Relaxed or natural (pros &cons please!)

I LOVE natural nappy Afro hair. The only reason I got texturized is because my hair is long and so thick that it takes a LOT of effort and time, and I don't have the time now that I have a son. I wanted to grow my hair long, but if I wanted to keep it short I wouldn't have had any chemicals at all.

(Imagine Angela Davis' famous Afro. Now imagine it two and a half times that size. That was my hair before texturizing. It was so big that I would have to wear a headband to keep it from flopping over in my face, and people would tell me on the bus "that's the biggest Afro I've EVER seen in my life.")

If you absolutely MUST be relaxed, go the texturizer route instead. It gives you straightness really easily if you blow dry or flat iron, but it's textured enough that you can do a faux Afro or some twists. Also, when it's humid, my hair still "swells". With completely relaxed hair, it's ALWAYS straight, which is why I didn't want it like that. Another plus is that it looks closer to your true texture of hair, so you don't have to re-touch so often. I get mine done only twice a year.

So, in short, if you wear your hair shoulder length or shorter, natural is BEST, IMO. But if you want to grow it really long and you're often busy or you have children (or if you have long and thick hair and it takes 4 hours to cornrow it), a texturizer (or relaxer, if you prefer) may be best.

pros of relaxers:

"easier" styling

can see growth progress

cons of relaxer:

gets expensive

relaxer burns

hair loss (temp or perm)

over/under processed

natural hair pros:

less expensive

better retention of length

no chemical burns

less likely to experience hair loss from chemicals

better condition of hair

cons of natural hair:

may go against conservative workplace

may be typecasted

some men may not like it

may be too much to handle

might be a pain trying to find the "right" product

thanks ladies.

i'm natural right now and i love my look, but i was considering a small change. but i made up my mind that i won't relax my hair...theres always a flat iron =)

My pros are all for natural hair,

Versatility

Timed saved in the mornings.

My hair is thick again

less shedding

I don't have to run from the rain anymore.

My hair was relaxed for years I spent way too much money on it and it was thin, no matter what I did to it.

Do what is best for your.