Anyone Go From Natural to Relaxed? Did you regret it?

[SocialWorker29]

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I did a search and all I found were transitioner threads ( relaxed to natural). I've been natural for almost 8 years...( I've literally permed twice in that time and cut it off to start over) and I'm thinking about relaxing. Has anyone been natural and went back to relaxing? Did you regret it??

 

[Crysdon]

I went from natural to texturized. I don't regret it at all. Just be sure to find a good regimen and study the board faithfully if you do decide to get a relaxer.

 

[sareca]

Hi all. I went from a little over a year natural (6-7 inches) to a phyto 2 relaxer. It's been over a month now and I don't regret it at all.

 

[Phoenix]

Well, I tried to go from natural to relaxed, but I ended up texturized. For some reason, after being natural so long, my hair just won't take a perm like it used to. Actually, I don't think I would ever go back to bone straight after having being natural...I would miss my little coilys.

 

[Plenty]

OMG, Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly relaxing two yrs worth of beautiful natrual just because of the dirty looks I got from my white boss, is the mistake I regret more than any mistake I have ever made.

I am so hurt by my stupidy, I have thought about it every day for the past 9 months.

Sorry to sound so pathetic, but I am. It was the worst mistake I ever made

 

[caligirl]

Yes, after being natural for over 20 years, I regret perming my hair. I got all of 4 touch-ups before deciding to transition. My natural hair is so thick, soft and beautiful. My pressed hair looks so much healthier than my permed hair. And with natural hair I can wet set it to make it wavy, curly, whatever.

 

[ichephren]

Even though I loved my natural hair and found it hard to part with it, I do not regret relaxing at all. In fact I was just thinking about natural v. relaxed/texturized recently and I decided that I love my hair now and it suits my needs so much more than my natural. I used Phyto Index I and my hair is as healthy as my natural hair was and much easier to maintain. And I get to use more products!!! Yes I have issues

 

[Country gal]

I am natural with no plans to perm ever again. I have seen some naturals go back to a perm. Their hair does seem really healthy and long. It seems that going relaxed after having natural hair with the knowledge; the hair seems more healthy versus a regular relaxer.

 

[locabouthair]

OMG, Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly relaxing two yrs worth of beautiful natrual just because of the dirty looks I got from my white boss, is the mistake I regret more than any mistake I have ever made.

I am so hurt by my stupidy, I have thought about it every day for the past 9 months.

Sorry to sound so pathetic, but I am. It was the worst mistake I ever made

is your hair breaking? is that why your hair you regret relaxing again?

 

[SocialWorker29]

THank you everyone for your comments and suggestions!!! For me, I think I've held down the natural fort for so long and now it's just time for a change. I'm no wash-n-go type girl, so doing my hair takes an incredible amount of time and effort, only to get results that I'm not to happy with.

I am natural with no plans to perm ever again. I have seen some naturals go back to a perm. Their hair does seem really healthy and long. It seems that going relaxed after having natural hair with the knowledge; the hair seems more healthy versus a regular relaxer.

I think you're absolutely right. Knowledge is key. One of the things being natural has taught me is what my hair can and cannot do and this board has helped me to understand that a regimen is needed to keep permed ( and natural) hair looking good. When I did wear my hair relaxed, I honestly remember gelling, using alchohol-laden products ( spritz was my friend), touching up every 4-5 weeks, coloring and then wondering why my hair was breaking off .

Thanks all again!

 

[locabouthair]

I'll admit that I am tempted to go back to relaxing only because my hair seems too much to deal with sometimes. with a perm it would be more easy to manage and it would save time. i think ill keep the natural hair until may then decide what i want to do.

 

[BBabe]

I'll admit that I am tempted to go back to relaxing only because my hair seems too much to deal with sometimes. with a perm it would be more easy to manage and it would save time. i think ill keep the natural hair until may then decide what i want to do.

Ditto. I've been natural forever but may eventually texturize. I don't love my natural hair. It's a ton of painful work. My shrinkage, knots, tangles etc. I think I'd like a mild texturize to loosen the coil a bit to make the hair more manageable. I think with the board I could do it safely and not lose any hair. So once my hair hits mid back I'll start researching.

 

[ProseChild]

I was natural twice. Each time was for a year.

I've learned that I just can't handle my natural hair. I also don't have the money to get it done regularly. For me, its much easier to manage when it is relaxed, and I see no difference in my hair's health.

I will say though, make sure you're doing it for entirely personal reasons.

 

[phynestone]

OMG, Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly relaxing two yrs worth of beautiful natrual just because of the dirty looks I got from my white boss, is the mistake I regret more than any mistake I have ever made.

I am so hurt by my stupidy, I have thought about it every day for the past 9 months.

Sorry to sound so pathetic, but I am. It was the worst mistake I ever made

How do you know he was giving you looks do to your hair? Is it really any of his business?

I did this too and sometimes miss my natural hair. However, I learned more about hair care when I was natural and my relaxed ends thank me for it.

 

[auntybe]

I was natural three times. The last time was 3 yrs. I don't regret relaxing. I just sometimes wish I was better at styling my own hair. I amy go natural again. I just like to change up and give my hair break sometimes.

 

[angelk316]

Have you tried pressing your hair?

 

[SocialWorker29]

NO, never. I was tempted to do it just to see the length, but because I exercise daily, I don't think it would last longer than 24 hrs. so it would be like flushing money down the toilet.

 

[SocialWorker29]

Ditto. I've been natural forever but may eventually texturize. I don't love my natural hair. It's a ton of painful work. My shrinkage, knots, tangles etc. I think I'd like a mild texturize to loosen the coil a bit to make the hair more manageable. I think with the board I could do it safely and not lose any hair. So once my hair hits mid back I'll start researching.

