The grass is always greener on the other side right? You went natural thinking that finally everything would click into place and you would live nappily ever after.
If you are one of those ladies who gave up relaxers for reasons unrelated to loving natural hair, you were probably surprised that some of the things you thought you had given up with your relaxed hair, are still firmly there.
You are still running away from the rain
Unless your hair is in a braided style or permanent bun, rain is still your number one enemy because of shrinkage. Someone recently said something about a beautifully defined twist out turning into a ‘crinkly puffball’ just being in high humidity.
Imagine how much worse things would be if you got drenched in a winter shower. Nope, running away from rain is not a relaxed thing, it’s a female thing. White, black, Asian, we all do it because we don’t want to mess up our new hairdo’s and going natural isn’t going to change that!
You thought you would spend much less time on your hair
Yeah right! After your last braid out, you spent 3 hours detangling your hair because that woman from that blog said you should detangle a one inch section at a time.
Now that you not longer have to spend an hour roller setting your relaxxed hair, you will spend 2 hours detangling and styling your natural hair. Natural hair just takes more time, sure you get used to it after some time but don’t imagine for one minute that being natural means that you will be released from the bondage of hair care.
You thought you would finally stop being a product junkie
Erm, all that happened is that you now have two stashes. You don’t have the heart to get rid of those lotions and potions that worked so great on your relaxed hair and you have now amassed even more products in search of the perfect curl defining product. Admit it, you probably buy more hair products than you did when you were relaxed!
You thought your hair would grow long
Your hair is barely longer now than it was when you were relaxed. In fact many are transitioning right now for the promise of longer hair but unfortunately ‘natural’ and ‘long’ are not terms that are mutually exclusive.
Allowing your hair to grow natural will certainly make it healthier but long black hair requires work and a solid regimen that you are willing to follow through and tweak until you get to your goal. There are still plenty of naturals out there bleating the ‘long hair must be genetic’ line!
You thought you could roll out of bed in the morning and be ready to go
No you still have to spend time styling your hair in the morning. Genuine wash and go hair is the exception in the black community rather than the rule. Usually it goes, wash>>leave in>>apply curl defining product>>rake and smooth>>diffuse>>go.
It’s a process that takes the average naturalista well over an hour, if you are lucky and that’s before you take into account your usual morning shower and dash for the door routine.
You thought your life would change dramatically
It didn’t, only your hair did.
Is there anything you thought would change when you went natural but hasn’t?
Yeah, bad hair days
My perm bone is itching bad.
Time spent on doing my hair is ridiculous. .. plus my face has started to breakout due to the “organic” products I’ve used… still trying to find the right products
Honestly, I didn’t really care about all that…just wanted my natural hair. No regrets…and actually, I don’t run from the rain, other than not getting my clothes wet cause I don’t care about my hair getting wet. 🙂
best feeling
Natural hair is work, but it is so Beautiful when it’s done. Once you find the right products for your hair texture it can makes it less difficult to care for your hair. I have learned to love my natural hair for 5years this spring!
TOo Much.
RJ.
goin natural aint easy. d urge to go bk to relaxd hair is strong but ilov my natural hair and you guys kips me goin
I love my Natural Hair, I have so many options.
I have healthy strong hair and I’m content with it
The amount of breakage.
That’s something that can be changed. So there’s hope! 🙂
Since I wanted this change I honestly couldn’t tell you! I loved it from the time I saw the little curls (new growth) popping from my head…to these 5yrs later!! Its the BOMB BABY!!!!
I’ve been natural for two years and I ❤️ it! I’m still getting used to it, but it’s my new baby I love it, massage it, clothe it with oils and moisturizer and shower it with lots water, steam and TLC!
Only downside is the amount of time spent on my hair every week. Wash day is wash DAY. But other than that, its cool.
Are there any statistics on how many people go back to relaxed? Simply watching the YouTube videos show how big of a commitment just saying no o the creamy crack is.
The Real Person!
I’m not aware of any stats on people but in regards to sales, relaxers are still nosediving so clearly the trend is still with natural at the moment. https://blackhairinformation.com/general-articles/relaxer-sales-down-30-as-natural-hair-products-flood-the-market/
ok
Time spent doing my natural hair
Time spent is the big one. But I have to say I actually take better care of my hair in its natural state than I ever did when it was relaxed. I love braiding and twisting it. When I was relaxed I kept cornrows and braids or it was either real short.
no got nothing but better. I would dred that process now I love wash day
I’m hating the transition stage, relaxer free for 7 months.
