Heeey ladies! I received an email from a reader who is thinking of relaxing her hair again.
help! I'm in a natural hair rut!
Here is her question : ” Hi Kristi, I’ve been completely natural for almost a year. I loved it at first but now I want to relax it again. Do you have any suggestions for me?”
Thanks for taking the time to write. I’ve listed a few questions to consider before you decide to relax your hair.
1) If you transitioned, think back to that time and the patience it took to learn your hair. If you relax it, you must start the process over again. There is no way around it. Is it worth it?
2) Why did you go natural in the first place? For me, I didn’t go natural because of a fad. I was tired of relaxing my hair and tired of it looking limp. I wanted healthy long curly hair.
3) Have you reached your personal goal with being natural? If your goal was to “try” being natural, and you’ve been natural for almost a year, you “tried”. It’s not for everybody. If your goal was to reach a certain length or healthy-ness, and you’ve not achieved it, then, Boo, you can’t quit now. At least reach your goal before you decide to turn back.
4) Are you being pressured by your peers? Peer pressure exists. Even as an adult, I have gotten comments about how nice my hair would be if, I were to relax it. It takes a strong person to stand up for what you believe in. If you believe that your hair is beautiful. Don’t succumb to peer pressure. Tell them to kick rocks. .. ok, that was a bit personal for me but you get it, right?
5) Has your regimen become too difficult to maintain? Our hair reacts differently at different stages. Maybe it’s time to try something new with how you take care of your hair. Spend a little more time on deep conditioning and detangling. You may even find a new product that makes you fall in love with your curlies all over again.
Natural Hair Bun
Natural Hair Updo
6) Are you bored? Try new styles. Up-do’s, two-strand twists, flat twists, even pony tails can be cute. Switch it up. You may be pleasantly surprised! Versatility is part of the beauty of natural hair.
After you answer these questions for yourself, I hope you convince yourself to embrace and fall in love with your natural hair again. If you still decide to relax, that’s cool, too.
YOU are the only person that has to be happy with the decision. The key to all of this is to Enjoy YOUR Journey.
Be well! ~ Kristi
Related articles
- Natural Hair:: Quick tips and Hair Styles for Transitioners (enjoyingthejourneys.com)
- Natural hair growth: keeping the end goal in mind (afroblush.com)
