Naturals, what are some things you noticed after you ceased relaxers?

[StarScream35]

Just curious to see what people experienced after they stopped getting relaxers.

For me, I was able to grow out my kitchens thank God, but the most interesting thing I noticed is, my scalp doesn't get sore as much. When I used to get relaxers, there was a certain time my scalp would be sore as hayle. As I was doing my hair yesterday, I realized, it's been a while since I've had a sore scalp!!!

 

[Foxglove]

Thicker, longer hair

 

[reeko43]

No more flakes from dry scalp.

 

[APrayer4Hair]

More retention. Hair is more resilient; I could not comb my relaxed hair while wet. I can color without worrying about double processing.

 

[MicheePrings]

The density of my hair became fuller, and my hair is darker and shinier than when I was relaxed

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[MystiqueBabe]

A lot of things but the major differences are

-My hair doesn't feel like dry grass/hay anymore. It actually feels like hair should. It feels moisturized, supple, healthy.
-It straightens better and has body
-It's thicker
-It doesn't break or snap off
-My hair has turned black again and has a healthy sheen, relaxers turned my hair reddish brown for some reason and it was very dull
-My hair accepts moisture better
-My hair retains length

 

[Lucie]

I am not natural anymore but I noticed my dandruff was arrested immediately.

 

[whiteoleander91]

no more flakes
thicker hair
darker hair
easy retention
softer
stronger

 

[StarScream35]

Ahhh yes, some of you mentioned resilient hair or hair that doesn't snap. I forgot about this. Yes, the strength of my natural hair amazes me. Snapping was a problem when I was relaxed but now I'm shocked at how I can forge through them coils with no snapping. And the thickness is phenomenal!!!!

 

[StarScream35]

Also I forgot about the psychology behind it...............I no longer worry about rain, it just doesn't phase me anymore. I also love going swimming! Also, I love washing my hair now. In fact some argue I wash too much but it's quite resilient and holds up well, but I just love it so much. Doing it is quite soothing.

 

[SimJam]

Also I forgot about the psychology behind it...............I no longer worry about rain, it just doesn't phase me anymore. I also love going swimming! Also, I love washing my hair now. In fact some argue I wash too much but it's quite resilient and holds up well, but I just love it so much. Doing it is quite soothing.

I'm the opposite. Never feared rain when I was relaxed. Now that I'm natural and normally have my hair in a twistout, Im less happy about being in the rain.

Never could understand why relaxed ladies were afraid of the rain erplexed

 

[Tonto]

Le me be real... before I went back natural, I didn't know anything about haircare, I didn't have a clue about it. All I knew was my hair needed to stay clean, shampoo - without conditioner- every two weeks. I didn't do protein treatments, I barely did hot oil treatments. When I went back natural, I noticed I had less dandruff, I touch my hair more often, I was able to reach and go beyond the length I had in 19 years in 3 years of being natural, and it seems like people are like "oh... so you have natural hair"? People seem to be more judgmental but I don't ca-a-a-a-a-are lol that's it for my novel

 

[missjones]

Thicker hair. I remember the first time I flat ironed when I was fully natural. I was doing four sections and I noticed that one flat ironed section was thicker than my whole head of hair when I was relaxed.

 

[charmtreese]

my hair tangles less as a natural...weird I know!

 

[deedoswell]

thicker and stronger hair - my hair is already fine and thin and the relaxer just made it limp!

 

[amwcah]

I have been toying with the idea of going natural for a while now. My nape is natural. It seems like when I relax it it falls out.

I have about an inch of new growth. Last week I washed my hair after taking out my latch braids, and I noticed how darker it was from my texlaxed hair. It was coarser and stronger vs my fine, limp relaxed hair. It was so soft and moisturized vs my straw-like dry relaxed hair. Then...I worked out and my natural hair reverted. My beautiful flat iron job was ruined.

I so want to transition, but how do I manage my natural hair while working out?

Anyway, I love this thread. It is giving me inspiration to take the plunge.

 

[StarScream35]

I have been toying with the idea of going natural for a while now. My nape is natural. It seems like when I relax it it falls out.

I have about an inch of new growth. Last week I washed my hair after taking out my latch braids, and I noticed how darker it was from my texlaxed hair. It was coarser and stronger vs my fine, limp relaxed hair. It was so soft and moisturized vs my straw-like dry relaxed hair. Then...I worked out and my natural hair reverted. My beautiful flat iron job was ruined.

I so want to transition, but how do I manage my natural hair while working out?

Anyway, I love this thread. It is giving me inspiration to take the plunge.