My hair is pressed. The maintenance on natural hair is not for me.
show pics
Yes, I thought I would have out of this world growth. But I still wouldn’t change that I went natural cause it works much better for me…. Its growing at its own paste. I am never going back to the creamy crack
I still perm my hair because that’s what I like, not given to following what everyone says to do ,I don’t run from the rain just use an umbrella!
My hair still deals with breakage, and my hair still grows slow… Been natural for 3 in half years and would never go back to perms my hair is thicker that’s the best part to me.
Hair maintenance is time consuming , hair products are expensive trying to find the best products for your hair, lots of shedding and I clogged up my tub drain washing hair in shower!
The high price of products or the prices of getting ur hair done at a natural hair salon
ELEVEN years natural and wouldn’t change a thing. My hair is healthy and long. Maintaince is no problem.
FRIZZ!!!! Looks like a halo got to gel or grease down. Love it though.
The struggle is real.. I’m willing to sacrifice.
I’ve been natural for 4 1/2 yrs, BCd 2x & my only complaint is how the cost of everything went up. It’s amazing how at first I didn’t know what to do or what products my hair likes & could go get something w/o breaking the bank. Now it’s like what’s on sale, are there any coupons & you have to be first to get it. Spending all that money only for my hair to like inexpensive stuff but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I’m debating if I should go Natural or go back to the creamy crack.
I thought going natural would end my regular, yearly, shedding cycle… Nope…that was sort of a deal breaker for me…In the beginning of my transition, it grew in so thick without the relaxer…little did I know, it was just an illusion…
I love it no more relaxed hair and it been almost 5 mos
I thought it would be simpler… however i was wrong 🙂
I miss being able to unwrap and go, but I know my hair is healthier and I’m being an example to my girls. Love yourself.
I thought my hair would get thicker but, it’s still fine. However, I see that as a blessing.
The day when you finally accept your natural hair is when you stop caring about who define your curls are in just embrace it being in a Afro
Love my perms, I just stretch them out through the year. I have been following a HHR FOR 4 months and it has been amazing. I use essential oils, I moisturize and seal
My hair, as well as co- wash. I have seen much new growth less split ends.
I only perm my new growth and when doing so I leave in for only 10 to 15 min. I don’t bone straight. Also I have not used heat in my hair in 4 months.
The perm helps to manage my hair, and I get to show case what I work diligently in maintaining.
I’ve been doing this as well. I like the manageability I get from the relaxer, but I only leave it on for about 10 minutes and try to stretch them out. I don’t have a specific time frame though. I just do it when I feel it’s time.
Profile pic, I’m on the right! This day I used a hooded hair dryer and roller set, my roots are not straight they have a puffiness to it. This style was done For my mom, home going service, mom on the left.
If I must use heat which hardly ever, it’s a hooded dryer.
I can admit, I miss the silky wraps 🙁
As you can see towel on my pillow in the back ground. This is a fresh was air dried
So natural or with perm, I think they both need TLC. I think we have been using perms for so long and just relied on the perm to do every thing. I know I was one of those ppl who did not do half of what I do now. I foo the pre poos I do it all. I do give much credit to the natural HHR
No regrets I love my natural perms and relaxers do to much damage to your hair. Natural is the only way to go.
Thought my hair would be longer than it is…but it’s growing went from neck length to collarbone length since August….. want Mid Back Length by the fall…..
Yes I need help, my hair won’t thicken up n I wash it every 2 weeks! If someone can Help me PLEASE INBOX ME I DNT MINE!
How thin my hair is.
I’m not afraid of the rain.
My hair un-shrinks in humid air, and when the air is dry, my hair shrinks like there’s no tomorrow! What?!
Its definitely a lot more work than I expected. But you get used to it after awhile
My hair getting lighter. I thought it was the relaxer.
My kinks went all the way back to the mother land
cool
Dry scalp
I thought it would grow faster but i was wrong!!
I thought my hair would grow. I have been natural for about two year and my hair has only grown an inch.
Some days I wish I would have stretched out my relaxers when I was relaxed… But I do love my natural hair.. I will wear weaves as protective styles.. Being natural has thicken my hair and it is grows faster..
Split ends
That looks like Anushka
I miss how silky and frizzless my curls were when I use to slightly relax my hair.
To much work.
I have been fighting the urge to do the big chop because I am really having to work with my 2 hair textures!
Me too. It get’s frustrating.
With time, my hair would be easier to manage. Siiiike! Much worse! Lol! Poor me.
