Naturals Who Were Previously Relaxed: Pros & Cons of Going Natural

My dream hair is long, thick big rollerset curls. More and more naturals are showing me that I can acheive that look 100% natural...even with my 4b tight coily, wiry hair. I was natural for a year, but never really appreciated it and wore it covered for the most part.

What are your pros & cons now that you're 100% natural?
What are the challenges with the varying lengths (TWA, SL, APL, etc...)?
Those that wear it straight, share your issues, both good and bad.

Lady Esquire said:

My dream hair is long, thick big rollerset curls. More and more naturals are showing me that I can acheive that look 100% natural...even with my 4b tight coily, wiry hair. I was natural for a year, but never really appreciated it and wore it covered for the most part.

What are your pros & cons now that you're 100% natural?
What are the challenges with the varying lengths (TWA, SL, APL, etc...)?
Those that wear it straight, share your issues, both good and bad.

Click to expand...

My issue is length. I am not used to short hair, so it annoys me not even being able to do the simple things like smell the conditioner in my hair or do a quick bun. Also, it is so not sexy for me waking up in the morning. My hair is flat on both sides and high in the middle, so I look crazy. Around months 3-5 after a total BC like I did, I did not like how my hair looked but I had to ride it out. I call that phase the, "uglies." My curls were short but looked like a haircut that needed to be cut down. It doesn't last long though.

I do love being able to wash and go daily. I love the thickness and texture of my hair. I am a 4a/b but have big curls, especially in the front. My hair is still nappy but still curly. I am almost 14 months post-BC and people think my hair is an afro wig.

I have never straightened my hair. I don't really have the desire to actually.

You may get your answers in these threads:
PROs & CONs of Natural hair & Relaxed hair...(pics welcomed)
Pros and Cons of Being Natural

In answer to your other questions about length issues, I honestly haven't had any problems with styling it at any length. I am lazy and not the sort to be styling hair on a daily basis, whether relaxed or not, so I haven't really had any hassles with my hair.

For me, the longer it gets, the more difficult it is to deal with. SSks, takes forever to dry. The 1.5 year mark broke me last time, but thanks to all the tips on the board, I'm hoping to go the distance again.

Thanks for replying Lucie. Love your hair and it grew quickly.

Hope others chime. Its something that crosses every so often for the passed few years.

Nonie said:

You may get your answers in these threads:
PROs & CONs of Natural hair & Relaxed hair...(pics welcomed)
Pros and Cons of Being Natural

In answer to your other questions about length issues, I honestly haven't had any problems with styling it at any length. I am lazy and not the sort to be styling hair on a daily basis, whether relaxed or not, so I haven't really had any hassles with my hair.

Click to expand...

Thank you Nonie. I'll check it out for sure.

omnipadme said:

For me, the longer it gets, the more difficult it is to deal with. SSks, takes forever to dry. The 1.5 year mark broke me last time, but thanks to all the tips on the board, I'm hoping to go the distance again.

Click to expand...

I get SSKs even as a relaxed head...maybe some textures are susceptible to them regardless.

Pros:
Salon visits are optional. I didn't self relax so I went to the salon. Sometimes I still go to a braider but its when I really want to.

No salon visits mean I save time and money.

Won't be bald when I'm older. The relaxer was causing me scalp damage and I was starting to have bald spots.

I can walk out in the rain and not care.

I am learning my hair which I didn't do when it was relaxed.

I am able to wear more and more styles

During the week I have to spend little time on my hair. In the morning I take off my bonnet, fluff a little and go.

My hair just looks better and feels better natural than relaxed.

Cons:
At NL styling takes a lot longer for me. Relaxed I could wash and put a clip on it and go. At NL I can't wash and anything. So have to plan my styling days.

I haven't figured out a regimen that works with my natural hair yet. Products that worked for me relaxed don't work on my natural. And it is a process.

Between TWA and NL for me was tough because I liked the way I looked with TWA but not the in between stages. So finding in between styles was challenging.

As my hair gets longer I think the cons will disappear. Some of the things I mention as pros I may have been able to do relaxed but wasn't aware of it then. Becoming natural forced me to learn more.

More hair than I ever thought I'd have to deal with. Pro or Con--you tell me. lol

Pro:
Feeling my coils and kinks in my hands...LOVE THAT!
Watching it get bigger. I notice the biggest difference every three months
Better length retention. When I was relaxed, I needed my ends to be sharp and trimmed.
Not being afraid of sweating and rain.


Con:
As it gets bigger, it takes longer to deal with. Washing and styling time takes FOREVER and I'm only neck length.
One bad product in my regimen and my hair will look jacked up.
I use lots more product to cover my hair.

faithVA said:

Pros:

Won't be bald when I'm older. The relaxer was causing me scalp damage and I was starting to have bald spots.

