QuoteReplyTopic: if we left our hair alone? Posted: November 25 2005 at 12:33pm
i have always wondered is blk women left thier hair in its natural state would our hair health be a lot better ? I mean if instead of relaxers when we wanted straight hair we just blow dried it straight and used a flat iron like curly haired white chicks do? i mean now morethan ever we have non chemical ways of straightening our hair.....if we didnt use chemicals would our hair be strong enough naturally to stand up to flat irons and blow dryers better? im sorry not to down relaxers i guess im just ranting :(
I can't say that rough handling (with a paddle brush) and lots of heat via blowdryer and flatiron is necessarily better for your hair than chemical straightening.
Probably the best thing to do would be to stop fighting its natural state and learn how to care for it as is...I'll bet if I had been taught how to take care of my natural hair as a younger girl, it would be long enough to sit on by now, and strong enough to hold any style.
Make every day you have count, before the time comes for you to count every day you have.
i think that depends on how fragile ur hair is
,,some ppl with curly and kinky hair have quite strong
hair and some dont,, i dont ,, and relaxer destroys my
hair so im going natural,, i have found that my
Solano Sapphire iron does a better job than the
salon,, its truly amazing to me what a differece there
is between a good flat iron and a no so good one
lol,, its as if i had the best relaxer out there ,, it looks
even better than when i had a full head perm,, i think
if u can straighten without a perm,, definitely go for it!!
Hair type: 3b some c?, fine strands, last relaxer sept 05, never again!!! current :ap length on sides,,nearly bsl in back, damn those old frazzled ends! I am hair OBSESSED
cmesweet
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Elite Member
Joined: March 31 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 2085
I know this girl who is about 26 years old. She has been natural all of her life and she usually wear her hair in 8 fat braids and then she style those. When her hair is in braids it is at her butt, she has thick and healthy 4a/b hair. She doesn't use any heat appliances on her hair. I'm sure if we limited what we do to our hair that would see the results we are looking for, depending on what you want your results to be.
Natural
BC May 9, 2004
BrownEyez2
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: March 08 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 418
My mom's hair is natural.. she's never had a relaxer in her life! Her hair is extremely healthy and thick. She maintains it at about brastap/midback these days (but ALWAYS wears it in a bun or some type of updo), when I was a little girl she always wore it in one single braid and it reached very close to her waist! When my siblings and I were all in school she started working outside the home and cut her hair to make it more manageable. I do believe bcuz she's always been natural and does MINIMAL maintenance to her hair, the health of it has not been comprised. I just wish I'd never relaxed years ago....she tried to advise me against it but I thought I was "grown" so there....that's why I'm on these hair boards today! You live and you learn...
~~LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!~~
TwinkletOes23
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: November 15 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 192
i mean what i was saying was our hair in its natural state is most times stronger than when we get it relaxed...so wouldnt it be better if we straightened it out using paddle brush and a blow dryer or a flat iron rather than using a chemical that destroys your hair???
My hair always seemed healthy relaxed but it stayed between shoulder length and bra strap for years even though I never cut only trimmed. As a kid, before I relaxed (because of some catty 5th graders...lol) my hair was much longer and really didn't need anything but like someone wrote, you live in learn. There is nothing wrong with doing whatever you want to your hair...relax, dye, cut, whatever but people shouldn't feel they are obliged to relax...it is very harsh and there are other options.
BrownEyez2
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: March 08 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 418
i mean what i was saying was our hair in its natural state is most times stronger than when we get it relaxed...so wouldnt it be better if we straightened it out using paddle brush and a blow dryer or a flat iron rather than using a chemical that destroys your hair???
IMO, leaving it natural and straightening occassionally would be the lesser of the two evils but if you plan on doing this regularly to wear your hair straight, then it's still going to cause damage in the long run.. natural or not. To obtain a stick straight look on natural hair you have to use lots of heat...to blow dry w/ paddle brush will definitely thin your hair out over time w/ the excessive heat use. Same w/ the flat iron ..equals damaged hair in the long run. Now, it depends on the frequency you plan on using these tools.. but of course you know too much is definitely not good.
~~LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!~~
Jamgurl
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Newbie
Joined: March 27 2006
Location: Jamaica
Status: Offline
Points: 60
My sister simply left her hair alone about 4-5 years ago and it grew really long. She is 40 and has never had a relaxer. All her straight styles she got from pressing. She stopped doing that too. Her hair is crazy thick. But she didnt care it in terms of moisturizing, etc and it broke off in the middle, so she had to cut and start all over again.
Rastafarians for eg (or anyone with locs)....wonder why they can have hair down to their buts? cause they dotn comb it. No shedding, no nuthin'. Its pretty simple. But everyone's different and I couldnt imagine just neglecting my hair. I'm thinking very hard about giving up my current relaxer though. But I remember the stress of doign twists and conditioner washes every two days and I relaly dont know if I'm up for it at this stage of my life. But I do believe that natural is best for afro textured hair.
Sharon71
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Newbie
Joined: February 18 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 90
I appreciate for some women leaving hair in its natural state is the biggest challenge ever but i think it does'nt have to be. There are some good products out there working wonders for natural hair and cornrow or twisting helps with the transition soften the hair and eases the tightness. The hardest part in my experience (many many years ago)was growing out the relaxer because the hair and scalp are battling against the damage relaxed hair can cause but the struggle doesn't last forever.
It can help to have a big chop (if you can handle it). Im not saying everyone can do this but about 5 years ago I used the shave my hair down to a number one (i was fortunate it really suited me) and many years later im proud to say my hair is so think and when combed out its down to my bra strap/ shoulders and i trim sometimes which helps it grow.