14 years chemical free (medical reasons). I always loved my TWA bc short hair suited my face better. Dec 2011 was my last barber shop visit, I decided to grow out my TWA to shoulder length. In 24 months, I’ve gone past SL, nearing BSL, I think that’s long enough for me. Not much difference being chemical free, maintaining healthy hair and achieving length requires commitment and some work, permed or natural. To each his own.
my hair is so dry and hard too grown. i tired of not having hair i thought it would be a lil longer by now
I expected it to be difficult to maintain, I haven’t had a perm in almost 10 years. But I stayed with straighten and crazy styles. It caused alog of damage so woyld cut it frequently. I went natural after being beyond fed up with having to do all the damaging things to my hair. I have never been so happy to have my hair natural and have it be ridiculously easy I love my hair more than I did before it may not look long do to shrinkage but my hair feels great it feels healthy and it’s comfortable for me and I feel it fits my personality.
Dry scalp and dandruff…thinking about seeking professional help
The ease of a bi weekly wash and blowdry and never touching my hair in btwn except to comb out a doobie
SORES!!! when i was getting my hair relaxed i had sores all the time!! and then when i went natural i still had sores on my scalp. however, i do not any more because i keep my scalp hydrated with oils and don’t wash it as often as i use to. I am glad that i am natural now and i have two girls. it was really life- changing for me because i had relaxed hair since grade school. So i believe my hair is healthier, and i am however still looking for a product that i like. But i am making do, with what i got.
My scalp use to STAY dry.
I miss the managability of it…. It’s been a year and 3 months and my lupus doesn’t allow me to do much with it. (Fine motor skills is messed up) anywho, I’m fighting my urge to relapse!
I thought I was done with scarfs lol
What is the big chop??? Cutting all your hair off?
Cutting your relaxed hair off.
No regrets! My hair is healthier now than ever. Actually i do regret one thing, not believing my hair was beautiful at first. I believed societies creed-that my hair was the worst and most unmanageable- for a small period of time, and i truly regret that i did because BOY WERE THEY WRONG! and as was I for feeding into stereotypes designed to make me hate myself made by people who want me to hate myself.Never again the cycle of hating our gorgeous hair ends with us.
My scalp is still incredibly dry 🙁
What can i do??????
Had my last relaxer 2 yrs ago, my hair was just as long n fairly healthy. I just chose to stop because I realized I really didn’t need it to have straight hair. But when I got into the natural world I realize there’s so much more options to do that u can’t on relaxed hair. So I know for a fact a relaxer will never be an option! I love it ❤️ All u need is some patientce, the right sources, n products n it’s worthwhile!!
Dryness
NO BECAUSE WHEN RELAXED i STILL HAD TO ADD HEAT TO MY HAIR FOR WANTED RESULTS AFTER DOING THE RELAXER PROCESS
I laughed so hard because the article is so true! I travelled to a very humid Dar es Salaam, Tanzania last week and had what I thought were some of the worst bad hair days since going natural but the beauty was what I thought was bad hair days some women came up to me and complimented my hair. You see what happened was I woke up and untwisted a fierce twist out, just walked out of my hotel room and my hair took on a mind of its own but water became my best friend and my leave in conditioner my trusted companion even though I had to slow down on the coconut oil. It rained there and I decided to get rain water in my hair boasting to my relaxed friends, well the manipulation of my 4b/c hair with my leave in worked wonders even though it was temporary due to the humidity, I decided to embrace my shrinkage because at least I feel free! Well I have decided to embrace my product junkie self because at least I remember what each product did to my hair and it gives me the hope that if worse comes to worse I will not run out of products! True it does take longer to deal with my hair in the morning but I take the time with the confidence that It’s better to have a so called bad hair day on my own natural hair then on a weave I have purchased for so much money because the beauty is I just have to pull a beautiful head band over my head, pat it down and put on my hot red lipstick and I’m good to go. Plus if I get drunk after a night with the girls and don’t feel like doing my hair that night, I pull on my satin cap and don’t have to deal with a head of purchased hair that has to be ponytailed up because it’s down my back! Plus when I go to the beach I will not be giving that I can’t get my hair wet speech all because a weave is a heavy mess to deal with on holiday! I am loving my hair!!!!!
Less maintenance. . And less help needing to maintain my own hair. I relaxed once every six months-i saw more growth and had more length. 7 years natural – growth/length stopped- will not grow past my shoulders, and I go to the salon once a month. Now I’m thinking Loc’s- I’ll see growth and can re-twist my own roots how often I choose (hope once a month or every two months)
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