why do people say natural hair is hard to take care of

[itismehmmkay]

I strongly disagree with this statement. Why do you feel this way? It's harder to take care of then say what? 3a/b hair? Relaxed hair? Texturized hair? As a 4a/b I found that I spent just as much time and had just as much hassle (if not more!) with my relaxed hair as I do with my natural hair. Hours spent under the dryer...hours spent waiting in salons..not to mention the tons of money I spent. And all that for what, broken off damaged hair? Gimme a break.

I think with any hair, you obviously have to find the "right" products as well as know how to take care of your hair, period. Most people just don't know how to! 4a/b natural hair is esp. fragile, so you have to treat it accordingly. You can't just drag a small tooth comb through it when it's dry (like you can when it's permed)! But does that make it "harder to take care of"? I don't think so. It just means that you have to take care of it, differently. It's no harder, no easier.

K.

I meant it's the hardest of the hair types to take care of. The original poster was a 3c/4a. And I have done the hair of a 3c/4a as well as my own 4a/4b and I can tell the difference.

And I'm not saying that it is harder to take care of than relaxed hair. It does take about the same amount of time and effort. The catch is that natural hair is so new when you first experience it. So, the mental adjustment itself takes a while. I think once you have accepted your natural hair and know what works for and with it by finding a regimen, then it's no problem. As I said earlier, the time-consuming part is actually finding what works for your hair. It's a project. It's a journey. And not everyone has the extra time and effort that it would take to make that adjustment just now. I think it's a big misconception to tell people to go natural because it's easier (unless you have hair that isn't too far away from your relaxed hair). It does take more time and effort than some ppl initially imagine.

 

[Valerie]

I think that saying that natural hair is hard to take care of is a result of being raised in a Western society where straight hair is the social acceptable thing. Most little black girls have perms in their hair long before they can drive, vote, or drink, and it sort of just becomes a part of you. When you hear your mama, grandmama, aunts, etc. talking about how you need a perm, or so-and-so needs a perm, or this person has nappy hair, or I couldn't get the comb through that stuff so we relaxed it, it's very easy to become conditioned into thinking that perming black hair is the only way to style and control it, which is not necessarily true.

We as black women need to become more educated about caring for our hair, and understand that a perm/relaxer merely a styling option, and not a necessity. We have the most versatile hair onthe planet,and whatever you decided to do with your hair, be it relax it, color it, loc it, weave it, wave it, twist it, braid it, 'fro it, texturize it, WHATEVER, you need to first learn to love what God gave you, and understand that how you style is a choice, and not a way of life.

That is so very true, You have put it very well. There still needs a lot of education on the looking after of natural hair.

 

[babyblue]

Natural hair is not harder to take care of, it just requires finding the right products and tools for your hair type. Where I see many people tend to get frustrated with their natural hair is when they try to manage their natural hair using the same grooming techniques they used when they had straight hair( ex. combing dry, using skinny combs, not combing from ends up, using the same products they used on relaxed hair etc.) Add to that the folks who are self conscious about their type 4 undefined frizzy naps and will go spend countless hours and $$$ searching for that one product that will give them curl definition that they dont even have leads to even more frustration. But once you get educated about your hair and learn what it can and cannot do and what products it likes/dislikes you will finally be at peace with your hair and realize that natural hair is quite easy to manage.

 

[Netta1]

Those of you that have transitioned from relaxed to natural - do you spend as much time doing your hair now as before? I am under the impression that most of us spend the same amount of time grooming our hair, maybe not doing the same things but anyway...

It takes longer to detangle and style because my hair is thicker and healthier then it was when it was relaxed. But its mine so I'm willing to pamper it. At the end of the day wearing my hair natural has been a WHOLE lot better then wearing my hair RELAXED. I just feel like I have more freedom now and there are things that I don't feel like a have to do anymore, lol.

But again its a mental thing if you go in thinking my naps are going to be hard to deal with then they are. The key to maintaining the health of your hair is being patient and treating it well like you would treat the rest of your body.

Don't look at it as a chore look at it as an honor.

Oh yeah AND I don't care what level of NAPPY you have because it can all be maintained .

 

[laketta]

From my expreience in my early days of being natural, I would say that it was difficult only because I did not know what I was doing.

Fast foward to now. It has been easier however I am still battling dryness. It takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to detangle and twist my wet hair now which is great.


It all depends on what you are trying to do with your hair. If you want your 4a/4b hair to be stick straight without the help of chemicals, well of course it will be quite difficult. Natural hair was not made to do that so it requires a lot of time and manipulation.

