What is the lesser of the 2 Evils?

F

Faith

New Member
I am soooooooo undecided it's not even funny. My hair is natural right now but is a HANDFUL...just imagine 4a/zzz hair.
Anyways, in about 3 weeks I will either texturize or apply heat and keep going with natural.
My question is of the two which one seems the worst? Applying heat 2-4x a month or texturizing 2x/year and using NO HEAT at all. I can't figure out what to do. My hair tends to be dry so I don't want it to get drier with the heat. On the other hand it is chemicals and...blah, blah , blah.
I need everyone's opinion so feel free to share. Thanks /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I'm dead set against heat. I don't have natural hair, but I say I would rather texturize 2x, but doesn't that take you out of the "natural" zone? A texturizer from what I understand is just a SUPER mild Relaxer.
 
Hi Faith,

I know how you feel. My hair is natural (4a/b) and it is a handful. Right now I have it in braids and decided to keep in braids until this time next year. (I do my own braids) Anyway, I put a lye relaxer in my hair and decided to use it as a texturizer. The one I decided to get was the Elucence 'mild' relaxer. I kept it on my hair for about 8-10 minutes, and it did not do anything to my hair. I understand that Elucence relaxers are very mild, and that is OK. I was trying to tame my hair a little, and instead it did nothing for my hair. Because I have chemicals in my hair (even though it doesn't look like it) I'm afraid to press it or use to much heat on it. I'm so afraid of breakage and I want to do whatever I can to prevent it from happening. My hair too is so dry. I still have not found products/solution to what my hair needs or responses to, which is why I decided to put it in braids to give me a break. I know I can get growth from the braids and hopefully with my braid regime and vitamin supplement, the new growth will be a little easier to take care of. I'm saying all of this because initially it will be your decision as to what you will do. I've tried to tame my tresses and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Just weigh everything carefully. Remember Wanankee. She use to press her hair every week and her hair is beautiful. There are so many products that can protect your hair from the heat if you decide to press it. I remember back in the day before perms/relaxers, our mothers did not know nothing except... press. I've decided not to put a texturizer/relaxer in my hair until after I reach my goal(giving myself 2 years). When I take my braids out next year, I will be getting my hair pressed. Hope this helps.
 
Texturizer. I put one in my mother's hair and the thing was so mild, that I didn't have to mix anything and I didn't even have to use gloves. Nor did I get yellow nails. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

The only problem is that with long hair, you have to be especially careful. It's like a relaxer when you think about it because you don't want to have various textures of hair.

But I recommend the texturizer. /images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Well my hair natural is similar to yours (4-whichever one is the S type wave.) I was natural for 2 years and didn't have a CLUE what to do with it so I feel your pain. I've had a relaxer for a while now but have recently decided to transition into a texturizer cuz I miss the fullness I used to have. I don't know which one my stylist uses to be honest but I know its just the same lye relaxer they usually use left on for a shorter time and smoothed VERY LITTLE with the back of the comb. I've had no adverse affects as yet. So I say go with the texturizer and just keep it moisturized.
 
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY DOING TO YOUR HAIR? wHAT PRODUCTS ARE YOU USING. I AM NATURAL 3c/4a AND MAYBE I CAN ASSIST.in some way.
9sorry 4 the caps lock)
Valleygirl
 
Faith,

I suggest that you rinse your hair and condition it EVERY DAY for the next three weeks, then make your decision. Frequent condtioning has changed my thoughts about what my hair can do. Even if you decide to press or texturize, conditioning it every day for the next three weeks will put it in good shape for either the heat styling or the chemical processing
 
Faith,
That is a mixed bag! On one hand a texturizer will loosen your curls and give you some manageability, but will it give you enough or will it take you too straight???? Will you regret it later? Did you ever read the book Good Hair by Lonnice Bonner. She advocates a texturizer. I would not do it myself. Go to a professional that KNOWS how to texturize. On the other way heat is temporary and since your hair would not be double processed (heat and relaxer) your hair may be strong enough to handle it. My natural curls are not tight (s pattern) and twisting and cornrowing my hair gives me the cute spiral curls. Here is a web site http://haircare.aldrea.com/intro.htm of a young lady that has natural hair and twists hers. It comes out beautiful. My hair was not as pretty as hers but I liked it and it may give you the texturizer look. I personally would opt for the heat because it is temporary and you simply can stop if your hair gets damaged. If you get a relaxer/texturizer there is no turning back. If you try the heat first and see what happens and you can always TRY the texturizer!

