Former Naturals: Why did you relax your hair (again)?

[KnottyGurl]

I'm just curious, if you've never had a relaxer or decided to go natural after relaxing, why did you decide to relax or relax again? Were you tired of it? Did you need a change? If you could go back to the time you relaxed your hair do it again, would you?

 

[JustKiya]

I started reading your siggy, and ain't even pay ATTENTION to your question - um, what?

 

[KnottyGurl]

Don't make me You read what I said!

I started reading your siggy, and ain't even pay ATTENTION to your question - um, what?

 

[kblc06]

I started reading your siggy, and ain't even pay ATTENTION to your question - um, what?

I did too

 

[rhapsdyblu]

I'm just curious, if you've never had a relaxer or decided to go natural after relaxing, why did you decide to relax or relax again? Were you tired of it? Did you need a change? If you could go back to the time you relaxed your hair do it again, would you?

OMG, your siggy is so funny. I nearly peed my pants

 

[KnottyGurl]

Stop it ladies! Ya'll are killin mah thread!

OMG, your siggy is so funny. I nearly peed my pants

 

[missthang]

I had locs, cut it off and permed my hair. I completely regret it and I am now transitioning back to natural.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

I ain't going to lie, the though crosses my head more often these days.

If I do relax again, it will be because my knotting issues are hindering my growth goals.

 

[fivetimestwo]

@ OP signature

I was natural from 2004-2008. I relaxed again because I was tired of looking like a little kid with the ponytails, twist began to take too long and I was tired of long straightening sessions only for my hair to revert within an hour. If I had to do it again, I would've still gone natural when I did because it really taught me to love myself and my hair a little bit more and I did enjoy my natural hair. I may even do it again in the future, but not right now.

 

[JustKiya]

Don't make me You read what I said!

Honestly, I can't answer! I relaxed once, when I was 18, and stayed relaxed for roughly 3 years, then transitioned in braids, and I haven't looked back since.

And I'm still :rofl3: over here.....

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

I did too

ME TOO!!!!!

 

[KnottyGurl]

It's a shame how people go around 1-starring without posting why...

 

[caribeandiva]

I started reading your siggy, and ain't even pay ATTENTION to your question - um, what?

i almost fell out of my chair laughing! It was so loud that it caught my brother's attention!

Great thread as I was thinking about this subject all day long. You beat me to the punch.

 

[Incredible1ne]

too much knotting and breakage, nothing could cure it except leaving it in protective styles for months at a time and i got really tired of that. i regret doing it sometimes but overall i'm happy with it.

 

[Luvableboo]

Husband and I are dying over the siggy...
( I think he enjoys looking over my shoulder or something)

 

[sprungonhairboards]

I started reading your siggy, and ain't even pay ATTENTION to your question - um, what?

Me too Ovation is stronger

Ok, ok Whew!

I only relaxed again cause of this dang forum and all the phyto hype that was going on at the time . I had been natural for a little over 3 yrs and hadn't even put heat on it more than 3 times the whole time, let alone considered relaxing again. But all the phyto talk got to me, I HAD to try it! I wanted to wear straight hair or rollersets as an OPTION. I hit my original goal of bsl and wanted to SEE it. But that was never an option with my natural hair. All the products and heat in hades wouldnt give me the texture and versatility I was looking for no matter what I did. So I texturized with phyto index 1.

I don't regret it at all, it accomplished what I wanted and I can still do the same natural styles I did before (except twists, my natural twists were the bomb. All springy and fat all the way to the ends...but I digress). I'm sure I'll lock my hair eventually but I won't be transitioning and all that. I don't feel anything about shaving all my hair off one day and weaving it up the next. It was never that serious to me until I found this board . I've shaved off long hair to a twa on a whim before, more than once and I know I will again. When I reach waistlength and I'm 'over' having long hair I wont regret that either.

 

[foxieroxienyc]

Well I've had locs too, and fros, and then wore weaves for a long while never giving my hair a break, my hair thrived. My natural hair is FINE but DENSE and what I recently discovered little springy extremely defined coils. When I had my natural hair out, I didn't know how to truly care for it so I saw it as hard to handle. When I took the weaves out and decided to rock my own tresses I was ready to go back to relaxing but learn to do it THE RIGHT WAY. I considered transitioning only because of this board and the lovely heads hair and also being that I'm armored by more knowledge. I put that thought on hold for a while though and decided to continue to grow my relaxed hair to waist length, and then after that, I'll likely chop it ALL off and go natural at some point. I love changing it up.

