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Well, I've posted here before, my last cut was in May 23rd and I'm just letting my afro grow while I wait to relax it. The thing is that for some situations I DO need to gel it down, and its not working very well anymore, some of the hair stays ok, but some parts stick out. My bangs are almost 4 inches, and my parents pressure about a maintenance cut(although they don't know I want it to my shoulderblades, which they won't like a bit). I'm 19 so they can't force me, anyway I'm going to resist. The thing is I don't know if at this point I'm in the awckward stage, or the worst is to come. I went out last night with my afro fully deployed and many people looked at me funny and a girl even touched my afro (from behind, whithout knowing each other). I'm loving this whole thing, but I do need to have a conservative look sometimes. Can anybody post any suggestions, and answer if I can officially tell I'm in the awckward stage?
Thanks a lot.
Yes, you are right in the awkward stage and ANY cutting you have done
will just keep you there that much longer.
Are you black, per chance? With a black person's 'fro, the only thing you can do is relax it; never ever comb it and get it into dreadlocks; blowdry it; or some sort of medium where you comb it as little as humanly possible. The longer a black man's fro gets, the less resistant it is to combing. Every time you comb a large from you'll break hairs. That's why it seems to some people that "afros just don't grow long".
If your white and you want to relax it, it's probably not worth it. It'll fall sooner (some as soon as 3 months of growth) or later (1 /12 years).
Either way, I've heard black people's hair is weaker in general cause it's so curly. So a relaxer might do even more damage on such a fro than it would to a white guy's.
Well, I'm white and I know relaxers damage hair a lot, but the fro thing is just temporal, my goal is to have my hair staraight, so I don't think I could skip the relaxing, I'll just wait as much as I can to get it. Many women relax and they don't loose their hair, I'll simply use repairing conditioners. What do you think?
Well, in that case, go for it.
Because your white, they won't have to use as much relaxer on you. Also, relaxers are a lot gentler on your hair then they were when our mothers experimented with them as girls.
Just don't relax it anymore than you need to. Some people make the mistake of not getting it all relaxed the first time, and they go again. You should only need to go for one hit.
Good luck, man. Keep it growin.