Going Natural Decision Wasn't That Deep

[Zawaj]

The first time I went natural it was for "deeper" reasons. Eventually, after relaxing and BCing a few times (my last relaxer was about 10 months ago) it became not that big of deal. I'm definitely not a natural nazi like I used to be. My thing is I want long healthy hair and for ME that's more likely to happen with my hair natural.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Going all natural from texlaxed hair is not that big of a deal for me. I was stupidly putting a mild relaxer on my hair for a few minutes a few times per year out of habit - not even necessity. I never liked limp hair, but I didn't have the insight to stop doing what I was doing. Now that I've found religion,err, umm, LHCF, I know what to do to achieve manageability while transitioning. And now I understand that I didn't like the way my hair looked because it was too short at collarbone length and I'll like it better once I get past bsl. Thanks to all the ladies who are showing us their "secrets".

 

[SherylsTresses]

I'm 11 weeks post and transitioning. I'm just tired of paying someone to make my hair straight, thin and lifeless. As I continued reading posts, I realized that natural hair has the fullness, health and versatility that I am searching for. I am sooo in love with new NG now
:heart2::luv2:

that I can't see getting chemicals added to it. So no more relaxers for me.

 

[SherylsTresses]

Going all natural from texlaxed hair is not that big of a deal for me. I was stupidly putting a mild relaxer on my hair for a few minutes a few times per year out of habit - not even necessity. I never liked limp hair, but I didn't have the insight to stop doing what I was doing. Now that I've found religion,err, umm, LHCF, I know what to do to achieve manageability while transitioning. And now I understand that I didn't like the way my hair looked because it was too short at collarbone length and I'll like it better once I get past bsl. Thanks to all the ladies who are showing us their "secrets".

^^^^LHCF does sound like hair religion/spirituality.

 

[Truth]

yup...lol.. I got bored with the relaxed state.. I wanted to see how long it could grow, once I accomplished a length I liked ,it was whatever. I figured since I stretched 6months between relaxers anyway.. I might as well keep going and go natural.. ..and that's what I did.

 

[Computer Blue]

No deeper for me than me just wanting my natural hair back. Knew it would eventually happen and I just got to that point. Like others, I want the versatility back. When I relaxed, I wanted the relaxed look, decrease in volume and all.
Now I have grown to prefer the opposite on me. I have moved out of the "dark ages" when it comes to tools thanks to LHCF, so I can successfully straighten if I want. I am glad to know others feel it ain't that deep. It is hard for me to get into a lot of threads because I am just not in the excitement/discovery phase like someone may be who is experiencing their texture for the first time. My challenge is patience, if only I could snap my fingers...

 

[janeemat]

I'm not natural neither am I thinking about going natural, but I do love this thread. I can relate to loving the big hair, because I do love stretching and feeling the thickness of my ng.

 

[CoilyFields]

I went natural as a suggestion from my stylist. My hair had always been pretty long (by real life standards) with a relaxer but for some reason when I moved more south it did not act right (maybe the hard water?). But I went natural with the full intention of wearing my hair straight!

I was a pressed natural until a series of unfortunate events lead me to wear my natural hair natural (not pressed).

That is when it became deeper for me...because I had to learn to believe that my napps were beautiful...which exposed my previous indiffernce/dislike for them coupled with battling negative comments and "straight" expectations from people in our community.

But initially...it was just cuz...

 

[shinyblackhair]

I am still relaxed but, sort of transitioning. I say sort of because I've just decided that I will no longer relax my hair and just grow out the perm, but I too, don't have reall "deep" reason for doing it. I don't feel like I've reached some spiritual or emotional epiphany, I just figue why bother relaxing when I don't wear my hair straight 90% of the time? I tend to stretch my relaxers out a lot and then wear braidouts and twist outs the rest of the time. So as someone else said, what's the point? If anything, that's was my "epiphany" if I had to say I had one. I don't flat iron weekly or even monthly for that matter and straight hair isn't important for me. Now, manageability is a different story, but I hope to find ways of managing my natural hair without chemicals...

 

[newbiemom]

I have psoriasis in my scalp and everytime I would relax it would burn like crazy so that was why I decided no more relaxers. I am currnently texlaxed and will probably grow it out with a weave. I am not bcing again.

