Going natural - the best that decision I ever made ??

[MsLi@512]

Hello ladies, I am a 4b texlaxed head, who is considering going back natural. I was natural from 2002 until 2004 and back then wasn't aware of all the info regarding hair that I now am privy too. I just remember living in the salon every week to every two weeks. Then when I lost my stylist it was hard to find someone to do my hair properly. They either would complain about having to do my hair, or be really rough with my hair, combing through it like they were raking leaves in the yard. But, I have been watching lots of YT vids about transitioning and I keep hearing, "It was the best decision I ever made". Really?
When I think of the best decisions I ever made, my DH and children and earning my degree all come to mind. Never my hair. Man, when I was natural I didn't get that emotion from the experience, maybe due to the lack of info back then or due to my salon dependence while natural. I feel kind of deprived. But to you naturals who have felt, or feel this way, please share. How was going natural the best decision you ever made? Enlighten a pondering transitioner. lol!

 

[prettypithy]

Hello ladies, I am a 4b texlaxed head, who is considering going back natural. I was natural from 2002 until 2004 and back then wasn't aware of all the info regarding hair that I now am privy too. I just remember living in the salon every week to every two weeks. Then when I lost my stylist it was hard to find someone to do my hair properly. They either would complain about having to do my hair, or be really rough with my hair, combing through it like they were raking leaves in the yard. But, I have been watching lots of YT vids about transitioning and I keep hearing, "It was the best decision I ever made". Really?
When I think of the best decisions I ever made, my DH and children and earning my degree all come to mind. Never my hair. Man, when I was natural I didn't get that emotion from the experience, maybe due to the lack of info back then or due to my salon dependence while natural. I feel kind of deprived. But to you naturals who have felt, or feel this way, please share. How was going natural the best decision you ever made? Enlighten a pondering transitioner. lol!

MsLi@512 I think "best decision of my life" is most often used as a hyperbolic turn of phrase to describe a positive decision. For instance: "I just got an iPhone--best decision of my life!"

 

[*~*Afrolicious*~*]

Best decision that I've made in my life? Its just hair to me, but it was definitely a necessary decision. My mother's hair stylist pretty much tricked me and permed my hair in Fall 2003 (Yeah, long story). I kept getting touch ups because every time new growth would start sprouting, my sensitive scalp would itch like a manic and the only way to stop my scalp from itching was to get a touch up. This went on for a year before my scalp and fine hair (which was SEVERELY damaged) screamed for me to stop. When I decided to transition after the last perm my scalp was mushy and had open sores from chemical burns and my itching like crazy ( I forget to mention I have eczema too). My hair would stab into the wounds in my head making it IMPOSSIBLE for me to sleep. After a month and a half I got extensions and my mushy, itchy, sensitive scalp issues went away. I BC after a year of wearing extensions.

If I still had a perm I would have itched my scalp away

 

[kittenz]

I justed ended my transition and I haven't felt that. I think it's just a common phrase as prettypithy explained. I love my TWA but at the end of the day it hasn't changed my life in anyway. On the other hand, it may be the better decision I've ever made regarding my hair.

I'd never put my hair on the same platform as other things like family, religion, etc. It's not that important.

 

[HeatherJo]

I justed ended my transition and I haven't felt that. I think it's just a common phrase as prettypithy explained. I love my TWA but at the end of the day it hasn't changed my life in anyway. On the other hand, it may be the better decision I've ever made regarding my hair.

I'd never put my hair on the same platform as other things like family, religion, etc. It's not that important.

I agree with the bolded, however going natural was one of the most freeing experiences and a great decision for me. I think a lot of women feel like they "have to" or are "suppose to" relax their hair. Some people feel more pressure than others by their friends, families, society, etc. The point is to do what's right for you and that's all that really matters.

For me when I went natural I felt like I was defying the odds (at least in my immediate neighborhood) and everyone was trying to tell me that I won't get a man, or all of my hair will fall out and other negative comments; so I feel empowered because I'm able to proof the nay sayers wrong.

 

[Spongebob]

when i decided to go natural, in august 2009, it was spontaneous, without any thinking. I didn't know about LHCF or youtube videos on hair.