 

[CatSuga]

Because the care of natural hair has never been taught.

 

[jainygirl]

It all depends on what you are trying to do with your hair. If you want your 4a/4b hair to be stick straight without the help of chemicals, well of course it will be quite difficult. Natural hair was not made to do that so it requires a lot of time and manipulation.

Exactly. Alot of time is wasted by people seeking curl defiiniton to a degree that their hair doesnt have as well as those working to get it totally straight to wear most of the time. For instance, trying to achieve curl definition the size of a marker when their coils are the size of a pen spring is like beating a dead horse, and of course if the plan is to wear the hair straight most of the time it's going to take it a while to get it that way. So yes, that will require more of ones time.

 

[Brownie]

Oh yeah AND I don't care what level of NAPPY you have because it can all be maintained .

Right on! Even a 3-something can complain about their hair being hard to control because their hair isn't as straight as a 2. A 2 can complain that their hair isn't as easy to handle as a 1. It's all a mental thing. Any type of hair takes time and effort, but anybody's hair can be maintained in its natural state---if you're willing.

 

[skegeesmb]

I know I have never said that taking care of natural hair is difficult. I find that my texturized hair is more difficult to work with because since it's not bone straight, I want to handle my hair like the way I did as a natural, and I can't do that.

My natural hair was easy to comb through, and as it grew it was easier and easier to style. I know a lot of people are so used to having relaxed hair, that they can't begin to imagine working with their hair anyway else. Some people don't want to do it.

As for being on both sides, my personal preference is my natural hair. I'm growing it out now texturized because I don't want to cut, but believe me I'm going back. I really miss it.

I guess I'm not too puzzled anymore about people who say that natural hair is hard to take care of because I know this isn't the case for me.

 

[hotshot]

I meant it's the hardest of the hair types to take care of. The original poster was a 3c/4a. And I have done the hair of a 3c/4a as well as my own 4a/4b and I can tell the difference.

And I'm not saying that it is harder to take care of than relaxed hair. It does take about the same amount of time and effort. The catch is that natural hair is so new when you first experience it. So, the mental adjustment itself takes a while. I think once you have accepted your natural hair and know what works for and with it by finding a regimen, then it's no problem. As I said earlier, the time-consuming part is actually finding what works for your hair. It's a project. It's a journey. And not everyone has the extra time and effort that it would take to make that adjustment just now. I think it's a big misconception to tell people to go natural because it's easier (unless you have hair that isn't too far away from your relaxed hair). It does take more time and effort than some ppl initially imagine.

it takes no more time and effort than a permie trying to find the best methods and products for her hair.

 

[NGC]

I think it's six of one, half dozen of another, personally.

My hair takes the same amount of time to take care of, whether relaxed or natural.

I think the it can be frustrating to take care of natural hair if you have never had to deal with it before.

 

[kristina]

Natural hair is not harder to take care of, it just requires finding the right products and tools for your hair type. Where I see many people tend to get frustrated with their natural hair is when they try to manage their natural hair using the same grooming techniques they used when they had straight hair( ex. combing dry, using skinny combs, not combing from ends up, using the same products they used on relaxed hair etc.) Add to that the folks who are self conscious about their type 4 undefined frizzy naps and will go spend countless hours and $$$ searching for that one product that will give them curl definition that they dont even have leads to even more frustration. But once you get educated about your hair and learn what it can and cannot do and what products it likes/dislikes you will finally be at peace with your hair and realize that natural hair is quite easy to manage.

I think this is right on the money.....my natural hair frustration comes from being clueless (my mom relaxed my head at six). That and all the notion that natural hair has to be converted into something else. i'm still on the fence about whether to take the chemmy plunge but one thing i know is that i don't want to take the plunge without giving natural an honest try.

 

[Bunny77]

Right on! Even a 3-something can complain about their hair being hard to control because their hair isn't as straight as a 2. A 2 can complain that their hair isn't as easy to handle as a 1. It's all a mental thing. Any type of hair takes time and effort, but anybody's hair can be maintained in its natural state---if you're willing.

And ironically, all the 1s I meet say, "Wow, I wish my hair had body like yours! My hair is just so flat!"

No one is ever satisfied!

 

[sassygirl125]

And ironically, all the 1s I meet say, "Wow, I wish my hair had body like yours! My hair is just so flat!"

No one is ever satisfied!

