hair most days, I moisturize my hair twice daily, and I'm on the hair boards, so by virtue I spend more time now. I think, however, if I'd been a relaxed head on the hair boards, my relaxed hair would have taken more time to maintain than my natural hair does currently.

 

[natstar]

Since your focus is time that's all my pros and cons are going to take into consideration.

Natural
Pros:
When you get some length you can always pull the hair into a quick puff/bun.
No time and money spent on touchups.
Protective styles -twists/braids (without extensions) can be left in for 2-3 weeks which frees up to 21 mornings per month of 'hair time'.

Cons:
The learning curve for dealing with your hair is unknown. You might pick up a good regimen/routine that works quickly or you may not.


Relaxed
Pros:
You already know how to deal with relaxed hair.

Cons:
Having to do touch-ups (I HATE TOUCHUPS)
Trial and error involved with finding a non crazy elightened stylist vs self relaxing.

ITA with everything JCoily stated. I would also add to the saving money part.
Pro:I have saved so much since being natural. I do my twists myself and my money is mainly spent on products I am curious about.

Con: Sometime detangling can be a REAL chore. It takes a little more patience and time as you may know by now, to detangle natural hair without damaging it.

Good Luck!

 

[PaperClip]

.

My dilemma is, I would love to see what it's like to be natural, but being a science major in my senior year of college, I really DO NOT have the time to practice some of the dedicated regimes that so many women on this forum practice. Im only taking one summer school course this summer and being that my curriculum is so rigorous, my time gets devoted to it, and I have little time to "fight" with my hair. (being that my mother had 3 girls w/ the same hair while she was getting her masters- this is why we got perms so young in the 1st place.)

So what do I do? I want health, maintenance, and growth. Do i go to the state of hair that allows me to take care of my hair within my time constraints, or do I persevere in all of my naturallness being that that is one of the healthiest states my head can be in- even if I am unable to put to use the regimines that make it more manageable/practical due to my schedule.

DISCLAIMER: I am not looking for ANYONES philosophical opinions with regards to the old argument about black women running from their heritage by getting perms. Getting a relaxer does not define my allegiance to my race, nor is it indicative of any innate, deep-seated self-hatred against African American hair engraved in me by white ppl. I think it is unfair to use something that is soo superficial (i.e hair- relative to everything else that makes a person a person) to deem whether someone has depth or is "down" or has pride. I know natural sisters who went natural b/c their natural hair (unbeknownst to them prior) has a texture similar to that which is often deemed "good hair"-- so that cant be used as a measuring stick.

With regard to your question about time/school/schedule, I'm a full-time graduate student in education. I started my transition the same month that I started my program. Technically, you've been transitioning longer than I have. It seems that you have come through the physical, mental, and emotional challenges successfully.

With regard to routines, I'm learning that simplicity is key. Any routine you would develop would be necessary as a part of the daily/weekly/monthly grooming process.

With regard to your disclaimer, I would respond by saying it is very challenging to break a pattern of programming that women (African-American women specifically) have experienced throughout centuries. (Wow, that's a long time!) For me personally, I got my first relaxer before the age of 10. That means I have been getting relaxers for more than 20-25 years. My mother is a hairdresser. That's a lot of reprogramming to overcome. Through this transitioning process, I am experiencing a deeper appreciation of me and my unique characteristics, including the fact that I no longer conform to certain standards of beauty. This is a new level of freedom that gives me strength to focus on my studies and feel better about myself which makes me a better person.

Finally, I agree with those who mentioned saving time and money from sitting in the salon each week and I can be creative with my hair. I no longer fight against myself and my hair. When I let it "do what it do" ( ), it does what it does: GRRROOOWWWWWW!!!!! Whew!

Continued success to you in your studies and your hair journey.

