New growth/true texture question

[MissMarie23]

I have read in some transitioning posts that a relaxed person's new growth may not be their actual texture because the relaxed ends weigh down the natural roots.

Why is that? If the ends were natural instead of relaxed, wouldn't the roots still be weighed down by the ends? I can understand that the ENDS would look different, but why the roots?

Can anyone help me understand this?

 

[sarina0000]

Yeah I wonder why also

 

[NaturalRox]

I think what you're talking about is referred to as "scab hair" - but as far as I know, this doesn't have anything to do with relaxed ends weighing down the natural hair. This is usually attributed to the hair follicles beneath the scalp that have been affected by the relaxer chemicals. Some women that are transitioning from a relaxer or do a BC experience this hair type of hair for a couple of months until the hair follicles heal and revert back to it's normal chemical-free state. Scab hair doesn't happen to everyone though. HTH

 

[NubianAngel]

I think it really matters if you expect your curls to clump after you go natural. The only way to know whether your curls will clump or fro on the ends, IMO, is to have a head full of your natural texture and not coily/curly roots with straight ends. For those who would only stop relaxing if they would have alot of curl definition, it's good for them to keep this in mind.

 

[ChildlikeEmpress]

I don't know if the hair being weighed down has anything to do with it, but it did take a couple of months after I BCed before my real hair texture started to show. When I first chopped, my hair looked like classic 4b naps with a few random curls thrown in; now, it's mostly varying degrees of curly. Also, my hair didn't look or feel nearly as soft and healthy then as it does now. Part of it was finding the right products, but I also think that those dry relaxed ends were sucking the life out of my natural hair. I don't think I completely got rid of them until my last trim a few weeks ago -- about four months after my BC.

~Rochelle.

 

[MissMarie23]

I understand why scab hair would be different, but I keep reading that you have to cut the relaxed ends off the see the true texture because the hair is weighed down. It's just confusing for me, lol.

Thanks for your answers, ladies. More insight would certainly be welcome

 

[Divastate]

I think it really depends on the hair type as far as the relaxed ends weighing down the true texture. I've seen people with deep waves for new growth ultimately find out they have big thick curls naturally- while others may have more tightly coiled hair. During my transition I personally found it impossible to predict what my natural hair type would be- I assumed it would be thick 4b type hair when in reality it was coily 4a hair. My transitioning new growth was frizzier than my natural hair would turn out to be.

I also definitely experienced scab hair since I was guilty of improperly applying relaxers which may have also been part of why my new growth looked so frizzy and dry.

 

[inthepink]

I think that yes, the relaxed hair "can" weigh down the natural hair but that all depends on how much natural hair and how much relaxed hair is on a person's head. For example, if the person has 2 inches of natural hair and 4 inches of relaxed hair - I highly doubt that the relaxed hair is weighing the natural hair all that much. However, in my case of having about 10 inches of natural hair and about 20 inches of relaxed hair (just approximations!)- I tend to think my relaxed hair is weighing down my natural hair which is why it "looks" wavy insteady of curly. I believe my hair will probably be curly once the relaxed ends are gone b/c the sections that broke off curl up...and I have sections big enough to see that.

Does that help at all?

 

[Donda]

I know in my case when I had only two inchs of natural hair you could type me as a 4a/4b but the more my hair grew out, 5-6 inches, my true type of 3c/4a was more clear. The longer the crown of my hair got the more cork screw of a shape it took on, not to mention the harder it was for me to maintain the perfect fro! LOL

In Andre Talks Hair Book he says that the longer 4a hair gets the more cork screw it becomes. However, I think that short 4a hair that cork screws when longer is actually type 3c. Of course Andre doesn't have a 3c like we do on the forum []

So yeah I think weight can make a difference and that you need length and time to see the real hair type. Some say that you can wait until you have a 1 1/2 (per 2 inches) of new growth pluck the hair and wet it. This way you should have an idea of what type you have.

