For those who have been relaxed and natural

[dicapr]

What are some universal truths about your hair that always hold true?

For me, my hair is fine and thin-it doesn't matter whether I am relaxed or natural. My hair also doesn't hold a style in either state.

 

[kandiekj100]

Been back and forth between relaxers several times. My hair is fine and thin also. Relaxed or Natural, it does not matter. However, my hair does hold a style farily well. I didn't and don't have a problem with definition, if that is what I'm going for.

And I'm not sure about anything else.

 

[Lucie]

My hair loves CW either way.

 

[SimJam]

my crown WILL break

My relaxed and natural hair are like yin and yang

relaxed hair loved glycerine - natural hair hates it
relaxed hair never frizzed - natural hair frizzes easily
relaxed hair loved cheap products - natural hair is a product snob
relaxed hair loved coconut and avocado oil - natural hair hates them
relaxed hair loved cowashing - natural hare ... meh

could go on and on

 

[gennatay]

I only wore a relaxer when my hair was cut short. My hair is thick, dense and grows fast.

 

[SmileyNY]

I was natural for 8 years and I've been texlaxed for 1.5 years now.

Either way, my hair hates heat. Even now that I'm relaxed, I rarely blow dry and I only flat iron 2-3 times per year.

My hair is super thick either way (very thankful for this)

I still have shrinkage either way & If it's humid or if I'm sweating... My hair slowly gets shorter and bigger throughout the day Sometimes I like my poofy styles better than the style I started out with lol.

My hair devours moisture and oil both ways. I'm a person that definitely benefits from daily moisturizing and sealing. When I'm consistent with it... I loooove the way my hair looks and feels.

 

[kandake]

My hair is thin. Not the strands but the density. I thought going natural would make my straightened hair look fuller - heavier. But that's not the case.

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

I have been relaxed bone straight, textlaxed/texturized and natural.

My hair is easier to handle when it is all one texture. I transitioned from bone straight hair to texlaxed hair and from texlaxed hair to natural hair. The transitioning stages took a lot patience. Thicker roots plus thinner ends is a detangling nightmare.

 

[Guinan]

I have been both natural and relaxed (currently relaxed). Both holds true w/ both textures is that PS and long conditioning is a must. I PS 98% and deep condition twice a week for at least an hour.

 

[30something]

My relaxed and natural hair are seriously two different sets of hair.
They have nothing in common besides that both grew out of my head.

 

[Bublin]

My hair is exactly the same, relaxed or natural......
Hair strands are very thin but with a high density of hair, very 'webby' and tangly, dry.

- Hates the blowdryer but didn't realise this until about 2 years into being natural.
- Hates glycerin and gels.
- Frizzes and puffs out easily
- Fake haircuts into my thin hair so I can't wear braid/twist extensions
- Can be easily damaged with flat irons so I don't use these either.
- Sheds ALOT and Breaks VERY EASILY
- Takes forever to airdry
- Only comb on wash days otherwise the breakage is quite frankly, embarrasing. HS Combs have been a blessing for me!

Now I wash once a week and set my hair in twists. Once dry I undo and wear in a high bun. At night I braid in big sections.

The difference now that I'm natural is
- No longer have a sensitive scalp/scaley scalp.
- On the rare occassion I wear my hair out in a twist-out my hair looks full, very shiney and frames my face.

 

[Southernbella.]

My hair likes heat
My hair sheds a lot
My hair is super thick
My hair needs to be deep conditioned regularly

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using LHCF

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

My natural hair, and my relaxed hair are just two different animals, both ways loved regular trims, and minimal heat...other than that, it's totally different.

My natural/texturized hair grows faster
My relaxed hair was denser, my natural/texturized hair is thicker
My natural/texturized hair LOVES protein, my relaxed hair was all about moisture
Weekly washes were enough for my relaxed hair, but my natural/texturized hair can't go longer than 3 days.
My relaxed hair was stronger. I need to be gentler with my natural/texturized hair
Relaxed hair loved shampoo. My natural/texturized hair rejects shampoo, and rebukes it.
And on, and on...

It took me a long time to nail down a permanent regimen, because my hair was suddenly so different.

 

[KaramelDiva1978]

My natural hair loved more cream moisturizers and didn't take oil very well. Now texlaxed, my hair likes more oils than cream moisturizers. Both textures love co-washing and protective styling, both textures were very thick and both textures frizz since I am texlaxed. Both textures held styles well, I was just style challenged with my natural hair, but I love self-styling with my relaxed hair.

Great thread!

