Why Did YOU Decide to Go Natural?

[Anew]

The hair boards did it for me. Seemed like everyone was and still is going natural and after seeing pics of new growth, chops and all the different textures we have I started paying attention to my own new growth. I always just viewed it as nappy and whenever I saw too much it was time to relax.

I never had any chemical burns, bad damage, trouble growing hair, extreme breakage and all that other crap that comes along with relaxing, I just grew tired of it. I wanted to see my natural hair and I'm so happy I'm finally natural. I don't think I'd ever go back to relaxing, it just does nothing for me.

 

[LilMissRed]

long story short.. after YEARS of relaxers and 3 kids.. my hair just seemed to stop growing and then started falling out in plugs. literally! I thought it was 'hormones' so I kept getting relaxers as usual, not knowing any better

Per my dermatologist I had 'Seborrheic Dermatitis' and he suggested no chemicals and to cut back on heat.

I havent touched either since 10/08. I still occassionally find a 'red patch' on my scalp, but my hair has grown back sooo thick and I'm loving my natural.. I refuse to ever go back to chemicals and I have no idea when I'll use heat again

 

[hair4romheaven]

I had really thick long APL hair I always trimmed to that length. It was hard to find a stylist here in Atlanta so i would stretch my relaxers until I went home to my regular dominican stylist. Years went on and I knew it was time to find a stylist here. So I started researching and found the hair boards. After months of research I found a stylist everyone raved about on the boards. So i went for a texlax by this time I was 8mnth post on my way to BSL. I never stressed length because my hair was always long but finding the hair board made me want more LENGTH. ;-) Keep in mind my reg. stylist from back home texlaxed my hair, stretched my relaxers which is why my hair thrived. So I went to this "stylist". She seemed very nice and knowledgeable...she started to relax my hair but combed it through to the ends. I stopped her and asked her to wash it out by this time half my hair was covered in relaxer from root to tip. Long story short I had BONE straight hair and scalp damage. It was a SUPER relaxer. My hair has never been this flat I CRIED and still am down about it!! it has been a fighting battle since. My hair isn't the same. I pray to god it will bounce back. So no more chemicals for me at least until i grow a new head of hair by that time I hope to fall in love with my natural texture.
I ended up growing it out for 6mths and letting my reg. stylist texlax me she said my hair was jacked and no more relaxers. I begged for a texturizer and got one and cut to NL 5/09 I also did another text 8/09(SL) I didn't want to go natural. she told to me weave, braid for a year or two..so here I am now.

 

[nestlequik]

This is actually my 3rd time going natural. (so please excuse the long post)

The 1st time I was in the 8th grade and I let a friend hot comb my hair even though the length of it was relaxed. I wasn't getting regular relaxers I went from shoulder length hair to a TWA. Let's just say that didn't go over so well at school (endured a lot of taunting ) and I promptly got a relaxer 3 months later.

The 2nd time was when I got to Washington DC in 2000. I saw so many women here rocking either TWA or totally bald. After trying to grow my hair to shoulder length only for the back of my hair break off I decided to go for it and I cut it all off. I was natural for about 2 years, and then I got a Silkner from Curve Salon aka Miss Jessie's (its SUPER thick). It was definitely a lot healthier (minus the Dominican blow out fiasco that left some parts scorched ) but grew tired of maintaining it so I relaxed it into a short cut.

Since then, I wore it short (which was great and looked fine) mid length (still looked great, hardly any breakage) and tried in vain to grow it past my shoulders (bad idea).

Once again I suffered extreme breakage in the back of my hair. I tried Ayurvedic oils and teas, expensive salon brands, different stylists, but nothing helped. Finally, I tried a BKT. Well, my hair was already adverse to protein so my already dry hair turned brittle and snapped off. No Redken, Joico, L'oreal or DC could save it. So, after a few weeks of watching it fall to the floor or go down the drain, I cut it off.

Looking back, I was simply subscribing to an ideal of beauty, like an overwhelming amount of women do

As Curltalk said, I fell into the idea of beauty. But I'm not meant to have flowing straight or even curly hair. My hair is tight and coily. It shrinks, it frizzy, but I remember as a child it was also dark brown, lush and thick. I LOVED my hair. And I want that back. So after reading so many posts and looking at so many pictures of women with beautiful 4a/b/c hair I felt empowered to do it. I just wish the media would put out more POSITIVE images of curly/coily haired women ESP 4a/b/... hair. Then perhaps we wouldn't need to feel like we need to succumb to relaxers, weaves, or even blowing it out.