 

[angelk316]

Natural:
Pros:
I have so many style options. And when I style it the style acutally last
I dont have to run from the rain
I don't have to spend $100+ a month to get my hair done
I don't have to spend hours in the salon
My hair is actually growing
My hair doesn't break
I don't spend all morning doing my hair I just pull it back fluff and go
I can actually do my own hair without having it looking jacked up

CON:
It takes a while to detangle my hair


Relaxed:
Pros:
Can't think of any
Cons:
I can only do so much to my hair
My styles never last
The money I spent trying to "fix" my hair
I couldn't find anybody who knew how to apply a relaxer properly
My hair would never grow, The only time my hair would grow if It was wearing braids or a weave
My hair was always breaking no matter what I did
My hair was always tangled
It was hard to style my hair the way I wanted it
My hair was always dry

I could thing fo so much more, but I dont' feel like typing anymore

 

[jngn]

Pros of having natural hair IMO:

-Hair styles last longer, depending on the hair texture. My hair type is 4a so my styles last at least a week without gels, hairspray, spritz, etc.
-The hair cuticle is in tact, leaving me with healthy hair with a natural sheen. Relaxers lift the cuticle or completely strip it away (I've seen a relaxed strand under an electron microscope; the cuticle was chewed up).
-I truly know my hair. I found that I don't need a comb to detangle. My hair wasn't made to be combed. A comb doesn't work for me and it damages my hair. I only use my fingers and my hair gets perfectly detangled.
-I can walk in the rain.
-Natural hair is low maintainance. I spritz my hair with water in the morning and I'm out of the door.
-I am no longer a slave to the salon.
-My hair is super thick, which gets a lot of admiration from people. No one has ever complimented me on my relaxed hair. I blended in, looking like everybody else; with a shoulder length (the longest it got with a relaxer) bob.
-My jet black hair color has returned. When I had a relaxer, my hair started to turn brown. People thought I dyed my hair, LOL.
-Natural hair can take many forms. One can go from an afro to waves to curls to straight and back to an afro. Try a different style for every day of the week if you like.

Cons of having natural hair:

NONE.

Pros of relaxed hair:

I didn't find any.

Cons of relaxed hair IMO:

-Takes longer to style. First ya have to shampoo it (this is a given). Then ya have to condition it (this is a given also). Then ya have to set it on rollers, sit under a dryer, comb it out (pray you don't have any wet spots, if you do it's O.V.E.R.), wrap it, sit back under the dryer, comb it out again and hope it turns out the way you like. If not, get out the hot curlers, bump the ends, burn your neck/forehead/scalp/hair, and it still doesn't come out the way you like. Finally, ya get out the hair gel, smash it all over your hair, and slick it back into a ponytail. This has happened to me many, many, many times. If your hair is short, like shaved in the back short, it's even worse because you could never curl your hair like they do in the salon.
-My hair was always damaged.
-I got serious burns on my scalp. (Why did I do this to myself?)
-TOUCH-UPS. These were the worst for me. I hated the neutralizing step. I would shampoo my hair over and over and over and over. The suds were still pink. Then I would shampoo over and over and over and over and over. The suds were still pink. Then I'd put the conditioner on because I was tired of shampooing, LOL. No wonder my hair was damaged, ha! I don't have to worry about this now, though. I feel liberated.

That's all I have for now.

 

[Poohbear]

NATURAL
Pros:
versatility
uniqueness
stronger hair
don't have to worry about chemicals messing up your hair
don't have to use a comb if you don't want/need to
low maintenance
longer lasting hair styles

Cons:
deciding what style to do
the time it takes to style in twists or braids
may be difficult to comb through

RELAXED
Pros:
easier to style and comb through

Cons:
the use of chemicals & their potential to cause damage and breakage
having to do a touchup once you see new growth
deciding what style to do
the time it takes to do a rollerset or blowdry it straight
high maintenance
have to worry about hair getting wet

 

[FineChyna]

interesting thread. when i was transitioning i never even thought of the pros and cons even when i was in school because i was more concerned with the health of my hair than the time. i think i had an easy transition because of this board (i went to other boards and go little to no help and didn't feel welcome) and the fact that i never received regular touch ups-i think i permed my hair 2-3 times a year, but when i did transition i tried to keep it simple by wearing protective styles(ponytails, buns, braids)

anyway here is my list:
NATURAL HAIR
*PROS:
healthier hair
hair is longest its been in years
i like the texture of my hair
no money spent on chemicals

CONS:
its impossible to find a salon that knows how to do natural hair in my area most of the natural hair styles do not fit my face shape


RELAXER
*PROS
can't think of any-my hair was a mess(breaking off, dry, uneven growth, damage scalp) and although it should have been easier to style my hair just looked chewed up.