So true. I went to high school in the 80's. When big hair ruled the land. You should have seen the things the straight haired girls did to make their hairstyles last. There was one girl in my senior class who wore her hair waist length and straight. Everyone thought she was "weird". At least she didn't reek of perm solution when it rained.

 

[Bunny77]

I think this is right on the money.....my natural hair frustration comes from being clueless (my mom relaxed my head at six). That and all the notion that natural hair has to be converted into something else. i'm still on the fence about whether to take the chemmy plunge but one thing i know is that i don't want to take the plunge without giving natural an honest try.

That's a good attitude Kristina! I think everyone should at least know the proper methods of taking care of natural hair, even if they are relaxed or texturized.

Anyway, in my case, this is the difference I find... my natural hair styling process is usually a one-step process. I wet it in the shower daily and comb through it with conditioner. When I get out of the shower, I apply a leave-in and a styling product of choice (to eliminate frizz/maintain curl shape).

That entire process is probably 30 minutes, but I've also taken a shower in the process, so it isn't really 30 minutes only doing my hair.

Now when I was relaxed/pressed... I either rolled or wrapped my hair up the night before and then took a curling iron to it the next morning if my hair didn't fall the right way (and it never did, usually).

So, I'll say that the actual time spent doing my hair has remained the same... BUT... I find that the results are MUCH better doing my hair natural. Plus, I'm so lazy at night... I HATED having to do it before going to bed... I don't have to do that any more!

Oh, and let's not forget the fact that I'm not wasting hours in a salon any more!!!! Yay!

 

[Qurlyqt]

Your hair looks wonderful!

Question for ya--when you do those night time styles, do you then unbraid and wear it "out" in the morning and it looks good (i.e. not flat or anything).

Good question! Actually, I just learned how to do that! I was braiding my hair up at night but still doing conditioner washes every morning. During these colder winter months, however, I have started doing six cornrows at nighttime, and unbraiding and wearing out the next day. I moisturize my hair before braiding so it is still soft the next day.

 

[Qurlyqt]

PhoneyBaloney, oh yes, thank you so much for the compliment!

 

[bellydancer]

i though it was at first, but now it is just so much easier (for me). Lots of versatility. I can't say that being natural is easy for everyone. some people have the time to learn how to take care of natural hair and some don't. My sister gave up like 'i can't do it!" at first I didn't know how to deal with it, but I didn't give up and now I know what my hair likes and dislikes so it's really easy to me. I know I don't know the first thing about taking care of relaxed hair! lol

 

[MJ]

I think it's six of one, half dozen of another, personally.

My hair takes the same amount of time to take care of, whether relaxed or natural.

I think the it can be frustrating to take care of natural hair if you have never had to deal with it before.

I totally agree. I shaved my head bald in the summer of 2000 after two years of being relaxed (I was 4b natural until I was seventeen, no pressing either) and having my hair break like crazy. After I shaved my head with a pink Bic razor, I vowed never to perm my head again. I bought some books on natural hair care, new products, followed the adviced given. And they worked, that is, until my hair really started growing and I realized that MY 4b hair was just not having it. I have the kind of hair that loves to stick straight up (natural or relaxed), puff out and it shrinks to an unbelievable length -- to about a third of it's actual length. Even with 7" of hair I could put my hair in a presentable ponytail. Fastforward, and three years later I was having the same problems that prompted me into saving my relaxed head -- severe breakage, not know how to style my hair, feeling my hair look ugly, etc. Same problems natural or relaxed.

I relaxed my hair as a last resort (it was either that or cut my hair off again) and because of LHCF I was able to keep the length and keep it healthy. But ya'll it the SAME amount of work. I don't think any is easier...The only easy style I had was the bald head and close cropped hair I wore for a few months after I shaved my head. You can't beat that for wash and go

What I did learn however, from all that drama was to appreciate all hair types, natural and relaxed. I love seeing both.

 

[jetcitygirl]

I think it comes down to what you're trying to acheive with your hair. When I was relaxed I was always trying to make my hair look fluffier & fuller.No easy task with a relaxer (duh!) But super easy for me now. If you want a sleek, smooth look a relaxer would obviously be a wiser choice.

 

[Tru_Mind]

My relaxed hair is much harder to take care of than my natural hair is, because my natural hair is all one texture.

 

[PhonyBaloney500]

PhoneyBaloney, oh yes, thank you so much for the compliment!

You're welcome!
I'll try your braid technique--I can't really corn row though lol but I'll do the best I can!