Good Luck with your Decision Faith!!!

Also Fancypants I thought Wanakee was relaxed........I don't think she pressed her hair am I mistaken?
 
Thanks for the replies ladies,

Amillion--yeah it will take me out of the natural zone..sigh

ValleyGirl--I would love to stay natural cause my hair is thicker and stronger and longer natural, so any help would be greatly appreciated. My only concern is with the heat. This is my routine when I had flatironed in the past:
1. preshampoo treatment with coconut oil (will change this to post shampoo)
1. shampoo with keracare
3. Deep condition with ORS Mayo (will switch to keracare humecto and protein conditioner will be Aubrey GPB)
4. Apply Thermasilk heat protectant (I'm not sure if this is good enough)
5. Apply AtOneWithNAture leave-in conditioner
And proceed to press...I will be pressing with Jilbere if I decide to stick with it.
DO you think I need a better heat protectant? I have tried Neutrogena and hated it. The Thermasilk is a leave-in conditioner mist that is supposed to be a heat protectant as well but...

Thanks /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Faith, I have a relaxer, but I've thought about that very question for years. I would have to say a texturizer is probably better. A texturizer is only left on for a short period of time and since you don't need to do it that often, your chances of getting overprocessed hair are slim to none.
 
Hi NayNay,

I had thought about that too...that I may over texturize and in the end just end up with straight hair. Which is not what I'm looking for. I have seen aldrea's hair before and it's lovely but my hair will not behave like that. I may try the heat first then if all else fails texturize in the summer. Thanks /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I believe that using heat to straighten (not too hot and not that often) is better than texturizing. The reason is that chemically relaxing your hair alters its actual structure, leaving the hair in a much more vulnerable state. Even a mild relaxer or texturizer will do this. This does not mean that people with a relaxer can't have nice hair, because we have seen it. But, they must be much more vigilant about protecting it from heat and manipulation than natural hair.

But it all depends on what you what. So if your priority is to go with what is least damaging, I say definitely use heat to straighten (in moderation) and skip the texturizer. If your primary concern is ease in combing and, and you are OK with rarely (if ever) using heat and wearing protective styles often, then go for the texturizer.

If you are having lots of problems with manipulation and comb-outs with your natural hair, it might tip the scales in favor of texturizers for you.

I am almost positive that I wouldn't get a relaxer again. But if the day comes that I have so many problems with combing and breakage from detangling that I can't retain the length I want, I may reconsider. I think for now though, that there are a lot of products and techniques out there that help with detangling.

Valleygirl and others have used some kind of heat protectant called New Image, I think. People have been raving about it, so you may want to do a search for it. HTH /images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I'm still deciding wether or not to lightly relax(texturize) or not. But I would choice to texturize(2 times a year) and no heat(because no heat is what is saved my hair) than heat twice a month. That's what I will be doing. I feel as long as I stick to my current routine of rinsing almost daily and using my pomade, I will not have any problems.
 
I would press it. Just use low heat on small sections and you won't damage your hair. The less product you use the better it will turn out. Since its winter you won't have to worry about your hair reverting. What I was thinking about doing is wearing my hair natural in the summer(cornrows, braids, twists, spiral sets, twists, braidouts etc.) And in the winter I will press.
 
I used Botanicals on my Mom's hair. It did everything but make her hair straight. Unfortunately, I shoud've left it in a longer time to achieve real loose waves. But there was nothing damaging about it. You can still wear your hair straight with a texturizer, but it wouldn't be as much hard work to achieve, considering the texturizer may loosen the curl.
 
Ok so I'm guessing that you like to wear your hair straight and that is why you are asking this.

