This may be a little to the female and Afro side I guess but which one is easier and cheaper to maintain, Natural hair or Processed hair? Some years back when I entered college I suffered hair loss so I decided to stop relaxing my hair and it went well for me. Towards end of college I started relaxing again and again my hair was damaged so in 2015, I made a Pact to stick with my natural hair for life but I was scared because ladies complain of how their natural hair is always tough to handle and expensive to maintain. For me it comes really easy and I only use one natural product which is shear butter, it keeps my hair really silky, Nourished and soft. It is also considerably cheaper compared to when I used to purchase chemicals and go to the salon. Now I'm my stylist and I treat my hair nice. So which one is easier and cheaper to maintain?
Natural will be cheaper and easier. You won't be needing to straighten your hair and use chemicals. If you want your hair to be organized and easy to maintain you can also have them braided. Most of my African American friends said braids is really great because they are easy to maintain. You can even shampoo them while braided.
I keep my natural and I see that I have much healthier hair than those who have it processed all the time. I don't have an afro but used myself as an example non the less I don't see a problem with people showing off their afros, I think they are beautiful. A friend of mine kept it natural for years and it has made quite a difference. One just needs to know how to style it.
Another option you can go for would be shaved head. It worked well for Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong'o and Supermodel Alek Kwek. Shaved head works well with Black women. It is very low maintenance too. I know many women don't want a shaved head but it saves a lot of money and it is easy to maintain.
I would have to say that natural hair is much more cheaper. As long as you don't put any unknown or potentially dangerous chemicals in it and have a good diet, you should be fine. It is better just to go natural, I myself still have my natural hair and I do a good enough job maintaining it cheaply.
I wore a shaved head, well not the totally bald but just enough so that I still can apply soap to wash it. I like it since it's pretty easy to maintain and less hassle too, just wash and wear and no need for styling gels. Actually I did suffer a falling hair few years back and so decided to cut it short to avoid seeing those hairs on the toilet floor sink. I've been loving it ever since.
I prefer natural hair. It's easier to maintain. I remember when my big Sister starts to use all those processed hairs and chemical; at a time some of her hair starts to fall out and she starts becoming bald at some parts on her head. It takes like a year for her hair to be normal again.
I wear a "hair topper" at times, and BOY, let me tell you it's so much easier to pop that thing on the top of my head instead of spending the time curling and styling my own hair. I have plenty of my own hair, it's just a lot easier to let it flow and then put the hair topper on instead. Instant body, instant curls, instant thickness (that my natural hair never really had.) I wish my hair had more volume, that's the only thing it's lacking. But next summer I plan on losing the hair topper and just growing out the rest of my hair all one length, getting something called a "body perm" which isn't really curly, just adds body and thickness, and letting it go all natural and wild.
Some ladies are clever at this, they grow natural hair which requires minimal maintenance. It involves washing and bombing and application of oil for shine and not much else. Processed hair is the reverse. Some ladies have to go for an expensive weekly retouch.
I found this discussion very inyteresting because these days I am also brooding over these two options, whether I should go with natural hair or processed hair. I think natural hair is difficult to maintain and is also costly, where as the processed hair is easy to maintain and is also cheap. This is just my assumption.
Many people with natural hair often feel it is more difficult to maintain but, that is because as an African American woman we aren't taught to embrace the natural beauty of our hair or how to maintain it. So, yes it seems difficult. As far as cost I think that natural hair care products are treated as specialty items and therefore, are more expensive. Many times they have to be ordered and shipped to your home. Relaxed hair has been more accepted and expected. So, the products are cheaper and a lot easier to come by. When styling natural hair it is up to the individual because the treatments can be costly. If you are keeping your styles simple then the cost may go down. For relaxed hair the cost also depends on how much you visit your beautician. One must decide how much they are willing to spend on their hair every month.
I don't do any chemistry with my hair either. I recommend natural hair oils and masks. My hair is always in good condition.
