Relaxed hair vs Natural hair

Written by Freda Lukoh

Howdy ladies. I get this feeling each time this so called topic pops in my mind. I will love us to read with open minds today because this may not go down well with some of us. Lately, there has been this controversy on hair textures although, few religious sects have always been particular about the wrongness of this practice by we ladies . The so-called argument has been the rightness or wrongness of relaxing hair which today has crept into fashion or I will say, ‘hair fashion’. This write up is not to promote any product, discriminate nor criticise anyone and their belief or to alleviate any selfish reason but simply to help some ladies who have found it difficult to take bold steps pertaining to their hair and also clarify issues bordering some ladies on the topic ‘hair’. It is gradually doning on a few percentage of African women the importance of our natural locks and why we should look for better ways of maintenance and not alter or completely change its substance.

The diagram you see shows in the long term, the damage caused by prolong use of relaxers. Everyone seems to be preaching about going natural but forget to give backups for their points. After years of prolonged use of relaxer for hair maintenance, one ends up with limp, thin and damaged hair. The chemicals are harsh on hair and scalp and its effects dry hair combine with some hair routine at the saloon and after, brings about hair breakage. Most women who are observant of their hair will report thinness from the regular fullness they formerly had and loss of thickness. Hair becomes very light textured and gradually cannot stand the harshness from chemicals and relaxers. Gradually, the state of the hair declines from a healthy look to a sad thirsty look and eventually to a state of no revival. At this point, the hair becomes damaged but instead of it to be left fallow like a land that is exhausted off its nutrients trying to retain organic substance, more relaxer and harsh compounds are put to grow hair. Instead of growth, the hair perishes and refuses to make effort that is why some persons do not see improvements in their hair growth because the hair is like a plant and the scalp, the soil. When harsh chemicals are put in soil,, it affects crop and plant suffers stunted growth and other things but the moment good cultural practices are observed, soil becomes nutrient packed and plant can thrive in healthy environment and flourish properly. The moment you begin to see your hair this way and maintain proper hair routine with relaxers excluded, your hair story will turn around.

 

Isabella, a promising young lady( she’s old now) suffered a permanent scalp injury from using a relaxer in one of the best hair saloons at New York city. As at the time it happened, she was an up coming model making waves but this crashed her carrier. Sad. If we must unavoidably relax our hair, choice of saloons is very important especially in Nigeria where we have unprofessional as stylists who give attention to other activities like the television, phone calls or other things while you are roasting under the oven(dryer) or cooking in pain with relaxer in your hair. Isabella’s case was not carelessness or fake product, she had reactions after days and it caused her hair to clean off her scalp. Hers is what we call relaxer gone wrong. We all have responsibilities to bear when we take actions concerning certain choices. Hair style or maintenance routine is part of it so when you make choices concerning your hair and it turns out to be a no for you, blame yourself for wrong choice. If you are afraid about going natural, these pictures can help.

So dear sisters, you can still look good without altering your hair speck but have in mind I am not obliging anybody to make this choice on going natural. Like stated earlier this article is to help those seeking for this info to make a bold step and also inform. These pictures show women who transformed from relaxed to natural and it paid off. You too can make a bold step like they did, the choice is yours.