Although my hair is completely natural, I do still get the urge to relax it. I like straight hair. I always have, even when I was a little girl. I think I also associate long hair with relaxed hair because that’s when my hair was its longest.
My relaxed hair 2008ish.
When I first started relaxing my hair, I was always too lazy to get it done (even though my mother was the one who did my relaxers), so I would go like 5 months between relaxers. In my later relaxing days, I relaxed every 2-3 months which was way too often for my hair… and it showed!
This pic is the reason I kicked the creamy crack habit:
Whenever I get the urge to relax my hair, I remember how long and thin my ponytail had gotten. I think of all of the harmful chemicals in relaxers (especially the formaldehyde) and I cringe. That alone keeps me away. Relaxing is a hard habit to kick, especially when you’ve been doing it for so long.
XOXO,
Rece
A Hair Story... 
Wow!!!! Your hair is so long and beautiful. I hope to have long healthy hair like yours. Do you pre poo your hair? If so, how often?
These pics are from when my hair was relaxed. I clarified in the post. I do prepoo and deep condition now. My regimen is in the “Current Regimen” section.
Wow!!! Look how thin your hair was. I’m certain every time you get urges, the ponytail pic is a true reminder that will kill your urges real fast. I can honestly say that I absolutely don’t get the urges. My hair has never grown so thick and full. It was always flat and thin. It would grow, but I knew it would start breaking with each relaxer. So like you I stretched my relaxer maybe every 12 weeks instead of 6. Then 12 weeks turned into 14 weeks.
Yes, yes, yes! The ponytail pic removes the thought from my head immediately. I don’t even need to look at the pic to remember how bad it was. I used to cry over how thin and raggedy my hair had gotten.
Oh really!! Wow….Hush, hush…I know you not crying over that anymore.
Not at all! Lol
Wow Rece!!! I don’t remember you ever posting that last pic before!!! I know you posted others where you showed it thinning, think one was even in your hairstory that I posted on my site. But this is truly eye opening. Yeah girl, your ponytail is so full and lush now. You should include that pic in this post. It might be shorter, but your hair will be back to your old length within the next 2 years, I’m sure and sooooo much better. Maybe you’ll be a straight hair natural entirely, but it’ll be thick and full b/c you’ve learned how to make certain that it stays healthy!
You know the other thing that you can see? Your hair in the relaxed pics looks like it’s shiny due to greasy products (like pink lotion or grease). Your hair now has a sheen and shine that seems like it’s from within, because it’s healthy.
Girllllll… I’ve never posted that pic! I still cringe when I see it! My hair was at its worst! I took that pic to send to a friend because we always said that long and thin was NOT cool. She didn’t believe how thin my hair was, so I had to take a pic to prove it. I’m glad I have it for my record though.
Whoa! Ur hair was def very thin. I always hated a relaxed. U know my issue was the burning and scabs. I hated getting one because of that. I sometimes think of perming mainly for the ease of styling but I know I could never perm again because of the burning…you will get ur length back an if u don’t its ok because at least ur hair is healthier…I’ve never gotten my length back but I’m ok with it…
You need to get your length back… and more! I’m going to have to coach you!
i’m with you on remembering all those chemicals. I don’t get the urge to relax because I find straight hair to just be stringy. When I do finally straighten it, I am going to make sure it’s not bone straight so I can keep some of the volume that I don’t get when it’s relaxer straight
That’s true. Straight hair is very stringy to me too now. Lol. How time has changed my perspective!
I know a lot of women have pressure on them to straighten their hair with relaxers from guys, but to the ones that break free from it I have nothing but respect for. Super happy that you stopped using it! I truly do not understand how some guys like that stuff….