 

[MissMarie23]

[ QUOTE ]
hairlove said:
I think that yes, the relaxed hair "can" weigh down the natural hair but that all depends on how much natural hair and how much relaxed hair is on a person's head. For example, if the person has 2 inches of natural hair and 4 inches of relaxed hair - I highly doubt that the relaxed hair is weighing the natural hair all that much. However, in my case of having about 10 inches of natural hair and about 20 inches of relaxed hair (just approximations!)- I tend to think my relaxed hair is weighing down my natural hair which is why it "looks" wavy insteady of curly. I believe my hair will probably be curly once the relaxed ends are gone b/c the sections that broke off curl up...and I have sections big enough to see that.

Does that help at all?

[/ QUOTE ]

This makes sense to me, but when your natural hair is all 30 inches, won't it still look wavy (at least the first 10 inches), because there will still be 20 inches of hair (natural in this example) weighing it down?

I'm probably making this harder than it needs to be

 

[inthepink]

[ QUOTE ]
Poetess232 said:
[ QUOTE ]
hairlove said:
I think that yes, the relaxed hair "can" weigh down the natural hair but that all depends on how much natural hair and how much relaxed hair is on a person's head. For example, if the person has 2 inches of natural hair and 4 inches of relaxed hair - I highly doubt that the relaxed hair is weighing the natural hair all that much. However, in my case of having about 10 inches of natural hair and about 20 inches of relaxed hair (just approximations!)- I tend to think my relaxed hair is weighing down my natural hair which is why it "looks" wavy insteady of curly. I believe my hair will probably be curly once the relaxed ends are gone b/c the sections that broke off curl up...and I have sections big enough to see that.

Does that help at all?

[/ QUOTE ]

This makes sense to me, but when your natural hair is all 30 inches, won't it still look wavy (at least the first 10 inches), because there will still be 20 inches of hair (natural in this example) weighing it down?

I'm probably making this harder than it needs to be

[/ QUOTE ]

YEP! I think that is definitely "possible." I hear a lot of people say their hair is "flat" on top and then the curls appear. Or their hair is straight the first few inches and then it curls.

 

[MissMarie23]

Thank you Hairlove

I've been considering transitioning, and I want to know if what I see is what I (might) get. Thanks again

 

[Ayeshia]

well cant answer the question exactly but , my new growth was a thick wavy type before I did the BC. I am getting more curl definiton as my hair grows longer (oh and a lot more frizz too)

 

[inthepink]

[ QUOTE ]
ayeshia said:
well cant answer the question exactly but , my new growth was a thick wavy type before I did the BC. I am getting more curl definiton as my hair grows longer (oh and a lot more frizz too)

[/ QUOTE ]

I sometimes wish I could cut off my relaxed hair to see what my natural hair does...just to see...then reattach my relaxed hair and let it grow longer...lol

 

[Tai]

Hairlove, are you planning to let your hair get to waist length before cutting off your relaxed ends?

 

[Ayeshia]

[ QUOTE ]
hairlove said:
[ QUOTE ]
ayeshia said:
well cant answer the question exactly but , my new growth was a thick wavy type before I did the BC. I am getting more curl definiton as my hair grows longer (oh and a lot more frizz too)

[/ QUOTE ]

I sometimes wish I could cut off my relaxed hair to see what my natural hair does...just to see...then reattach my relaxed hair and let it grow longer...lol

[/ QUOTE ]

Lol..... you can do the fusion weave technique when you reattach your hair

Maybe you can cut off a tiny chunk in the back? Something not so obvious...wait never mind dont do that. It may give you the urge to cut more

 

[inthepink]

No, not exactly....

I would like for my hair to get to waist length but that has nothing to do with when I will get rid of my relaxed ends...well not completely.

Getting to waist length - I feel like this is my last chance...well, for a while...so I may as while go for it. Once I do reach waist length (hopefully by the end of the year), then I'll wait a few months and cut off about 5 inches again still leaving me with a lot of relaxed hair. Then let it grow and decide what to do at 3-6 month intervals.