Im a strong beliver that we should leave our hair alone. A good moisturiser and a low heat blow dry helps but personally I only do this about every 3 months and not at every wash. Cornrow for a good few months helped my hair to soften, become more managable and eased up on the tightness.
Proud of all ya sisters doing the natural thing or considering it -go for it and don't give up ! xxx
Sharon71XxX
Natural 10 yrs,mostly 4b,past BSL length(at back)
Joined Shoulder length challenge 15th April 2006.
GOAL: Healthy,thicker shoulder/L unstreched for Dec 12/15th 06'
Renata22
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: January 17 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 317
My hair grew much faster when it was natural. I just can't handle the thickness of it when it's past my shoulders. One half of my hair is thicker than all of my mother's and sister's hair.
I used to get on the bus and people would say "that's the biggest afro I've ever seen". A lot of people thought it was a wig. But unless I washed it the next day, I seriously couldn't get a comb in it. So, the longer it got, the more I considered either buzzing it (again) or getting a relaxer. I'm glad I found my stylist, because she told me about texturizing and I love it so far.
If I were rich and could afford someone else to do it all the time, I'd never touch a relaxer.
For those who have my problem and want relaxed hair, consider having it texturized instead.
Hair type: who knows?
Length: 23 inches as of 3/10/06
MY HAIR IS OFFICIALLY BRA STRAP LENGTH!!
Goal: Waist Length, which is only 30 inches so
ADVISE ME ON HOW TO GET JUST 7 MORE INCHES OF GROWTH!
Renata22
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: January 17 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 317
BTW, texturizing basically IS relaxing it, but not until it's straight. So you still have some curl and it still gets big and frizzy if you just "wash and go" with no products. It's just not as bulky as afro hair, and not straight.
Hair type: who knows?
Length: 23 inches as of 3/10/06
MY HAIR IS OFFICIALLY BRA STRAP LENGTH!!
Goal: Waist Length, which is only 30 inches so
ADVISE ME ON HOW TO GET JUST 7 MORE INCHES OF GROWTH!
TwinkletOes23
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: November 15 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 192
but what is it about relaxing that causes the ends to frizz and break i mean isnt there a better way to straighten our hair i mean when white people get perms you dont hear about thier hair beaking off.
Renata22
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: January 17 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 317
It may be overprocessed. Just my opinion, I'm not a professional. My ends don't frizz or break, but my hair is processed just enough to get the bulk out of it, not enough to straighten it.
I hope that this doesn't offend anyone, but I think that many black women are too obsessed with "straightening" their hair versus doing what's best with their hair. Work with your current texture instead of trying to get it to do something that may not be good for it. Some people's hair relax beautifully, some people's hair is too weak or too "soft" for chemicals.
For instance, Pokahontas' hair straightens beautifully just with the Maxi-Glide and no chemicals. My hair would probably not straighten like that because (natural) it's super kinky. My mother's hair basically straightens just if she pulls it into a bun. So, I can't expect my mother to relax to straighten her hair like I do mine.
If your hair breaks and frizzes due to straightening your hair, maybe the straightening method you use is not right for your particular hair.
Hair type: who knows?
Length: 23 inches as of 3/10/06
MY HAIR IS OFFICIALLY BRA STRAP LENGTH!!
Goal: Waist Length, which is only 30 inches so
ADVISE ME ON HOW TO GET JUST 7 MORE INCHES OF GROWTH!
Go ahead and down relaxer there are a whole lot more cons than pros to them. Yes they striaghten your hair (big woop!), but they also burn your scalp, they smell horrilbe, and most of the time they screw up your hair. I am natural and yes natural hair is always a better choice if you have to keep it short to deal then do what you have to do. My hair is know at a length that 2 and a half years ago my mother told me it could "never" be it is healthy and thick and nearly any breakage or split ends. When I straighten my hair using heat it looks "WOW". When I went natural my hair "laped" my cousins and many of my friends at school.(What I mean is that after a year of transitioing and cutting off all my relaxer over 15inches my hair was already longer than their because the relaxer and poor care had broken of all the new hair they had grown over the year) The longest layer of my hair is almost mid back. ( I am in the process of slowly cutting it until it is blunt) But remeber you can heat straighten your hair all the time mabe only 6x or less times a year. Brushing out and rollersets can help give a semi straight look if you want. Relaxers can be great if you know what yor doing, but if you just cant get it and your hair problem countinue then please try going natural! You won't regert it.
Hair Type: 4a/3c Natural
Hair Length: Mid Back (growing out Layers)
Hair Goal: Long Layered Waist length/ Super Healthy!
well im sorry but its too late 2 wonder "what if" for me!!! many times i have thought about what would my hair be like if i had never relaxed it. but hey i was probably about 7 or 8 and i had not choice. it was up to my mom becuz she did it so all i can do now is manage with what ive got, and VOW to never relax my children's hair,lol
Vanity3
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: March 12 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 278
i think that depends on how fragile ur hair is ,,some ppl with curly and kinky hair have quite strong hair and some dont,, i dont ,, and relaxer destroys my hair so im going natural,, i have found that my Solano Sapphire iron does a better job than the salon,, its truly amazing to me what a differece there is between a good flat iron and a no so good one lol,, its as if i had the best relaxer out there ,, it looks even better than when i had a full head perm,, i think if u can straighten without a perm,, definitely go for it!!
Cookie, girl I'm wit cha when you right! I'll never see a relaxer again, not as long as there is a flat iron in this world!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum