Why Are You Natural? -- Why Are You Transitioning?

[westNDNbeauty]

Thought this would be interesting to discuss.

I'll go first:

It was never my decision to be Natural. I remained Natural back then because I had and still have trust issues and would never let anyone near my hair with a comb, muchless chemicals. Too many variables involved that can render you bald at the end of the process. Let me not forget to mention, I was broke too.

I am still Natural today because I realized my hair was one of those things that helped me to stand out in a crowd, it's pretty low maintenance (once you understand your hair), I don't need chemicals to have stick straight hair, and although I'm no longer a broke student, I'd rather spend my money elsewhere than at a salon every 2 weeks (sorry stylists).

 

[JayAnn0513]

2 reasons ranked in order of importance:
1. My daughter. I have to lead by example if I want her to remain natural.

2. I want long hair!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never been past shoulder length as a adult with relaxed hair. My hair grows great but retention is hard for me as a natural and was impossible when I was relaxed.


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[LunadeMiel]

Because this is how God made me
It's much easier to maintain than relaxed
I want to be an example for my daughters, sister, cousins.

 

[Etherealsmile]

I've always been natural now that i think about it. When my family moved to the US, i had a brief stint in High school when I had permed hair for about two years. After that I chopped off the relaxed ends and kept my hair in a TWA for the next several years (mostly in braids then later lace front wigs) and finally decided to grow my natural hair out to MBL in '09. I am 1 year and a few months into my journey and could not be any happier

 

[Seeking8Rights]

For me it was two reasons:

1. I wouldn't want my daughter to want a relaxer, so I have to lead by example and show her that natural hair is and can look the same as relaxed.

2. My hair is healthier without a relaxer. I was natural up until the age of 17 and I relaxed outside of my mothers wishes because I wanted "sleek" hair like the white girls I went to school with (yup) and I despised my bouncy pressed hair. I stayed relaxed until 2008 which I when I grew tired of my thin (it was banging tho) relaxed hair. So I cut it completely off (actually, I posted on here the day after I bc'd). Folks thought I was crazy and going through emotional changes DH even went to counseling because he thought I was going mad for cutting my hair (I was BSL). But as the barber shaved that hair off, I felt SOOO FREE! So I did the TWA for a little bit and then couldn't get through the stages and relaxed. I wore my hair in a short relaxed thin cut for about a year and on 30 Jan 2010, I cut it all off again and vowed to never go back. And I haven't. I LOVE my natural hair. Its so versatile, thick, shiny and full of body.

I've found that I don't have to touch my hair has much in terms of curling, moisturizing, etc than when I was relaxed. Wearing my hair straight (air pressed) is what I prefer because it's easier for me to manage in the mornings. My stylist does majority of the work every two weeks and her air pressing and curling literally last me until me next appt. I don't even have to oil or moisturize my hair but once I week. That Moroccan Oil she uses keeps my hair well moisturized.

The only thing I don't like so much is that I have to trim more often than when I was relaxed, but that's such a low price to pay for natural hair.

 

[lovegymnasts]

I have always hated relaxing my hair.
I would put it off as long as possible.
One day, out of the blue, I asked myself why I do something I don't like doing.
(I now think it was because it was a habit (early childhood through adulthood).)
At the time, I could not think of a single reason so I never got another relaxer. Why continue to do something I don't want to do?

Why do I remain natural?
Because I like my hair and there is no reason for me to relax my hair nor do I have a desire to.

 

[Maracujá]

Because I love it! I always wanted to be natural but didn't know how to take care of it, now that I've found tons of info online, it's the only way for me to be. I'm even considering locking my hair.

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

2 reasons.

1) I LOOOOOOOOOOVE my daughters hair. Her curls are so adorable. How was I going to tell her to love her hair and that her curls are beautiful when mommy "hated" hers so much that she'd slap a chemical on it every 6 weeks? I wanted my girl to love her hair. My whole family is curly now and I LOVE it!!!

2) I've always loved natural hair.ALWAYS. I loved playing in my new growth while relaxed and loved the waves I'd get when I'd put it in a ponytail. But in the end I'd always relax after a few months. I just never had the courage to be natural myself. I always thought that people were just lucky with "good hair". Once I found this board and saw all the beautiful natural heads I IMMEDIATELY decided to go natural. Once I knew what to do to keep my hair healthy I started to transition (I mean, I was on the board for like 3 days lol) I highly doubt I'll relax again. I ADORE my hair!!!

 

[*CherryPie*]

My reason is not deep.

1. I went natural because I've always loved big, full hair and natural hairstyles.

2. Relaxer started breaking my hair and making my edges disappear.

But after the BC, I am so amazed, everyday at how beautiful, curly,and thick my natural hair is!

Off topic,
Now that I'm natural with a TWA, men won't stop calling me "a beautiful, or gorgeous SISTA". Before the BC, I was just a "beautiful, or gorgeous lady, or woman". I HATE being called a SISTA!!!!! Whew! I needed to do that. Thank ya'll for listening.

 

[knt1229]

I went natural because I hated going to salon's and I really don't like stylist attitudes. Also, I didn't like how flat my hair looked when it was relaxed. I like thick big hair.

Believe it or not I didn't know how to transition meaning I didn't know how to go about it without having dryness and lots of breakage. I didn't want to shave my hair off either. So after finding hair boards and learning that I could transiton without breakage and without shaving off all my hair that was it. I started transitioning and I haven't looked back.

I never say never but I don't see myself going back to relaxers. I am enjoying my hair. I have enjoyed getting to know it and seeing it change throughout the 18 months I transitioned and now that I am 100% natural as of end of June 2010 I like seeing how my hair continues to change as it grows and as I get to know it better.

 

[cia_garces]

Even though I'm not natural now, here's my reason for why I WENT natural: I wanted pretty two-strand twists. On everything...that is the only reason I went natural. I told a friend of mine I wanted two strand twists in my hair w/o the weave (broke college student who knew NOTHING about hair) and he told me it was gonna look ugly b/c I had relaxed hair, but I told him to put them in anyways. It was a big flop. I hated it. He said the only way I could have thick, pretty two-strand twists w/o weave was if I went natural.

I transitioned for a year (I didn't even know it was called transitioning) and finally got the pretty two-strand twists that I always wanted. My presses...ooo wee!! My presses looked better than my relaxed hair! I LOOOOOVED my hair when it was natural. But I also hated it b/c I didn't know how to take care of it. There were many a hot @ss mess days when my hair looked like "Ooo. Who does your hair?" erplexed I think if I'd had a computer or LHCF I'd still be natural, but I had to go back to relaxer for a few reasons.

I am SUPER-SUPER-SUPER tenderheaded. When I get my eyebrows waxed tears come out of my eyes. Yeah, it's that bad. During my hair appointment before I got my relaxed hair cut off, my two textures were killing me so bad that I contemplated telling my hairdresser to shave me bald. Yes, ladies!! It was that serious!!

It was also expensive, at the time, for me to maintain my hair. I don't braid, and I'm a horrible stylist of natural styles for grown up women. Anytime I had anything other than a twa, I had to pay someone to do it. I had some fly styles but it was getting a bit too much for my pockets. Now I only see the inside of a salon once every 2-3 months...which is fine with me. I take care of my hair very well in between those visits.

I think I could easily go back to being natural, though.

 

[destine2grow]

Well I'm transitioning again. The first time I transition I was in awe of all the natural hair I saw on here and wanted it. When I was natural after the transition I was not ready for my natural hair. I love the texture and the waves and curls but I did not know how to style or keep my hair for getting dry. Nor did I like the way I looked with short natural hair.

My daughter who was natural at the time had lovely thick natural hair and I could not get her to stop crying when it was time to do her hair. I decided to texturize her hair! It made doing her hair easier and her hair is still thick but I notice that it also started to break faster. She has only had a texturizer 2x but I have decided to stop!

I did not want her hair to be like my hair. I have certain areas that always break off. It is a struggle to grow my hair out past NL. Plus I have been relaxed since the age of 7.

I am now committed this time to getting to know my natural hair as well as my daughters. I know I don't like short natural hair on me so I plan to transition for a minimum of 24mths. I am also going to cut an inch of dd hair every 6 mths.

I have come to realize that my hair is a lot healthier and thicker when natural, plus it doesn't break off so fast. I also know that I have naturally fine hair with normal strands. I am starting to rock curly styles and love them. I am only NL and am rocking bantu knot outs like nobody biz. I just getting comfortable with me.

I want my dd to know who to do her natural hair and not be like me struggling at 29 yrs old with my natural hair. I want her to know that we have so many choices as a natural on how to style our hair. So I'm here to stay this time around.

 

[CurlyNiquee]

Well I went natural for a couple of reasons....

1. Awareness: In 2009 I had many Aha moments. I started to delve into the history of systematic brainwashing forced on Black Americans since slavery going forward. The Euro standard of beauty is so deeply embedded into us that the majority of black women don't even know the statement we are making when we chemically alter our tresses. I then began to mentally RE-define/Re-Clarify my views on beauty from head to toe.

