Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

[sharifeh]

EnExitStageLeft

This is the mantra' I live by concerning my hair.

"Work with it, not against it"

If my hair wants to be detangled daily....I DO IT!

If my hair desires to be steamed......I DO IT!

If my hair desires to trimmed....I DO IT!

If I find I'm being overwhelmed I take breaks. I'll straighten or blow dry and just leave it that way until I'm ready to wash again......Works every time.

Also, DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!

Research EVERYTHING! Britt gave you excellent advice. Get into reading blogs, google different techniques, PM people w/ pretty hair (I KILLS THIS! Ask havilland about me lol)

Also, if you prefer your hair straighter try looking into alternatives. Like banding, curlformers, etc.

I'm only 9 months post, so I'm relatively new to this. But I plan to grow with my hair. Its a learning process. Don't let it consume you.

thanks for the support girl, i love your hair
i've been wanting a steamer for so long

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

sharifeh

No problem girl

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

My hair with conditioner added. I cannot wait to be fully natural.

 

[janaq2003]

EnExitStageLeft.. you were texlaxed before your transition right?

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

janaq2003

Sure was

 

[janaq2003]

janaq2003

Sure was

EnExitStageLeft.. so do think it has made your transition easier?

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

@janaq2003

Honestly, no. Transitioning is plain hard for a fine strand sista like me.

I honestly roll with the punches and make the best of it and it works.

Its pretty much all I can do.

 

[naija24]

Tired of these braids already lawd. I miss my own hair. But I keep telling myself that it will be worth it in the end when i have almost 2.5 inches of solid new growth to play with and straighten!!

I'm just terrified of these loose braids in the back. They slipped down a good inch on at least 5-6 of them.

 

[flyygirlll2]

Can I join? I'm about 13 weeks post right now, I've tried to transition before but that was an epic fail. Last time I made it to 7 months and it was beyond difficult to manage my hair, the detangling sessions were a nightmare and drove me insane. I have very tightly coiled and compact new growth, also parts of my hair are coarse. I had so many single strand knots, breakage, and my hair matted so bad that I had to cut a few pieces of my hair.. ..This is my last attempt at this point to see if I can do it. I'm not doing this because I'm anti- relaxer or had major issues with them, I'm just curious to know my natural hair. My hair is about BSL now but I know I need to trim a little off.

I'm also style challenged, I wear a bun everyday. I
Have been moisturizing my new growth every other day at least and baggying, but it still feels dry as hell. I'm going to need ya'll to pray for me to see if I can make it this time for real lol cause I was contemplating buying a relaxer this week.. I already have single strand knots.. :-((

 

[Britt]

Washed my hair Saturday and was too lazy to braid it up, so I went back to my earlier transitioning days and put it in a wet ponytail. The back of my hair is matted and hard to comb and annoying to deal with. Just a reminder that it's prob better that I work with my hair while it's in a textured styled or use heat to straighten it out. Tonight if I'm up to it I'll do a braid out.

 

[flyygirlll2]

I really want to know how ladies are able to successfully wash their hair braided. I have attempted to do this and I felt like I couldn't get my hair cleansed well enough and my hair was still a tangled mess. right now I've been washing my hair in 3 sections but loose.. detangling my hair wet feels like the only way to really detangling. I'm at a loss.

 

[Ravenhairedbeauty]

My new growth is getting out of control, I'm so used to dealing with my texlaxed hair its always been so easy to detangle. Now when I get to my roots its a different story. I need to look into a good detangler. Still positive about my transition though

 

[sharifeh]

I went to see my stylist yesterday. The breakage at my demarcation line is stressing me out so much even though a certain amount of it is to be expected ...
I'm not a weave person, I'm not anti weave anymore since joining the hair boards but I was never interested
Now I'm interested if I could hide my hair for even 3 weeks it would be worth it so it could get a bit of rest from it and not have all the breakage stress me out

How do you ladies deal with demarcation line stuff?
Sorry for being a negative Nancy in this thread lately it is just tough man but I don't want to give up

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[so_stush]

I really want to know how ladies are able to successfully wash their hair braided. I have attempted to do this and I felt like I couldn't get my hair cleansed well enough and my hair was still a tangled mess. right now I've been washing my hair in 3 sections but loose.. detangling my hair wet feels like the only way to really detangling. I'm at a loss.

I only shampoo my scalp. I did loose braids so I still had acces to my scalp, shampooed and squeezed the suds down the braid. Then I rises. I was still able to manipulate the hair closest to the scalp.

Then I just applied conditioner to each braid. Sometimes I I braided and detangle after I deep conditioned. Then I rebraided. I used the same braids for my braidout or to braid to air dry.

I don't wash in braids any more. As my roots for thicker and my ends got thinner the braided ends tangled a lot when wet.

Hth. Good luck! It gets easier and I can say my transition has been worth it. I lovely textured hair way more than my straight hair!

