Natural Hair Versus Relaxed Hair Debate Discussed On The Dr. Drew Life Changers Show (VIDEO)

The "good hair" debate has reached a new level--national television. It's one thing to hear the issue discussed on BET (or even from the Old Spice guy) and quite another when Dr. Drew decides to take it on.

Drew, best known for helping celebrities with drug addictions and counseling teen moms, dedicated an entire episode of his hit show "Dr. Drew Life Changers" to the debate on natural versus relaxed or weave hair.

Actress Kim Coles, a natural hair advocate, was amongst the panel of black women gathered to discuss the hairy topic.

We conducted a similar roundtable discussion here at HuffPost BlackVoices that proved to be just as contentious. What is about our hair that creates such a divide?

Coles has been chronicling her natural hair journey on YouTube, which has inspired many black women to abandon weaves and relaxers and embrace their natural hair textures. In contrast, there are still plenty of women that enjoy the look and ease of wearing their relaxed hair or with a weave.

However, aesthetics and levels of maintenance are subjective and can support either side of the debate. So why are we so determined to make this hair issue a right or wrong, good or bad issue?

Check out this slideshow with three clips from the explosive episode. There are definitely some hair-raising comments!

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Comments

[briberry dove]

08:57 AM on 04/24/2012

what tht mean was saying at the end of the show is TRUE , lol forgot his name . ididnt see the whole show just that part and um some women are NEED perms ..... just because one woman dont need one doesnt mean the other one doesnt . when iwas younger my hair wasnt taken care off and it fell out because mom & grandma kept "experimenting" on my hair, and that made it fall out , at tht time i Needed a perm .... since i went natural , i wudnt say i need one , im done with perms . either way you look at it perms are damaging o the hair believe it or not ..

[asantewa3]

10:55 AM on 11/23/2011

So embarrassing that Dr. Drew has to constantly get out of his chair to maintain decorum in what should have been an open forum discussion. I understand that it's a touchy subject, but this is national television, show some restraint! Talking over one another, screaming, cutting people off, not cool!

[Kristie Wilder]

02:20 PM on 11/20/2011

The natural vs. relaxed hair conversation goes much deeper than just hair. It's unfortunate that there even had to be a show discussing this.

[matthewsteena]

11:35 PM on 11/20/2011

It is also unfortunate that Dr. Drew had to mediate black people on a forum on our hair.

[Rochelle Irene Warren]

08:53 AM on 11/19/2011

Dr. Drew's show on natural hair and his guest where very imformative. There are so many natural hair products on the market now. You just have to see what works for you. I am so glad my sisters are embracing their real beauty.

[Sherron Roberts]

01:20 PM on 11/22/2011

my hair is natural and has been for 8 months, i love it b cuz it's 100% me nothing fake or phony so when a man is attracted to me what he sees is exactly what he is getting, i stopped relaxing my hair b cuz i wanted HEALTHY hair and putting chemicals on the hair damages it and destroys the natural texture (curl pattern) of the hair often permanently,

i am happy 2 b FREE of putting that stinky white stuff (relaxer) on my hair every few weeks or months, water is my hair's best friend now, i used to be a weaveaholic LOL but now i can see my own unique natural God-created beauty as a black woman with natural hair

[WriterInThePink]

01:42 PM on 11/17/2011

I wish more people would talked about the chemicals in relaxers and the health problems they cause so many women. It's for that reason I've decided to transition to natural hair. Having sores in your scalp is not cute. Since, my last relaxer, I haven't looked back. [writerinthepink.blogspot.com]

[qtpeye46]

02:43 PM on 11/17/2011

sweet I have been natural for 6 years... It is GREAT now because of all the natural products out and about!!!

[Khardelya]

09:48 PM on 11/23/2011

AMEN!! Chris Rock tried but very few listened....

[Jaki Dee]

04:56 AM on 11/27/2011

Either they didn't listen or they got mad at him for telling our "secrets".

[Myra Williams]

12:52 PM on 11/17/2011

First