1. Curiosity: I didn't know what my hair was really like ...I knew it was extremely curly but nothing beyond that. I had a perm at a very young age ( Elementary School ) and since then if I wasn't slapping a perm in it I was stressing my scalp and edges out with braids. It's funny... I was talking to my sister about this the other day and I said to her that I always thought my hair was unmanageable! erplexed Where did I get such an idea? Well from the very people who want to sell me their chemicals and make a dollar off of me. (Most) of our mothers were given the same idea and instead of teaching us to love our hair and keeping it natural opted to perm it. I asked my mother (out of curiosity) why she permed my hair when I was little and she got upset and defensive.......I left it alone.

3. Challenge: After my Aha moment in 2009 I have mostly kept my hair in braids because it was so damaged and had completely broken off. Almost two months ago I removed my braids and decided I was either going to care for it naturally or loc it. I chose to get to know my hair and for the first time in my life give it an abundance of TLC and see how far and long it can grow. When I was perming I could never get my hair to grow past shoulder length because it would break off.


At the end of the day it is way deeper than "just hair" for me; it is a mindset and a self-awareness issue that has given me a new level of love and appreciation for myself and my roots.

 

[keykee]

I went natural because I want to have long healthy hair.
My hair was relaxed and long at one point..but i was cutting it a lot and using the blow dryer and flat iron alongside the relaxer and my hair looked healthy on the outside.. but really it wasn't.
It's been just under a year since i've been natural and my hair is growing like crazy. There's still so much for me to learn about it.. because I still believe that I don't truly understand it.. it's a learning process.

 

[mostamaziing]

irecently last year ihad edcided to go natural because the upkeep of a relaxer was getting annoying. $40 every two weeks for a conditioning/flat iron job

 

[Nerd.]

So many reasons. But the biggest one is for my future daughter. How on earth will I know how to properly take care of her natural hair, if I've never even seen my own?

 

[qchelle]

Why am I transitioning?

Because before LHCF, I never even knew what 'natural' was. Seriously. Even people with curly natural 3c hair, I didn't know it was 'natural'...I don't know what I thought it was. I didn't think much of hair...especially my own hair. I didn't know not getting a relaxer was even remotely an option. Like...what else were you supposed to do? And it wasn't that I thought my hair was bad or unmanageable (the 1st time I heard that word was probably on LHCF lol) because this was never said to me. When my mom took me to get a relaxer at age 4 it wasn't "we have to straighten out your nappy kinks because this **** is bad, terrible and you need white girl swang" It was just "we're going to the hairdressers". So I never really had a complex about my hair...I just didn't know what was underneath the relaxer...having only 'stretched' for like 5 weeks prior to LHCF.

So when I got on here and started to see all of the natural heads I was like "...what is this? By golly, I've never even heard of this natural thing before! People can 'not' relax their hair and still be...alive?" So I started to look at legit 4b/4z people's hair because I just knew my hair wasn't curly at all. And I absolutely loved it (stalking 4b fotkis). So then I started to grow out my relaxer and around 3 months I noticed little coils in my head and became terrified I just knew this wasn't my hair...I thought something must've happened. But I finally realized that was just how my hair was supposed to be and I had to start stalking other fotkis I was kind of sad/pissed off that I had to start stalking different fotkis all over again to see what my hair would look like but its fine.

So I'm basically transitioning because I want to get to know my natural hair; I want to see it. I want to learn how to take care of it, because I was never given a chance to before.

 

[chebaby]

ive always loved natural hair. i only relaxed out of habit and used to put it off as long as i could. i used to get relaxed every 4 months and when i found this board i instantly transitioned. after 11 months i slipped up and relaxed again but when i was tired i was TIRED. so i bc'd and i will never go back.

 

[NikkiQ]

I decided to transition b/c after 20 years of relaxed hair, I had come to the conclusion that the chemicals had hindered my hair's maximum growth and health. I know that's a long time to deal with relaxers before realizing that it was not helping, but there's not much to compare it to within my family. My mother got relaxers every 4 weeks like clockwork so I never saw anything wrong with it. Discovering LHCF really opened my eyes to the fact that this practice was NOT healthy at all for one's hair. I decided to start wearing sew ins and stretching my relaxers. By the time I took out one of my installs at 8 weeks and saw how lush and healthy my NG was...that was it. To know my hair can thrive without chemicals was the ultimate deciding factor for me to become natural.

