Is Relaxed Hair Off Trend?

Many ladies on healthy hair journeys (myself included) defend our use of wigs, ponytails, and weaves by stating they are accessories!  When some people see my real hair, especially when I remove a long-term protective style like a sew in weave or braids, they compliment it and ask incredulously why on earth I wear fake hair when I have hair often described with words such as long, healthy and/or thick.

Freetress-Sonya-Lace-Wig1

It is usually a waste of time to attempt to explain the theory of protective styling, so instead I decide to explain my use of fake hair as an accessory.  I patiently discuss that asymmetric cuts, choppy layers, blunt bangs and different textures are wildly popular right now but that hair trends change constantly.  I don’t feel comfortable committing to drastic changes to my real hair but I like to update my look as the trends come and go.  I took part in this conversation recently (while I was wearing a very stylish bob wig by Freetress) which led me to think about my real hair.  Is relaxed hair “out”?

Allow me to take you down hairstyle memory lane and please remember I am from New Jersey so you may have called these styles different things in your region.  Do you remember fingerwaves?  Horizontal French rolls with scrunchies in the front?  Teased bangs, side ponytails with cloth holders, and the mushroom haircut? How about waterfalls?  Box braids with wooden beads on the ends?  Oooooh, and what about the fan?!  While I didn’t rock all of these hairstyles, I certainly wore my fair share and remember every one.  As the different hairstyles have come and gone – I’ve changed my look accordingly because I like to change up my look and I truly do believe hair is the ultimate accessory.

That being said an increasingly large number of black women are transitioning to natural.  Big, curly, textured, kinky hair seems to be so “in” right now and I envy every healthy head of natural hair I see.  Even wigs and weaves are mimicking natural hair more and more.  10 years ago Senegalese and kinky twists were worn by very few while now they are one of the most popular and sought after hairstyles.  Big curly and even frizzy wigs are bestsellers and new kinky textured extensions are available for sew in weaves.  I absolutely love these styles, yet I remain happily relaxed.  Is my style outdated?  Am I completely off-trend?  Do my chemically straightened locs lack edginess?

My answer is no!  All of the reasons with which I defend my use of fake hair are the exact reasons I do not consider my relaxed hair to be outdated.  I absolutely LOVE natural hair but I do not want to commit to transitioning.  To get my “natural look” fix I do twist and braid outs and my favorite wigs are big textured looks.  Straw sets require a large amount of time to complete but the results are gorgeous and mimic natural hair marvelously. Kinky twists are awesome protective styles, convenient and allow me to rock my favorite natural hairstyle (two strand twists).  If you love your relaxed hair, but are dying to participate in the natural hair look – take advantage of all of the styling options at your disposal and you can achieve the look without commitment!

Author Spotlight

EbonyCPrincess

EbonyCPrincess is a self proclaimed hair care enthusiast who began her quest for long healthy hair in 2009. Her hair is relaxed and type 4b (kinky, very tightly coiled). You can find more information about Ebony and her journey on her personal blog, Longing 4 Length Blog or her YouTube channel youtube.com/EbonyCPrincess

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Posted by on October 22, 2011. Filed under Relaxed Hair, Styling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.


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  • summeewright

    Yes permed and relaxed hair is out-dated!!!     Natural, healthy-looking hair is IN…..and will continue to be IN from now on.    
    Black women look better with natural hair.   Men of all races are drawn to black women who wear their natural hair because it’s sexy on us :)

    • http://www.lessfoodmorelife.com/ BHI

      The natural look could lose ground just like any other hairstyle. The point is there’s no need to ever go natural unless it’s what you actually want to do forever. Not just to look like Rachel True, Indie Arie etc etc Otherwise you will look at old pictures of yourself in 10 years and they will look as dated as the salt and peppa pic!

    • http://longing4length.blogspot.com EbonyCPrincess

      Thank you for reading and sharing your opinion!!!  Well, to run with your argument – so you are saying women of other races do NOT look good with big, curly hair?  That naturals who wear their hair straight are also “outdated”?  That men are no longer attracted to women who wear their hair straight or are relaxed?  I think its all about HOW you wear your relaxed or natural hair, but that’s just a personal opinion.

