Relaxed to Natural ???

by Tonya
(Washington, DC)

Nina,

I'm doing research on going natural - from relaxed hair. I LOVE my hair. It is long. To me it is healthy. It is soft. I don't have any major issues right now - except that my stylist is leaving. actually she is gone. So I'll have to find someone new to work with. So I considered going natural.

Your hair is beautiful. However, I'm wondering your nationality. I haven't had natural hair in years - but I don't think my hair was EVER like yours. Basically, I'm petrified! I love my straight, flowy hair. I LOVE it. The thought of not being able to run my fingers through my hair ... is like nails on a chalk board.

I'm willing to give it a shot. I go to Dominicans now - and I think they will be able to keep it healthy for me. (I don't do hair. It's not my thing. I love getting my hair done!) They are great at wet sets and blow outs. Will that suffice to keep my hair flowy - even with natural hair? What do you think? It seems like that works for you! I guess it's just something you try and see what happens?

Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated. I'm kind of excited. Scared ... and excited.

One last thought. Any recommendations for my daughter? I held out on perms for the longest time ... but she is so tender-headed ... she just won't let you comb it. A perm was my only option ... because it just hurt her so badly. Maybe she will have to fight this battle on her own when she is 18.

T~

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Nina's Response

Hi Tonya,

I know many ladies who visit the Dominicans to get their natural hair straight and flowing so I don't see anything wrong with that at all! However, I'd just like to ask you to pay attention to the health of your hair. I hear the blow dryers can get pretty hot and if you're having a blow out once a week, it could potentially lead to some issues.

So, the answer is YES, you can have flowy hair with natural hair. Many naturals wear their hair straight 99.9% of the time.

As far as your daughter is concerned, if you learned to do her hair yourself, she could probably forgo a relaxer. I feel that today with all of the products and professional styling tools that the average person can learn to care for hair without a relaxer. That will also depend upon hair texture along with how much time one is willing to spend. Some people just find it easier to deal with relaxed hair versus relaxed hair. It is a personal choice. If your daughter is really young, my personal opinion is that they should wear their hair natural (pressed occasionally with a ceramic flat iron for special occasions) until they are at least 12 years old. I think this helps their hair to get a chance to have a healthy growth pattern.

Good luck! Your hair looks great!
Nina Dyoran, Editor, Long-Healthy-Hair-Advisor.com