Growing It Out: The Cons

Those are the pros of growing out your hair. Here are some of the cons:

• It will take patience and time
• You will have to deal with two distinctly different types of hair
• You may have to depend on someone else to help you style your hair until it is completely grown out.
• You may end up paying more than you are used to paying to have your hair done.
• Your hair will shed and may break off. That may be traumatizing for you.

It will take patience and time

If you want you hair to be say – six inches long – it will take anywhere from six months to a year, depending on how fast your hair grows. You should ask yourself if you are willing to wait that long.

You will have to deal with two distinctly different types of hair

If you are not a fan of messing with you hair this can be frustrating. If you already like playing in your hair and don’t mind adapting then this is a non-issue.

You may have to depend on someone else to help you style your hair until it is completely grown out.

If you plan to wear protective styles and don’t already know how to braid, cornrow, flat twist or do wet sets, you’ll need help. This means that you will have to work around someone else’s schedule.

You may end up paying more than you are used to paying to have your hair done.

This Piggy backs on the last point. Unless you know someone that will do your hair for you, getting extension can be pricy. Expect to redo cornrows at least every 2 – 3 weeks and braids every two months.

Yes people keep them in for months longer. They usually have to fight with their hair to get them out. Plan regular re-braiding into your budget. In the end you will save time and your hair.

Your hair will shed and may break off.

No matter how hard you try you will get breakage. It just comes with the territory. I’ve read of many people who have experienced this, thought their hair was falling out, and went back to relaxing “to save their hair.”

If you know you can’t stand seeing hair in the comb ever time you comb, consider getting it over with and cutting it off all at once.

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written by Anon, June 20, 2008

I can deal with the cons; I'll do anything to have natural hair even if it means making drastic changes. :)

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written by mzkeshia, September 17, 2008

Transitioning is trying my Faith!!!! There have been days I just want to call my hair dresser up and say Slap a perm back in but I'm determine not to got back to the Creamy White Crack

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written by Nica, October 02, 2008

Trasitioning is definately a test of your patience. Dealing with two hair textures, particularly when the relaxed portion is extremely overprocessed, can be overwhelming. I toyed with the idea of doing the BC every time I washed my transitioning hair. I found it easier to cut my hair in stages. Every few weeks I cut off a couple of inches. This way I could avoid the trauma of going from long hair to the TWA. I did the BC after 10 weeks of growth and it was the best thing I could have every done. I reasoned that if I could wear my hair pulled away from my face in a bun, it should look just fine cropped. All the wasted worries about my husband and co-workers reactions turned out to be wasted energy. It is amazing how feminine I feel. Shorter hair gives me encourages me to emphasize my skin and eyes more. I just love it!

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written by wam587, November 06, 2008

So my transition (9 months) has been pretty easy for me. I have always had my hair relaxed and have always been able to cornrow hair but it's a tiresome process for me to do my own. I am blessed to have a niece that can braid cornrows with or without weaved hair added. She prefers to braid natural (nappy) hair because it braids and looks better than straight hair. So that is an added bonus for me.

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