 

[EMJazzy]

OP that siggy is hilarious!!!!!

 

[ekomba]

lol @ the siggie

i know the main reason i went from relaxed to natural in 2005 is because my permed hair was so limp, thin breaking, and i craved thickness

the 2 years i was natural i loooooooooved it i had so much growth

now i m back to perm. and i just realized one thing my hair thrives be it natural or permed and mind u now it s permed bone strength but you couldnt tell cause it has so much body and thickness

i stumbled on the reason why and was dumbfounded granted my hair natural was wayyyyyyyyyy thicker and impressive. but i now realize that just because the hair is permed does not mean it cant be thick. au contraire i now understand why all these years my relaxed hair was so thin it was my regimen and my technique and me not being knowledgeabe about hair, sleeping on cotton, perming the whole thing every touch up from root to tip!!!!!!! omg no wonder it was not thick then as it is now as i just touch up the roots, me not doing any deep cond, oil rinses, cowashes, taking vits.

i think many people dont know better now that i lived on both sides of the fence i appreciate my hair in both states natural and relaxed. but i doubt i will go back to natural knowing that at 4 months post i m already having problems detangling my new growth. i'm 4b and with my thickness just now i could not handle that much volume.

the main reason i went back to relaxers, cause one my hair as it grew past armpit would keep knotting and tangling and i started to dread wash time. when i went to relax it, the hairdresser spent a lonnnnng time just to detangle the roots. but all in all i miss the big hair volume of my natural hair but i love being able as a permie to run my fingers through my hair and have no knotting. i like the manageability it gives me. If i do decide to go back natural i would not go further than armpit else i cant handle the thickness but as a permie i dont mind waistlength or hiplength

 

[FemmeCreole]

I relaxed again because it was taking too long to get myself ready to get out the door with my natural hair. With school, work plus b/f's business.....it just wasn't practical. I I didn't relax for for about 1.5yrs and I was comletley natural for 11 months.

Also just before I relaxed I flatironed my hair and I didn't like my ends. So I cut about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches in some spots. The last sraw came when I washed my hair and spent 2hrs trying to put all my thick hair in a decent style for work and I wound up with just the same old puff. I also got tired of having to braid my hair for bed in order to avoid tangled mess in the morning.

I think I am better able to care for my hair now. I got so much information from this site.....it has armed me to better care for relxed hair this time around.

 

[Energist]

Well because at the time I didn't know much of what to do for it. When I'd go to the hairdressers, the woman would just sigh, because my hair in it's natural state is very thick and I would go to her for twists. She would charge an arm and leg and other than that, it got so huge that all I could do for a quick fix was gel it and slap it in a ponytail. I used to use the Queen Helene's conditioning gel as well as nasty Let's Jam I just got fed up and was tired of crying over the hugeness of it all

NOW had I known about this site, I would have been set and would have most likely stayed natural, but I am happy that I met the Dominican's who got me off to healthy hair growing habits using their techniques when I transitioned back to relaxer. So I am happy being relaxed for now.

 

[Sui Topi]

It was before I came on LHCF, and I was wearing a weave to my sisters wedding. It was straight, and instead of straightening my hair, the hair dresser put relaxer on that one little piece of hair that covered the top of my head. When I took the weave out, I had to just do the rest. Then I unknowingly stretched for about 6 or 7 months, and then since I thought I was relaxed already I might as well get a touch up. I got one again, and then stretched for 5 months. I was then relaxed for maybe 4 1/2 years, I don't remember. But I'm natural again now! I'm from that school of thought were the individual does what they want to do and what makes them happy with their hair. Your hair doesn't have to be tore up if you have a relaxer, and just because you're natural doesn't mean your hair is so healthy. If you are into straight styles, it's not realistic to have natural hair, because you may end up causing more damage than if you had a relaxer chasing that relaxer look.

 

[Bublin]

@ OP signature

I was natural from 2004-2008. I relaxed again because I was tired of looking like a little kid with the ponytails, twist began to take too long and I was tired of long straightening sessions only for my hair to revert within an hour. If I had to do it again, I would've still gone natural when I did because it really taught me to love myself and my hair a little bit more and I did enjoy my natural hair. I may even do it again in the future, but not right now.