  • Shaniqua43

    I think my auntie still gets fingerwaves! lolz

    • http://longing4length.blogspot.com EbonyCPrincess

      LOL!  One of my church members does the French roll with fingerwaves in the front every 2 weeks FAITHFULLY!

  • JesusIsLoveTR

    Just like everything else in life- wearing our hair natural or relaxed is a CHOICE. Just because an individual makes a decision to wear a relaxer, jerry curl, braids, wigs, weaves, extensions, finger waves (lol), color or even our beautiful natural hair- it doesn’t give others the right to be prejudice of their choice. We are all beautiful. I love my shade of brown and every other shade God has created. Do you think women of other races give each other as hard of a time as we do when it comes to their hair? Women of other races wear extensions, straighten, curly-perm, highlight, color, mohawk and even shave their hair- but do you think their counterparts accuse them of being less white/less hispanic/less Asian/less Indian, etc.? Does this mean that they do not embrace their “TRUE” selves, or are they simply enjoying their choice to be an individual, and have the freedom to do whatever they want with their OWN hair? We live in a society where you can literally walk outside and see versatility from every end of the spectrum. People are DIFFERENT and they like what they like, whether you like, understand, appreciate, accept, or hate their preference- It is THEIRS and you will NEVER change the entire WORLD to embrace your own NARROW view of the magnificent gift of individually we all possess. Please STOP the prejudice and love others as you love yourself.

    • Hairchica

      Beautifully put! Couldn’t agree more myself.

    • http://longing4length.blogspot.com EbonyCPrincess

      thank you darling for sharing your wonderful opinion!

  • KK

    I am just 8 weeks into going without a perm. I would like to know what products did you use. I want to flat iron my hair because I work in an office enviroment. I would like to know if I wore the flat iron style what product would I need to use to keep it moist, until my next appt.

    • http://longing4length.blogspot.com EbonyCPrincess

      Sorry I am just now replying, KK.  I use moisturizers from a company called Bee Mine Products, which can be purchased online.  They are a natural ingredient based product line and somewhat pricey.  There are a lot of local and less expensive options but you asked specifically what I use.  Have you tried rollersetting your hair?  It takes some practice to master but can achieve the straight look you desire without you having to use any heat tools.  For more information on the products and techniques I use in particular, please check out my blog:  http://www.longing4length.blogspot.com.  Thanks!

  • Natural Glory

    Personally, I think its just a newness to see so many black women wearing their hair in a natural state. I have been natural going on 11 years and I was in a league of my own for awhile, the most natural styles you would see were dreadlocks, but now black women with all hair textures are rocking what GOD gave them naturally. Its a new thing! because black hair in its natural state has been considered unattractive, unprofessional, and of low importance, but now we are finding out what we have and it is Glorious. Relaxers, are a choice and that is true, but they were created to keep our real hair from being seen because it was considered ugly and unmanageable and that is the liberation that a person who does not use it any longer feels. They feel free from what others have made them to believe was the right thing to do. Most black women have never gotten a good look at what their natural hair even looks like and thats why it is a journey indeed because the more it grows naturally the more you understand and gain a relationship, understanding, and a love for it. Many of us have been robbed from this simple pleasure due to the fact that  as little girls we were given perms without choice from mother’s who did not know what is known now. It is a choice and to each his own!

    • http://longing4length.blogspot.com EbonyCPrincess

      I completely agree that it is refreshing to see so many women wearing their natural textures.  I am not it the category of not knowing or being familiar with my natural hair but most of my friends are and I encourage them to either stretch long enough to see or transition just so that they will KNOW what their chemically unaltered hair looks like!

      • NaturalGlory

        I know I’m late, but I just ran across this post again. I want to thank you for such a kind and understanding post. I would like to tell you that even though I have been natural for 11 years, I have only been on a healthy hair journey for a little over a year. When I first began searching the web on how to grow my hair, I ran across one of your videos on you tube and you were so encouraging to me and I thank you for sharing your GOD-given knowledge because it has helped me so much. Take care!