Do you ever wear your hair wash and go curly?
Have you tried twist outs? braid out? there are so many more options And like someone said you will be dealing with the chemicals and then the added heat since you want to straighten on a regualr basis.
The heat protectant I use is the New Image damage free that you can get from Sally's. It has the same active ingredient as Thermasilk but higher concentrations ..I have been talking about it like I work for the company but it is good stuff.

I guess in the end it all depends on how you want to wear your hair the majority of the time.
I hoe I answered your question
You can email me if you like at [email protected]
I will be happy to give product recs

Valleygirl
 
hello faith,
i think you should go with the heat styling because like another poster said with a relaxer/texturizer, there is no going back. i was advise against pressing and maybe blowdrying and flatironing. or using a curling iron. i wear my hair straight about 50% of the time. i used to blow dry and then flatiron but lately ive have been rollersetting my hair on big rollers and then flatironing. it leaves my hair very silky. this may be a better option then pressing. ive used all kinds of heat protectants. the nuetrogena is good but i cant find it around where i live anymore. lately i have been using aveda damage control and aveda universal styling cream. i love these. some cheaper ones i like are 911 heat protectant, wildgrowth oil, and the loreal unfrizz conditioner. this is supposed to be rinse out but i use it as a leavein because it makes my hair so soft. loreal also has a heat protectant creme, i used it but didnt like to much it was kinda sticky. i might have used to much though, i tend to be heavyhanded with hair products. mainly i think you should make sure you deep condition weekly and do a protein treatment once a month no matter which route you decide to go. i really think you can use any good leavein for a heat protectant. hope this helps. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I understand your dilemma, i have long natural hair the same texture with yours and it can be a handful. Once in a while i have thoughts of texturizing, but i dont think i'd do it because its practically the same as maintaining a relaxer. Your newly texturized hair will be fine for a month or two, but eventually your still going to have to deal with kinky new growth coming in. I know your hair may seen unmanagable now but since you've been wearing braids for a while, your hair may still be trying to get used to being in an unbraided state if that made sense? Try heat styling for a few months first and if your still unaable to handle your hair then go ahead and texturize. Also try wearing your hair in totally natural styles once in a while and get a feel for it. With the right conditioners and techniques you may feel that you dont need a texturizer anymore. I was amazed to find that conditioner washes practically texturized my hair and loosened the curl over time. My hair is more managable because of it, so basically try to experiment with different techniques and styles first before you decide to texturize
 
I have a relaxer, but you natural ladies are my secret inspiration because I'm too big chicken to go natural. I would press. That way you can choose on when you want to get your hair pressed. Doesn't have to be every week only when you feel like it. The texturizer might make your hair drier too like a no-lye relaxer. Just my two cents. I think you might regret it.

The look of natural hair is pretty to me with all the curls, coils and kinks.
 
A very tough question indeed!!! In my opinion I would say get your hair professionally texturised. Why? Texturizing gives you the best of both worlds as a 4b textured gal, I'm keeping it real, the longer our hair gets the more difficult it gets to manage. I was natural until spring this year. With texturized hair you are still maintaining the bulk of your curl pattern but with much more managabilty and if you want a straight look you could roller set and use a blow dryer ala Dominican salons. This would be much less heat than if your hair was all natural. You and I know that you can't roller set 4b hair you would have to use a flatiron, curling iron or pressing comb.

Texurized hair is also wash and go. Natural 4b hair isn't (excepting short 4b hair)Go to www.jazma.com for more info on texturized hair.

On the other hand if you will be keeping your hair braided and will be wearing your hair out only on occasion keep it natural.

Good Luck!
 
one more thing my friend that is texturized gets her hair touched up every 3-4 months. She is also 4b. She has neck length hair and used curl activator daily
 
Free2bme, your story sounds just like mine.

I was natural for almost three years. It was easy to maintain when it was shorter but the longer it got, the harder (is that a word /images/graemlins/grin.gif) it was to maintain.

I got my texturizer with a Motions Oil Moisturizer (mild, application time: 10 minutes) on October 12 and I'm going to get a touch-up on January 4.