CONS
expensive in terms of styling and touch ups
potential for over processing
long waits in salons/difficulty find a stylist who is concerned about health of hair more than the style

 

[Victorian]

My dilemma is, I would love to see what it's like to be natural, but being a science major in my senior year of college, I really DO NOT have the time to practice some of the dedicated regimes that so many women on this forum practice. Im only taking one summer school course this summer and being that my curriculum is so rigorous, my time gets devoted to it, and I have little time to "fight" with my hair.

First of all, congrats on med school and good luck! Go girl!

I went through the most trying part of my transition and my first few months fully natural during my senior year of college, which was the most stressful year of my life, so I understand your concerns. A few thoughts:

"Dedicated" is really about being consistent. It doesn't mean complicated or time consuming. I have a very dedicated and consistent regimen but it's also very simple and doesn't take up very much of my time at all.

If you don't have time to fight with your hair, then don't put on your brass knuckles and tell it to meet you in the parking lot That is to say that you should be catering to your hair, not the other way around. My hair gets knotted easily if I use too much product. So I'm a less is more person. Trying to comb through my entire head in sections takes too long and results in too much lost hair. So I do "search and destroy" detangling with my fingers in the shower. Trying to braid or twist my hair at night leaves me with tangled ends in the morning. So I just leave my hair loose and tie on my scarf, even though it seems like it should be the other way around. My hair is easiest to deal with when clean and still damp, so I wash my hair every day. That's what I mean by catering to your hair. It will tell you clearly what to do, you just have to listen and do it regardless of your (or other people's) theories about what is "best for hair."

For many people, transitioning hair is harder to deal with than relaxed OR natural, so if you've made it this far all right, you should go ahead and see it through. You may be pleasantly surprised at how simple it is to take care of your natural hair

 

[tropicexotic]

I think these ladies added alot of pros and cons, I don't have much to add to that discussion. But now for my commercial: if you do go natural and you need to detangle easily the Remington Tangle Tamer is the best thing I've ever used. Just slides right on through your tangled hair...

 

[MzTami]

For many people, transitioning hair is harder to deal with than relaxed OR natural, so if you've made it this far all right, you should go ahead and see it through. You may be pleasantly surprised at how simple it is to take care of your natural hair :yep:

I totally agree with this! You probably already fighting the worst battle with your transitioning hair, it can only get better if you go natural!
It's totally your decision, but I transitioned to almost 9 months, I figured I've come too far to turn back, so I BC! It was the best decision for me.

Good Luck in med school and with your hair!

 

[Enchantmt]

For many people, transitioning hair is harder to deal with than relaxed OR natural, so if you've made it this far all right, you should go ahead and see it through. You may be pleasantly surprised at how simple it is to take care of your natural hair

Exactly. The pros and cons are going to be different for everyone, but I will share mine.

Natural
Pros:
Can style faster (wash n go's, puff)
Some styles last all week or more (Two strand twists)
I can trim myself, it doesnt have to be perfectly even as it shrinks and curls up
Can press it or flat iron if I want a different look

Cons:
I havent found a style that pops out as an upscale, polished look.
When I do press/flat iron it wil only last a day or so

Relaxed:
Pros:
I can do it myself, no need to go to the salon
I can wrap it or roller set it and dry it while I sleep using a soft bonnet dryer (Dont laugh-my sister laughed until she had been up all day and night, had a date and had to still do her hair and had to choose between hair or sleep. Then it was "Show me how you dry your hair laying down." I went from being lazy to being inventive in an nano-second. )
I can do all types of styles
I get more mainstream compliments because straight hair is more accepted by some
It was really, really cute. I could swing it, it would blow in the wind. *sigh* memories....

Cons:
I have to go to the shop for trims
My hair was thinner than it is as a natural
My hair would only grow to a certain length, as I had to keep cutting it to keep it looking healthy. (I would be able to eliminate this issue now tho)


My decision would be based on how long and how many inches of new growth. Whether or not I want to lose the time invested, what my original reasons for going natural are. When I transitioned, I did a lot of rolller sets, switched to oils instead of water based moisturizers. The k kutter comb helped with detangling. Just decide what you really want to do and commit to it. You will find all kinds of info here to help you.

