To Transition or Not to Transition - Is that Your Question?

Q:   I have not relaxed my hair in just over four months and I would like to perm my hair now. I am trying to get rid of the relaxed hair by trimming it bit by bit. Is this gonna work? Another problem I have is that my hair is thinning I think due to braiding because I never give my hair a break from braiding. I also have a small patch at the front which happened when I was taking out the braids. It’s been five months now and my hair is not growing back. Is there a chance that it can grow back or what can you advise me to use?

A:   First off, it sounds to me like you are on the fence as to which way to go with your hair. You say that it’s been over four months since you’ve had a perm, but you also say that now you would like to get one.  The question I have to ask here is -- Are you really ready to transition from relaxed to natural hair?

The journey from relaxed hair to natural hair is often not an easy one and is a decision that we each must make for ourselves. Obviously, we can’t have it both ways. We either have relaxed hair or natural hair – we can’t have both. So, the first thing you should do is to get real clear about which way you want to go. If you decide that you want to get rid of the relaxer, don’t put another one on your hair!

In fact, many of the problems you have been experiencing with your hair (thinning, bald spots, etc.) are more than likely resulting from the relaxer more than anything else. When you use “perms” the application of the chemical being smoothed against your head is the real culprit. It is no secret that relaxers have been known to be harsh on the hair and promote balding and thinning. One of the problems that result when balding happens with relaxers is that the hair cells change inside the scalp. In a lot of cases this condition is permanent! Some have had success growing their hair back after giving up relaxers, however, others have not.

If you are really wanting to transition from relaxed to natural hair, for many of us the hardest part is making the commitment to the journey. This video may help you make the decison.