Comments on: BGLH investigations… If you had resilient/strong relaxed hair, are you more likely to have an easy natural hair journey?

By: Kimaya

Kimaya — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:08:12 +0000

I definately had weak, hard to manage relaxed hair and even now that I’ve been natural since the end of June I find it difficult, but I haven’t quite found the right products either.

By: melonie

melonie — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:01:13 +0000

Viva makes a good point. I was natural until 18, and permed throughout college. I had super thick, 4a hair about an inch or so past “armpit length” as a natural. As a permed girl, I was that same length with the same thickness (as when my natural hair was warm pressed). BUT, I relaxed my hair mildly aka “texlaxed” and never used heat. However, having discovered the hair boards, my hair has maintained thickness and has reached midback when stretched (yes, the way I “texlax”, my hair still shrinks). This is the longest my hair has ever been. Not because relaxers (even mild ones are healthy…ha!), but because with better haircare, everyone’s hair can really turn around. The point is, without proper hair care techniques, NO ONE really knows what their hair can do. So, if all the formerly permed girls commenting, processed their hair before BGLH et. al., they don’t really know how their hair could have looked in its altered state when cared for optimally. I just wish I had known all this stuff back when I was natural. I would have never crossed over to the dark side lol.

By: Bri

Bri — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:04:26 +0000

It worked that way for me. I have always had strong and healthy hair. I didn’t go natural for any reason other than I was tired of paying to have relaxer applied. Plus, I remembered back when I was a child and had no relaxer. I would get my hair straightened and it would stay very manageable until my next hair appt. So, I figured that I really didn’t “need” a relaxer. So, I just stopped getting them. I never did a BC because my hair was healthy and strong enough that I had no breakage at all during my transition. I just continued to get routine trims until my relaxed hair was gone. So my transition was virtually seamless. I’m not sure, but I do believe that it had alot to do with the state of my hair while relaxed.

By: Amazon

Amazon — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:22:29 +0000

I’m a bit on the fence. I had perms in my hair since the age of 5. My mother has almost straight hair growing out of her head.

She took care of my hair until roughly the age of 12, and I really remember her ALWAYS double processing all of my strands close to once every 3-4 weeks. She would always start at the back, go around and continue to smooth the creamy crack ALL OVER MY HAIR.

She always took herself to the salon, myself rarely. She always did her hair, but claimed her arthritis would flare up when she’d have to *tackle mine*

Around the age of 12 she gave up, and let me start trying to perm my hair. One bad motions perm, then a big chop, then a botched texturizer, another big chop.

By this time..my hair was always perpetually one length, it rarely got trimmed, by the time iw ent to college I had had enough, and chopped it all off.

listened to other people…but YES, only recently, have I come across this site and NOW everythign is finally coalescing.

A few months ago my strands FINALLY reached shoulder length, but due to flat ironing twists for like a year , I had to cut off about 3-4 inches.

So what somebody said, i think at the end of the day it all comes down to knowledge.

For so long ,I only had half knowledge of how to take care of straightened hair.

Now that I have found castor oil, the denman, and henna, I’m having a MUCH easier time. ( Thanks BelleMuse

Chances, are if a lady had long healthy relaxed hair it was not all just luck and good genetics, but knowledge, and a solid base of people, be they family or stylists, who regularly upkept their tresses.

By: Dannie

Dannie — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:11:45 +0000

I think it depends on the person’s hair. My hair was always short and thin as a child but I think a lot of that was because my mother didn’t really know how to take care of my hair, constant combing, brushing, water and grease didn’t help matters either. Even once I was 12 and got my first relaxer, my hair was on the fast track to thin, damage and broken hair. I was 29 and didn’t even know how to manage my hair. All I have to say is thank God for hair boards and the internet. My hair is in better condition then it’s ever been.

There was a point when I did get lazy and I didn’t moisturize like I should have and experienced breakage and split ends as a result that taught me a lesson. But to answer your question, I think it all boils down to plain old hair care in general, nothing more.

By: Savannah

Savannah — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:10:42 +0000

I really think that it’s about knowing your hair and what it can take and not take. I’ve been natural off and on since high school. I would alternate between braid extensions and natural styles. My hair was always thick and healthy. Every now and then I would relax or texlax my hair, I have wonderful stylist who really helped me learn how to take care of my hair and what it needs. I quit relaxing because straight hair really isn’t me, I love the wildness and lushness of curls and my natural texture. My challenge will be length, I am a chronic haircutter!!

By: Monique

Monique — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:26:07 +0000

My natural hair was strong with length at my shoulders. I retained length well but it was typically stylists that insisted on cutting it.

As a solid natural, I started by locking my hair for 9 months and saw PHENOMENAL growth. I combed out the locks and now that I’m a free-strand 4b natural I don’t see as much ‘phenomenal’ growth, but that’s another story .

By: LBell

LBell — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:06:35 +0000

Viva, I went natural in 1995 after 18 years of relaxing. I know for a FACT that relaxing was one of the worst things I could have done to my thick, fine-stranded, 4b/CNapp hair. My relaxed hair broke off on the regular (barely grazed SL in the back); currently my natural hair is on its way to APL in the back and I don’t have to worry about constantly brushing off my back every time I comb.

Even though I’ve been participating in online hair discussions for 10 years, the explosion of hair care information that’s taken place in the last couple of years has really helped me fine-tune my regimen. I’m very grateful for that. Hopefully someday the industry will catch up!

By: sewdope

sewdope — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:48:28 +0000

i can agree with you to a certain extent. i do think that most women who had long somewhat strong relaxed hair can achieve longer lengths easier with natural hair. however, i think that the majority of people (now) are having better experiences with their natural and relaxed hair due to the information available on the internet.

By: SweetT

SweetT — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:44:18 +0000

well, i had long, healthy relaxed hair (when i was able to go to the hair salon regularly b/c i was incapable of managing it on my own). and my natural hair has also grown “long” (by my friend’s standards. whenever they see me they remark @ its growth. idk) and is healthy. the only difference is i am able to maintain my natural hair myself.