BlackMasterPiece, I wish my mom gave me that kind of support your mom did. My mom is from Haiti too, but like some of us heard from our mothers, I didn't get the "good hair" from her. She's funny, sometimes she's supportive of my decision but often she goes back to her old ways and thinking, and comments...anyway, thank you for the thread Sianna. It's been really helpful.

 

[hopeful]

^^^wow, our hair experience is very similiar. I'm about to be natural for the 3rd time and like you I experienced so much nape breakage with relaxers. My nape is fine, delicate, very kinky, and prone to dryness.

 

[BostonMaria]

At first I did it because I wanted my thick hair back. I hate the way relaxers look on me, so stringy and flat.

Both my DD's have long curly hair and I have always admired wash n go's so I really really wanted my hair to be long and curly just like theirs. I didn't take into account shrinkage, which I knew nothing about, and the fact that my curly hair just doesn't look like theirs. They both have 3a hair and I have combination hair, which doesn't always look good with wash and go's.

What I found after my transition is that I can live without the wash and go (makes me sad tho) that I always wanted. I looooove the way my natural hair looks straight. To me its just so beautiful and I am very happy with it. My hair is so versatile now. I love the fact that I can just wet it, put it in a bun and my hair looks great. Oh and I love the waves in my hair, to me that's just looks so pretty on natural hair.

 

[discodumpling]

My hair & scalp hated relaxers and rebelled for about 10 yrs before I got the message. Now I STAY natural because of the health & the versatility. I fall more in love with my hair each day.....

 

[ConsiderCamille]

My roomate in shaved her head and went natural and it was soooo gorgeous I couldn't believe how healthy it was (because as a relaxed head she had dry, stringy damaged hair). So I decided to transition and let my hair grow out, but after a week I ended up getting really annoyed with the two textures and I was highly stressed at my job, so I went to a salon and had them shave my head (kind of my own personal catharsis I guess). Yep I got mad and pulled a Britney Spears lol, best decision ever!

 

[lovenharmony]

Well, I'm transitioning because I feel my hair will be the healthiest and longest it can be by doing so. I also am falling in love with my curls, coils and kinks and the fullness - I love big hair!

 

[xSweetxCaramelx]

Curiosity mostly, i wanted to see my curl pattern, wanted my hair to be thicker and versatile and i have achieved all of those.

 

[Lady S]

1st time: I loved dying my hair various colors every two seconds. With permanent dye. Relaxed hair + hair color commitment issues = a helluva lot of breakage. I finally decided I liked pretty colors more then I liked straight hair, so I did the big chop and gave in to mood coloring my hair.

2nd time: I had started relaxing (which is how I found LHCF) after years of being natural AND growing locs. Got yelled at by a coworker about it too, but that's another post. I started getting really frustrated at trying to juggle a sensitive scalp w/ thick, stubborn hair. I found myself transitioning w/ half wigs until my aunt passed away. Then I said " it" grabbed a pair of shears and gave myself a horrendous big chop.

I'm not anti-relaxer at all. If my hair and scalp could have gotten along and/or hair stylists weren't charging an arm and a leg, I would probably still be relaxed. I grew up with a mom who switched back and forth all the time. Not a big deal to me. But I have to admit, I'm much better at doing twist outs and knot outs then I am roller sets. My roller sets were not the sexy.

 

[lovenharmony]

**sorry in advance if this is long***

My reasons were personal.....My SIL whom I love like a sister was diagnosed in July-Aug 2009 w/ Alopecia....at 27 yrs old....she had waist length beautiful thick relaxed hair....I watched her hair slowly just fall out in patches....it was the most devastating thing I had ever seen at the time happen to someones hair....She was getting scalp injections everything...Nothing worked...So we were all sitting down during the Holidays and I asked her in front of my mom...how was it going...and she said I no longer have any hair at all...she said I am wearing a wig (it was a great one) she said I made this one myself....I was like wow....I actually thought it was her hair but maybe with pieces of weave....I said how do you feel as I fought back the tears...she said...The first week I went completely bald I cried all day and night...she said then I started praying and asked God why...she said I still don't know why..But I know I have a Good Job, A wonderful Family, Beautiful Kids..that I can see, I can hear and I can love...she said and every morning God blesses me to take another breath to enjoy life...she said, so in the long run I am truly blessed and I don't need to know why because I am not my hair and my hair was just an accessory...

