by Jlynn Smith

Created on: August 27, 2010   Last Updated: August 28, 2010

Natural hair can be as manageable as relaxed hair.

There are a lot of African Americans that get relaxers because they just won’t take the time out to get to know their natural hair. A lot of African Americans have a very kinky type texture to their hair that seems impossible to tame and control, but it is possible. When I was younger I use to hate my natural hair because it was so thick and kinky. Every week my mother used to wash my hair and then straighten my hair. The straightening comb was what I hated the most as soon as I seen my mother warming up the straightening comb I use to run and hide. When I turned eight my older sister gave me my first perm, I was so happy only because I didn’t have to worry about the straightening comb anymore. When I turned twelve my mother took me to her hairdresser, he was more specialized in natural hair. He told my mother that my hair was damaged from the relaxer and he would have to cut my hair. Little did I know I was going to be natural again. I hated the hair cut because I had to deal with my natural hair again. The first couple of months I didn’t know what to do with my hair, but as it got longer and easier to style I started to like it. My fourteenth birthday rolled around and my birthday present to myself was a perm. I had been around so many of my friends that had perms, I just wanted my straight hair back.

Years rolled by and I started losing hair in big clumps, my scalp was excessively dry, and my hair stop responding to the chemicals in the relaxers. So I started wearing wigs to hide the issues I was having with my hair. I didn’t want to put another perm in it, but at the same time I didn’t want to go natural. Only after watching videos on YouTube for a couple of weeks I decided to big chop and go natural. Honestly it was the best thing I have ever done for myself, the issues I had when I had a perm; I haven’t had them since I went natural. Now I am natural I am paying more attention to my hair and I am getting to know what my natural hair likes and doesn’t like. I don’t have anything against relaxers but I believe everybody should get to know their hair in their natural state before they relax, if relaxing your hair is a decision.

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