Going natural simply means that you are restoring your hair back from the chemically altered texture to its original unaltered state. The chemicals applied to the hair alters the natural hair texture by straightening the curls. ... Others opt to slowly let their hair grow and end up cutting out the relaxed sections.
According to cosmetologist and trichologist Sophia Emmaduel of Crown Worthy NYC, transitioning your hair is always a better option than trying to relax it at home. "A relaxer is a chemical, and chemicals are irritants. If they are not applied with proper care and not rinsed out [in a timely fashion], problems such as hair loss or hair breakage will occur," she explains. "Any product that can cause irritation on the scalp needs to be applied by a licensed cosmetologist who is skilled with chemical application for this reason.
The transitioning process is different for everyone and no two people will experience the same results, explains Emmanuel. "The amount of time [it takes to completely transition] depends on the length of your relaxed hair, how often you trim or cut off the relaxed hair, and if there are any setbacks such as hair breakage or hair loss. It can take as long as a year (or longer) if you do basic trims every three months versus the big chop.
Biomedical scientist, trichologist, and founder of Alodia Hair Care, Isdhan Chambers-Harris elaborates on how irritating relaxers can be to your precious crown. "The use of these chemical agents can have adverse effects on the hair and scalp: They can penetrate the hair and ultimately damage its cuticle — which is the outer layer of the hair — leading to weakened, brittle strands," she explains. "Improper use of relaxers can also cause infection, scarring of the scalp, and even thinning and permanent hair loss in some cases."
If you try to relax your own hair, you also run the risk of under-processing it. "Under-processing your hair means the relaxer did not break down the bonds of the hair enough for the hair to be manageable and because of this, your hair will be dry, brittle, will tangle, and then break.