I cried so hard that day..I had migraines....Something I couldn't fix..I dare life

She said the Dermatologist said it could possibly be due to years of relaxers ...But he could not 100% say ...The neurologist said all her test came back negative so there was no reason....She said she was not stressed...nor was it hereditary that she could trace....

So, at that moment My sister and I said...you know what we are not our hair either and we both decided to do the big chop and eliminate what MAY have been the cause...and even if it was not...our hair and scalp would be healthier for it.


Again...sorry I know it was long...but I did sum it up...the story was so much more ..but that was the main reason my going natural was so important to me...So at 44 years old I am natural!

I teared up just reading this! Thanks for sharing and you look so beautiful with your natural hair ;yep: Making me want to do a BC!

 

[Shananyganz]

There are so many reasons as to why I went natural...I'll try to keep this concise.

In July 2009 I had grown tired of my hair. It was constantly breaking, uneven, and it seemed I was STUCK at “barely grazing shoulder” length. I was able to do a lot of differently styles, but the actual state of my hair was not as versatile as I wanted. I was at a loss as to what to do; so I put a partial weave in late July. I kept the weave in until mid November 2009; and when I took it out…not knowing what else to do, I relaxed. It had grown to about collar bone length; looking back now, I wish I had been more informed as to what direction I wanted to head in…I don’t believe I would have relaxed; not at that time, but I digress. So I wore my hair out for about a month and a half, but was still sick of my hair; I eventually braided. During this time I happened upon YouTube’s natural community with all the videos and pictures of the beautiful natural heads of hair. I did some “research” and began to realize that there WAS an alternative other than relaxing and I’d have the kind of versatility I wanted; I decided then and there that I would transition to natural. I loved my straight hair, but had simply grown tired of my hair as a whole and just KNEW that it could be SO much better than what it was. In addition, to each is own, but I couldn’t see myself getting a relaxer as I continued to age.

Transitioning to natural did have a snow ball effect in my life. I now drink more water, I take a daily vitamin, I try to incorporate SOME kind of physical activity into my day to day life (a walk here, a run there, some sit-ups)…I pay attention to my skin and what foods I eat. I don’t want to take this all overboard and go extra deep, but for me, it just opened up so much more and maybe it was really because I started to pay attention…I opened up my mind.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, being a member of the hair boards really has put me up on game on how to properly take care of relaxed hair, I am SO glad I did not have that knowledge as I’m sure I would have tried to put it to use…lol! I love being natural and wouldn’t change it…never say never…but for me it is a lifelong decision.

~S~

 

[Janet']

1st Reason: I've had a significant amount of gray hair since 19 so for me covering the gray was not/is not an option...having relaxed hair and coloring kept my hair at the perpetual shoulder length for YEARS...

2nd Reason: Everytime I would look at pictures of me when I was in elementary, middle, and early high school would make me feel very sad because I could remember my mom saying that one day, if I didn't take care of my hair, I was going to not have any hair...although SL hair is not "no hair"...considering how much hair I did have, it was pretty short. I decided that I wanted "my hair" back...when I was a child/teenager, I had BSL-HL hair

3rd Reason: I had just broken up with my bf of six years and I was re-evaluating everything...When I took the first two reasons into consideration, transitioning was a no-brainer...it also gave me something to concentrate on other than the failed relationship.

 

[Arian]

Because I'm learning to embrace change and it gives me something to look forward to (I'm transitioning)

 

[luvn_life]

I was tired of being a slave to my demarcation line... I was tired of wonderig why my hair won't "take" anymore... It was seriously annoying.

 

[JustSimplyTish]

I teared up just reading this! Thanks for sharing and you look so beautiful with your natural hair ;yep: Making me want to do a BC!

Thank you...I didn't mean to make anyone tear up at all...Just my story...I wish I could say It was because I had thought long and hard and wanted to embrace my "Naturalness" But at the time it was for far more different reasons....But Now ...I do love embracing my natural hair ...I love it...and wish I had done it 10 years ago!

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

I was tired of being a slave to my demarcation line... I was tired of wonderig why my hair won't "take" anymore... It was seriously annoying.

Soooooooo well said

 

[prettybyrd]

I have a few reasons:

1) Once when I was a teen and getting used to doing my own hair, my grandmother called me to help her clean out the attic before I had a chance to finish my hair, so I loaded it up with Pink Lotion (I know...I know...) while wet, and then went up to help her.

