Relax, natural, texturized, relaxed, natural... and start over again.

[Neith]

I know I can't be the only one!

Withing the last 5 years I've been "relaxed" (as relaxed as I could actually get my hard to relax hair), natural, lightly texturized, natural and texlaxed.

All of them (at least reasonably) healthy heads of hair.

Every time I transition, I cut all the old hair off. I've also just done the BC maybe 3 or 4 times in my life. I have nothing to show for it, all that hair just gets hacked off after 9-12 months

How did you stop the crazy cycle?

I'm thinking of going natural yet again!

 

[SignatureBeauty]

Me too Neith and me and DDtexalxed have done it at least 17 times in tha last couple years. I to want to go natural again, but since my hair is short it will only take about 4 months maybe 5. I think what made me relax again was growing from a Twa, then you see relaxed hair, natural hair, texlaxed hair. I don't know how to stop the cycle, but I prefer being natural over all of it.

I know it is hard, but just gotta stick with it. who the heck am I to say that LOL!!!

 

[anon123]

I don't know. Maybe you have to first figure out why you change so much. Then, . . . well, first let's figure out why you hop from one to the other and cut off all your hair. Any ideas?

 

[Neith]

Me too Neith and me and DDtexalxed have done it at least 17 times in tha last couple years. I to want to go natural again, but since my hair is short it will only take about 4 months maybe 5. I think what made me relax again was growing from a Twa, then you see relaxed hair, natural hair, texlaxed hair. I don't know how to stop the cycle, but I prefer being natural over all of it.

I know it is hard, but just gotta stick with it. who the heck am I to say that LOL!!!

lol, thanks for the encouragement anyway!

I don't know. Maybe you have to first figure out why you change so much. Then, . . . well, first let's figure out why you hop from one to the other and cut off all your hair. Any ideas?

I have no idea!

I know the last time I texlaxed, it was because of the shrinkage I got as a natural. Now I'm like screw it because I still do have pretty severe shrinkage

I don't know... I guess it's because I'm generally not content with my hair?

but I never leave it alone to grow long enough for me to enjoy it

 

[Chameleonchick]

Hey Neith!

I'm the same way. I have been relaxed, natural, relaxed, natural, relaxed, texlaxed in the past three years. No wonder my hair hasn't been past SL for the last two years.

 

[BlueNile]

Nope, you aren't alone. I went from over-relaxed (then after finding this board) to natural, then to lye texlaxed, to lye relaxed to no lye relaxed back to lye relaxed and right now really contemplating natural . All in four years. Just happy to have kept my hair on my head

 

[SignatureBeauty]

I know it can be a hard choice for some, I just hated the Twa phase, everytime I went natural I shaved my head, now I want to just Transition right on into Natural, my shrinkage wasn't that bad at all, for me it was growing out the Twa.

 

[anon123]

I have no idea!

I know the last time I texlaxed, it was because of the shrinkage I got as a natural. Now I'm like screw it because I still do have pretty severe shrinkage

I don't know... I guess it's because I'm generally not content with my hair?

but I never leave it alone to grow long enough for me to enjoy it

I thought you said your shrinkage is not that much. Like how much shrinkage do you have now. You know it's going to be a lot more natural, I'm sure. I think we have a tendency to, when we're not satisfied with something at the moment or we're getting frustrated, really only think about the good things of the previous situations.

 

[MonPetite]

For some women they change texture instead of hair color.

Women change thier hair color at the DROP OF DIME and no one questions it.

You go from natural to relaxed and back again and people suddennly have opinions.

Hair texture to me now is like hair color to some of my girl friends.

Red heads one month blond the next, brunetter after that.

Me: 12 natural, 7 years curly (but chemically altered), 2 straight, 1 year natural, next seven years....?

 

[DMJ's Mom]

I personally think of my hair as just an accessory. I've cut it from SL down to 4 inches 2 seperate times in just the past 18 months. In the past 4 years I've been Relaxed, natural (accidently transitioned lol long story) then texlaxed and for now am sticking with Natural because I've learned my natural hair is very strong compared to my hair with any chemicals

 

[Neith]

I thought you said your shrinkage is not that much. Like how much shrinkage do you have now. You know it's going to be a lot more natural, I'm sure. I think we have a tendency to, when we're not satisfied with something at the moment or we're getting frustrated, really only think about the good things of the previous situations.

Yeah I was natural earlier this year. My hair naturally shrinks to 20% of its actual length. My texlaxed hair shrinks up to about 50%... maybe a little less.

It's an improvement, but still pretty bad

That's true, I am getting frustrated.

I personally think of my hair as just an accessory. I've cut it from SL down to 4 inches 2 seperate times in just the past 18 months. In the past 4 years I've been Relaxed, natural (accidently transitioned lol long story) then texlaxed and for now am sticking with Natural because I've learned my natural hair is very strong compared to my hair with any chemicals

That's what I miss about my natural hair too. It's much stronger! At least it feels that way.

 

[nomoweavesfome]

Ha! you have HAIR ADD too! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE!! YAY!

I might have it worse than you tho, I suffer from hair depression, hair bi-polar, hair panic disorder and hair mania disorder. Those should be official hair dx codes for professional stylists.
One day I'm just gonna break down and look like

 

[nomoweavesfome]

I also suffer from HAIR INSOMNIA staying on the daggone hair boards late at night knowing I have to get up early. This may be contributing to my disorders. I just felt a relapse coming on to get a touch-up after talking smack about jherri curls and texturizing- so I'm going to bed now.

 

[Neith]

Ha! you have HAIR ADD too! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE!! YAY!

I might have it worse than you tho, I suffer from hair depression, hair bi-polar, hair panic disorder and hair mania disorder. Those should be official hair dx codes for professional stylists.
One day I'm just gonna break down and look like

I also suffer from HAIR INSOMNIA staying on the daggone hair boards late at night knowing I have to get up early. This may be contributing to my disorders. I just felt a relapse coming on to get a touch-up after talking smack about jherri curls and texturizing- so I'm going to bed now.

I too have hair mania, hair bi-polar disorder and hair insomnia.

Dang... some of us are mental

 

[Miamori]

Ha! you have HAIR ADD too! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE!! YAY!

I might have it worse than you tho, I suffer from hair depression, hair bi-polar, hair panic disorder and hair mania disorder. Those should be official hair dx codes for professional stylists.
One day I'm just gonna break down and look like

Too funny...

 

[Irresistible]

your hair could be to your booty by now


is that reason enough to stop?

 

[pearcey]

Yeah, I have done it a whole lot, too. I promised my SO this would be the last time though. This is so ironic, I was just thinking of this today and was going to write down my 'history' I love this hair board, I don't feel so weird.

 

[Neith]

your hair could be to your booty by now


is that reason enough to stop?

Waaaaaah

I'm thinking if I do go natural, I'll try to do a loooong transition. I'm not cutting my hair anymore

 

[RabiaElaine]

You're not the only one. I've been bone straight relaxed, natural, texturized, bone straight relaxed, transitioning to texlaxed, texlaxed, to relaxed (but not bone straight). Now I'm thinking of going natural again! I don't know what to do w/ myself or my hair, lol!!

I agree with whomever said hair texture is like hair color. All of our different textures create a new style and a new personality for our hair.

I also feel that my hair is stronger when it's natural, but I HATE the shrinkage of my mostly 4a/b hair. I know I like my hair stretched out a bit, so I don't want to go natural again only to find I'm constantly straigtening it. I also won't look forward to the transitioning phase...especially when I'm 4-5 months in. I've stretched my relaxer 5 months before and I remember how frustrated I was starting to get, but maybe I wasn't babying my new growth like I should have been.

Anyway I'm in flux with what I want to do w/ my hair again too...so you are definitely not alone. In the next 10 weeks or so when I'm due for my touch up I guess I'll have to make a decision.

 

[almond eyes]

Dear Neith,

Been there and done that. Once, I have talked about it on the threads. On one occasion a few years ago, I was completely natural and wanted another texturiser (I did not learn from the other one). After the texturiser my hair did not take to that very well (and I had a lot of tangles especially as my hair grew longer) so I decided to relax it. The relaxer did nothing because my hair is both resistant, dense and too many different textures and since my hair already had a texturiser the overlap of the relaxer caused my hair damage (I used the same product for the texturiser and relaxer, just using the name texturiser to refer to using a relaxer for a less amount of time and this was in 1999). What was the end result, you guessed it breakage. To make a long story short, after going natural again and getting a disaster relaxer (even after proper care) I went to my cousin who is a hairdresser and she sat me down and said that I should not put in another relaxer again because my hair does not take to the process (re: not everything is for everyone). I started to wear braid extensions and grew my hair to a farily decent length. However, despite the fact that I loved my extensions, because of my dry hair texture, I had to reconsider that. So, I knew I had to make a choice, either continue with braid extensions and end up with a chewed up hair line, relax my hair (even though it never takes wind up bald), texturise my hair ( a no no because especially if you don't have an even hair texture because with texturising it is all about processing all the sections of the hair evenly and correctly in a short period of time) or stay with the natural. In the end, I decided to go with the natural. I found out that when one uses the right products and remember to keep a good moisture balance in the hair, hair looks just as good or better than a texturiser. And one can still do a straight style if one wishes. I remember reading Andre's (Oprah's hairdresser) book in the mid 90's and he states a lot of the things that are essential to maintaining afro-texture hair, but for the life of my I never paid attention until Brenda Rejoice in 2001 and the LHCF. Now with all that being said, I think I was frusrated with my hair which is why I changed so many times but now that I found what works, I am happy and can't see myself messing with any chemicals in the future.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[heyfranz]

I've BC'd twice and went back to relaxed in May - before i found this hair board. I love my natural hair but my hair grows faster and longer as relaxed. IIf i'd found this board before, i would still be a natural. I think at some point, i'll bc again...