 

[dimpalz]

Hey congrats on getting this far! As someone whose just BCed with a TWA I'm tellin you natural hair is the easiest thing in the world. It takes me literally 3 minutes to do my hair in the morning, sure I only have one style at the moment lol but I still have the last days of uni to worry about so I dont really care, and I'm not that style obsessed - ask yourself this tho, how many other races have a styling obsession? How many e.g. white people do you see styling their hair different on a daily/weekly basis. Like 2% lol. I've had relaxed hair recently enough to give a good opinion I HTH =)

Relaxed hair

PROS
You can have straight hair practically everyday
Your hair lays down (if thats wat u want)
Length shows
Hair shines...

CONS
at the expense of health
You look like everyone else
It takes A DAY to wash and style, if you want it to look decent and stay away from too much heat (unless u live in a salon)
You feel like you've got to "style" it

Natural hair

PROS
Your hair will automatically be healthier (LYE or NO-LYE the damage is still done)
You can wear a fro, from a TWA to a BAA/BBA
You can wash and go. EVERYONE can, seriously you just need to perfect your washing technique
You don't have to blow dry
You can leave the house with damp hair - provided its not cold
I dont have detangling problems cos I don't have long enough hair but I still think thats another wash technique problem
You look like you're happy with yourself - no one would think you were unhappy with relaxed hair but natural pulls a certain respect out of other black people
Everyone is interested in your hair
Your hair will always look thicker than when it's relaxed
You don't have to style it, if you've run out of time just throw on a scarf, dont throw on a scarf you don't have to worry about flyaways or that frizzy bit that got wet in the shower
You can go swimming. ANYTIME!!!
You can wash your hair everyday (I do) to maximise moisture
AND...
(if ur this way inclined)
You can have a steamy shower with ur SO. Why? Cos u aint gotta worry about it getting wet and "pickying up" and you dont have to run off and leave him to rollerset it.


CONS
Keeping your hair moisturised ALL DAY - you could have had this problem relaxed but the nature of straight hair would never let you know from touch alone because poorly moisturised relaxed hair will feel more smooth/slick than natural hair and alot of people mistake that for moisture

Both

PROS
Depending on the length you can style it anyway you want

CONS
If you can't do your own hair there will be loads!

Naturally the PROS of one are the CONS of another so I tried not to repeat anything =) I don't know your reasons for transitioning or wether you've considered the BC but even tho I only did it for about a month seriously the BC was the best thing I could have done. Have you thought of just cutting off the relaxed ends? The two textures will be very hard to manage until then because natural hair doesnt like to be combed dry and relaxed hair doesnt like to be combed wet so there's always gonna be detangling issues. I hope these answers help you. If you wanna know nething else feel free to PM me =)

 

[lovelymissyoli]

How much time do you spend handling your relaxed hair? How much time do you spend handling your transitioning hair? From what I’ve read so far you’ve already made up in your mind that the styles you are going to wear as a natural are too time consuming and not nearly as manageable.

We need to think positive!

I don’t think natural hair is more time consuming than relaxed hair. The time it took for me to wash, detangle, blow-fry, press, and flat-iron my hair is far more than the time it takes for me to put in some twists or box braids--- and far less damaging. The key factor is to work with your hair, not against it. If you’re trying to get your hair to do something it doesn’t do naturally then be prepared to put in the time.

Also, please don’t get too caught up in regimens. I see a lot of the “I do X, X, X, X, and X and then I shampoo and do X, X, X, X, and X, and then I condition…” regimens and I would see this as time consuming too. I don’t think this applies so much for natural hair only because you don’t have to go through numerous steps/processes to ensure that your hair isn’t breaking, etc. I think a simple conditioner, a shampoo that should be used sparingly, and essential oils or a good moisturizer is the key. Since you’re in school this would be an advantage for you because you’ll save tons of $$$.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

for me natural hair is very fast to style bc my hair is curly. I just simply wash n go-I CW daily and shampoo 2-3X a month. My cons- I don't know how to do any other style and my hair looked uber short due to shrinkage.

Relaxed hair- length showed because I had a no manipulating wrap style. When I was lazy, I just threw it in a ponytail. My con was that it took longer to style than natural...just my experience...

 

[amara11]

LOL at your disclaimer. You know going natural is a beautiful thing that requires a lot of time initially. Like JCoily said once you get your routine down it is all good and not all that time-consuming. But honestly, if I were you, and I was not having any major problems with relaxing that is what I would stick with for now. Your plate sounds so full and intense. Transitioning and going natural IMO is an intense experience that requires a sense of calm and peace. If you aren't willing or able to dedicate the time to learning and working with your natural hair I think you will be very frustrated. It would be terrible for you to not be able to enjoy the experience.

Maybe there will come a time in your life when you will have more time or when you really just can't stand getting one more touch up. When it's the right time for you to go natural I don't think you will be so torn. I really wish you the best with whatever decision you come to. I am so proud of how ambitious you are, you better get that medical degree.

Thank you!!

 

[amara11]

How much time do you spend handling your relaxed hair? How much time do you spend handling your transitioning hair? From what I’ve read so far you’ve already made up in your mind that the styles you are going to wear as a natural are too time consuming and not nearly as manageable.

We need to think positive!

I don’t think natural hair is more time consuming than relaxed hair. The time it took for me to wash, detangle, blow-fry, press, and flat-iron my hair is far more than the time it takes for me to put in some twists or box braids--- and far less damaging. The key factor is to work with your hair, not against it. If you’re trying to get your hair to do something it doesn’t do naturally then be prepared to put in the time.

Also, please don’t get too caught up in regimens. I see a lot of the “I do X, X, X, X, and X and then I shampoo and do X, X, X, X, and X, and then I condition…” regimens and I would see this as time consuming too. I don’t think this applies so much for natural hair only because you don’t have to go through numerous steps/processes to ensure that your hair isn’t breaking, etc. I think a simple conditioner, a shampoo that should be used sparingly, and essential oils or a good moisturizer is the key. Since you’re in school this would be an advantage for you because you’ll save tons of $$$.

Its not so much my concern about the styling taking time- as the care. My natural texture needs to be moisturized more often than does my relaxed texture (im in transition) and to wash, and detangle takes a while for me to do. Being that I witnessed a lot of growth washing my hair more often (1-2 times a week) I wanted to do that when I go natural- however the time it takes for me to do it myself, is time that I may not be able to commit to my hair once school starts back. When I have no classes its no issue. The issue arises when im in school for more hours than the sun is up and Im studying for almost every free moment I have. That's the big issue. But im starting to think I may just wear some braids/ and twists for the remainder of my transition.

Everyone has inspired me to keep fighting the good fight! Thank you to all!
But please do keep the suggestions and ideas coming- Im really learning a lot from everybody. Pm me if you wish. Thanks again.

 

[sunshyne_krissy]

In your case time is of the essence so weather you are relaxed or natural you may have some maintainance issues; taking care of your hair relaxed or natural requires TLC and patience. I am currently transitioning and I made this decision because my hair HATES relaxers. I was reluctant to realize the damage it was doing over a 10 year period. It didn't hit me until one night this past March after yanking out all of the glued in tracks my stylist put in I was looking at bald patches of my edges and the strechiness of my wet relaxed hair. it was terrible. My hair looked like a goat chewed on it while blindfolded during an earthquake.
Why was I putting my natural hair to shame by covering up its beauty with such destroying chemicals? The true kryptonite is not my inability to take care of my hair. Nore the fact that I allowed ignorant stylists into my hair and make decisions based on how much money they needed.The kryptonite was my failure to listen. It was pure neglect and close-mindedness. . I was so uneducated before. Not realizing that I was literally killing my hair. I was relaxing because I wanted a quick fix..But now that I am free from the bondage of chemical relaxing I am learning how to manage my natural hair with less manipulation. I found the website some naturals are raving about called. www.missjessies.com I printed off a few ideas on how to style my hair in its curliest texture. And I'll be purchasing some of these items in the future. I am so happy and cant wait until I get to WL to try it! As for your delimma. You should choose whatever your hair responds better to. Only YOU know if you can handle a relaxer or natural texture of you hair. Both have thier pros and cons like everyone says. But for each individual those pros and cons are different.

 

[br0wney3z]

bumping to read later