Tell me about it.. Once I decided to do small twists in my hair, I left them in for about 2 days and my hair had started to loc already! To take them out I had to cut the knots off the ends... I wasn't happy at all with that.

 

[Nenah]

I was natural for about a year I could deal with my hair I just missed my relaxed hair so much.

 

[CarefreeinChicago]

Tell me about it.. Once I decided to do small twists in my hair, I left them in for about 2 days and my hair had started to loc already! To take them out I had to cut the knots off the ends... I wasn't happy at all with that.

same thing happened to me i had two strand twist in for a couple of weeks and my hair started to loc i had knots and tangles for days i said i would never do that again i am thinking about perming again i have been a tired sew in for 5 weeks and i ordered a maxiglide if that does not work i am thinking about a perm...l love my natural hair just can't take the looks and questions(my boss asked me friday "you are always doing something different with your hair")

 

[Suri]

Even though I loved my natural hair and found it hard to part with it, I do not regret relaxing at all. In fact I was just thinking about natural v. relaxed/texturized recently and I decided that I love my hair now and it suits my needs so much more than my natural. I used Phyto Index I and my hair is as healthy as my natural hair was and much easier to maintain. And I get to use more products!!! Yes I have issues

I feel you. I went natural in 2004 ( i think the transition is the most exciting part and then of course being natural) I relaxed after 4 months and was VERY upset about it. I didn't have enough knowledge, nor patience to get to know my hair. So here I go again as of Dec 2004 transitioning and I really love my natural hair, I usually wear it back in a bun or two pony's but it's short and that is the only reason I may relax, so that I can ease up all the pulling and tugging trying to wear in back. No braids for me, no more pulling on my scalp. I think that I can stretch my relaxer to twice a year until I have more length to work with during transition. I guess I felt like I had to choose, I now I don't. I feel better knowing that I don't have to run to get a relaxer as soon as I have some NG, let it chill, grow out and get wild. Reexamining my hair goals has allowed me more freedom and no regret. I know now that I want healthy, long hair.
I am a PJ and I just enjoy variety with my hair. So sometimes I feel like relaxing, sometimes I don't.
Sorry so long

 

[SocialWorker29]

(my boss asked me friday "you are always doing something different with your hair")

If I had a dime for everytime I heard this at work!!!! I have worn fro's, braids, twists w/ and w/o extensions. Sew-ins, micros...folks at my job don't know what to think.
Which is another reason why I'm thinking about relaxing cause this is getting expensive!

 

[SocialWorker29]

I feel you. I went natural in 2004 ( i think the transition is the most exciting part and then of course being natural)

True. There's a lot of anticipation when transitioning, however when you do the BC you may find that it's more difficult than anticipated. It takes a lot of work to do some of the styles that look so good in other ppl's albums.

 

[CurliDiva]

I've regretted each time I've try to perm my hair. erplexed I've been to variuos salon and tried to do it myself, but I think my allergic to the chemicals -- when relaxed my scalp gets and stays irritated, and my hair thins EACH and EVERY time!

I'm going to be NATURAL for the rest of my life.

 

[Suri]

I've regretted each time I've try to perm my hair. erplexed I've been to variuos salon and tried to do it myself, but I think my allergic to the chemicals -- when relaxed my scalp gets and stays irritated, and my hair thins EACH and EVERY time!

I'm going to be NATURAL for the rest of my life.

And I think I forget that for some people it's not about a choice, it's either go natural or go bald and risk your health. In that case, I would be totally natural. But having a choice, I like the option of going back and forth. I feel that one day I will be all natural.

 

[Belle Du Jour]

I texturized since going natural, and I regretted it because it did not give me the results I wanted. I experienced a lot of shedding too. (which wasn't due to lack of knowledge or care.) I think my hair strands are too fine to be chemically altered. I am natural now, and as far as I can tell, I'll stay that way.

 

[Suri]

I texturized since going natural, and I regretted it because it did not give me the results I wanted. I experienced a lot of shedding too. (which wasn't due to lack of knowledge or care.) I think my hair strands are too fine to be chemically altered. I am natural now, and as far as I can tell, I'll stay that way.

OT: Hey! I'm a cancer too!7*16

 

[MzTami]

SocialWorker29,

This is a really good thread for transitioners or anyone that is thinking about going natural.

 

[SqrpioQutie]

i was natural for all of what, 4 months, so no, i don't regret texturizing at all... actually, i liked everything for a while - the transitioning part was fun for a minute... rocking the twa was fun for a minute... but the texturizer makes me much much happier... i'm an accessory queen now and i have options and versatility (although i wash n go 99% of the time)...

 

[ichephren]

Let me add to my post by saying that I was natural for about 6yrs, with a bad motions relaxer in between. I had the relaxer in May and cut it off in the December of the same year. The first time I relaxed, it was not entirely my choice. I thought that having relaxed hair would be more presentable at work, and I was always trying to get my hair straight anyway, so I permed it. Big mistake. The worst reason to perm is to go by what other people think as you will most surely regret it. The best reason is lifestlye, since that reflects your own personal needs. I doubt that I would have relaxed a second time had I not found phyto. I am very scared of lye and I am so not into beating my hair into submission anymore. And those who are considering going relaxed should keep in mind that long natural hair is very different than short natural hair as far as styling options go. For me, it took me almost 3yrs(even when wet) to be able to put my hair into a tiny puff. That to me is way too long to wait to be able to have options with my hair. But to each her own...just don't perm for anyone else's sake.