As my hair gets longer I think the cons will disappear.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your detailed answer, faithVA, especially the bolded because I have scalp issues even as a kid.

pros
easy to manage
not afraid of rain, sweat
easy to style
i don't have to rely on anyone for anything concerning my hair

cons
nothing really to complain about. i just can't wait for it to get bigger!

faithVA said:

Pros:
Salon visits are optional. I didn't self relax so I went to the salon.

No salon visits mean I save time and money.

Won't be bald when I'm older. The relaxer was causing me scalp damage and I was starting to have bald spots.

I can walk out in the rain and not care.

I am learning my hair which I didn't do when it was relaxed.

I am able to wear more and more styles

During the week I have to spend little time on my hair. In the morning I take off my bonnet, fluff a little and go.

My hair just looks better and feels better natural than relaxed.

Click to expand...

ITA with Faith's pros
Most of my issues were mental cons not true hair cons. I purchased cute accessories to help during the learning curve / length challenges and PSed most of the time until I got past SL.
Cons- I can be more critical of the hair health of others. I spend less on salon visits but, I think I make up for it in product purchases. I've had to learn to calm down and not freak out if the ends of my hair rubbed up against my cotton shirt for 1 day. Or if I missed some part of my reggie during the week. IOW, I had to learn that all of the preventative steps I was taking if effective would protect my hair and not cause irreparable damage in a day. I just had to learn to calm down.

Pros:
Very versatile- I have more styling options
Thicker hair
It doesn't break as much
Not having to deal with the relaxer process every few months (I can't self relax and finding a good stylist was a problem)
It suits my face more, makes me look younger (other people's comments)

Cons:
Washing my hair is a longer process
Combing isn't as easy
SSKs
Easily tangles if left to do what it wants

Overall my relaxed hair was healthy enough but I wanted a change and I'm loving it so far.

Pros:

1. Because I am a colored natural, I can color my hair and not have to worry about my hair thinning drastically (which is why I got rid of the relaxer because coloring and relaxing was wreaking havoc on my hair)

2. I get the best of both worlds; when I want to wear it straight, I can (and my hair will get bone straight like a relaxer), when I want to enjoy my curls- which is most of time- I have that option

3. I am not a slave to the hair stylist--because I did not self-relax, I had to spend my entire Saturday at the parlor because I had one of those kinds of stylists...

Cons:

1. Honestly, I cannot think of any...Once I made my decision to go natural, I didn't look back...

Only con for me is shrinkage.

However, I'm still trying to figure out the cause of split ends on my natural hair. I never had split ends when I had relaxed hair.

What are your pros & cons now that you're 100% natural?
For me, the #1 pro is MORE hair (thickness and length - even if it shrinks ) and much healthier hair. I felt like I was a slave to the relaxer, which made my thick hair thin and caused me a lot of split ends.

A con is that i have SO much hair (in terms if density) that it gets overwhelming. Sometimes, I just want to cry because my arms get tired trying to comb through all this naturalness I have. A few times, I have been in the middle of washing/conditioning and just wrapped it up (wet) and went to the salon to let the professionals handle it. I haven't done that in a while, though...

What are the challenges with the varying lengths (TWA, SL, APL, etc...)? The challenge was getting used to seeing my hair in its natural state. I was like - who is THAT in the mirror? But, now I know nappy is GOOD. Plus, I never knew my hair was that curly! The varying lengths didn't bother me too much because I always wear a PS, so that wasn't even an issue.

Those that wear it straight, share your issues, both good and bad.

I wear my hair straight about 2x or 3x per year. The texture is so much thicker and prettier than when I had a relaxer. It looks like I have fake hair, but it's mine! The only con I have is that I am not an experienced person when it comes to straightening hair - so I must go to the salon to achieve that bouncy look. Can't do it at home.

HHG!

Prudent1 said:

ITA with Faith's pros
Most of my issues were mental cons not true hair cons. I purchased cute accessories to help during the learning curve / length challenges and PSed most of the time until I got past SL.
Cons- I can be more critical of the hair health of others. I spend less on salon visits but, I think I make up for it in product purchases. I've had to learn to calm down and not freak out if the ends of my hair rubbed up against my cotton shirt for 1 day. Or if I missed some part of my reggie during the week. IOW, I had to learn that all of the preventative steps I was taking if effective would protect my hair and not cause irreparable damage in a day. I just had to learn to calm down.

Click to expand...

To avoid my own assumptions, please share the "mental" cons you had/have.

