I've had natural hair for 3 years & 2 months so far, and I've been a strong natural hair advocate ever since. For the past week, why have I been contemplating relaxing my hair!?!? My mind has been spinning about the whole idea. I thought once I went natural, I was going to be natural for life, and now look at me thinking about relaxing. Not because of any pictures, not because of what anyone has said, but I'm starting feel like having straight hair will be less of a hassle for me. I have enjoyed doing all types of hairstyles with my natural hair, but you know what? I have gotten tired of styling my hair in all those different styles. I miss rollersets, I just want to rollerset it and wear it straight, and don't have to worry about it shrinking. But another thing that some may not agree with... having natural hair has wrecked havoc on my ends...I have never had splits until I started wearing my hair naturally. Also, my natural hair hates water. You know how some naturals say "I don't have to run from the rain" well I could never say that because I do. With relaxed hair, I didn't care about my hair getting wet as much as I did with natural hair. I like being in water and going swimming and I also like to workout and break a sweat. With natural hair, my hair shrinks and tangles to high heavens. I love wearing my hair in a BIG afro, but when I workout at the gym, it shrinks and the ends get tangly. If I want to wear straight hair, I don't want to go through the hassle of blowdrying, pressing, and flat-ironing my hair each time. I would rather just rollerset, let it dry, and go. And one last thing... now, I just want long hair that appears long. Not for anyone else, I just want long hair for me. I feel like having relaxed hair would be easier for me to show length. But I don't know, those have been a few of my thoughts. I haven't relaxed my hair yet because I am scared to death of feeling the burn on my scalp and I'm afraid to relax it myself or let anyone else relax it, and I'm afraid the relaxer won't take on my very resistant hair...
Thanks for asking. I've been feeling better. I have only been thinking about relaxing for a week so far.Hey Jessica...how are you, anyway?
Well, how long have you been thinking about this? I say give it a bit of time and see if the desire passes. I don't say that because I have something against relaxers. It's just the permanent nature of them that makes me say give it time. But you can always big chop again one day or transition out again if you ultimately don't like it, right?
Other than that, do what you want with your own hair. You surely don't have to give explanations of any kind. Honestly, I understand where you are coming from on some of your thoughts.
But see, I like wearing my hair down and out. I hate wearing braids and twists because of shrinkage. And those styles make me look like a little girl and I'm tired of looking that way, I want to look like a woman.Hey Poohbear,
I hear what you are saying loud and clear - shrinkage (for some) is no JOKE!
Do whatever you feel is best for YOU! But I would hate for you to relax, only to decide that you want natural hair and then have to start all over again.
Maybe you could get an easier style like braids or twists for summer, and save the 'out' styles for cooler weather when your hair will revert less.
Either way - have HAIR fun!
No, that's not why because I've been straightening my own hair with heat ever since that incident with no problems.I remember when she first went natural she had heat damage just from one time
thats probably why she isnt thinking at all along those lines
That's true, but I don't feel that I need to fix something that's broken. I feel like I have healthy natural hair and I have had healthy relaxed hair before. However, when I look at my ends on natural hair, there are splits galore and single strand knots (not anymore though, I just got a haircut a few days ago). When I had relaxed hair, I NEVER had splits or knots. Wearing my hair naturally or in natural styles like afros, twists, twistouts causes splits and tangles on my hair because of it's hair texture. My hair is very very very tightly coiled. When my hair is straight, I have no problems with knots and splits. That's the only reason I've been thinking about relaxing.I didn't read all of the answers you've got but here is what I think, DON'T FIX IT IF IT'S NOT BROKEN. I am relaxed and have been relaxed for so many years now. I never felt the need to go natural cause my hair is healthy and has become even healthier from the moment I joined LHCF. In your case, your natural hair seems healthy and gorgeous, so why would you change a recipe that works for you. Your concerns are more about styling than healthy hair, so maybe you just need to find the right style for your hair and stick to it. Relaxed and natural hairs have their pros and their cons, so give you a chance by listing them side to side before you make your decision. Good luck
I think I would rather relax bone straight than to texturize. I don't want to deal with any texture if I do decide to use chemicals to straighten my hair.That's a good idea. Also, maybe you could try texturizing/texlaxing your hair; that way, its more manageable yet you still have some of the wave/body of your natural hair.
I think I would rather relax bone straight than to texturize. I don't want to deal with any texture if I do decide to use chemicals to straighten my hair.
Yeah, I think I will just straighten my natural hair for awhile before getting it relaxed. If I get tired of straightening my natural hair, I might relax, I don't know. My hair is getting longer, and I just hate wash days. I can't airdry and my hair doesn't like airdrying. I have to blowdry my hair and it takes about an hour to blowdry all my hair. I like wearing a big blowdried fro, but then it starts to shrink when I'm outside, or at the gym, or around bodies of water, or at work, and when I go to sleep it may get smashed. And I don't like when it shrinks because of tangles. I don't want to have to pick it out because combing dry natural hair causes splits on my hair.Pooh, why don't you get it straightened a couple of times to see how you feel about straight hair? Like others have said, make sure before you do something so permanent.
Perhaps you could be a straight-haired natural? Whipz and Pinkskates wear their hair primarily straight, and it works for them. Heat stretched hair can get you similar results, without the chemicals and touch-ups.
If you do end up relaxing, you can always go back to natural later on in life.
That's true, but I don't feel that I need to fix something that's broken. I feel like I have healthy natural hair and I have had healthy relaxed hair before. However, when I look at my ends on natural hair, there are splits galore and single strand knots (not anymore though, I just got a haircut a few days ago). When I had relaxed hair, I NEVER had splits or knots. Wearing my hair naturally or in natural styles like afros, twists, twistouts causes splits and tangles on my hair because of it's hair texture. My hair is very very very tightly coiled. When my hair is straight, I have no problems with knots and splits. That's the only reason I've been thinking about relaxing.
Originally posted by lauren450
I hear you and agree. That whole "texlaxed is the best of both worlds" thing was NOT true for me. Why do touchups and deal with chemicals just to have almost natural hair?