LOVING MY RELAXED HAIR™ PRESENTS: Lawrene Griffith

Natural Hair

Before I relaxed in 2013 I was natural my entire life. I don’t feel pressured to go natural. I’ve found that products geared towards natural hair are even better for relaxed hair (the good ones) because they are more moisturizing. I believe in healthy hair. People labour under the mistaken belief that natural hair is healthier than relaxed hair. If you don’t care for natural hair, it will be unhealthy just as if you’re relaxed and don’t take care of your hair. The bottom line is maintenance. Whether you’re relaxed or natural, you have to take care of your hair. Having been natural for 24 years, I’ve experienced both worlds and know for sure that the bottom line is indeed maintenance. I can speak to the natural hair movement based on my country. I find that it is more of a trend than a movement. Naturals are slowly returning to relaxing mostly because they had no idea how much work natural hair requires. When I was natural, it would take me two (2), yes two days to wash, dry and style my hair. I wore it mostly in small braids/plaits as we call it in Grenada or twists. I would keep them for a month, washing in between. I literally had to dedicate an entire weekend every month to my hair. 

I have only been relaxed for two (2) years. When it was time for me to start law school, I knew that it wasn’t practical to keep my hair natural. My hair was super thick and long so box braids were not an option when I considered the weight of it, the time it would take to get it done and the cost. On the few occasions I went to a hairdresser (other than my aunt) to get my hair done, I was charged twice the normal fee. Also, there was no way I would be able to dedicate an entire weekend to my hair on top of the work I had to do.

I plan to remain relaxed for a while. I don’t see myself being relaxed for the rest of my life though. I’m enjoying my relaxed hair. The best thing about it is that I can wash it a lot more and I can actually air dry. Air drying was not an option when I was natural. It took a few days before my hair was completely dry.

I choose to be relaxed because it is better suited to my lifestyle. I am an attorney in waiting. I will be called to the bar in October of this year. I was fortunate enough to get a job right out of school. Work is very demanding and will become even more demanding after I get called.

I’m also at the stage in my life where I’m trying to get out more and do new things. I was tired of planning my life around my hair. My hair was one of the main reasons I didn’t go to the beach (Grenada has lots of beaches). It was always a chore to wash it and get it in an acceptable condition for school or work the next day (if I went on Sunday). While most people showered and went to bed from the beach, I would be up for hours dealing with my hair. Now that I’m relaxed, my hair takes up a lot less of my time.
I absolutely love the manageability of my relaxed hair. I love that because I spend less time doing my hair. After all, time is a precious commodity. The less time I spend on my hair, the more time I have to do other things, like sleeping for an extra half hour on mornings ☺

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