I can attest that this is the best thing I have done for my hair. When it's cold outside, like <font color="red"> RIGHT NOW, </font color> I rollerset/doobie and when the humid summer hits, I will be wearing my hair in a naturally (looser) curly ponytail.

Don't you just love it girl?
 
faith, you and i have had this discussion many times. remember when i didn't get a retouch for all that time... lol!

it's a really tough decision because on the one hand, you cut all your hair off to go natural. and now that you're almost at your goal length, it would be like you cut it off for nothing if you put a chemical on and possibly cause damage.

on the other hand, when you had the perm before and your hair wasn't in good condition, you didn't have the knowledge that you do now. so you could probably gain manageability with the texturizer and still maintain the fullness and vitality.

whatever you decide, we're with ya, girl!!!

adrienne
 
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! You ladies are awesome. I reaaaaaaally appreciate all the responses.
All the replies have helped me decide(at least for now). I will not texturize. I will give the flatiron a chance. My problem is not with my natural hair, it's with the fact that it doesn't do what I want when I want it straight (I can't tame it..lol). My non-braided regimen will be:
1. shampoo with keracare (till I'm out then stick to no poo methods)
2. post-shampoo: coconut oil
3. Alternate Deep conditioner and protein conditioner: humecto and GPB
4. Apply Thermasilk volume and shine tonic and 911 leave in conditioner
5. Braid to dry
6. Apply little more leave in
7. Flatiron with Jilbere
8. Apply oil (mixture)
That sounds all right, right?
Thanks again people /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
just wanted to clarify: you can rollerset any kind of hair. i have 4a hair, i have very defined curls/coils but im sure it is mostly 4a. i rollerset my hair and it comes out smooth not straight. im not saying its looks like a relaxer or press after i take out the rollers but it looks close to the way it looks if i would have blowdried it with comb attachment. its kind of straight but poufy still. kind of hard to explain. then i follow with a flat iron and it looks like i have a silky relaxer. might not work for the next person but works for me and could be worth a try to lessen heat damage. also Faith the braids to dry method work great also, i do this when i dont feel like rollersetting and also when i straighten my daugter's hair cuz there is no way she would sit still to rollerset.:)
also my hair is 20 inches so i also have alot to deal with and i was in the same boat as Faith recently: trying to decide between texturizer and heat styling.
 
Faith when you press/flat iron your hair, please remember to post a picture. Can't wait to see your beautiful natural hair. If I may suggest, Paul Mitchell Seal and Shine is also a very good heat protectant.
 
Thanks Jaquai,

I have actually thought about the rollersetting before flatironing. I just wasn't sure how it would turn out, if I would have a problem getting the curl out (my hair loves to stay in whatever form it dries in). But, I guess I will have a hard time getting the braided kinks out as well. I'll try both ways and see. I have about 90% shrinkage so we'll see what happens /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Hey fancypants,

I will definitely try and post a pic. I have been promising one for over 3 years..lol! I will flatiron in 2-3 weeks if I get my Jilbere. I ordered one cause my other flatiron isn't getting my roots at all. I was complaining to Adrienne that 2-3" of my hair at the roots just will not straighten ( and this was after blowdrying). I'm thinking I need a slimmer flatiron.
Thanks for the PM suggestion. I'll look into it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
You know, this thread has my mind swirling. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

My hair is currently relaxed. But the weird part is, it can get curly in a seond when water hits it. So, I try not to wear my hair straight anymore and let it do what it wants, with the help of water.

But, now....I'm thinking about switching over to natural. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif But I don't want to suffer a lot of breakage.

So........I may start getting texturizers! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif There probaby won't be any different between the relaxed hair and the mildly relaxed hair. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
I recently started doing this. Transitioning from relaxer to texturizer a little over a month ago and my hair already feels fuller. I've been natural before and I don't think I can handle it (and I'll admit my fiance is not tryna hear it.) I'm GUESSING that my texture will be along the lines of Valleygirl's with a texturizer and more along the lines of Fatima's just natural. I go for a touch up Feb 1st so we shall see.
 
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