The phrase "no lye" refers to styling African-American hair free of chemical straighteners, which often contain lye or lye-based ingredients. Even relaxers that are "no lye" are made of strong chemicals that can damage hair and scalps, so breaking free of relaxed hair puts you on the road toward healthier hair in its natural state.
Even if your hair is currently relaxed, you can instantly return to your natural texture by cutting off all of the chemically processed hair. Depending on when your last relaxer application was, your hair can be anywhere from less than 1 inch to several inches long. It's best to get rid of all the relaxed hair at once instead of gradually cutting it away. Not only do you not have to deal with two very different textures of hair (which can be difficult and frustrating), but you won't experience the breakage that can occur where your new growth meets the previously straightened hair.
You may have to learn how to care for your natural hair if you've only dealt with straightened hair. You'll have to use gentle styling techniques, such as detangling your hair with your fingers before using a comb on it. Natural hair should be shampooed about once a week with a moisturizing shampoo and followed up with a moisturizing conditioner. It's best to use products on your hair that are as natural as possible, such as shea butter, almond oil and rosemary oil.
Once your hair is free from chemicals, you have a wealth of natural styles to explore. When your hair is very short, you might only have enough length for afros, but as your hair grows, you have many more options, including braids, two-strand twists, comb coils, flat twists, chunky afros and dreadlocks.
One of the best aspects of natural hair is its versatility. You can wear your hair naturally curly one day and straighten it with a flat iron the next for a completely different look. However, with temporary straightening options, your hair will easily go back to its curly state with the next shampoo (make sure you don't use heat that's too high so that you don't damage your hair).