Q's to the Naturals....

[SmilingElephant]

I have 2 questions....

I want to know if any of you were able to tell what your curl pattern was while you were transitioning and approx. how many months post were you able to tell or guesstimate?



And i would like to know if anybody here that's transitioning noticed that their hair seemed to be growing a lil faster since they started transitioning?


TIA!

 

[TaraDyan]

My last relaxer was March 1, 2007, and I was able to determine my curl pattern after about 17 weeks (~4 months).

 

[Eclass215]

Well - I didn't transition long (didn't even know I was transitioning at the time, lol) but I couldn't tell what my curl pattern was completely - I only could tell it was little waves coming in and I wanted to see what it all looked like natural. I actually cut a small piece of hair down to the new growth to see what it curled up like, but since it was so small it didn't help. It was probably only about 2 months worth of new growth.

Since I didn't transition long I didn't notice any change in growth, but once I BC'd it did seem to grow pretty quickly.

 

[SmilingElephant]

My last relaxer was March 1, 2007, and I was able to determine my curl pattern after about 17 weeks (~4 months).

WOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW........ that is beautiful....i'm 15 weeks right now....and looking at my newgrowth i have a tiny bit of a looser wave than your pic...but like around my edges and the back my texture is like yours.


Keep em coming!!

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

As you know, I'm transitioning. I've noticed that my hair is thickening a bit. In addition, the growth spurt can be attributed, for me, to the Summer. So, I shall see how my hair acts this Fall and Winter.

Since I'm 14 1/2 weeks into my transition, it's still a bit early for me to see my curl pattern.

 

[SmilingElephant]

As you know, I'm transitioning. I've noticed that my hair is thickening a bit. In addition, the growth spurt can be attributed, for me, to the Summer. So, I shall see how my hair acts this Fall and Winter.

Since I'm 14 1/2 weeks into my transition, it's still a bit early for me to see my curl pattern.

That is something to consider....hey we should be transition buddies....we're around the same timeframe!!

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

That is something to consider....hey we should be transition buddies....we're around the same timeframe!!

Sure, why not?

 

[lovenharmony]

I'd say around the 4 month mark...by then you should have enough new growth to tell.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Sure, why not?

YAY!!!:woohoo2:

 

[LynnieB]

It's kinda sorta and tricky for me. This is gonna seem like a novel but if it's gonna save someone some anxiety about going natural and our own expectations, I'd like to lay it out here.

My transitioning hair and my natural hair were 2 different things not so much as curl size but more in the way the hair behaves.

Have some pics in my fotki (use FF + malware blockers and all will be well) album of freshly cut bangs and what I thought the texture of my entire head would be. They're either damp or w/some gel:

http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/transitioning-albums/april/gedamp.html
http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/transitioning-albums/march/img1386a.html

And looks similar to the transitioning hair:

http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/transitioning-albums/march/naturalvsrelaxed317072.html

http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/transitioning-albums/january/img0508.html
http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/transitioning-albums/march/untitledg.html
(twisted hair)

I mistakingly thought my entire head would have the same texture with only a slight different in wave size.

I don't have spirals or curls, never did, I have what some call ramen noodle waves except on some of the ends where they do form spirals but it's something I didn't know for sure until after I cut it.

http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/transitioning-albums/march/naturalvsrelaxed31707.html
http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/textureshair-typing-/no-product-hair-tex/

As a natural:

My hair isn't the type to form uniform clumps, it's sorta hit or miss amongst the frizz. It has to be gently convinced to clump. I had no idea that this would be the deal until after I cut all my relaxed hair off and not just those pretty bangs. For instance: Terry's method can make all the hair look "clumpy" but it's way too much effort for me.:

http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/textureshair-typing-/fleeing-curosities-/

After being natural for a while, the pattern continues. I have nary a spiral but lots and lots of frizzy waves, front and back.

From '09"
http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/natural-hair--year-/1/january-09/nekkid7.html
http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/natural-hair--year-/1/march-09-spring-alm/s5.html
http://public.fotki.com/IsItOnlyHair/natural-hair--year-/1/march-09-spring-alm/s9.html

I did find that my relaxed ends were holding down the natural hair and were really deceiving as far as texture (not so much as curl/wave size) is concerned and the over all look of a head full of natural hair would be.

And I think that's where many new naturals can get disappointed.

All I can say is that for some people, it actually does make a difference on how your hair w/ relaxed ends attached looks vs. what the hair looks like or behaves after you've cut them all off.

Sidenote: If beggars could ride, I wish my hair had a more uniform texture from forehead to nape. Sometimes it's really difficult for things to go smoothly when you got so much going on your head and each section requires it's own "special" treatment so the finished product takes on a uniform appearance.

I can understand how new naturals would have an extra difficult time with this on top of having to figure out how different products and techniques work for them.

I'd just like to tell them to be patient, keep reading and keep plugging away at it!!

I still love my natural hair even though it is pre-loaded with its own wonderful or annoying quirks!

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

My curls didnt actually start clumping until around 26 weeks. Around 16 weeks, my hair would be wavy when I did a ponytail but I didn't get serious clumpage (yeah i made it up) until 26 weeks....so 6 months.

 

[PeanutButterandHoney]

I say 9 months

 

[kmn1980]

When I BC'd, I BC'd less than an 1" in most areas so I could see the waves immediately.

 

[Yoshi3329]

I'd say around 4-5 months. I'm still transitioning, but that when I knew what I was pattern wise.

Around 1-2 months I felt little tight waves.
Around 3 months I started to see little loops/waves?
Around 4 months, I realized my hair started to coil
It wasn't until I was around month 7 until I realized I had actual zig-zags too.

 

[davisbr88]

I think I saw my actual texture at around 8 months. When I chopped at a little past 11.5 months, I wasn't surprised. The only thing I was surprised about was that I have a little bit more uniformity than I thought.
In terms of growth, I didn't really see any new growth until about 2.5 months into my transition (why? I have no idea), which would obviously mean my hair grew reeeeeally slow, but ever since my new growth "surfaced," I have gotten .5" per month consistently, and got a bit of a spurt this summer.

 

[Tene]

Around 4 months is when I knew what my hair type was.

 

[silenttullip]

While I transitioned my hair grew the FASTEST it's grown in my whole life but on the other hand I kept getting it braided every 2 weeks or used phony ponies for the whole year of transitioning. As for noticing my texture nope I couldn't tell while transitioning even after I bc'ed I had "scab hair" so my current texture didn't appear till like 2 years later I guess. Initially it was 4c straight up all over. Now it's 4a/3c

 

[Janet']

Hmm..Good question...It took a while for me to be able to really tell texture, at least 6 to 8 months and even then, I felt like it changed the longer I went into my transition...

I don't know if I would say that my hair grew faster, but I definitely noticed the growth more because of the stark contrast of natural vs. relaxed hair...

 

[SimJam]

Well I didnt transition I BC'd @ 5 weeks post and no that wasnt enough new growth to tell what my curl pattern wud be.

re the growth, my hair most def appears to be growing faster now that Ive BD'd (though thats not the question u asked lol)

reason being that when relaxed I had to trim my hair due to split ends/unevenness and I literally hit a wall at abt 1 inch to APL when I just couldnt reach it for over 4 months.

Obviously I had NG, but I wasnt retaining it.

now that Im natural, my ends are pretty much impeccable and I havnt had to trim (apart from some abt 0.25 inch of "scab" hair) and Im retaining every cm of hair I grow, hence it appears as if my hair is growing faster when really Im just maintaining my average of 0.5 inch per month.