Cutting my Relaxer and going Natural....maybe!

Chika_2015

So I am thinking of going natural.... I am sick and tired of getting a relaxer and having to wait in a hair salon just to get my hair done. I hate the fact that i spend over $150 a month to get my hair done. And I hate the fact that I have to get up extra early to do my hair to get ready to go to work.
So I need some help In deciding whether Natural is the way to go.
Can an Naturals help me out here?
Can I get some pros and cons from those that have gone through transition.
Thanks a bunch
~Chika

chrissismone

Honey this isn't the site for this topic. We are very rare and far out here. But there is a site that can help you with all your natural hair care questions or if you will be transisitioning without a bc -big chop or if you will just chop off al lthe relaxer.
That site is called lhcf and it rocks if you haven't already heard of it..

ygrad2001

I haven't had a relaxer since August 2010. I didn't do the big chop. I just kept it braided or in a quick weave until it all grew out. I have a sew in now and I love it. When I do wear my natural hair I rock an afto puff or a blow out.

cgsr

My wife did the "big chop" about 3 months ago...I was nervous (on the inside) before hand...but I love it...go for it.

dietfree2012

Hi Chika!!! Nothing against naturals this is just my story Im 30. For my entire adult life i have been hideous to my hair and i started paying for it around the age of 25. I love different styles, especially weave!! I do braids, I do perms, cuts, color, etc. Well after years of damage i decided in November 2010 to take care of my hair starting with going natural. i grew my hair out for 6 months wearing sew ins and braids. I then did the big chop. Now, i never wanted to sport my natural curls as i have what i consider bigger features and i dont think that it fits my face,, with that being said, the big chop for me was to just to get rid of all the perm, which i thought was my breakage reason, all together. Fast forward to January 2012. I had a nice length, chin lengh bob when straightened. I was happy. Then came the problem. Working out!!! You cant work out with a natural, unless you want to rock your natural curls lol. Anytime your hair gets wet, sweating, rain, etc, your hair curls to its natural state and remember i want to wear my hair straight. So after trying to limit my working out due to my hair and getting frustrated, i went back to the creamy crack lol. i loved the way my hair felt natrural but it didnt work for me because i was unwilling to rock my natural curls. Now i have focused on living with my hair and not weave while working out. I have learned that no matter if you perm or dont perm your hair....how you treat it is going to determine how it looks and feels. I wash and do either a protein treatment or a deep conditioner at home every week and go to the salon bi weekly. I probably spend 100$ a month on my hair, but now that its trained to wrap properly with less heat and that i take care of it i absolutely love love love it!!! i always thought you had to choose between working out or your hair, but its really about how you manage it. So when i workout...which i do almost everyday at random times, i wrap my hair and put a cotton scarf on it (cotton soaks up sweat better...i do sleep in a satin scarf) and go workout. immediately after working out i take the wet scarf off. Each head is different...i can sweat for an hour and the only part of my head that gets really wet is the front. the key is to let it dry. after removing the wet scarf i put i dry satin one on and get ready for work. it takes me about 45 minutes to get dressed for work and for the most part my hair is ready by then. if you work out overnight it will definitely be dry in the morning. For example this morning i worked out from 6 am to 7am..put my satin scarf on my hair at 7am....showered and got dressed and unwrapped my hair at 745 am...ready for work its been such a journey to get to where i am today with my hair but im a so happy that it ended this way. i feel like i have found my hair zen...:happy: my opinion is....whatever you choose you are going to have to spend a little time maintaining your hair...I suggest not going natural if you are not ready to really "Go Natural". Now if you are ready to rock your curls, go natural!! i see so many woman at the gym who shake out their curls and go!! its a beautiful thing!

QueenFe

I've been natural for 2 years now... I did the big chop and just let it all grow back, I realize not everyone can do that but you have to decide what's best for you. I too use to spend a lot of money and time in the salon but now I just wash, condition and braid my hair myself. Sit under dryer for an hour or so unbraid and go... I do this weekly. When I get in my (I want a perm mood) I'll flat iron it and where it straight. I love the flexibility. But just make sure this is what you want. I workout daily so wearing it curly works best for me right now... My profile picture is a braidout ( just me braiding it up while wet and putting Shea Moisture on it).. Good Luck with your decision!!!

JaySpice

Hit up CurlyNikki.com

Great site for advice. I find that being natural I spend a bunch of time doing my hair at night vs in the morning. I'm still spending a bunch of time on my hair. Going natural will not let you go from bed to shower to out the door. You still have to style it. And ain't nothing like being a newbie and trying out a style. Spending an hour before bed twisting and stuff for your hair to look like total crap when you take it out. Just like weight lost, it's a progress. Good luck though. I've been natural for years and love it.

