I'm not sure if I've ever blogged much about hair (outside of the fact that I can't stand 'nazi'-esque natural hair advocates who think natural is the only way to go...or maybe that was something I posted in FB group post) but it's something that is fun to research and play around with.
I know many friends that have gone natural - whether locked, twisted, or all out natural - and I've seen a constant flux of curlies when I'm just out and about rockin' their own individual styles. I think it's FABULOUS that there is so much more information out there now on how to care for curly hair and that women are taking pleasure in showing off their coifs. Do your thang, I say!
I'm a big lover and follower of many hair sites - many of the techniques and products they reference are also great for permed hair (esp. ACV treatments, the organic coconut oil and olive oil - LOVE THEM). So recently I have thought about "going natural". My reasons have nothing to do with any bad experiences with perms, damaged hair, or the fact that I'm "going back to my (Black) roots" per say. None of the above applies to me. It's just because I'd like to see if I could...if I would like it.
I am not one that perms regularly. I usually perm once every 4 months or so but typically no more than 2-3x a year and I'm also not one that leaves the perm in for a long time (generally as soon as it's in, I'm moving to the sink to rinse it out...just enough time to relax the edges). I did go a full year right before Ava or right after Ava was born without perming (pregnancy brain won't allow me to remember now) - so because of this and the fact that friends have asked why I even perm if I don't do it that often - I'm wondering the same thing. I know I can at least make it at least a year, right?
What I love about the "idea" of going natural is my flexibility to go straight or curly easily. Right now, because I don't perm my hair "hard", I get a bit of the curl and wave pattern pretty readily (you can't tell from this picture because, although I air dried my hair, I'd squeezed the ends pretty well until they were almost dry which made them straighter). But I know that if I were natural, I would really get a good curl going.
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| Towel and Air Dried |
So I'm considering it. My last perm was at the end of September. It was probably the lightest perm I've ever given myself (as you can see by the waves in the picture there is a lot of wave going on).
BUT...
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| Lots o'Waves |
My hesitation is in the "Big Chop". I don't think I could pull off short hair. I've always had long hair growing up and the shortest I've ever had was just past my shoulders (medium length). I don't have the confidence I have the face to pull off short hair. My hair, when straightened, is just past my bra strap and it makes me nervous to think of cutting it all off! I enjoy the flexibility with longer hair to put it up, twist it, curl it, flat iron it, wash 'n go, put it in long pony tails, everything. I haven't seen many short styles (without accessories - I don't wear accessories really) that I think would work with my features and this makes me push away from the idea of the "BC". Also, from what I have read, natural seems like a lot of work. More work than I put into my hair currently and I'm not sure I have the patience or time to do all the pre- and post-work it seems all the other naturals do to their hair. Or am I wrong?
I don't know. What do you guys think?
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| Straight and Sleek |
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| Wavy Hair Up |
11 comments:
I can not stand the 'go natural' nazis, too! And I like your reasons for going reasons, the same as me! Do you have to get the big chop? I don't know much about hair. I am too impatient to deal with it. I've chopped my hair numerous of times because I was too tired, impatient to do anything with it. That's bad, I know!!
I think you would look very nice with short hair. You have high cheeks bones and an overall nice feminine face. If you want to chop, I think you'd look great!
I agree with Sommer you are stunning and look great now and would look just as beautiful with shorter hair. I think it's really good that you don't process your hair often, this is probably keeping your hair healthy. I suggest thinking it through some more and weigh the pros and cons. Like you mentioned there is versatility you can straighten it when you want, but there is work involved as well. Let us know what you decide. Good luck!!
You know I can talk abt natural hair forever, but I won't do it on here. I could talk endlessly abt routines, products, styles, etc. If you'd like, e-mail me with any questions you may have and I'll be more than willing to answer them for you. I had my last relaxer in May 2007.
But I would like to say this here. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BIG CHOP!!! That is a myth generated and perpetrated by the natural hair community. Three most common reasons people BC: their hair is very damaged and there's no choice but to start over, or they get tired of dealing with the very different textures and choose to chop for consistency, or the last and worst reason: they thought they had to! LOL but true! The hair blogs push it, other naturals push it like there's no other way. I did not big chop. My hair was beautiful and undamaged when relaxed, I didn't care abt the different textures as I believe the bun is God's most perfect hairstyle lol and I usually take a very long time to make decisions regarding hair and skin care. Lastly, I had a head full of nice hair that I COULD NOT see cutting all off. I was all the way natural before I decided that BC'ing was prob not something I wanted to do lol. What I did was cut a little of my relaxed ends off each time I detangled thoroughly, which was/is one time per week.
Going natural is very big decision for some of us, I thought abt it for a few years before I actually did it, so take all the time you need. My reason? I got tired of giving my whole Sat to the hairdresser and then we moved to the country. Weigh the pros and cons, see what's out there and make the decision that suits you best.