After about an hour of cleaning, my hair was a beautiful bevy of curls. My grandmother stopped cleaning to say, "How'd you get those pretty curls in your hair?" I ran to the bathroom mirror and was amazed and delighted. I remembered that as an adult, and thought that I might have curly hair, and I did. I think of all the money I wasted on straw sets...

2) I had several white friends, and I remember being so jealous that they didn't have to run from the rain, could swim with ease, and not worry about sweating when they exercised. I thought that going natural would help to make this possible for me! Right-O!

3) I really LOVE my face with my natural hair! I think that the best accessory for my face is my hair. Long or short, it's the perfect frame! God IS good!

 

[Sianna]

This is fantastic! I am really glad that I am getting so many wonderful responses on this thread! Please keep them coming!!

I have enjoyed reading each and every one of your stories, and even though they vary from one person to the next, they each remind me of why I went natural in the first place and why I should remain so for the rest of my days. I am in the early stages right now and caring for my hair is really easy, but I know that every road has twists, turns and yes, the occasional pot hole! I look forward to overcoming the challenges as they come and hope that I will be able to continue looking to you lovely ladies for inspiration and encouragement!

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

Mine is pretty simple...I got pissed at my stylist of 2 years for forgetting that she bout burned my ear off 2 weeks before and then she made a negative comment when my sister wanted her (thinking she is a good stylist cause she was doing my hair) to wash and press her natural hair.....I got pissed and with that and realizing my hair wasn't growing after 2 years...I stopped perming in August 2007 with the hope growing it out and just of just starting all over.....

But I decided after 10 months of research on natural hair (and nagging from my mom who has beautiful dreads) to just take a chance and cut off the permed ends....I saw pages of women such as Sera and other Fotki's that inspired me to defy the common beliefs out there about black women and their hair's ability to grow long.....

That was 23 months ago, and on June 1st, 2010 I celebrate my 2 year Nappiversary....my hair has never been longer or better.....Many of my friends have been inspired to go natural or transition, and I have never felt more excited about what God is doing with me and my hair on this journey!


Oh yeah....and that stylist...she changed careers and decided she wanted to be a nurse....and of course I teach Nutrition at an HBCU up here and she was in my class last fall....and though she passed it said it was the hardest B she ever earned......yeeeah...!

 

[preciouslove0x]

I stopped because i was relaxing my hair as if it was part of the universal hygiene or maintenance routine. I stopped because I thought it was something you did to avoid something bad happening afterwards.

You know how you tie your tennis shoes right after you put them on? You don't consciously do it because you want to avoid tripping later on, you initially do it because it's just out of habit. You put the shoes on and you tie the shoe strings. The end.

You know how you put deodorant on right after you towel dry (or after putting lotion on)? You don't do it because you are consciously thinking about how you don't want to be sweaty and smell throughout the day, you initially do it because it's just out of habit.

You know how you put socks on before you put those tennis shoes on that you tie up? You don't do it because you are consciously thinking that if you don't your feet will feel sticky and make your shoes stink, you initially do it because it's just out of habit.

That's how I felt about relaxing my hair. I NEVER questioned why I did it until the age of 19. The age that I am now. I did it as soon as I saw too much nappy hair at the roots (you know, the result of sweating out your relaxer ). When I found LHCF last July, it was the FIRST time I ever questioned why I relaxed. It was right after discovering all the BEAUTIFUL heads of natural hair here. Don't get me wrong, I knew natural hair 'existed' I just thought mainly people who wanted to go against the gov't or lived their life just to be different from everyone else were the only ones who had it. Yep pure ignorance. But like they say, when you KNOW better you DO better. To make a long story short, being natural has been one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself so far. And it's all because I decided to finally question why I did a particular thing I wasn't even happy with.

 

[AimWard]

I went natural because my parents could not afford to keep me in the salon (there were no hair care forums back in 1995) and I longed to get back the waist length hair I had when I was younger.

 

[Aggie]

I wasn't really "planning" per se on going natural. My intention was to texlax my hair after stretching my relaxer for a minimum of 18 months to 2 years but when I sat in my stylist chair last month and saw shewed off ends, I told her to cut off the relaxed ends.

Now bare in mind that I was a little torn about ever relaxing again after really seeing my true texture of my hair at 1 year into the stretch. I loved that texture and I didn't feel like parting with it just yet. Afterall, it took me so loooong to get here and to just let it all go away so soon would have been a total waste, in my mind anyway.

I was the last person on earth I think that would have ever transitioned to totally natural hair. I would always stretch my relaxer for huge amounts of time but never fully transition to natural and to actually look in the mirror and see these beautiful coils, I have to hold on to them for as long as what I know now as an undetermineable time.