MsTanya77

There is a group on MFP dedicated to this "Natural is the New Beauty". I am going natural for the 2nd time and I plan to follow thru this time. I attempted it once before and because of working out, I broke down and got a perm. The perm gave me alot of breakage and my hair no longer felt healthy. I'm ready to rock my natural curls so I am patiently waiting to grow it out. I don't do weaves and wigs and all that so I will flatiron my hair until I'm ready to the big chop. Give it a try, there are MANY sisters out there that are going natural for many different reasons. Our hair is healthiest when it's natural. You will have to take sweat into consideration thought, because any moisture will make your hair curl up. And you must be watchful the types of products you use on your hair natural hair as well. Also make sure your hairstylists knows how to work w/ natural hair. Youtube videos help alot w/ showing you transitioning hairstyles, and etc.

Elohvey

Relaxer free over here! For two years once this august passes. I love that my hair is soft now rather than crinkly. I am still not completely used to managing it sometimes, in other words I get more frustrated. But I'll just twist it and leave it alone for a week when that happens.

Edit: After the big chop I had last summer, it became a lot more easier to manage the hair. i'd recommend doing that sooner than later, but I'm biased since it was easier for me that way.

100by422012

Hi I have been natural since 1994. It's one of the best decisions I have ever made. The freedom for me has been incredible. I say do it! If you don't like it you can always grow it back. It's just HAIR! Good luck on your weight loss and hair journey.

DrivenDiva

I love my NATURAL hair! Best part about it is no matter what rain, sweat, snow, sleet, sex (LOL), I can withstand any element and now have to worry about my hair. It's a truly liberating thing. The money and time spent maintaining a relaxer is ridiculous to me in hindsight. My only regret about going back to natural is that I didn't do it sooner (8 years chemical free).

Join the "Natural Hair" group on Facebook (the one with about 35,000 members). It is one of the most resourceful natural hair havens on the internet. Check out You Tube and search natural hair. It too is a wonderful resource.

LoSena

i haven't relaxed my hair since i was in junior high/2nd year of high school. i did try a Keratin treatment 2 years ago & loved that! it allowed me to wear my hair curly but also straighten it within 20 mins & minimal heat! & the treatment last 10 months before i had to reapply it. i haven't had ANY treatment in my hair for a while now & have discovered a few new & inexpensive products that allow me to manage my hair (if you want the names let me know). i love the freedom of being able to wake up, shake out my curls, apply some alcohol free moose & alcohol free gel & just go! & i swear i look younger with curly hair! it will take a while to grow your relaxer out but in the end it will be so worth it!



DrivenDiva--> i will defineitly check out that FB group :-) thanks for the tip

Mandy86Lee

I LOVE my natural hair !! Do it !! Its healthier anyway

beeka2ked

I went thru the same thing less than a year ago. Then after doing braids and twists for a few months I just decided to do the big chop. I LOVE IT!!!! It works for me because I sweat really bad when I workout and my hair would be soaked but with the natural I just workout & go.
If you dont like it after you do the bc just think it will grow back. Good Luck!!!

InnerFatGirl

Do it, do it!

You're looking after your body, so look after your hair too

Kimmaytube on Youtube is really good.

jesusislove1526

Natural for the second time around for 10 months. I transitioned for almost 15 months, cutting gradually until my BC last May. The websites that the other ladies listed will help you to make your decision. Its a choice that I wish I had made years ago. I wear mine in twists and braids with my own hair primarily, so working out while natural is never a problem for me, but I guess you would run into issues if you wanted to wear your natural hair straight. Since I am in protective styles most of the time, I don't have the issues of twisting nightly, etc. I just moisturize and seal every other day and pin my hair up various ways. Loving my natural hair!

ShannanLaNae

bump!

ezramedic

I am natural LOVE it!

I read the book "Curly Girl: The Handbook" by Lorraine Massey and it completely changed the way I care for my hair.

I totally recommend it to anyone who is curly, or has a curly child!

http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Lorraine-Massey/dp/076115678X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332204601&sr=1-1

deniseselah

I went natural 11-ish? years ago. I grew up doing press and curl, then jheri and perms (or rather having them done to me!) ... and suffered so many chemical burns on my head that my hair had a pretty rough time. Still pretty thin on top all this time later. I cut the perm off gradually and wore twists until I was brave enough to loc my hair. 5 years in, I cut off all my locs .... STUPID! but as soon as my hair got enough length for itty bitty twists, I twisted it and it started growing like gangbusters ... (well, except that front part). Here are a couple of blogs I've run across:

http://www.curlynikki.com/
http://hairitis.tumblr.com/
http://hairnista.blogspot.com/

best of luck with whatever you decide!

LovingCruz

Been all natural for 2 years, transitioned for 1 year before I cut the perm out.