I got a pair of scissors. went to the bathroom, without consulting anyone, and without any hesitation. I cut off all my hair. Then i took a pair of cheap 10 pence raisor, and shaved off even the natural hair on my head, including my baby hair and all of my hair line. what an idiot i was. why on earth did I shave that off? there was no need for that


anyway my grandmother, who is 93 years old went to the bathroom, saw all the hair in a plastic bag for rubbish, and then came to my room. I was sleeping, and she removed the duvet from my head to see my head. she went to downstairs and told my mother "your daughter has gone mad" all her hair is in the bathroom. my mum ran upstairs and woke me up screaming.

man o man i wish i knew LHCF and about transitioning and all this hair care information. I was a silly little girl. But was it one of the best decisions I made? Apart from shaving off my hairline and baby hair yes.

 

[prettypithy]

On a more serious note, I think it has been, in many ways, a humbling and positive experience. It has helped reaffirm to me the importance of questioning norms and making informed choices based on what is genuinely best for me. In the same way that feminist blogs opened my eyes to the impact of gender on my life, and anti-racism blogs taught me to question race based power structures, natural hair blogs have helped me consider in very tangible ways how I, as an individual through my personal choices, can either challenge or accede to these norms. I may relax in the future, but if I do, it will be my choice based on all the relevant information not an unconscious genuflect to existing societal pressures. Best decision of my life? Nowhere near (that is probably marrying my husband!). But certainly a valuable and powerful and worthwhile experience.

 

[Nova]

I made the decision to transition because my relaxed hair was thinning like crazy! No matter what I did, nothing stopped it from falling out. I realized it had to be the new meds my dr. prescribed. I decided to cut as much relaxed hair as possible and get box braids (this past summer). My hair started growing back and it hasn't been this thick in a long time. I massaged my hair daily and applied if not daily, every other day: aloe vera gel, Mega-Tek and a sulfur recipe. So I said all this to say, yes...going back to my natural texture was the best decision I ever made! I'm planning on staying in box braids (re-braiding every 2-mos.) until next May.

 

[JudithO]

I'm almost BSL... and I still don't know how I feel... Sweetie... It's been hard... lol.... I look at it as a challenge... and a healthier alternative to chemical relaxers... I'm learning... i'm learning...

 

[MsLi@512]

Best decision that I've made in my life? Its just hair to me, but it was definitely a necessary decision. My mother's hair stylist pretty much tricked me and permed my hair in Fall 2003 (Yeah, long story). I kept getting touch ups because every time new growth would start sprouting, my sensitive scalp would itch like a manic and the only way to stop my scalp from itching was to get a touch up. This went on for a year before my scalp and fine hair (which was SEVERELY damaged) screamed for me to stop. When I decided to transition after the last perm my scalp was mushy and had open sores from chemical burns and my itching like crazy ( I forget to mention I have eczema too). My hair would stab into the wounds in my head making it IMPOSSIBLE for me to sleep. After a month and a half I got extensions and my mushy, itchy, sensitive scalp issues went away. I BC after a year of wearing extensions.

If I still had a perm I would have itched my scalp away

Ouch! okay so for you, I can see how it would be one of the best decisions you ever made.

 

[MsLi@512]

On a more serious note, I think it has been, in many ways, a humbling and positive experience. It has helped reaffirm to me the importance of questioning norms and making informed choices based on what is genuinely best for me. In the same way that feminist blogs opened my eyes to the impact of gender on my life, and anti-racism blogs taught me to question race based power structures, natural hair blogs have helped me consider in very tangible ways how I, as an individual through my personal choices, can either challenge or accede to these norms. I may relax in the future, but if I do, it will be my choice based on all the relevant information not an unconscious genuflect to existing societal pressures. Best decision of my life? Nowhere near (that is probably marrying my husband!). But certainly a valuable and powerful and worthwhile experience.

Thanks for this ^^.

