Throughout my 25 years of being a full-time author, I’ve positively penned for a couple of hair magazines and web sites earlier than. One time, I keep in mind being requested to cowl what would possibly seem like a very random query — and but, when you cease to essentially ponder it, it’s one which has crossed many Black ladies’s minds: “If I’m going to wear my natural hair, when’s the best time of year to do that and if I’m going to relax it, when should I do that?”
My response? Nicely, I’ll converse for myself personally and say I believe that, though there’s completely nothing incorrect with shrinkage (it truly speaks to how wholesome your curls and coils are), if you wish to put on all-natural kinds with as little of it as doable, cooler months are greatest. However, for the reason that hotter seasons are likely to have much more humidity in them, if you wish to rock a straight(er) fashion, enjoyable your locks makes extra sense throughout the spring and summertime.
And, as life (and timing) would have it, the latter is the place we’re proper now. So, if you’re significantly desirous about chemically straightening your hair, though I completely get it, earlier than you’re taking the leap, please be sure to ask your self the next 5 questions, simply so that you gained’t have any regrets when you truly do.
1. Why Am I Doing It?
Certainly one of my girlfriends? She has an unbelievable head of hair. I wanna say that her texture might be hovering someplace between 3b-4a, and it solely takes her about six months to go from a bob to effectively previous her bra strap. Anyway, though once I first met her, she rocked a relaxer, for a couple of decade, she then went fully pure. Then, sooner or later, she introduced to me that she was going again to the white stuff. After I requested her why, she mentioned that though she liked pure hair, all the time that went into the care and upkeep of it was beginning to get on her nerves.
I ain’t obtained no lies to let you know: When she mentioned it, I used to be devastated prefer it was my very own hair, largely as a result of I had grown so accustomed to seeing her thick curly locks. Plus, I’m conscious of a number of the dangers that include relaxers (extra on that in a sec). Nonetheless, it ain’t my head, and likewise, since she would flat iron her hair fairly a bit with out correctly prepping it in an effort to keep away from warmth harm, it’s not like I didn’t see the place she was coming from. I wanna say that she’s been enjoyable her hair, this time, for about 4-5 years now. I’ve requested her if she has any regrets. She has been emphatic that her reply is “no.”
Me? I’ve been fairly pure for many of my grownup life. I body it that method as a result of again when my hair was extremely brief, I’d generally put a texturizer in it (which is mainly a gentle relaxer, if we’re gonna be actual about it). Nevertheless, there have solely been two instances once I’ve taken the very clear relaxer route, and each had been to attain a selected coiffure — as soon as a straight brief bob and one other time a modified mohawk. The bob I form of regretted as a result of as soon as I used to be “over it,” I needed to reduce my hair to get again to my pure texture.
The mohawk? Eh, not a lot as a result of the edges had been tremendous low anyway. Nonetheless, identical to going from relaxed to pure is a transition (makes me take into consideration the guide after which movie Nappily Ever After), so goes from relaxed to pure — which is why the very first thing it’s best to ask your self is your motive(s) for enjoyable your hair, with the intention to additionally ponder the prices that include making the selection.
2. Am I Conscious of the Dangers?
A number of years in the past, Glamour revealed an article entitled, “It’s My Hair and I’ll Relax It—Or Not—If I Want To.” Again in 2023, Essence revealed an article entitled, “Why Some Black Women Are Relaxing Their Hair Again.” Final yr, Vice revealed an article entitled, “Black Women on Their Complicated Relationship with Relaxer.” As I checked all of them out, that’s truly what triggered India.Arie’s music, “I Am Not My Hair” to come back to my thoughts. On the finish of the day, some of the bomb issues about our hair is how rattling versatile it may be — what number of choices that we actually do have.
Nonetheless, I’d be fairly irresponsible if I didn’t point out in a relaxer-themed article that there’s fairly a little bit of analysis that claims that relaxers actually aren’t the most effective for our general well being and well-being. For example, final yr, NPR revealed the article, “Thousands of Black women are suing chemical relaxer makers over cancer risks” which was in all probability, not less than partially impressed by, “First Large Study of Hair Relaxers Among Black Women Finds Increased Risk of Uterine Cancer” (NPR additionally only in the near past revealed an article about shampoos, lotions and eyelash glues which are dangerous to our well being as effectively).
In 2023, NBC Information featured a bit entitled, “What Black women should know about hair relaxers and their health;” one of many issues it mentioned was “postmenopausal Black women who have used chemical hair relaxers more than twice a year or for more than five years have an increased risk of developing uterine cancer.” Know what else? It also needs to go on file that, past most cancers, relaxers pose the specter of uterine fibroids, untimely births, and even infertility.
Ought to that “scare” you into not enjoyable your hair? Eh, it ought to make you extra conscious of the dangers. That mentioned, I’d even be amiss if I didn’t say that there are some relaxer choices which are actually safer than others (you may learn extra about these right here). Nonetheless, when you knew that there have been different methods to straighten your locks with out “chancing it” relating to chemical relaxers in any respect, wouldn’t you need to not less than…think about them?
