Question for the naturals? Did you have more coarse hair as a relaxed head?

[kgard7777]

Based on some pics that I see it appears that a lot of the naturals hair textures actually looks less coarse now that they are natural in opposed to relaxed. Example someone that looked 4a with relaxed hair now natural looks 3b or c? Does that makes sense? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

 

[Enchantmt]

You probably arent imagining it. The texture after I BC was coarser than it is now. I had a combo of scab hair/heat damage tho and it took time to find products that would work with my hair. I can't find the link now, but there used to be a member with a really good album where you could look at the pics and actually see where her texture changed halfway up the length of her hair. I've read a lot of naturals noticed the change in texture, normally it takes a year or more.

 

[Southernbella.]

Yes, my hair was very coarse when relaxed. I actually would describe the hairs as rough.

My natural hair is still thick and wiry, but the actual hairs are very smooth and have lots of sheen.

 

[glamazon386]

No... It might have just been the condition of their relaxed hair. When my hair was relaxed and damaged some times it would look dry and coarse when it really wasn't.

 

[Irresistible]

I do think my relaxed hair was coarser than its been since going natural!

 

[BostonMaria]

My hair in the back was dry, course, and would be extremely frizzy when I was relaxed and transitioning. After I cut it I found out that this was actually the softest hair on my head, which I found weird. That area in my head is actually 3b and the rest 3c. The nape hairs wouldn't grow, now its very long.

 

[Southernbella.]

My hair in the back was dry, course, and would be extremely frizzy when I was relaxed and transitioning. After I cut it I found out that this was actually the softest hair on my head, which I found weird. That area in my head is actually 3b and the rest 3c. The nape hairs wouldn't grow, now its very long.

My hair is like that too, except my nape is about 3b and the rest of my hair is 4B/A. It looks mullety when I wash n go, so I have to tease the nape to be as short as the rest.

 

[Neith]

When I was natural my hair was coarser and stronger.

My hair is WAY soft now, but it's less strong and I feel the need to introduce heavy protein to keep it in the same condition.

I was 100% natural from last summer to about February this year.

I think that it depends on your hair texture and the condition of your hair in each state.

I'm sure some people have nice, soft natural hair too. My natural hair is like a brillo pad I love my texture and plan to go natural in the future, but it is what it is...



One question:

How does a person with relaxed hair appear to be a 4b or any other hair type? You can't tell the texture by just looking at relaxed hair, right? Do you mean the new growth?

 

[LaPetiteCoquette]

My mom's natural hair is 3B, but now that she relaxes it looks 4A when relaxed, but her new growth/roots come in 3B. She has such gorgeous natural hair ... she had it natural when she married my dad when she was 18 and I drool when I look at her pics. She started relaxing when she was 21 and has been at it ever since. Her hair is still long and thick, but def. looks "coarser" than her natural hair does.

 

[Neith]

but... coarseness isn't indicative of hair type...

There are type 3's with coarse hair and type 4's with very soft hair.


Type 4 doesn't automatically mean coarse, does it?

 

[mscocoface]

Yes, my hair was coarse with a relaxer.

 

[FlowerHair]

I only relaxed my hair once, but my relaxed hair was stiff and stale compared to my natural hair that blows in the wind. My natural hair is soft to the touch even though the individual hairs are thick. When my hair was relaxed it felt kinda hard.

 

[africa]

My natural hair is very coarse. It feels lot softer relaxed.

The way it looks or feels relaxed probably has to do a lot with whether the relaxer is lye/no-lye and how healthy it is.

 

[JustKiya]

but... coarseness isn't indicative of hair type...

There are type 3's with coarse hair and type 4's with very soft hair.


Type 4 doesn't automatically mean coarse, does it?

No, it doesn't.

My hair feels more 'wiry' natural. My relaxed hair was VERY limp. Very, very, very, very, very, limp. My natural hair, on the other hand, has more 'body' and 'life' to it.