Maintaining your hair

What do you ladies think:

1. Is maintaining your hair now that it is natural, easier than maintaining your hair when it was RELAXED?

2. Are you paying more for products to maintain your natural hair now than you were during your relaxer phase?

I think in regards to my energy no going to the shop was easier. However, before I went natural I was doing my own hair and compared to what I do now its much easier now. When I look at the big picture and take in everything I think its easier now that I have a good understanding of my hair and what's available to me. Getting educated took some time, which I still put in time occassionally to research.

In regards to money, even though I'm a PJ, its cheaper now to take care of my hair. When you consider buying your products and you're the only one using it and what you paid weekly, biweekly, and monthly fees its much cheaper. And Lord bless my soul when something is on sale...glory!!!!!! Now don't ask me about space hee hee my hair shelf in my cabinet is overflowing to the next shelf [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Well just remember that you'll get more use out of that product than you got from paying for your hairstylist for one session. You hair probably lasted 2 weeks and you'll have that jar of whatever for much longer than 2 weeks.

loveself247 wrote:
What do you ladies think:

1. Is maintaining your hair now that it is natural, easier than maintaining your hair when it was RELAXED?

2. Are you paying more for products to maintain your natural hair now than you were during your relaxer phase?
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I definitely think maintaining my hair natural is easier than maintaining it while relaxed, simply because to me its waaay more convenient! I always hated flat ironing my hair....I felt like it took sooo much energy outta me being that I had to wash it too! Being natural can be a maintenance job, but the steps are so easy as far as co-washing and then proceeding to twist it up, or wash n go...so easy and quick!

As far as products, I really enjoy buying natural hair care products now more than ever since I've found this site. But the good thing is, most natural hair care products arent an arm and a leg! So that's one reason why I get excited to try new stuff. While I had a relaxer, I didnt buy as many products, but if I did, they were always expensive!

So overall, being natural is just more convenient for me! Money wise and time wise! Don't have to spend money for someone else to do my hair, and at anytime, I can do it myself and look FAB!!!!

@loveself247 Hang in there girl!!! Are you planning to get it cut anytime soon, or are you just going to do a long-term transition?

Oh most definitely!!!! Maintaining my hair is much easier. I'm no longer worrying about how I'm gonna scramble up $90 for a relaxer (yes ladies $90). I love doing my own hair. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like a lot of people in my head like that.

As far as products go, I'm still fairly new to this and I REFUSE TO BECOME A PJ!!!! However, I do like trying things and buying cute earrings and headbands. I don't spend near as much a month on products as I did on my hair so I am definitely happy with that.

lol @ Sister Boyd...don't let it be on sale...then I stockpile it up.
But overall, it is much cheaper to be natural to me.
We would easily drop $50 plus tip every 2 weeks...these conditioners dont cost that much at all.

[color=orange]@natural83, I'm planning to go long term. But I am so anxious for my hair to grow out so I can cut this other mess off...lol

This is how I have been wearing my hair lately. Just so darn time consuming...


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I have to find a way to make my styles last. Girl I be in the mirror every night re-twisting my hair...lol

Now that I (mostly) know what I'm doing, it's much easier to do my hair now than it was relaxed. Most of what I do now (pre-poo, dc, etc), I did when I was relaxed, so the only thing that takes longer is detangling and protective styling. However, the day to day styling is next to nothing, so overall it takes me less time to do my hair. Now that I've gotten my routine down I almost never have a bad day!

It's so much cheaper as well. I never have to go to the salon now, whereas I was going to the salon every six months to a year and paying at least $60 for a touchup. When I was relaxed I pretty much only used salon products (Redkin, Nexxus, Paul Mitchell, etc) and you know that stuff isn't cheap. Now I pay the same or (much) less for natural products that last waaaaay longer, as well as great cheap conditioners like Trader Joes.

lena73 wrote:lol @ Sister Boyd...don't let it be on sale...then I stockpile it up.
But overall, it is much cheaper to be natural to me.
We would easily drop $50 plus tip every 2 weeks...these conditioners dont cost that much at all.

You know I love the CVS, Target, RightAid, and other sales like VO5 2 for $1 or my best one yet Giovonni for $5.50 when its usually almost $10.

loveself247 wrote:[color=orange]@natural83, I'm planning to go long term. But I am so anxious for my hair to grow out so I can cut this other mess off...lol

This is how I have been wearing my hair lately. Just so darn time consuming...