I myself transitioned from relaxed to natural. I decided to stop straightening altogether and let my hair air-dry. This way some of the kink was still left and the demarcation line wouldn't take as much of a hit. It really helped but I was still prone to breakage. It didn't help that I didn't know much about my hair and had to experiment with which products worked and which did not. I kept my hair trimmed on a regular basis too so that helped. Eventually as it grows, you will have trimmed a great deal of the relaxer out. It's scary and I'm not gonna lie, it does take work but the end result was amazing and well worth it. This site definitely helped me out!

 

[BrownSkin2]

*Healthier scalp. I had big white flakes all the time and it constantly itched when I was relaxed.
*Darker hair
*Thicker stands
*Lots of shrinkage & big hair
*I use way more product as a result of thicker hair.
*More tangles & knots

 

[BostonMaria]

I was shocked at how thick my natural hair is. I had no idea and boy was I happy. Once I did the BC it took a long for me to get used to the thickness. I'd touch my hair and be like who the heck is that LOL

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[MarieB]

--Thicker, healthier hair
--Darker hair
--Stronger hair
--SSK's ( :-( worth it, though!)
--My mother is proud of me for going natural, and I have inspired my younger sister to go natural, too!
--Feeling better about myself because I'm not battling my own nature; I know it's just hair, but there is something gratifying about accepting yourself.
--I use a lot more product, but I am more discriminating about the products I use.
--My fiance (formerly my SO) gets to congratulate himself every time I get a hair compliment because he asked me for years what my hair would look like if I "didn't do all that stuff to it"!

 

[SimJam]

I like big hair (always had my hair bone straight, no rod/curly sets when relaxed)
Apparently I'm now an "empress"

 

[prettybyrd]

I not only saw thicker hair, but the severity and frequency of my migraines improved. I'm very sensitive to odors, and the smell of a relaxer would trigger migraines in me. Weird, I know.

 

[geejay]

I had notorious dandruff flakes when I was relaxed, but since I've been natural, my scalp has been clean and calm.

 

[Bunnyhaslonghair]

Baby hair! Especially on the back of my neck.

 

[LivingInPeace]

No flakes, no itchy scalp, hair strands stretch before they break, hair at the nape actually grows!

 

[workinprogress1]

All the years I was relaxed, my family my hair dresser and I always thought that my hair grew so much slower in the back than in the top. But during my transition I found that my my hair in the back just wasn't retaining as well!!!!!! I am still transitioning but my back is almost completely natural while the top/middle still has some longer pieces of relaxed ends . The natural growth is equal throughout so I learned a big lesson on the importance of retention.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

My scalp is healthier and less dry and itchy.

My hair is insanely thick!

My natural hair, now that it is all natural, doesn't tangle. People look at my hair and think it's "nappy" but once the hair hits it I can slide a wide tooth comb through it with little effort.

My strands are STRONG! On the rare occasion that i pop one, the sound is crazy loud and I actually FEEL the strand snap!

My hair grows out quickly. I've been natural for seven months and I've already had several inches cut twice.

Although my hair is quite course I do have a coil pattern all throughout my head. I had no clue of this before.

My hair takes color very well. I can now wear permanent color without fear of being bald.

When my hair is straightened, it has crazy body, is the same thickness from root to tip. Love it!

Being natural has been a great experience! If I ever need a change, I'd rather pop a sew in for a while and then go back to my natural hair.

 

[HappilyLiberal]

Just curious to see what people experienced after they stopped getting relaxers.

For me, I was able to grow out my kitchens thank God, but the most interesting thing I noticed is, my scalp doesn't get sore as much. When I used to get relaxers, there was a certain time my scalp would be sore as hayle. As I was doing my hair yesterday, I realized, it's been a while since I've had a sore scalp!!!

I had something similar going on.... I would get something that was akin to acne on my scalp only it was very sore. I don't get that anymore. Also, my sides are filling in nicely.

 

[kupenda]

I've learned so much about my hair since going natural. When I think of my hair, one of the first words to come to mind is "elastic". It wasn't stretchy while relaxed. It was in it's regular state and only stretched an itty bitty tiny amount before popping. I had white tip breakage. Few splits, but still had them. None as a natural. I also had a TERRIBLY itchy crown. To the point that I scratched myself bald. I was being treated for stress etc. As I got older I started making changes. I stretched my relaxers and started getting the Alter Ego shea butter relaxer instead. My scalp improved a bit. Now that I'm fully natural, I have NO issue with my scalp. It's growing in nicely and doesn't itch any more than other parts of my scalp

 

[VivaMac]

No more whack patch, that area in the back of head which was always, shorter, dryer, is now cooperating and looks like it belongs on my head with rest of my hair.