Most of us know that there’s a difference between relaxed hair and natural hair. One has chemicals used to alter it, and the other doesn’t. Unfortunately, it can go a lot deeper in the African-American community than whether or not you choose to relax your hair.

With lockdowns happening country-wide since the Covid-19 pandemic started in March 2020, salons closed, and women everywhere were forced to find a DIY method to manage their hair. Women with relaxed hair had to stop at their local beauty supply shop and buy what they needed to get the job done.

Some women took the lack of access to a hair salon as a sign that it was time to try something new. If you have a social media account, I’m sure you’ve seen the before and after photos of women that have chosen to grow out their relaxer and transition to natural, as well as the women who have decided to embrace their gray and let go of the hair dye.

Like it or not, many women have been taught to compete with one another. With that competitiveness comes judgment. Natural hair ladies are judging relaxed hair ladies, and those who have grown comfortable with their gray hair are judging those who continue to touch up their roots.

Many of us were programmed growing up to believe that “good hair” is straight hair or hair that doesn’t have a tight curl or kink to it. The competitive spirit has led to a division where we have #teamnatural and #teamrelaxed, passing judgment on one another rather than letting everyone do what they want with their hair.

Whether you choose to wear your hair naturally or relax your hair, the important thing is to keep your hair healthy. Healthy hair doesn’t have anything to do with whether you have natural hair or relaxed hair. Natural hair can have damage, just like relaxed hair can.

Difference Between Natural Hair and Relaxed Hair

This article will talk about the differences between relaxed hair and natural hair and share a little history about the evolution of black hair and where we are today. If you’re on the fence about making a move from one state to the other, hopefully, you’ll find the information you find helpful in choosing to go for it or continue doing what you’re doing.