You see, some people deliberately made the transition. I happened upon it because of what my hair looked like at the time - in a manner of speaking - "a total ham". I am happy to add, I have no regrets.

 

[beautyaddict1913]

I am loving this thread, here is my story:

I had long thick natural hair until I got a relaxer at 13...my hair hated em and got thinner and shorter with each re-touch. I avoided perms from 15-17 and wore braids, my hair was long and healthy again until I started the relaxer process again. When I went away for school I wore microbraids and only permed my hair every winter.
November 08 came (I had graduated by this time) and I got my last perm only because people told me they really wanted to see my hair...I hated it and just decided to keep wearing braids and weaves. My last time getting braids was April 2009, they did nothing for my hair. I only wore sew-ins after that. My hair grew so much, so fast...

In Feb. 2010 I was watching youtube and a girl had long beautiful relaxed hair and said she used Carson's Anti-breakage perm, I had just taken an install down. Im impulsive so I texted my beautician at 3am and told her I was coming to the shop the next day and for her to pick up the box perm for me. I arrived at the shop nervous, but fortunately being the "hair snob" that she is she didnt pick it up and told me I don't do box perms! So I told her I was nervous to get a perm so she washed, blowdryed, and flatironed my hair, and it was nearly APL, I couldnt believe it. That was the day I removed all doubt and knew I would never get a perm again!

 

[kandiekj100]

1st time - just because. I knew I had curly hair and wanted to see it. It wasn't as loose a curl as I thought, but I liked it. It was nice and easy. Get up. Wet hair. put some Carrot oil cream or conditioner on hair and go. Went back to relaxer out of boredom w/ hair after a year

2nd time - tired of the relaxer. I guess I was bored again and remembered how much I liked being natural. Kept about 1 1/2 years. Wanted to see length. Got another relaxer. Stepmom taught me how to roller set, hair wasn't limp (finally) and had some body. I liked it but i didn't like the work it took and I hated the scalp burns (which seemed to occur more quickly with each relaxer. I would pretreat the scalp but it still would burn. But I loved the swang so much.

3rd time - I really like natural hair. I feel most like me so I shave bald since I can't transition to save my life. Wear wigs for a few months until i get my twa and here I am 3 years later and I don't see myself going back. Especially after the world of youtube and hairboards, which I never had access to before. So when I get bored, I just change the style. Right now I am giving my hair a break and put in yarn braids. After I take this out, I might do a braidouts for a week. After that I may rock a stretched out fro or a shrunken curly fro. The sky's the limit. Heck, I can even get my swang if I want and blow dry and flat-iron or maybe just maybe I can finally master the art of the roller set on my natural hair.

 

[Austro-Afrikana]

When I first found www.growafrohairlong.com I started following the C&G technique and decided I would relax every 6 months like Robin but...6 months later I had so much growth; it was the longest my hair had ever been and I was scared that if I relaxed it, it may break or fall off and I would be back to where I started.
So...all in all I didn't have some complex reason...I just chickened out of my relaxer after a 6 month stretch lol

 

[SignatureBeauty]

I went Natural because I feel that is better for my hair and my scalp, I get faster growth, thicker hair, Nice Curls,Waves and Zig Zags, and A very Healthy Scalp. I also love that my hair smells like my shampoo instead of Chemicals.

Now, I have always loved to swim,and I have always Loved the Rain, even being Relaxed has NEVER stopped me from doing that. Some Naturals avoid the rain because of the Humidity or the style they choose to wear. Plus I could Never get in a Swimming Pool without a swim cap, Too many people Piss in it and I don't care what they say about the chlorine eating it up. Lol!!

 

[DirtyJerzeyGirly]

I love big hair! I love my hair! The first thing people say when they see my hair: "Girl your hair is soooooo THICK!"

Relaxers dried my hair out. Dandruff was terrible. Burns and scabs. Didn't matter what perm I put in my head it came out underprocessed. Hated it.

I have so much support except for my older brother who hates natural hair (he calls me SideShow Bob) but I don't care what he thinks.

I went natural because I love my hair.

 

[Peace in Prose]

I got tired of my husband complaining about finding hair all over the bathroom and he was right. The shedding was ridiculous. So one day I shaved it off out of fustration. It took that for me to gain the courage to do what I secretly yearn to do for years.

Now even when I straighten today, he says you are not using chemicals again are you...