 

[ElegantPearl17]

Subbing...... great thread

 

[MsLi@512]

MsLi@512 I think "best decision of my life" is most often used as a hyperbolic turn of phrase to describe a positive decision. For instance: "I just got an iPhone--best decision of my life!"

lol. I get that it is a phrase. But to say something is the"best thing that I ever have done" resonates with me as a defining point in a persons life. I mean some folk describe transitioning as not just a physical process for their hair, but also transition in the spiritual. And that's literal not just a phrase to mean, yeah it was cool. It is a life affirming, life changing event for them. These were the folk I wanted to hear from. I want to know how that experience was. Like her
http://www.youtube.com/user/LuBellaCoils#p/u/44/J34p2IMtlJE

 

[MsLi@512]

I'm almost BSL... and I still don't know how I feel... Sweetie... It's been hard... lol.... I look at it as a challenge... and a healthier alternative to chemical relaxers... I'm learning... i'm learning...

lol. E hug for youI totally understand.

 

[Missigirl]

I am transitioning. The main reason is because my relaxed hair started shedding really bad and when I finally got control of the shedding my hair was thinner than I wanted it to be. I knew I needed to cut a lot of hair and this seemed like a good time to learn my natural hair texture. If I decide it is more than I can handle I will texlax but never relax bone straight again. It was the best decision for my hair at this time. I am enjoying my natural texture.

 

[Lila25]

Going natural for me was as Prettypithy said, a Humbling experience."
We spend a lot of time concerned with the health of our bodies, but we forget about the health of our scalp. For me going natural was about preserving and taking care of my scalp and my hair follicles. Relaxers, no matter how little time I left them on my scalp would burn. I used Just for Me relaxer for years, left it on no longer than 10 minutes and my scalp burned. I was cautionary not to scratch my scalp before a relaxer and nothing helped. So after I had a bad reaction to Bigen hair color after relaxing my hair a week prior, I decided enough was enough. My mind was free before I did my big chop!

I transitioned for a year and when I did cut off all the relaxer I fell in love with my natural hair texture and how good my scalp felt! No more chemicals, burns, worrying about not overlapping, or leaving on the relaxer too long. I was happy to be nappy and not worry about having straight hair. Natural hair is very versatile. You can flat iron it to achieve a relaxed looking style, wear an Afro, puffs, braids, twists, oh my!!

So many reasons for me, but I love the freedom and most important a healthy happy scalp!

 

[Aviah]

I guess it depends on the person, as with anything in life. For some women it might be that deep because they felt they had "bad hair", or hair was generally a sensitive issue for them. Others may have struggled to care for it. So then to go natural and have sift healthy hair without the chemicals they thought were needed, it would be a big and liberating experience.

I prefer natural, and not having touch ups as more of a styling/maintenance preference. So it was never that deep either, but I love my hair.

Sent from my GT-I5700 using GT-I5700

 

[Curlykale]

Yeah, I think it depends on how a person has experienced the subject and I think it is just a nice, an enthusiastic way of saying it. Some people may have traumas from the chemicals, other people may have spent money and regret it, some women may feel more in tune with themselves at some point in their life and hair is just a little detail that may reflect it... Some people may feel like their body and spirit need to feel connected, and others feel like hair is an accessory.

To me: it has been a little detail that has unexpectedly taught me a "do it yourself" attitude at home and in my personal space, as I didn't have it by default and I was used to "just quickly buy things to fix this and that". When looking for information for my hair, I started to care about healthy practices and cooking, to simplify, and now the little area in my life that involves "taking care of myself and others" has a few more interesting tools and methods and this way I have one less distraction when it comes to new important things to learn in other areas.

Spending life worrying about weight, hair, it just doesn't feel right to me. But not worrying at all AND feeling and looking great at the same time does feel good, relaxed or natural. Feeling like you have less needs and less things to buy, and information in general can feel liberating, I love this about the process, it can be with hair or with anything else, relaxed or natural, etc...

 

[discodumpling]

Going Natural was the best decision I have EVER made for me AND my family health wise. My natural and HHJ ignited a fire and thirst for hair AND body health knowledge. Everyone close to me has benefited!

Immediately when I chopped off those relaxed ends back on April 1st 2007 I felt relief. It's like my body did a massive EXHALE & I haven't looked back since. I PREFER my natural hair over the scraggly chemicalized mess that was my relaxed hair. I have since come to realize that it NEVER was for me. My fine thin kinky hair could never realize it's full potential with a perm