 

[nappystorm]

My hair is alot of maintenance. I have alot of hair so it's going to take alot of time. Relaxed or natural.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

My relaxed hair is thick and I still have shrinkage.
I never was able to wrap and have it look nice. My relaxed hair loves products for natural hair. My natural hair thrived, but I never appreciated it. I am relaxed now and mt hair is thriving. However, I do believe my hair is better off texlaxed. I can wear protective styles and do a roller set if I want. It is the best of both worlds for me.

 

[*CherryPie*]

I have very EASY hair. Whether relaxed or natural, my hair is very easy to care for. It doesn't tangle or knot. It's a breeze! Relaxed or natural, it doesn't take long to go from wash to finish.

I used to make things hard for myself when I went natural because I was expecting caring for my hair to be difficult.

 

[NappyNelle]

My natural and relaxed hair

...Are fine in strand size
...Are low-medium density
...Need protein conditioners
...Need to be treated with care
...Like to be in protective styles
...Prefer low heat regimens

 

[Your Cheeziness]

No matter which state my hair is in, my edges are just not as dense as the rest of my hair. Everything else, is the opposite.

 

[halee_J]

I have oscillated between relaxed and natural several times in this journey

Common denominators:
Frequent deep conditioning, namely with ORS replenishing
Henna
ceramide oils
PSing
ACV rinses
Roux PC

Polar opposites:
Natural hair loves butters, relaxed prefers oils and straight up grease
Natural hates S-curl, relaxed loved it
Relaxed hated coconut oil with a passion, natural drinks it up
Relaxed loved to be gently combed through daily, natural wants to left the heck alone, not even finger combing.

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

i can use the same products for my natural and relaxed hair.

 

[AHeadOfCoils]

My relaxed and natural hair are seriously two different sets of hair.
They have nothing in common besides that both grew out of my head.

This. I have thick hair in general, but everything else is completely different.

 

[kupenda]

My relaxed hair hated protein. Even the slightest bit and that b!tch went off. My natural hair wants protein every night and a quickie in the morning to get her day started. Relaxed hair would poof up easily, natural hair is chill. Relaxed hair didn't like butters but loved oils with a passion. The only oil my natural hair won't stick her nose up at is castor, and only if it's on my scalp. I can sneak coconut and jojoba into DCers and make a difference with my natural hair, but my relaxed hair got ignorant. My crown has the thickest coarsest strands in life and while relaxed, that whole area of my scalp would be sore. As a natural, it rarely happens and if it does, my scalp responds to a massage whereas the relaxed hair would rather suffer through it

 

[Stormy]

i can use the same products for my natural and relaxed hair.

Same here! Also:

My relaxed hair loved protein, but my natural hair not so much.
My relaxed hair was "ok" with heat, my natural hair looooves heat!
Conditioner washes work well for me whether relaxed or natural.
It grows at the same rate of at least 1.5 inches a month either way.
My hair is fine (yet looks thick) whether relaxed or natural.
Whether relaxed or natural, wearing protective styles helps me to retain more length.
Seems like I don't have to trim it as often in its natural state. Relaxed it was trim every 8 weeks religiously or else suffer the consequences! Natural I can go 12 and even 16 weeks.
I need a rinse for shine whether relaxed or natural.

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

Fine strands ... doesn't have a moisture problem, not particular about shampoo, likes Organix Coconut Milk shampoo and conditioner.

 

[nerdography]

Common denominators:
Love DC with heat
Hates Protein, except for wheat protein
Hates Coconut oil, unless it's mixed with other things
Loves heavy butters
Grows fast

Polar opposites:
Natural hair dreads easily
I can leave my relaxed hair PSd all week and my hair is good
Natural hair dries out easily
Relaxed hair stays moisturized all week
I have to use a wide tooth comb and tangle teezer to detangle, and hair tangles the minute I get out the shower
Relaxed only needs wide tooth comb, stays tangle free all week

 

[Britt]

My relaxed and natural hair are seriously two different sets of hair.
They have nothing in common besides that both grew out of my head.

LOL!
I often wonder if this will be the case when I go natural. My new growth already can handle frequent moisturizing. My relaxed hair gets weighed down so easily and doesn't like anything on it.

 

[Nightingale]

Commonalities:
Likes DCs and protein.
Sheds like crazy
Doesn't like cocoa butter, glycerine (usually), 100% butters, or aloe


Only difference I can think of:
My relaxed hair doesn't like cowashing too often or too heavy moisturizers. My relaxed hair stays moisturized longer.

 

[CHI10]

both are fine and thin

 

[prospurr4]

Relaxed or natural, my hair:

-hates heat
-thrives when my diet is on point
-loves to be left alone