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I have to find a way to make my styles last. Girl I be in the mirror every night re-twisting my hair...lol

Use your transition time to experiment with new styles. Its normal to be a bit frustrating during this time deal with 2 different textures. Plus, this is new. Try checking out YouTube as well for transition styles and tips. Trust us it will get better and easier.

I have been transitioning for a little over a year now and I find that so far weather relaxed or leaning more towards natural, both are a process. I have been keeping my hair in natural hair styles for the past 6 months (double stand twists) I am the type that enjoys going to the salon even if I fully knew how to maintain my almost natural hair at home, it is a treat to me and it just looks much more neater than what I can do at home.

So in all reality I wind up paying just as much money, as a matter of fact more by going natural because I only relaxed my hair about once every 5 or 6 months and it was inexpensive. I would say that I also spend more money for products, natural hair requires better and specific products in order to be able to maintain. I can't wait till my hair is fully natural (no stright ends) but in terms or price for me it works out to be just about the same.

1) yeah, way more easier to maintain! i think also adds to this is that i am generally a no-fuss type of girl when it comes to styling, as i usu wear my hair in two strand twists 90% of the time

2) i find its cheaper overall because i don't go to salons (but like once or twice a year to get a trim) and that i have found my basic regimen that is pretty cost effective. regardless, i am a girl that loves hair candy that does the same thing that my basic regimen does; sometimes you just gotta mix it up!

To be 100% honest I was never concerned about 'maintaining' the health of my hair. I was the girl that went to sleep without wrapping my hair and if I had to go out or be somewhere then I would just flatiron it. So of course that was easier as far as how much energy I put towards my hair but the damage and unhealthy hair was the price I had to pay for that. So I do feel like it's pretty time-consuming for me because I haven't found my holy grail products and styles but I can definitely see that once I find out what my hair loves it will be a lot less time consuming and much more routine. But natural hair is usually a lot more fragile anyway because it is prone to tangles because the strands tend to curl up on one another - so you HAVE to be gentle and take your time if you don't want to see your hair on the floor.

Right now I am probably spending much more on hair care products because I haven't found what works best. I only got my hair pressed once every other month sometimes every 3 months and didn't buy very many products to begin with. I have set my hair budget for $30 a month since I am doing my own hair (didn't work - I went over that by the 5th of this month! lol) but just having that in mind keeps everything in perspective. That's only $360 a year which isn't that much (or is it??? lol).

I def find it easier to maintain and style my hair now that I'm natural. I've been able to let go of my brush and just let my hair do what it wants when I style. When I was permed my hair had to look "perfect" and I had such a hard time taming it. With natural hair I let my hair do what it wants and get wild which suits my personality.

Do I find it cheaper? I don't think so. When I was permed I LOVED trying new products. I didn't go to the salon that often anyway. Now that I'm natural I still LOVE trying new products. Probably now more than before LOL.

I agree. My hair is much easier to maintain as a natural. I'm still sportin' my twa but I can already calculate the salon savings.

Much easier now. I never could do my own hair when it was permed, so I was in the salon every week. Now I go once every 4-6 weeks for color touch up. I do wash and gos, easiest 'do in the world!

As far as price, I am a PJ in recovery, so I think (so far) it's more expensive for me. But now that I gotten a hold of my PJism, it's going to be cheaper in the future.

Eden, I know about them high price relaxers!!! Believe me. I am not a project junkie at all so for the most part if I come across something I like I keep. I was never a "hair" person in the first place. When I was relaxed, I honestly didn't do much to my hair. It was shoulder length so I kept it in a doobie wrap-no problem at all. I didn't buy many products but rollers and setting lotion to style (which I never could do- I always went to the hair salon)

Now I think it is a little bit easier for me to style my natural hair because I will put it in a puff and keep it moving in no problem. I think I spend more on products. Because I am trying to find a good regimen and the more I am on this blog- I find out I need to do more to my hair (deep condition, trim, etc, etc). Last winter, was my first winter being natural and I don't have any of the problems I have now-flakes, itchy scalp.

I think the expenses for my natural hair may be a little bit cheaper (every few months I go to the natural salon and get a style-will probably go next month) but my relaxed hair cost more for maintenance.

I guess I could maintain and do more styles for my natural hair but despite how much I love my hair- I can't devote all day to hair care. I will lose interest and start reading a book or looking at tv. Bobby pins have recently become my best friend in making new styles...