I co-sign this.

Also - my texture was a nightmare to handle - curls were fighting each other and i was ripping my hair out everytime i combed it. My Mum says my hair texture is different from when i was little. Back then it was straighter erplexed

 

[PuddingPop]

I co-sign this.

Also - my texture was a nightmare to handle - curls were fighting each other and i was ripping my hair out everytime i combed it. My Mum says my hair texture is different from when i was little. Back then it was straighter erplexed

I couldnt work with my texture either. I was natural for about a year and relaxed again because I couldnt deal with the 60 different textures going on on my head all mixed into one, and my shrinkage was like nothing I had ever witnessed B4. And I dont care what anyone says, it take a lot more time and effort to care for natural hair. I was never late for work that many times when i was relaxed. I was expecting to be able to do wash n go's but my hair wasn't having it.

 

[genesis132]

1. KNOTS
2. TANGLES
3. LESS PATIENT W/ DETANGLING THE LONGER MY HAIR GOT
4. ARMED W/ THE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SITE NOW, RELAXED HAIR CAN BE HEATLHY, THICK AND LONG
5. DID I SAY KNOTS??

WITH ALL THAT SAID, WHO KNOWS I MAY DECIDE TO TRANSITION ONE DAY...I LOVE OPTIONS AND KNOWING IT CAN BE HEALTHY RELAXED OR NATURAL.

 

[cocoagirl]

I went natural in 2001 b/c I was sick of wearing the wrap I had worn for 10 years and I was sick of my hair getting all sweated out and looking crazy after I went to the club. In my 5 years of being natural, I wore my hair in a puff nealy 80% of the time and I began to get sick of that too, real sick. Twists were too time consuming and I didn't always like how I looked in them and my wash n' go was a wash n' no! I missed having options and being able to comb my hair and not fight with it. So I got a texturizer in 2006, then a relaxer like a month later( big no no but I've recovered) and now I'm here today...

 

[jennifermb]

I've gone from natural to relaxed twice and I'm not even 30!
First relaxer was at age 10. My hairdresser acted like I had the worst hair in the world and convinced my mom to let her give me a relaxer. I was nearly bald by 15 and my mom made me stop getting them.

Got my second relaxer freshman year in college. I wore my hair pressed, and it would be a huge ball of frizz whenever I went out to a club or party(like pp mentioned) - not cute. I had to transition a few years later after overlapping damage.

Fast forward this past fall -- I was getting married in Spring 08 and wanted to get a relaxer. I too was tired of the tangles, the knots, the shrinkage, etc and I came on this site looking for a recommendation for a good relaxer. I've found such a wealth of knowledge on this site on caring for natural hair. My hair is in the best shape it's ever been in my life. I no longer have problems with tangles, knots and dryness. I even feel comfortable now wearing my hair curly as well as straight (and no more pressing!). Now I need to upload pics as proof!

I'm not itching to relax again, but I think I'd be a lot more knowledgeable this time around if I did.

 

[Soliel185]

The first time I went from Natural to Relaxed I was bored. I wanted to be grown up, and when the lady told me " oh, but your hair would be so pretty straight!" (At this point I'd NEVER seen it straight) I let her relax me.

The second time I took my braids out and saw my fro (see avi) it kinda went like this:

1: play with fro
2: frotoSHOOT!
3: Glad BF is out of town, I want fro all to myself
4: what with BF think?
5: WTF am I going to do with this come Monday Morning?!?! I can't want into work with a Pam Grier Fro!
6: TERROR! DOUBT! APPREHENSION!
7: Go to Sally's, purchase relaxer


So....after only a yr a 1/2 of being relaxed I'm transitioning BACK. I'm 23, but I've never been relaxed for more than 2 years at a time. I should just pick a side and stick with it.

 

[ArrrBeee]

I did the BC because of breakage. I let it grow out for a year 2 years but it was tangly and tight. I texlaxed. I am now going to go all the way straight in the next few weeks.

Like others I am tired of knots and breakage. I now know about how to take care of my hair so I am looking forward to a change.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I just missed my relaxed hair. It is the first time ever that I felt like that. So now I'm relaxed and I'm focusing on healthy hair practices, like roller setting and wrapping.