Sorry I am so longwinded.

 

[Tai]

You weren't long winded at all. I was just curious.

 

[Jade]

I think that it is difficult to know exactly what your texture will like until the relaxed hair is completely chopped off. It's not so much that the relaxed hair "weighs" it down, but the ends don't curl up on each other until the hair is completely natural, which makes a big difference in how one's hair ultimately looks and behaves. For one thing the curly ends can make parts of hair stand farther apart from each other so there is more bulk. I think it's very possible that what looks like wavy hair turns out curly after relaxed ends are cut off.

 

[inthepink]

[ QUOTE ]
Jade said:
I think that it is difficult to know exactly what your texture will like until the relaxed hair is completely chopped off. It's not so much that the relaxed hair "weighs" it down, but the ends don't curl up on each other until the hair is completely natural, which makes a big difference in how one's hair ultimately looks and behaves. For one thing the curly ends can make parts of hair stand farther apart from each other so there is more bulk. I think it's very possible that what looks like wavy hair turns out curly after relaxed ends are cut off.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's exactly what I meant by my post. The hair appears wavy but it actually most likely curly.
As long as I was relaxed, I thought I had wavy bushy hair. I was shocked to find my hair is actually curly and bushy....lol I am not completely natural yet but as I mentioned, I have chunks of all natural hair that give me a pretty good idea.

 

[silvergirl]

in my case.. my natural hair likes to "imitate".. meaning that if its laying against straight hairs if will stay straight, if its laying against the natural texture then it will imiitate whatever texture i am naturally.

i dont think it has much to do with the weigh of relaxed hair because i have 7 inches of natural hair and only 3 inches of relaxed, but the natural hairs on the back of my head always manage to stay stick striaght because they are resting on relaxed hair whereas the top of my head where its almost all natural is wavy.. (if that made any sense at all.. lol)

 

[inthepink]

[ QUOTE ]
silvergirl said:
in my case.. my natural hair likes to "imitate".. meaning that if its laying against straight hairs if will stay straight, if its laying against the natural texture then it will imiitate whatever texture i am naturally.

i dont think it has much to do with the weigh of relaxed hair because i have 7 inches of natural hair and only 3 inches of relaxed, but the natural hairs on the back of my head always manage to stay stick striaght because they are resting on relaxed hair whereas the top of my head where its almost all natural is wavy.. (if that made any sense at all.. lol)

[/ QUOTE ]

lol...funny.

 

[Poohbear]

[ QUOTE ]
Poetess232 said:
I have read in some transitioning posts that a relaxed person's new growth may not be their actual texture because the relaxed ends weigh down the natural roots.

Why is that? If the ends were natural instead of relaxed, wouldn't the roots still be weighed down by the ends? I can understand that the ENDS would look different, but why the roots?

Can anyone help me understand this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Relaxers aren't the only thing that can weigh down natural roots of someone's hair! If a natural person puts a whole bunch of oils, moisturizers, or whatever in their hair, it could weigh down their hair to look a different texture! My relaxed hair doesn't weigh down my natural roots. It's not heavy. When I have new growth, it stays in the certain wave pattern that it has. Plus, I think there is no true way to tell what hair texture u r. That hair type system is Andre's opinion to what your texture should be!

 

[honeycomb719]

I have been wondering myself about this question. I have been toying w/ the idea of transitioning, but I have been thinking about why I returned back to relaxers in the first place,(slow growth) mainly....
When I transitioned about 4yrs ago, I didnt do the chop so I had relaxed ends and I thought that may have changed the texture of my natural hair I saw.
I transitioned for about 2yrs and had about 4inches of newgrowth(natural)hair, which I didnt think I was retaining length while natural because 4inches is not much for 2 yrs IMO, so I wonder if the relaxed ends had an effect on the texture and process of retaining length, I dunno...

 

[silvergirl]

do you mean 4 inchs when stretched ? or 4 inches in its shrunken state?