Why I Decided to Transition to Natural Hair- Go Natural

My hair has been in its natural, unprocessed state, since the late 1990s.  This means that I have not put any harsh chemicals in my hair since that time.  I am an African-American with a very thick and kinky hair texture. 

I decided to transition from relaxed hair to natural for several reasons. Chemical relaxers like sodium hydroxide (lye), calcium hydroxide (no lye) and ammonium thioglycolate (jheri curl juice) are very damaging to the hair shaft.  They straighten the hair, giving it a softer texture and make it look aesthetically pleasing (at least by Western cultural standards).  However, after processing, the hair is left in a weakened and often damaged condition.  This makes most textures of African-American hair very prone to breakage. 

I got my first relaxer when I was about 8 or 9 years old.  My mom used one of those kiddie type perms, which are supposedly weaker versions of lye relaxers. I continued to use relaxers until well into my twenties.  I did all of the things that most women with relaxed hair do:  Get hair styles, deep conditioning treatments, roller sets, flat ironing, blow styles, wraps, etc.  I even experimented with dyes and rinses a few times. All of these styling techniques and treatments only caused more strain and damage on my already weakened hair.

I can’t say that my hair ever grew beyond shoulder length, while in the relaxed state.  No matter what I did, my hair would break off shortly after it grew to shoulder length.  It made no difference whether I tended to my hair for myself or went to a professional stylist for regular maintenance.  The results were still the same. My hair would go through cycles of looking vibrant, bouncy and healthy to dry and brittle.

On several occasions, I suffered painful burns to my scalp from the chemical processing of my hair.  The healing process was not pleasant at all, leaving behind painful, pus-filled sores and scabs.  I was fortunate enough to never suffer permanent hair-loss and scalp damage.  All this in the name of “beauty”.  In retrospect, I can’t believe that I did that to myself.

There is a lot of talk about the dangers of chemical processing to the hair, scalp and health in general.  Not only is there a risk of permanent damage and severe burns to the hair, skin and scalp, but there may be potential health risks.  It has been hypothesized that relaxers may increase the risks of developing certain cancers and uterine fibroids. I don’t know if there is any scientific evidence to support these claims. All I know for sure is that it does not take rocket science to know that those harsh chemicals can’t be good for you.

One day I had an epiphany and a moment of clarity.  I remembered thinking, “What am I doing?”  and decided that enough was enough. Many times I looked in the mirror and cried out of self-pity over having hair that looked fried, with split ends and breakage.  I grew tired of spending thousands of dollars to maintain relaxed hair, only for it to eventually break off. 

I told my stylist that I wanted her to help me transition to natural.  So, she cut my hair down to about 2 inches long.  There was just a tiny bit of new growth, with a little relaxed hair on the ends.  It felt weird in those first few weeks and took some getting used to.  I think I looked like a dude.  The strange thing is that my family, friends and co-workers liked my new look much more than I did in the beginning.

I wore it as a raggedly looking Afro for a few weeks and then, returned to my stylist.  She trimmed off the remaining relaxed hair and then evened up my Afro.  I experimented with some Afrocentric hairstyles, like single and double twist outs, braids, and cornrows.  Sta-Sof-Fro and WildGrowth Hair Oil were pivotal to the transition.  After a few months, I experienced the joy of going natural. It felt so liberating and I loved it.  My hair began to look healthier and it cost much less to maintain it.

These days, my hair is still natural but I also wear wigs.  Sometimes I get bored with my hair.  In my opinion, there is not as much styling versatility when it comes to natural hair. When I flat iron or press my hair, it reverts back to the natural state in a day or so.  That’s usually out of the question for me.  So, I wear wigs to break the monotony and change things up a bit.