 

[SherylsTresses]

GOTTA LOVE THIS THREAD!!! :heart2:

 

[HeChangedMyName]

I know many people have different reasons for going natural. For me, it was simply because I like the look of highly textured hair. I also like the versatility that non-chemically straightened hair offers. Some people are confused when I don't have a deep, emotional reason for going natural. I don't have any horrible chemical experiences and I don't have a deep need to get "closer to my roots" through my hair.

Did anyone else chose to go natural for "superficial" reasons such as myself (ie liking the look of it)? Sometimes I feel like a lone wolf.

I have been transitioning for 20 months

I've not taken the plung, but if/when it happens, it will be for totally superficial reasons. Natural hair is just . . .


My problem is that this dang board has taught me how to have healthy relaxed hair so. . . . I see both as beautiful nowadays.

 

[Anew]

You are not alone OP, my reasons aren't deep either. No chemical experience horror stories... I've just been inspired by all the naturals here on the boards. I'm not far in my transition but so far I'm in it for the long haul..

 

[ladysaraii]

I'm glad this thread was started. It took me about 5 min to decide to transition when previously I was swearing I would never go natural.

My reasons are mainly health of hair, but now I'm looking forward to the greatness i can acheive with natural locks

 

[FearfullyMade]

I completely understand where your coming from. I have gone natural twice within the last
10 years. I am currently about 17 months post relaxer. I like my hair permed, but I love the look and
feel of my natural hair. I would wear my natural for a little while then perm it because I did'nt know how
to properly take care of it. I love LHCF and have learned so much about how to care for my in different it's different states.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

My reasons weren't really "deep" to begin with. I thought I would have a certain type of hair as a natural and wanted that hair. I was very disappointed when I realized I didn't have that type of hair and that was when the reasons started to become deeper for me, when it wasn't just about aesthetics anymore.

Good thread though! I have to think, however, that going natural because you like the way natural hair looks does in fact have a deeper meaning than you might put to it.

 

[FearfullyMade]

I completely understand where your coming from. I have gone natural twice within the last
10 years. I am currently about 17 months post relaxer. I like my hair permed, but I love the look and
feel of my natural hair. I would wear my natural for a little while then perm it because I did'nt know how
to properly take care of it. I love LHCF and have learned so much about how to care for my in different it's different states.

 

[Stormy]

Well it wasn't that deep for me either at first. By the time I went natural I was doing pretty well taking care of my relaxed hair, and it was healthy for the most part. But... like many others I was simply tired of straight, limp and lifeless hair. My braidouts never looked right and this is one style that I am dying to wear on a regular basis, as well as some other big hair styles!

Now... it is deep for me because I've noticed a lot of things about my hair that I never knew before and I am strongly against relaxing (my hair, not others). To be honest I thought I would either have to wear my 4b hair pressed most of the time or loc it, but I was prepared for that. Now, I've learned that even 4b hair is very versatile. Thanks to LHCF and You Tube I think I'll rarely wear my hair pressed because I love my shrinkage and everything else about my hair and I don't want to damage it by using heat too often. Of course I've learned some ways around that too. Anyway NOW it's deep for me because I'm obsessed with my hair and anxious to reach my final goal of APL stretched.

Whew! Sorry this was so long.

 

[MangaManiac]

I did have a bad experience with a relaxer a while back, but I had mostly good luck with them. I just liked my hair in braids so much and as time went buy and my hair got trimmed I just woke up one morning and realized I had huge natural hair.

I guess for me it was more of an accident. I do like the look and versatility of it though. I've also been told that my hair can't take a relaxer anymore and I just remember the one set back I had over a decade ago....*shudders*...

 

[Diva_Esq]

You are not the only one! I figured I stretched my texlaxing anywhere from 4-7 months so that meant some years I was only texlaxing one time. After learning what products and techniques kept my hair manageable, I said later for the relaxers. That's it! I'm not trying to find myself, I know who I am and I'm more than comfortable with it; not trying to make a statement or prove a point, and I don't care what anyone else thinks about me and my hair. I didn't have any bad experiences, didn't have to battle with a hairdresser. The same way I decided to transition is the same way I can decide to slap a relaxer in this head if I so choose.

This is me!!!! Relaxers did make my scalp itchy and I wanted fuller hair, but it's a personal decision like anything else. ITA!

