I’m sixteen years old and am considering going natural. I’m just sick of getting flattened and pressed every two weeks, wrapping, flat ironing, etc, etc. but i have a couple questions.
i’ve been researching some and i think i want to transition using braids…i get them every may anyway (with extensions) and keep them in for about 5 months.
so if i kept them in from may to may, without relaxing and cutting off every time i got them redone, would i have enough new growth to not have a TWA?
and is natural hair actually easier to take care of? i’ve gotten pretty conflicting response to that one.
you can answer either questions, or just give general tips, anything would be nice.
thanks!
Being natural is not necessarily easier or harder than being relaxed; it’s *different*. You still have to spend time on your hair to keep it healthy and growing long. You still have to experiment with and buy products to keep up the health of your hair. Just like relaxed hair, natural hair is easier to maintain when it’s short, and I’ve had both short and long relaxed hair, and as my natural hair is growing more and more time is needed to take care of it. So, with natural hair, you can’t expect to get up and go and not worry about your hair all the time once it starts getting longer. Short hair you can do wash and goes that are quick and saves time. You also don’t have to comb your hair every day with natural hair, but depending on how badly your hair tangles you’ll have to do detangling sessions; for some it’s once a week and for others it’s a few times a week, but it really depends on your own hair texture.
Everyone’s hair type and hair texture are different. Some people find their hair easily tangles and forms tiny knots on the ends that are a pain to get out and cause breakage, while others, like myself, have a texture that doesn’t easily tangle or form knots. Some people can’t deal with the shrinkage involved, while others like myself, don’t mind shrinkage. The thing about natural hair is that it always *looks* shorter than it actually is and people cannot tell how long your hair is just by looking at it, and this leads to the misperception that natural hair does not grow.
I don’t know your reasons for going natural, but if you also plan to straighten your hair then flat ironing, depending on several factors, including hair length, can take over an hour and sometimes it reverts quickly if you don’t use good products. You can get your hair relaxer straight, but some people find they cannot do it themselves and have to go to a professional. And, then there’s heat damage from all the flat ironing and blow drying that can completely damage your hair and even permanently straighten it. If you want to be natural then straightening your hair often might not be the best option.
As far a length goes, it depends on how long your hair is now. On average, hair grows 1/2 inch per month, or 6 inches per year. That makes 1 inch every two months. If you keep them in for 5 months then that’s 2 1/2 inches of growth and additional length (assuming it doesn’t break off). My hair is still TWA status and it’s about 3 1/2 – 4 inches long, but with shrinkage it looks about 1-2 inches long. How long your natural hair will be in 5 months will depend on how much new growth you’re starting off with. If you just got a fresh perm and decided to grow it out then you’ll have 2 1/2 inches. If you currently have a lot of new growth then it’ll be longer.
Like relaxed hair, there’s a lot of work in taking care of natural hair, but many people find there hair is healthier and gets longer without all the chemicals. Since I’ve been natural I’ve not had any breakage and I’ve held onto all my length, and my hair is the healthiest it’s been in a long time, plus it’s much thicker than my relaxed hair. I like being able to wear flat twists and cornrows and seeing my braids much thicker and fatter than those skinny braids people with relaxers wear.http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/forum_po…
