Sui Topi
New Member
So, I'm concidering going natural after being permed for a while....ummm heres the hairstory lol (get it history ha ha ha) uh so yeah, I used to have beautiful natural hair as a kid, but my mom would really just wash it and braid it while wet and as a 3c it would shrink up and I couldn't really see the beauty of it until my best friend who also had really long thick hair's mom pressed it for me. I couldnt believe how long and pretty it was, it was about bra strap length and I was in love with my straight hair. Anyway so various family members tried to straighten it like that for me for various events (this was in grade 8 so for junior high grad, and some times in the summer) with no luck, only to tell me I would have to perm it for it to be like that again. So anyway in grade 9 summer I decided to get a perm...big mistake, I got my sister to do it and she did it...and then moved to alberta leaving me with no one to help me out or give me any advice on maintenance. So anyway my hair pretty much broke off as the new grown came in and so around grade 11 I finally cut off the relaxed ends and was left with hair that was maybe 3/4 down my neck. I unknowingly kept in in protective styles and by that summer, my hair was shoulder length and natural. Wellllll that summer was my sisters wedding and I wanted to wear a straight weave. They told me that I had to perm that little piece of hair that covered the weave or else it would look a ways....hmm okay so I permed it and when I took out the weave i permed the rest. The girl who did my hair even went so far as to tell me not to put product in my hair so that it won't be weighed down and can have movement. It's funny how I took this advice comming from someone who glues in weaves not by choice but because she doesnt have any of her own hair left 
erplexed. That January now I decided to get a retouch beacuse my hair was soooo out of control, breaking, thin ends, basically it was a turf war between the natural and the relaxed once again. My other sister's friend came over, (shes a LHCF-er) and gave me a heart to heart. She had done the BC when I was in grade 10 and her hair was already longer and much healthier that mine. So I started lurking on LHCF and learned a few tricks like combing gently and baggying under false ponytails. My hair grew back, I got regular touch ups, no sooner than 8 weeks, my hair was always in a weave for about a year, and it flourished. I was confident enough to wear my own hair instead of my signature 10in silky perm, but.........I got flat iron happy and squashed all the moisture and thickness outta my hair. This brings us to last year. I got pregnant in June and my hair was doing better but all that heat kinda stunted my visable growth. I mean it grew but my ends would break off as fast as the new growth would come in so it was kinda stagnant at shoulder length. Towards the end of my pregnancy I eased up on the flat iron and my hair filled out a bit, and now I'm really on a diet from that ceramic tempstresst and my hair is doing even better. The only thing is now, as I'm feeling my MN encouraged new growth, and seeing all these healthy, happy naturals, I'm wondering if I should just grow it out. I mean I love straight hair but nothing beats the strength of a natural head of hair...and if I really want it straight I can just flat iron it. I talked to my friend whos mom had pressed my hair and she kinda encouraged me to do it. She's natural and she's also on a break from heat. All that chronic pressing left her hair reeeeeeally thin and dry, you would think she was relaxed..so anyway long story short...or not really its still a long story...ugh anyway I just wanted to hear from some sucessful transitioners like what challenges you faced and how you got over it and just over all what I may expect in this hair journey. My last relaxer was October 3rd
erplexed. That January now I decided to get a retouch beacuse my hair was soooo out of control, breaking, thin ends, basically it was a turf war between the natural and the relaxed once again. My other sister's friend came over, (shes a LHCF-er) and gave me a heart to heart. She had done the BC when I was in grade 10 and her hair was already longer and much healthier that mine. So I started lurking on LHCF and learned a few tricks like combing gently and baggying under false ponytails. My hair grew back, I got regular touch ups, no sooner than 8 weeks, my hair was always in a weave for about a year, and it flourished. I was confident enough to wear my own hair instead of my signature 10in silky perm, but.........I got flat iron happy and squashed all the moisture and thickness outta my hair. This brings us to last year. I got pregnant in June and my hair was doing better but all that heat kinda stunted my visable growth. I mean it grew but my ends would break off as fast as the new growth would come in so it was kinda stagnant at shoulder length. Towards the end of my pregnancy I eased up on the flat iron and my hair filled out a bit, and now I'm really on a diet from that ceramic tempstresst and my hair is doing even better. The only thing is now, as I'm feeling my MN encouraged new growth, and seeing all these healthy, happy naturals, I'm wondering if I should just grow it out. I mean I love straight hair but nothing beats the strength of a natural head of hair...and if I really want it straight I can just flat iron it. I talked to my friend whos mom had pressed my hair and she kinda encouraged me to do it. She's natural and she's also on a break from heat. All that chronic pressing left her hair reeeeeeally thin and dry, you would think she was relaxed..so anyway long story short...or not really its still a long story...ugh anyway I just wanted to hear from some sucessful transitioners like what challenges you faced and how you got over it and just over all what I may expect in this hair journey. My last relaxer was October 3rd