Andrea/Sommer i'm glad you brought this up because I was wondering if I needed to chop or not. As Andrea said, the natural sites really do push for it and I thought that was just the way (only thing) to do. So I thank you guys for bringing that up and letting me know I do not have to do that. Whew! Makes my decision a lot easier. ahaah
Thank you all for your compliments and I'm seriously considering it. I do enjoy the versatility :)
Andrea - I KNOW what you mean about the Saturday's spent at the salons which is why, outside of trims - because I don't cut - I do my own hair.
I'm going to chime in too. I wouldn't consider myself a natural hair "nazi" LOL but I do encourage people who want to go natural but are scared.
I have had natural hair for a few years now. I woke up one day and decided that I wanted a new look so I got a boy cut. Well I didn't want to look like a boy but I wanted to do something different. I actually did the big chop also which now looking back I did not think was necessary either.
I don't regret going natural though. The dreaded "in between" stages are tough I must say. I love that I can wear my natural curls or flat iron my hair and look like I have a relaxer. Now I mainly do twists (low maintenance). I only straighten it for certain occasions. I'm trying to go a year without straightening. We shall see :)
I do wish you all the best. Do what will make you happy :) You hair now is beautiful but I'm sure you would look great with natural hair too.
Well you don't have to do "the big chop" I never did. I just kept on gradually cutting about an inch off at a time till all the permed hair came out. In the mean time u can still straighten your hair or wear it however you want and still keep your length. I love the flexibility with natural hair. I use to do my hair once a week but I'm to busy now, I wash it every other week and just wet it and apply conditioner to it in the morning. I love it. Maybe you should try it but if you don't like it go back to the perm.
Oh and the last time I permed my hair was May 1999. I would get it pressed to have it straight. And the last time I pressed it was July 2009.
I've been mostly natural my entire life (I say mostly because I've texturized my hair a couple of times per year since starting college -- prior to that 100% natural), with the exception of a an accidental relaxer when I was a sophomore. I hated the relaxer and missed my natural hair, but I absolutely refused to cut it all off. I just grew it out starting immediately after the relaxer. It took about a year to get to a point where I felt comfortable cutting off the relaxed ends, as by the time my hair was long enough that I could fluff out my natural hair and make it look 'bigger' and no one knew the difference but me. I say if you want to go natural, go for it -- you can always go back if you hate it, but the only way to see if you'll like it is to try it. Since it doesn't seem like you relax your hair 'bone straight' your transition shouldn't be that tough -- it sounds like you're texturizing your hair more than anything, quite honestly. As others have said, I think a big motivator for the Big Chop is having to deal with two hair textures that are taken care of in completely different ways. I don't think that will be the case for you -- I take care of my twice-yearly slightly texturized hair the same way I do when my hair is one hundred percent natural. Right now I'm overseas, and I'll be going about six months between texturizers (I might just go the whole year and skip it when I go home for a month altogether) -- it's really not a huge difference for me, other than ease of detangling.
Thanks girlies! I definitely will take all you guys said into consideration and the "big chop" will be a 'no' for me. hahah
I'll let you know how i do :)
i am also in the process of going natural and for the same reasons as you. perming my hair hasn't been a negative. my hair hasn't fallen, etc. i just want to see if i can actually do it. if i can know how to take care of my own hair. the worst that will happen is that i will hate it and return to relaxing. i will not do the BC because i don't want to have short hair either, lol. a lil vain. i will just cut off the relaxed ends little by little and will go from there. i am excited about it and a lil nervous at the same time. i haven't relaxed my hair in a lil over 3 months and it is a bit weird to feel all this growth and do nothing about it, hehe :)
Good luck to you! can't wait to see what you decide!
i'm all kinds of late with this, but i wanted to weigh in because i LOVE natural hair.
ok, i'm not a natural hair purist, and i think a woman should wear her hair in anyway that she sees fit. unfortunately, i've never been one of those women who has been able to maintain healthy, relaxed hair. for the 8-9 years i was relaxed, my hair was a mess. that's why i went natural. however, for the first 8 or 9 years of my return to natural, i still wore my hair straight. what i love now about having natural hair is the versatility--from curly to straight, and everything in between. it's fun to see what my hair can do in it's various states and stages.
and as others already said, don't chop! i transitioned before i even knew what it was, although at the time i was already wearing my hair fairly short (between chin length and shoulder length) so i just kept it at that length as it grew. i found that it was easiest (for me!) to blow dry/flat iron my hair while it was on the shorter side. now that i'm learning to work with my un-straightened texture, i'm actively trying to grow my hair out. i haven't had long hair since i was a kid so i'm excited to see what happens.
and i think the best thing about going natural is this: if you hate it, it's easy to relax again! :D
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