I have gone back and forth between relaxed and natural, and in both instances, I notice that when I don't manipulate or brood over my hair I get the best results.
Just last night my father sent me Christmas pictures that he had finally developed. My hair was long and that was well before my hair journey (I started in late mid-April of this year). I wasn't doing much to it but washing and setting once a week. I didn't obsess over moisturizers and products, and yet looking at my hair in those pictures, it looked healthy
then.
And get this: I
did use heat on my hair for Christmas and it looked healthy. I don't use heat now and my hair doesn't look any better than it did then. Furthermore, I didn't wear it in protective styles at all. I wore my hair down almost daily, rolling it up at night and sleeping in a silk bonnet. And still, those pictures showed health and shine.
So you might be on to something here. Again, even as I relax my hair, it didn't appear to be less healthy than when I was natural. And now, I'm hoping that keeping it in protective styles may prove beneficial. But, by and large, leaving it alone may be the best bet yet! I think less manipulation--whether relaxed or natural--is the key!