Natural Hair
Natural hair is simply
hair that has never been treated by a relaxer. The hair is in the exact
same state it was when it grew out of the hair follicle.
Pros of Natural Hair
Pros of Natural Hair
x
Hair in its natural state is fairly
strong and very thick. Like I previously stated above, it has never been
treated by a chemically straightening relaxer, therefore all the protein bonds
within the hair shaft are intact.
x
Plenty of versatility. This means that
the hair can be styled in a number of ways for example, twist outs, braid outs,
a puffy afro, or even straight hair.
x
There are some ladies who decided to
transition from relaxed hair to natural hair in the form a big chop. The
resulting hair could be fairly short and this automatically becomes low
maintenance hair.
Cons of Natural Hair
x
Most ladies are aware of the fact that
natural hair is difficult to look after. It’s like living in shrinkage city
whereby the hair appears way shorter than it actually is. It requires time and
effort and sometimes heat to get it straight especially after a hair wash.
(Note: frequent use of heat can be damaging to the hair)
x
Detangling. This requires a lot of
patience in order to make sure the hair doesn’t break off or get more tangled
up in knots.
x
Combing and styling. I listed this in
the ‘cons’ section because I know that many African women, myself included when
I was once a natural, have most difficulty in this area. I guess the problem is
deeply rooted from the fact that majority of us as Africans haven’t really
taken the time to study our own hair. Instead we would rather entrust our hair
into the care of hairdressers who may or may not know what they’re doing.
Texlaxed Hair
This is a method in
which the hair is purposely under processed so that some of the
natural curl pattern is retained.
Pros of Texlaxed Hair
x
Experiencing the best of both worlds.
This is because texlaxing provides a medium whereby the hair is in between
natural and relaxed hair.
x
Healthy, strong, and increased thickness
in comparison to having 100% bone straight or relaxed hair. Texlaxing is great
for women who have thin or fine strands of hair.
x
Hair reverting. One doesn’t need to
worry about this because some the natural curl patterns have been relaxed.
Cons of Texlaxed Hair
x
Not much of your true hair length is
seen.
x
From my experience, trying to get my
hair to look as sleek as it once did when it was all relaxed is difficult. I’m
not particularly fussy about this point but it may be a disadvantage for women
seeking sleek, smooth hair.
x
For women that are transitioning from
relaxed hair to texlaxed hair without a big chop, like myself, we have two
demarcation lines. The first being between the new growth and the texlaxed
hair. The second being between the texlaxed hair and the relaxed hair. One has
to strictly follow a healthy hair regimen to prevent breakage between the
textures.
x
Another important factor is dryness.
Frequent moisturizing is required to keep your hair looking healthy.
Relaxed Hair
Relaxed hair is hair
that has been chemically treated by a straightening relaxer. Once the hair
shaft has been relaxed, it should not be relaxed again as this could be
potentially dangerous. Only new growth is relaxed.
Pros of Relaxed Hair
x
Your true hair length can be seen.
x
In general, it is way easier to manage.
The hair is soft and straight, therefore less combing is required and styling
is easier.
x
In comparison to natural hair, it is a
lot easier and faster to get your relaxed hair curly than it is to get your
natural hair straight.
x
Heat is not required to get the hair
straight. After a hair wash, the hair can be left to air dry.
Cons of Relaxed Hair
x
We all know that in the long run,
relaxers are damaging because they contain a number of chemicals which weaken
the hair. For women who cannot do without relaxers, stretching your relaxers
maybe key to lessening the exposure of these chemicals.
x
If your hair is naturally thin then
application of a relaxer may be to your disadvantage.
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