 

[reeko43]

I liked my relaxed hair, really didn't have a problem. Just didn't know how to take care of it. Had a great stylist in my home town of Chicago whose prices were reasonable and she kept my hair very healthy. Have not been able to a stylist in Maryland who is reasonably priced and knows how to take care of my hair. I have PCOS and one of the side effects is thinning hair. My old stylist knew how to deal with that. I started stretching so I wouldn't have to waste money at the salon. The new growth helped to make the overall look of my hair thicker. So I am transitioning because of health reasons and money reasons.

Oh and I really like the feel of my new growth. Loving getting aquainted with my natural texture again.

 

[CurlyNiquee]

"By golly, I've never even heard of this natural thing before! People can 'not' relax their hair and still be...alive?"

Tooo Funny

 

[ParagonTresses]

Big, kinky, nappiness fits my personality and my style....

 

[Skyfall]

I'm transitioning because I dont want a relaxer anymore.

 

[cherryhair123]

I can do my own hair (would never perm my hair-too risky) and it grows faster/healthier.

 

[Seeking8Rights]

Well I went natural for a couple of reasons....

1. Awareness: In 2009 I had many Aha moments. I started to delve into the history of systematic brainwashing forced on Black Americans since slavery going forward. The Euro standard of beauty is so deeply embedded into us that the majority of black women don't even know the statement we are making when we chemically alter our tresses. I then began to mentally RE-define/Re-Clarify my views on beauty from head to toe.

At the end of the day it is way deeper than "just hair" for me; it is a mindset and a self-awareness issue that has given me a new level of love and appreciation for myself and my roots.

I can relate to the awareness part because of where I was raised and then later learning that I don't HAVE to relax to be accepted, hired, flirted with, married etc.

Folks are fooling themselves when they think that the euro standards of beauty being pushed on other races is not an issue. And it's just that deep which is why there are so many natural hair movements. I came from a place where a sista wouldn't even get hired entering an interview with braids, dreads, twists or TWA. In fact, I remember my supervisor coming approaching me one day about my braids I decided to get (I was relaxed but wanted a break from the hair stuff) and her exact words were "we hired you because of your qualifications and also for your image. I recommend that you change your hair style back because it looks better that way). Mind you, all I had done was some basic micro braids, cut in a short bob.

So I can totally relate to your post as I had the same ah-ha moment.

 

[Kimgirl50]

I don't like chemicals and I like options

 

[melissa-bee]

I think I would have gone natural after a while but I wanted to grow my relaxed hair long first after discovering this forum. Well growing my relaxed hair long never happened after discovering this forum because my mum decided for the first time.
So my next relaxer I tried to relax my own hair (cos my mum was never touching mine again) and it was a failure, the front was okay, but the back was not. Then about 10 weeks after my relaxer I had a dream that I was looking at my relaxed hair in the mirror and I was findingbald spots and in my dream I said "well that's it then", then woke up immediatly.
Then a couple of days later I just decided never to relax my hair, cos I can't trust any one to do it (even my self). And I just wanted my hair back cos my relaxed hair was just whack.

 

[Anew]

Influenced by the women on the hair boards, many were chopping and transitioning and I wanted to see my natural hair

I was in the middle of a personal WL challenge and my hair had grown past APL. I got tired of the stretching and just decided to grow my hair long and natural.

 

[beana]

My younger sisters both encouraged me to go natural. Both of them surpassed my APL length in 2 years and my hair stayed around the same length no matter how much care i put into it. They dont do much to their hair... one flat irons every two weeks, the other wears a bun. It still grows long and healthy.

I also have very sensitive skin and a sensitive scalp to match... The stress of chemical damage was always a concern, even after 16 years of relaxing (several episodes of thinning, burns, under/over processing, severe dandruff, etc).

I am very curious to see how i look with my natural hair as an adult. I cant wait to experiment with wash n go's and go swimming without worrying about keeping my hair straight. I was never able to wear wash n gos with a relaxer and my hair started to feel hard after a while. My natural hair grows in soft and cottony.

 

[DigitalRain]

Tired of wasting my day at the salon when I did decide to go and paying the big bill

Tired of wasting my day doing my hair at home (relaxing conditioning detangling rollersetting and spending 2+ hours under the dryer, or flat ironing. This was a good 4 hour process) I don't have that kind of time to waste no more.

Tired of damage to my scalp and hair

Tired of not being able to workout without messing up my hair that I spent all day doing in the process.

Tired of not being able to swim as often as I wanted.