 

[curlicarib]

I've been natural my whole life. When I was young I hated combing my hair. At 13, I had an argument with my sister because I didn't want to comb my hair. She told me if I didn't want to comb it I should cut it - so I did (mbl natural). I fell in love with the TWA for a few years. Then decided to grow it again, so I got locs. No politics involved - I wanted to grow it, but still hated combing it. Found out locs was a whole lota work and cut it all off again. But I still wanted to grow it, so I got a relaxer. That lasted about 1 month and I hated every minute of it, so I cut again - back to the Super TWA (basically shaved my head). That was 1988ish(?). Since then I've learned to not hate combing my hair.

No deep need to get in touch with my roots, no politics, no agendas - just a girl who really didn't like to comb her hair.

 

[onejamifan]

I'm transitioning because I want to see what my hair looks like without the relaxer. Curiosity is my reason.

 

[FearfullyMade]

Yea, I guess I would agree, I actually like the look of both
but I do prefer it natural.

 

[I *Am* Not* My* Hair]

No political movement for me either. My thin strands look so much thicker chemical free...I have mastered optical illusion just by learning how to properly pick my fro...My hair could never look thick with a relaxer...

 

[mw138]

I'm transitioning because I want to see what my hair looks like without the relaxer. Curiosity is my reason.

I think this is the main reason why I'm considering transitioning. I just want to see what my hair would look like.

 

[tocktick]

Although I initially went natural because my relaxed hair was a hot arse mess, I don't consider my decision "deep". I simply wanted healthy hair and didn't want to wear extensions all the time by force. I was natural for like 5 mins at 15 and it took 3 years to BC again simply because during that time I still didn't know that there were ways for me to care for my hair. When I BC'd at 15, my hair was hell dry, hurt to comb and just didn't look cute. I thought my hair was destined to be this way until I found out the truth.

I didn't even know about "good hair vs bad hair", didn't associate natural hair with "connecting" with my roots, I didn't give any thought into why so many black women were relaxed on a world-wide level etc until I got onto hair boards. I did become "enlightened" in some ways towards the end of my transition but that didn't sustain me during the tough times. The thought of having pretty, healthy hair did.

 

[Bettina]

I had relaxed hair and neglected it...on top of that my hair was fine and badly broken-It was getting better as I figured out how to nurse it, and as I was stretching with braids I took one down and just wanted to see what my new growth properly moisturized would look like so I clipped the relaxed end away and just saw beauty spring forth! A month later did the BC and just started taking care of my healthy new head of hair

To me it was all about health and more fullness.

 

[Garner]

Great thread! I am transitioning for the health of my hair. Although I had a horrible experience with a stylist during a retouch, I continued to relax. (Just not as frequently). This hair board and others encouraged me to stretch and eventually I began to realize transitioning to my natural hair was a realistic goal.

 

[sms1022]

Great thread, OP!

Growing out my relaxer was not a goal of mine. I was more focused on my exercise regimen and I started wearing sew-ins and quick weaves. Even when I was relaxed and worked out heavily, I would "put my hair up" under braids, but always relaxed when I came out of them.

This time, my transition was longer, as I began to like playing around with the weaves (short, colored) without changing my actual hair. After a while, I noticed that my hair was all natural. I decided to continue to weave-it-up because I was addicted to it and became lazy!

I then wanted to know what my natural hair would be like, as I'd had *something* in it since I was about 10 years old (still in denial 'bout that care free curl...young mother in beauty school ). I also knew that taking care of my long, thick, Oprah-esque hair would be challenging and I needed to be mentally prepared.

It is overwhelming....it is challenging...but I am totally enjoying the experience!!! No political agendas, no statements, just feeling like this is what *I* want to do right now. I'm not even saying I wouldn't put something in my hair again, i.e. texturizer/tex-lax in the future....(not sure if I can spend 4+ hours on hair when I get a hubby and lil ones!! ) I still like my hair straight. I'll still blow dry and flat iron just like I'll still twist/braid out, bantu knot-out, twist-n-curl, and co-wash. God won't love me any less because I chemically altered or put heat on the tresses He gave me! I do thank Him though, for allowing me to go through this journey alongside other women whom I can learn from and share with...

Thanks Ladies!

 

[jhcprincess]

I went natural by accident. The last time I got a perm was january 2009. After that I had braids, bantu knots, etc. and before I knew it I had gone 7 months without a perm. When I got back to school I had a bantu knot out with tons of new growth and one of my friends asked me if I went natural. I said "yes" and that's that.