What are your pros & cons now that you're 100% natural?
Pros:
Versatility: Twists, braids, rollersets, wash-n-go's, pressed, etc.
Health: In 2008, I had lost portions of my nape and my edges because of the reactions I was having to relaxers. Once I began my transition, 95% of that hair grew back within a year. (I have a small bald spot on the right side of my head, and it's a constant reminder that relaxing isn't for me.)
Economics: I haven't seen the inside of a salon since September 21, 2008. I only went to the hairdresser to get relaxers. This allowed me to save some $$$. I became a 100% DIYer.
Freedom: I can work out without the worry, I can go outside and not question the weather (and I live in Ohio, where the weather changes daily...even bi-daily! erplexed)
Cons:
I can't slack off on my regimine (which isn't much) because of knotting, and detangling can be a process if I don't stay on schedule.

What are the challenges with the varying lengths (TWA, SL, APL, etc...)?
I am at a lil' longer than SL unstretched, APL stretched. There was a point where I slacked off, and I experienced more knots and tangles (since it's more hair) but as long as I stay on task, I'm okay.

Those that wear it straight, share your issues, both good and bad.
I straighten my hair once every three months for length check purposes. The only issue I have when I straighten my hair is that my scalp gets super itchy because I'm not cowashing it daily. I just make sure I use a good moisturizing cream and I'm good to go!

Pros: stronger & longer hair.... I'm just about waistlength which i've now realised is too long for me. I dont worry about damaged scalp ( i went natural due to hair loss from a combo of relaxer burns & hard water). The biggest pro is that my dd gets to see natural hair as a "norm"..... This is important to me because we live in a mostly white area with a growing yet still small minority presence.

Cons: increased styling time....when relaxed i was a k.i.s.s. Girl. At night i moisturized & did one big pin curl and in the morning i undid it, brushed my edges and that was it. For me to style my hair for a wng now i have to co wash or wet it thoroughly first, apply product while wet in the shower then use a microfiber towel or tshirt to sop up excess. Then diffuse because my hair tends to drip & wet up my shirts for a while. Braidouts, pressing take a bit of time cause of my length. Detangling took a long time until recently cause i just bought some cowboy magic (the new love of my life)


Oh one more pro is that my hair gets straighter with flat ironing and still has more sheen & body then when i was relaxed. It looks & feels so much nicer.

What are your pros & cons now that you're 100% natural?
I miss my MBL hair also I don't get single-strand knots

What are the challenges with the varying lengths (TWA, SL, APL, etc...)?
None for me other than I want a long natural plait soooo badly

Those that wear it straight, share your issues, both good and bad.
I haven't worn my hair straight since August 2010 and no desire as of yet

pros: stronger hair that grows longer (for me) my hair wasn't going anywhere relaxed and i've been using healthy hair practices since '05. the I BCed and in 2 years im finally past APL (just length checked last night:Copy of 2cool.

don't have to care if it gets wet

shrinkage

styles last for ages

cons: have to style it all the time, can't just wear it down like i used to do with relaxed hair or it'll tangle really badly. I miss being able to just wake up, smooth my hair down and go while its out. Now I can only do that in a PS, which is ok but not really the same thing.

detangling is a nightmare

hair changes with each style. My hair never looks the same in a style even when I do the same exact thing twice. This can be a good thing but its usually a bad thing due to the lack of repeatable results w hen it comes to a style.

worrying about getting unintentional permanently straight pieces when flatironing, also takes longer to flatiron

shrinkage

looking crazy when you wake up. you think you look crazy with straight hair ha, wait until you have a deformed fro

Pros:
- Love my curls
- No more regrowth to blend
- Flat ironed hair is silkier
- Shrinkage creates different "lengths"
- Love big hair
- Versatility
- Wash n Go's/ more carefree about my hair

Cons:
- SSKs
- Splits
- Heat damage shows
- Flat ironed hair reverts in humidity ( So I avoid flat ironing during summer)

Length challenges :
-Right now I'm just above SL and the shrinkage makes its look shorter in its natural state. I feel my hair tangles more now that its short than when it was longer. My guess is it didn't shrink so much and wrap around itself so easily.

-I BC'd at 17 months so I never had a TWA.

Side note: If you have scalp issues, I'd definitely say go natural. Chemicals and sensitive scalps tend to be bad news.

That's all!

Wow Sheryl you're so fortunate. I would love to be done with single strand knots. And a long natural plat would be a dream come true for me too.

Well the cons for me are: I worry sometimes about frizz and such (with allthe short strands I have) in the summer mostly. Shrinkage can be a beast when it's not the look i'm going for. And SSK's!
Pros: Versatility I couldn't possibly have relaxed (very fine hair). No More purchasing relaxers and all the other issues that came with relaxers for me i.e. breakage, thinning, etc.
No issues with length since I transitioned for months. Just want to hurry and get past apl.
Straight hair: I wear mine straight about 90% of the time. And i'm loving it. But I do want to get a little past apl and then I will wear my hair natural probably 90% of the time(yes I yearn for length..lol)

ETA: I do need to stop adjusting my straight hair regimen though because I found what works for me. And i've gone back to it.

