Naturals who have gone back and forth from relaxed:

[rainbowknots]

What made you go natural in the first place? What made you go back to the relaxer only to go back to being natural?

When I was younger I went back and forth, I would get a relaxer then grow it out only to try again down the road. Up until 2005 I don't think I ever got 2 consecutive relaxers...definitely not 3. For 6 years I maintained relax hair, but now I'm transitioning back to natural mainly because I'm tired of the whole relaxing process and dealing with all these different textures in my hair (due to incosistent processing all the time). I don't know if I'll ever go back to one, I haven't had the chance to be a natural with all the new things I've learned since being on my HHJ. Once I BC (I don't know how long I'm going to transition) I plan to stay natural for at least a year and take it from there.

 

[CrissieD]

Well I never "went natural" (that term is weird to me) I tried a relaxer in high school for the Aaliyah look. Then in college for the Halle cut. I just couldn't be bothered and got bored with straight hair and wanted my normal hair back so both times I just grew it out and KIM.
That's not to say I wouldn't try one again but I'm pretty sure it would be just the one relaxer followed by boredom followed by growing it out again. LOL

Sent from my PC36100 using PC36100

 

[prettybyrd]

What made you go natural in the first place? What made you go back to the relaxer only to go back to being natural?

When I first went natural I wanted to see what my natural hair looked like. I met some women older than I was who had lovely locks and other natural styles, and I really wanted to see my natural hair.

The first time I re-relaxed in 1999, just 7 months after cutting all my hair off to go natural, I had just come from a visit to see my family, and all the awful things they had to say about my hair really hurt. I got back to school and immediately relaxed my hair. I didn't relax it straight because I loved the curly look.

After it was relaxed, I realized that the relaxer let me have the curly look I loved, and the ease of popping it in a slick pony when it was time to visit home - so i just kept at it. Eventually though, this led to over processing and breakage because I didn't know what the heck I was doing.

I went back and forth for a few years because I kept damaging my hair with heat, color, or relaxers and because I kept listening to what other people had to say about my hair/my look.

I am not interested in relaxers now because 1) I don't do a good job with them on my own hair and I got tired of having to BC because of another mishap, and 2) I just really love the texture of my hair.

My hair has been in its natural state since 2005; I doubt I'll ever relax again.

 

[rainbowknots]

When I first went natural I wanted to see what my natural hair looked like. I met some women older than I was who had lovely locks and other natural styles, and I really wanted to see my natural hair.

The first time I re-relaxed in 1999, just 7 months after cutting all my hair off to go natural, I had just come from a visit to see my family, and all the awful things they had to say about my hair really hurt. I got back to school and immediately relaxed my hair. I didn't relax it straight because I loved the curly look.

After it was relaxed, I realized that the relaxer let me have the curly look I loved, and the ease of popping it in a slick pony when it was time to visit home - so i just kept at it. Eventually though, this led to over processing and breakage because I didn't know what the heck I was doing.

I went back and forth for a few years because I kept damaging my hair with heat, color, or relaxers and because I kept listening to what other people had to say about my hair/my look.

I am not interested in relaxers now because 1) I don't do a good job with them on my own hair and I got tired of having to BC because of another mishap, and 2) I just really love the texture of my hair.

My hair has been in its natural state since 2005; I doubt I'll ever relax again.

The bolded is what I think will be the most difficult to overcome. I recall family telling me I need to get a perm when I was younger. I'm older now though, so I'm hoping I can handle it better this time around.

 

[Oasis]

What made you go natural in the first place? What made you go back to the relaxer only to go back to being natural?

i saw of pic of a girl with natural hair and fell in love. i had no idea that's what blk folks hair looked like. i started relaxing again because i couldn't handle my hair. it was too thick, the shrinkage was outrageous, and i was losing my mind. i haven't gone natural again but i know for certain that i will again. i have decided though, that i will never be a loose natural. when i go natural again i'm locing my hair up.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I went back and forth because I did not know how to handle my natural hair in the past. My relaxed hair wasn't strait as I'd liked and then I coveted the styles of the natural ladies. This is the first time that I've been natural for more than a year. I don't see myself ever relaxing again, but I know I can never say never! If that happens, I will not BC again. I will just stretch my relaxer for a year.

 

[prettybyrd]

The bolded is what I think will be the most difficult to overcome. I recall family telling me I need to get a perm when I was younger. I'm older now though, so I'm hoping I can handle it better this time around.

The expectations, words, and looks from family can be hard to ignore. When someone says something to you that hurts you, tell them. Family often think that they can get away with saying whatever they want and they cannot; they should not.

Try to stay strong, blaqphoenix! Embrace your beauty your way. No else can define your beauty for you.

 

[BlkOnyx488]

I bounced back and forth from relaxed to natural since college. I would attempt to go natural but I really didn't know what to do with my natural hair. it was not until I found lhcf that I learned how to take care of my natural hair. I am not a natural nazi but I don't believe I will ever go back to relaxer. I enjoyed the option of having my hair kinky sometimes and straight
sometimes.

 

[fivetimestwo]

What made you go natural in the first place? What made you go back to the relaxer only to go back to being natural?

I originally went natural in 2004 after being relaxed since age 6. I initially thought that my hair would be much thicker if I stopped relaxing. That turned out not to be entirely true though. I was natural up until 2008 when I texlaxed. I was tired of my shrinkage and wanted to wear wash-n-gos (sounds kinda silly now that I think about it ).

I only stayed texlaxed for a year and then decided to transition back to natural. I didn't retain any length while I was texlaxed and I really didn't want to have to keep up with retouching.

I transitioned from 2009 to 2011 (20 months total) and I have no desire to relax again. I also have color now so I'd have to be somewhat crazy to put a relaxer on top of that.