This brings me to the subsequent query that it’s best to ask your self.
3. Have I Researched Different Straightening Options?
A number of weeks in the past, Who What Put on revealed an article entitled, “TikTok Says Becoming a ‘Straight Natural’ Is a Hairstyling Hack—I Asked an Expert for the Facts.” It naturally piqued my curiosity as a result of that’s just about what I’m: on wash day, I’ll blow-out my hair after which I’ll braid it as much as hold it stretched, mainly till it’s time to scrub it once more. Personally, it has served me effectively as a result of it reduces tangling and probabilities for fairy knots to pop up, plus, it helps me to deal with my hair extra gently (as a result of I’m not precisely the most effective at doing that).
Because of this no, I don’t want or use a relaxer, though I do desire to put on my hair stretched out. As a substitute, I exploit a blow dryer. That’s one different to attaining straight(er) hair.
Some others?
You may flat-iron your hairYou can apply keratin treatmentsYou can do a silk pressYou can put your hair in rollersThere are fairly a couple of straightening sprays and lotions that may get the job carried out too (though you oftentimes want to make use of them with warmth, and lots of include silicones if these aren’t your factor)
BONUS: If you wish to merely stretch your pure hair with out warmth, some choices for which are right here.
Now, I gained’t lie, a perk to going the relaxer route is your hair stays completely straight, even within the roughest of climate situations whereas these alternate options are non permanent options (some lasting longer than others). Nevertheless, if you wish to go in between curly and straight with none probably dangerous chemical substances placing your well being in danger, now another confirmed issues that you are able to do.
4. Have I Absolutely Processed the Maintenance That Is Concerned?
The time it takes to take a seat up in a magnificence salon. Chile, again once I was in school, that impressed me to show myself how one can reduce my very own hair (fades ‘n all) — that’s why, it’s been solely a handful of instances that I’ve been in a magnificence store since. And don’t get me began on the costs! In truth, I only in the near past checked out the present common costs for sure hair therapies within the US:
Girls’s haircut: $10-90Hair Coloration: $75-200Highlights: $20-200Styling: $10-65Permanent Hair Straightening: $40-425 ($425?!)
Now, to be honest, relating to seeing knowledgeable for sure pure kinds, listed below are a number of the prices for that:
Braids: $40-200Locs: $50-150Retightening Sisterlocks: $100-250 (and it’s advisable to do that not less than six instances a yr)
Nevertheless, pure hairstyles oftentimes are likely to last more, and you are able to do sure ones by yourself. In the meantime, getting a retouch? Whereas some desire to do it each six weeks, each eight weeks is often the norm. Plus, it’s not simply you’re getting a relaxer, proper? Oftentimes, a reduce and presumably a retouch of shade is thrown up in there, too, and that may actually add up.
To not say that, even when you do your pure hair at residence, a number of the hair merchandise will not be the most affordable on the planet. Understood. All I’m saying, although, is — I’ve been doing my very own hair for years, and the merchandise that I exploit final for a lot of months on finish. Again once I was getting a relaxer, although? Within the grand scheme of issues, I used to be positively spending more cash general.
And with this present administration that we now have, chile…CHILE.
5. Have You Taken a Month to Make Positive It’s Not a Knee-Jerk
Response?
Relaxers are rather a lot like tattoos within the sense that, when you get them, there’s no turning again. So, when you’re a naturalista who is considering placing the “cream crack” in, merely since you’ve had a couple of dangerous hair days — earlier than you guide a hair appointment and even go to a magnificence provide retailer to get a ready-made relaxer to use your self, pause…to essentially take into consideration what you’re doing.
And by “pause,” I like to recommend taking a great month, simply to just remember to’re making a logical determination and never simply having an emotional response. As a result of once more, as soon as it’s straight, it’s straight till/until you resolve to develop your pure hair again out — and boy, is {that a} course of (try “The Truth About Transitioning From Relaxed To Natural”)…generally extra of 1 than we thought of earlier than taking the cream crack leap.
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Pay attention, you’re all the way in which grown, and relating to your hair, you actually can do regardless of the hell you need to do. That mentioned, I did resolve to finish this with a characteristic from Solely One Jess’s channel as a result of…simply take a look at our pure hair and all that it’s able to. Stunning.
As I shut this out, as with just about all issues on this life, relaxed hair actually comes with its personal advantages. After all, it does as a result of, if there have been none, who would have relaxed locks in any respect? All I’m saying is it does include some “count the costs” to essentially think about, too, and I need to just remember to all the time hold these in thoughts as effectively.
I’m hoping this text introduced this major level residence, in order that when you do resolve to go completely straight (maybe once more), you may really feel 100% good about your determination.
With — just like the pal whom I discussed earlier — not one single remorse. From root to tip.
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