I agree/identify with everyones answers. Honestly the only con is the twa/ta stage, in that it can be a little limiting stylewise. Other than that, it's cool beans to me!

Pro: Long thick healthy hair that is still growing so far
Con: I don't like to style my own hair (I do my own hair because I don't trust my hair with anyone)

What are your pros & cons now that you're 100% natural?
Pros
-long term styles/ I don't have to style daily if I don't want to
-versatility in styling
- my hair can look different lengths w/shrinkage
-my hair is more dense and looks thicker
-no more burns from chemicals
- the skin issues I had w/my face cleared up when I stopped relaxing
- I just enjoy my hair
Cons
-with shrinkage my hair looks the same length no matter how long it grows
-because my hair is coily I think I have to be more gentle w/handling my hair than I had to be w/my relaxed hair to prevent the ends from breaking
-single strand knots

What are the challenges with the varying lengths (TWA, SL, APL, etc...)?
I would just say that at the TWA stage there are less styling options. As it gets longer just be prepared for detangling time to increase.

Those that wear it straight, share your issues, both good and bad.
I do not wear my hair straight now but in high school I was a pressed natural. My hair looked fine but it stayed the same length from the heat use.

PRO - My hair can actually hold a curl now (braid out, twist out, whatever). I don't have to use heavy or expensive products to moisturize daily (I use diluted conditioner/water to sprtiz). More styling options (curly twist out, blown straight, wavy braid out, twists, puffs, pixie braids, extensions, etc.)

CON - The shrinkage sometimes makes it look like my hair isn't growing. My hair has to be kept stetched when wet or it will tangle. Fairy knots!!! <-- unattractive, perplexing, and frustrating

PROS:

1) Hair is much thicker, stronger, healthier natural.
2) Can do a WNG!
3) Embracing my natural hair has made me want to make lifestyle changes for healthier habits...
4) Easy to find beautiful inspirational pics of natural hair, loads of info on the inet for natural hair care.
5) As a natural, I'm a better role model to prevent my daughter from relaxing (no offense to those who relax, but I want her to be happy with her coils and kinks first).
6) I just love running my hands over the curls and waves.
7) It seems to grow MUCH faster.
8) No more stinky relaxer touch ups and worrying about overprocessing, no funky-looking kinky NG contrasting with stick-straight hair between TUs.
9) I have a much simpler regimen, and no probs with split ends.
10) I don't have to worry about my hair holding curls.

CONS:

1) VERY DIFFICULT to pull my hair into a med-high height bun and get it to lie down, due to the curls popping out, shrinkage, and ridic. thickness in the crown.
2) Takes a good 2.5-3 hrs wash to finish to straighten!
3) Shrinkage.
4) Takes longer to realize true length due to shrinkage.
5) My hair is very soft, and humidity makes it "fuzz."
6) I'm just learning styles geared towards natural hair like the twist-out, but I did braidouts while relaxed and texlaxed. Takes longer to "master" these styles on natural hair.



**I wanted to give an equal # of pros and cons, but just couldn't come up with more cons to natural hair! I love it.

My 1st transition ended 6/2008 after 9 mos, so I had a TWA...and it was very limiting style-wise, and I couldn't do much with it. I wore scarves and head wraps until it grew a lil more to pull into an itty bitty pony, lol. Then I slapped a drawstring pony on top!

2nd trans. (this past one) ended 1/2011 after 18 mos, so I started with SL natural hair (chopped from WL). It is still very limiting style-wise for me, as I'm used to having MBL-WL hair. I don't use heat on my hair, and I def. don't use BKT. I just let it do what it do and try to look decent in the process.

My pros and cons are similar to everyone else's.

Pros:
Don't have to run from water anymore/ be concerned about sweat
Can "wash" daily
Don't have to worry about constant trims, touch ups, $60 trips to the studio, and protein as much
I can try 7 different styles in one week if I desired and my hair wont suffer from it
My hair's been so much stronger
Not having to wrap my hair (I sucked so bad at it when I was relaxed)
Realizing that my curls are beautiful and getting to know my hair. I had a relaxer since 14 but didn't "know" my hair because it was a frizzy, heat damaged mess
Growth (I went from BC to NL in 4 months. I know that's not much for some, but I thought I was a slow grower all these years and it was really bad hair practices that had me thinking that way)

Cons:
Having to re-learn what my hair likes
Not being able to run my fingers through as often as before
I know this sounds silly, but I miss being able to brush my dry hair. Over manipulating my dry hair now is a big
Having short hair has been a con because like Lucie mentioned, I miss being able to slap my hair in a bun and go. But that's not really natural related, just BC related

Alot of women are hung up on hair looking "done" at all times- one hair out of place is a nono.....if that is the case, natural will be a total adjustment.

Personally, I have no cons to being natural. Pros: longer, stronger hair, less hassle (for me), versatility