Relaxed or Natural

By Brittany Summers     

 Natural hair has become a huge trend in our generation. Many young women are letting go of what some may refer to as “creamy crack” and taking a stand to embrace their natural beauty. Whether it’s an afro, locks, or sister locks, women everywhere are taking advantage of this trend.     

 Now you may be wondering why are so many women “going natural?” It is believed that transitioning from relaxed hair to natural hair is a lot healthier. When you put a relaxer in your head, you are damaging your hair with all the harmful chemicals and stripping the hair of the necessary nutrients that make it strong and healthy. Many of us really have no idea what our natural hair texture is like because we’ve had relaxers for as long as we can remember. Having natural hair of course has its ups and downs.     

 One of the hardest problems to face is the transition stage. At this stage your hair is still partially relaxed and partially natural. At this stage in the process you may want to give up and go back to the “creamy crack.” When transitioning, it is very difficult to figure out what style to wear your hair in. Some people try to wear it straight and once the relaxer begins to grow out more and more it’s extremely difficult to keep your roots straight and under control. When it gets to this stage in the process, people usually do one of two things: the BIG chop or go back to relaxers. The big chop is the point in the process where many women decide to cut all of the relaxer out of their hair. At this point women have the option of growing an afro, starting sister locks, dread locks, braids or a weave. It all depends on their personal preference.     

 When making the decision to transition from relaxed to natural hair be sure to do your research and speak with your hair stylist to make sure that you’re making the right decision. Many women have gone months to even a year without getting a relaxer and decide at the last minute that they have made the wrong decision. This is not an easy transition and it isn’t the best for everyone. Being natural does allow a lot of versatility with your hair. Hair has become a way for many people --- men and women alike --- to express themselves. The different styles and colors all speak to who we are as individuals. Accept being YOU and have fun while doing so!