This is long, but I gotta tell you...
I used to have the same fears about going natural and I am still struggling with the decision because I am not completely there yet. I am transitioning. There are days when I feel like maybe I should just relax it and there are days when I want to just cut it all off. I have 3" new growth with about 1 1/2" past shoulder length and some days it is hell.
I remembered this morning, while I was washing my hair, that about a year ago I actually admitted to myself that I hated my natural hair. I just hated the way that it messed up the way my relaxed hair behaved. I love swimming without worrying about my hair and the feel of the wind blowing my hair around. I love being able to do smooth, elegant up dos. But I realized that it all came with a price. I f&*#@%g hate getting my scalp burned by those chemicals!!
At some point at the end of last summer I decided that I had enough of that.
Once I spent some time talking to other women and lurking through LHCF, I began to feel differently about my natural hair. I was learning that there are better ways to take care of my natural hair and their are better products on the market for my natural hair. So I decided to take the plunge... well, not exactly. I don't want no TWA.
I'm trying to grow my natural hair out enough before I cut the ends off. And that is not fun!
But I realized as I washed my hair this morning that since I started thinking differently about my natural hair, it has become the relaxed ends that I now hate. Those are what's causing me so much trouble these days. It's the dealing with two textures that drives me mad! I know what to do for my natural hair, but those tangles in the relaxed hair are a pain.
I said all this to tell you that those fears are going to be with you. No matter how strong you are there will be times when you second guess your hair decisions, whether you decide to keep relaxing, texturizing, or go natural, because of what you have been taught about your hair. It's alright if you want to continue with relaxers. At least you know through this forum how to take better care of your relaxed hair. If you are not ready yet, then that's all it means... you're just not ready.
And when you are ready, you know where to come to find the support that you need. LHCF!!
(I know, I know... HairPhoenix shut up. You say too much!!
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