What I Miss About Being Relaxed...

[carameldelight87]

That fresh relaxer confidence!! In high school, after a fresh perm (not because that's the appropriate term, just because it's what we called it) you couldn't tell me NATHAN!!!

It was a MAJOR accomplishment to get those edges tight and I walked around school like I was the shiznit for at least a week or two!

This is a pic of my last relaxer before I started my locs. Didn't know it'd be my last but can you tell I was feelin myself?!

Just wanted to share.




Note: I'm not saying anything good or bad about natural hair, so let's not start a natural vs. relaxed hair debate. This is a light-hearted attempt to reminisce on the days when I knew nothing about "curl definition" and a perm was not a "tool of oppression," and it was simply "the way it was."

 

[NappyNelle]

I know this has nothing to do with your post, but you are so cute!! Your skin is so pretty too.

 

[naturalTAN]

I miss being able to bun on dry hair without 124434 tools and products. I used to just grab any old raggedy ponytail holder (with metal hooks ) and toss it up!

 

[wednesday]

I just miss the manageability.

 

[Rocky91]

your hair was LAID. dayum.

and gosh, you're a cutie!!

 

[-PYT]

I miss the 1-2 hour wash days and the fact that I never had to detangle it. And rollersetting.

 

[Napp]

well im hating on them edges lol

 

[lesedi]

OP you are stunning!!

and i miss not being able to throw my hair in a messy albeit cute bun when i didn't feel like doing anything with it. My hair right now is too short and thick for me to do all the cute styles i used to do

 

[Trini_Chutney]

I miss 5 min long detangling sessions, my every 2 year "Halle Berry" cuts, and silk wraps.

 

[ChasingBliss]

I miss bunning where I didnt have to put on a scarf after just to lay it all flat around the edges....but I'll be darned if I dont love the wavy, shiny laid look it produces.

 

[MyInvisibleChyrsalis]

The sheer ignorance of all things hair related. I could wash my hair with no conditioner. Slap on some something with African or silky in the title and kim. I could go to sleep with my scarf on and have the same exact hairstyle days in a row. I didn't have to worry about split ends or moisture because water would make my hair revert anyway. I didn't have to care about protein because my africa naps came to visit every three weeks so it must be strong and could handle me ripping brushes and combs through it. I didn't take very good care of my hair back in the day. When I started stretching, that's when I started to love my hair and treat it right....but lord I was a mess, chile.

 

[Lexsmarie]

I miss the smooth edges and roots. Easy rollersets with relaxed hair. Successful airdry without the help of the blow dryer to blow out the roots. *sigh* I do miss.... but the challenges of being natural reaps it's benefits.

 

[Alta Angel]

I miss wrapping my hair at night, combing out in the morning and 5 minutes later, having an awesome style.

My honeymoon period would be the first two weeks after the relaxer. After that, new growth would start taking over, my rollersets wouldn't be as smooth, and I would be breaking out the tub of black gel...

 

[SherylsTresses]

Like other posters, I miss the manageability, predictable styles and sheer bliss of my "healthy hair."

 

[andromeda]

the swang

(yes i know it might be possible to get swang w/ my natural hair but that would require a) me practicing my flat iron technique which = more exposure to heat = increased potential heat damage or b) me letting a "professional" straighten my hair which = potential for heat damage = massive regret>resentment>anger>revenge = potential attempted homicide)

 

[PinkGirlFluff]

I miss swinging pony tails, adding hair for length, and fresh cuts.

 

[Stepiphanie]

I miss the easy breezy detangling, 5 mins tops!!

 

[SheenaVee]

I miss the (LITERALLY) 3 minute detangling sessions! Sigh.

 

[Lynnerie]

I miss....

The manageability,
-Not having to detangle cause water took care of that
-Having my hair done in an hour or less.
-Rollersetting with ease
-Not having to worry about split ends and knots. (I didn't even know what split ends were when I was relaxed)
-I miss the predictability of my hair
-I miss seeing the length.

I am thinking about going back ... time to make a pros and cons list.

 

[kandiekj100]

rollersetting and wrapping with ease. Having that rollerset last me the whole week with no reversion

 

[greenbees]

I miss the one minute detangling sessions and my slick straight edges..


Sent from my iPod touch using LHCF

 

[prettyinpurple]

I miss wrapping my hair at night, combing out in the morning and 5 minutes later, having an awesome style.

My honeymoon period would be the first two weeks after the relaxer. After that, new growth would start taking over, my rollersets wouldn't be as smooth, and I would be breaking out the tub of black gel...

Me too! I could just run my fingers through my hair to unwrap it and go. Those were the days

I love my natural hair too much to go back to relaxers now. But man I miss wearing a wrap...

 

[Barbie83]

I miss sexy bed head.....

after a roll in the hay, my hair looked tousled, floppy and cute, not poofy, sweaty and frizzy

 

[Damaged but not out]

I miss the length I had at the time, but I figure I will get back there.

honestly I can't think of too many missed moments with my relaxed hair.

I'm too infatuated with my hair right now. Maybe later tonight when I start the 1- 2 hour twisting process for the week I will think of some more

 

[carameldelight87]

Y'all are great!! Thanks for all the compliments.

I think that maybe once I've grown my hair to unstretched MBL (my hair goal cuz anything more would be unbearable) I may consider cutting and relaxing again. I really liked my short look. I also didn't have many problems with my relaxers so I can't say I stopped relaxing out of a health concern. I just got broke (I was in college) and didn't relax for a while. Then on an impulse decided to get gel twists to start my locs.

I LOVE my curls but I'm as impulsive as they come and I'm pretty sure I won't stick with one style for the rest of my life. I may even lock it up again. Who knows?

Thanks again, ladies!

 

[Nonie]

What I miss about being relaxed... :scratchch

NOT A THING!

I can still wear straight hair if I wish and do everything I did with relaxed hair if I wish--and even more now because it's longer. I'm so happy I have the option to not wear straight hair and that I don't have to depend on anyone for my hair's upkeep and don't have to deal with two textures and don't have to spend crazy money on hair.

I suppose for me being relaxed was more work because I always had to do my hair every morning. Even just wrapping it at night and unwrapping in the morning was more work than I have to do now. I can literally go a weeks w/o doing anything to my natural hair besides washing it (not even moisturizing after the wash) and I can still get away w/o ever needing to detangle or ever having problems. Can't beat that!

 

[kellistarr]

What I miss would have to be the easy detangling sessions. #2 Would be that I could cornrow/french braid in two, with ease. I can't do that now.

 

[Klearli]

I miss being able to wear my hair straight in the summer time. This is my first summer 100 percent natural...I tried to get it done a few weeks ago when I thought the humidity was over...fail. fail fail fail.

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using T-Mobile G2

 

[blondemane]

Blowdrying my hair in 15 mins if I wanted to. It was personally easier for me to style

 

[prettyinpurple]

I miss sexy bed head.....

after a roll in the hay, my hair looked tousled, floppy and cute, not poofy, sweaty and frizzy

Omg so true! And waking up with triangle head 'cause my hair is smushed is not the business either. My nightly twists/plaits are definitely not sexy either LOL.