To turn relaxed hair natural without a big chop, you must stop chemical treatments, use protective styles (braids, twists, buns) to hide the two textures, gently detangle with fingers/wide comb, moisturize deeply, and trim the relaxed ends gradually (mini-chops) over time to let your natural growth take over. This transition takes patience, focusing on minimizing breakage at the fragile line where relaxed and natural hair meet.
How to Turn Relaxed Hair into Natural Hair Without Cutting It?
You can use vinegar. Mix 1 cup of vinegar to 1 cup of water and leave it on the hair for at least 30 minutes. This will loosen the relaxer and it will be much easier to remove. Although transitioning from relaxed hair to natural hair can be a bit of a challenge, it doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your style.
It's possible to transition without the big chop.
"It's such a great time to just learn to love yourself, and look in the mirror and say, 'It's just me and you. '" But it's also a personal decision.
Because relaxers permanently alter your hair's structure — and there's no reversing that. The only way back to natural is either through a big chop or by growing out your natural hair while gradually trimming off the relaxed ends.
Q: How long does it take to transition to natural? A: The transitioning process depends on the person. Some people grow their hair out to a certain length, while other cut the relaxer off sooner. On average most people transition for 6 months to 2 years.
The rarest hair type is generally considered Type 1A, which is extremely fine, straight, and wispy, lacking any natural bends or waves, making it difficult to hold a curl but naturally sleek and prone to oiliness. While curly hair types (Type 3 & 4) are less common globally, 1A stands out as the least voluminous and textured straight hair, often seen in people of East Asian descent, though it's considered rare across all populations due to its unique fineness.
You can gradually grow out your relaxer without cutting your hair or doing what is known as the big chop. The process of transitioning will take longer, but it is doable. Many women choose protective hairstyles to avoid cutting their hair and gradually trim their ends in between.
Limit the amount of heat
Like me if you always blow dried after every wash, then try blow drying every other wash day to start with then gradually cut down. Definitely cut out the use of any other styling tools such as curling and straightening tools.
Try to avoid heat styling as much as you can.
If you do prefer to wear straight styles on your natural-hair journey—I mean, I get it; having two totally different textures in your hair isn't an easy transition! —you'll need a flatiron that does as little heat damage as possible.
Habits to Avoid With Relaxed Hair Extensions
Of course, there are pros and cons for each. If you transition, you'll get to keep your length, but you'll have to deal with styling multi-textured tresses. If you do the big chop, you'll get rid of your relaxer in one fell swoop, but you might be left with only an inch of hair.
Your Guide to a Successful Transition: Practical Tips and Expert Advice
The benefits
Apple cider vinegar is good to use on relaxed hair because of the B and C vitamins and potassium it has. Plus, it has anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties which can be helpful for the scalp.
How to Repair Hair After Relaxer Damage
If you want to keep your length, it will take six months to several years to grow out your processed hair, depending on how long it is. (Bridgett Davis clocks her complete transition at four years.)
There's no single "ugliest" hair color, as beauty is subjective, but natural red hair is often cited as least popular in attractiveness studies due to rarity and stereotypes, while some find unnaturally dyed colors (like harsh yellow blonde from bleaching, flat coal black, or certain aggressive fashion shades) less appealing, or simply, a color that clashes with a person's skin tone.
As you age, hair often gets lighter (due to graying) or may need to be lightened to look more youthful, as very dark colors can create harsh contrasts, accentuating wrinkles and shadows on mature skin; adding softness and warmth with lighter tones, highlights, or multi-dimensional browns/blondes is generally more flattering and rejuvenating. The key is to choose colors that harmonize with your current skin tone, not your skin tone from decades past.
The "7-day haircut rule" suggests that while a fresh haircut looks sharp, it often hits its peak and looks most natural, effortless, and "lived-in" around one week (7 days) after getting it, as the hair softens, settles, and blends better. It's a guideline for timing major events or understanding when your hair finds its sweet spot, allowing the initial starkness to fade into a more comfortable style, similar to breaking in new shoes.
You start with "baby fine" hair that gets a lot thicker around puberty and continues to increase into your 30s; thickness then begins to decrease around your early 40s.
The "3-inch hair rule" (or sometimes the 2.25-inch rule) is a hairstylist's guideline to help you decide if short hair suits your face shape: place a pencil horizontally under your chin and a ruler vertically under your ear; if the measurement from the pencil to your earlobe (where the ruler sits) is less than 3 inches (or 2.25 inches), short hair will likely flatter you, while more suggests longer styles are better, though it's just a guide, not a strict rule.
In straight type, thin hair was judged most attractive, whereas in wavy type, hair with mean diameter received the highest attractiveness judgments. In conclusion, there was considerable variation in age, health and attractiveness perception of hair with regard to effects of hair diameter, type, and color.
5 Signs of Damaged Hair