The natural hair journey is one that is full of all sorts of ups and downs. From the moment you begin thinking about taking that huge leap to big chop or start preparing yourself for a long transition, you never know where it might take you. For many of us, this natural hair rollercoaster ride doesn’t end with that first chop or even after a few months of washing, deep conditioning, and binge watching natural hair YouTube videos. It’s not uncommon to find yourself a year or more into this journey still figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and trying to keep your sanity when your hair just seems to have a mind of its own.
When the natural hair journey gets tough, which for most of us at some point it will, it’s easy to reminisce on the “easy-going” days of relaxing and flat ironing your hair. But remember, those days were just masking the true beauty of your natural hair and covering it with a temporary–not to mention damaging–solution to make it more manageable. Before you run to your stylist or local beauty supply to grab a relaxer and go back to the “good old days”, we have some tips and a bit of encouragement to help you understand and embrace your beautiful natural hair! No chemicals or straightening products needed!
5 Things to Do When You’re Thinking about Getting a Relaxer
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Give your natural hair some time! Patience isn’t exactly something that we have a lot of these days. When everything is available to us in the palm of our hands at super fast speeds, we expect everything in our lives to behave the same way. The truth of the matter is, you haven’t known your natural hair until this point in your life. That’s decades of learning–and unlearning–that needs to be done! Before you even think about returning to the relaxer, make sure you’ve set yourself up for the best possible journey with your natural hair. Have you followed our checklist regarding what to do after the big chop? Have you met other natural women who’ve been where you are in your journey? What about finding a salon that caters to textured natural hair? If not, you haven’t even scratched the surface of support available to you on this journey. Find a salon like Urbanbella to get pampered, grab a glass of champagne, get styling ideas, and start to enjoy all the benefits of kinky, curly natural hair. - Review your hair routine and give it upgrade. Before you throw in the towel on your natural hair journey, take a long, hard look at what you’ve been doing so far and how it's been working. We stress the importance of investing in quality products because when it comes down to it, cheap products will make your journey more stressful than it needs to be. When you’ve invested in high-quality products like the Urbanbella line for your hair, you’ll begin to see the difference in its feel, appearance, and moisture level. This is something you won’t get if you’re using low-grade products full of water and waxes. Before you give up on your natural hair, make sure you’re really giving it the TLC and quality it needs to flourish.
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Get some style inspiration. Nothing can have you ready to change your mind about your natural hair than simply not feeling like you look your best. We get it. 
When you are used to styling relaxed hair it can be difficult to get creative with your new texture and length. This is the perfect time to search for women with your personal style, hair length, and similar textures to get inspired. With spring here–and summer on the way–there are countless women rocking new shortcuts or shaping their medium length hair for spring break and summer vacation. And besides, who wants to sit at the sideline at the pool or beach because they can’t ruin their relaxer? Natural hair allows you to get in and out of the water with
When you are used to styling relaxed hair it can be difficult to get creative with your new texture and length. This is the perfect time to search for women with your personal style, hair length, and similar textures to get inspired. With spring here–and summer on the way–there are countless women rocking new shortcuts or shaping their medium length hair for spring break and summer vacation. And besides, who wants to sit at the sideline at the pool or beach because they can’t ruin their relaxer? Natural hair allows you to get in and out of the water with- Take advantage of the ease of natural hair. When we’re in the thick of the hair journey, figuring out what products to use, understanding our hair type, and falling into a natural hair routine, natural hair can feel anything but easy. But when you’re able to get the basics down, you’ll find that being natural is much easier than trying to maintain a relaxer. Styling is easier, maintenance is easier, and you simply have more control over your day to day routine. Once you’re able to master natural styles like the wash-and-go, you’ll never want to turn back!
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Think about the disadvantages of relaxed hair. 
If all else fails and you still find yourself itching to get back to relaxed hair, take a few moments to really think about what relaxers are and how they affect your hair and your health. While they may seem like manageable solutions for your hair, the damage they cause in the long run simply isn’t worth it. Relaxers are notoriously damaging to the hair and is responsible for thinning, breakage, and even bald patches. While it may seem like a nice alternative for the moment, when you look at the bigger picture, you’ll see that the only choice is to stay natural.
If all else fails and you still find yourself itching to get back to relaxed hair, take a few moments to really think about what relaxers are and how they affect your hair and your health. While they may seem like manageable solutions for your hair, the damage they cause in the long run simply isn’t worth it. Relaxers are notoriously damaging to the hair and is responsible for thinning, breakage, and even bald patches. While it may seem like a nice alternative for the moment, when you look at the bigger picture, you’ll see that the only choice is to stay natural.