 

[Britt]

I went to see my stylist yesterday. The breakage at my demarcation line is stressing me out so much even though a certain amount of it is to be expected ...
I'm not a weave person, I'm not anti weave anymore since joining the hair boards but I was never interested
Now I'm interested if I could hide my hair for even 3 weeks it would be worth it so it could get a bit of rest from it and not have all the breakage stress me out

How do you ladies deal with demarcation line stuff?
Sorry for being a negative Nancy in this thread lately it is just tough man but I don't want to give up

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

Awwww sharifeh !!! It's rough. I use to read this thread earlier on in my transition and still be frustrated with my hair. Even tempted to relax it again . How are you wearing your hair on a daily basis? Are you trying to comb dry hair from root to tip? Have you tried braid outs/ twists outs? Also, what helped me immensely was blow drying. Idk how you feel about heat but blow drying my hair weekly made a HUGE difference in how I started to feel about my hair. I was able to easily put in a ponytail, or a bun. Easy to comb. Now I took 2 weeks off of using heat. I'll see how I feel this wknd as to whether or not I use heat. Trying to find a good balance.

Also, I KEEP a bottle of Nexxus Emergencee on hand. I LOVE it for my transitioning hair as well. I apply it to my hair in 4 quadrants and literally saturate each section so that ALL my new growth is covered thoroughly. I use it with heat, lightly poo it out and then follow up w/ a moisturizing conditioner.

A weave is def a good protective style. It will take your mind off your hair, and allow you to look cute. Just be careful with your leave out. You don't want it to become heat damaged or anything.

Next Tuesday I'll be 11 months post, and I kid you not --- I HONESTLY didn't think I'd make it this far. As crazy as it sounds, I felt more bothered and annoyed much earlier on in my transition. My only problem is that I can get lazy. For ex, I've been meaning to do a braid out all week, and I've been wearing my hair brushed back in a low small bun. I'll have to do a braid out on Friday night only b/c I'm going out and want to look nice .

I also urge you to do what's best for you and try not to be deterred by what other naturals/transitioners are doing. How are you most comfy wearing your hair? Why do you want to go natural? What's your desired aesthetic? All these things matter honestly. I've asked myself these questions and kept it real with myself. Honestly speaking, there are A LOT of natural styles that I simply do not see myself wearing. I'm almost 32, work corporate, have a more of a classic/preppyish at times style, so I don't desire certain styles. Even the styles that I do think is trendy and big and fabulous I'd have to reserve those for the weekend.

 

[Britt]

I admit, I've reached this far along in my transition and I'm most nervous about what I'll look like natural. That's what's starting to come to the surface now. When I decided to go natural, I kept bemoaning the transitioning part. Now I'm kinda concerned what I'll look like, how will my hair look styled, how long will my learning curve take to perfect my styles? I realize that I'll no longer have my crutch of just putting my hair back in a ponytail or pinning it up and running through the door like I did all these years I was relaxed. I also don't plan to chop before June.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

I went to see my stylist yesterday. The breakage at my demarcation line is stressing me out so much even though a certain amount of it is to be expected ...
I'm not a weave person, I'm not anti weave anymore since joining the hair boards but I was never interested
Now I'm interested if I could hide my hair for even 3 weeks it would be worth it so it could get a bit of rest from it and not have all the breakage stress me out

How do you ladies deal with demarcation line stuff?
Sorry for being a negative Nancy in this thread lately it is just tough man but I don't want to give up

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

I don't. My hair is stretched 100% percent of the time. I band my hair ALL the time. While its still there....its not as obvious.

And honey if air drying aint working Use a blow dryer weekly. Or maybe even roller set.

there are some transitioners who have excellent retention that way.

don't let it get you down

 

[beauti]

honestly I can't wait to play in my natural hair. I'm so sick of my weak, scraggly looking relaxed ends hanging on to my beautiful natural hair. Once upon a time the thought of not relaxing my hair gave me heart palpitations now I find myself looking forward to the day when I will reach for those scissors and snip snip. Eight months to go till then

 

[flyygirlll2]

I only shampoo my scalp. I did loose braids so I still had acces to my scalp, shampooed and squeezed the suds down the braid. Then I rises. I was still able to manipulate the hair closest to the scalp. Then I just applied conditioner to each braid. Sometimes I I braided and detangle after I deep conditioned. Then I rebraided. I used the same braids for my braidout or to braid to air dry. I don't wash in braids any more. As my roots for thicker and my ends got thinner the braided ends tangled a lot when wet. Hth. Good luck! It gets easier and I can say my transition has been worth it. I lovely textured hair way more than my straight hair!

Yeah, that's been part of the problem I've experienced in terms of the braided ends unraveling along with the rest of my hair. I will attempt to do it again. I've been air drying in twist lately, but I might just venture into blow drying my hair with cool/cold air using the tension method just so I can stretch my new growth. So far things are ok, I have had a few SSK's which are the devil, but otherwise I haven't had insane tangles yet that would make me want to throw in the towel lol. Now I just use grape seed oil with castor oil on my roots overnight and it's been helping a bit in softening my hair, crossing my fingers that it stays that way.

Sent from my iPad using LHCF

 

[flyygirlll2]

I don't. My hair is stretched 100% percent of the time. I band my hair ALL the time. While its still there....its not as obvious. And honey if air drying aint working Use a blow dryer weekly. Or maybe even roller set. there are some transitioners who have excellent retention that way. don't let it get you down

How do you band your hair? I've been air drying in twist which is ok but I want to stretch my hair more cause my new growth is so coiled.

Sent from my iPad using LHCF

 

[sharifeh]

Britt
I haven't tried braid outs and twist-outs yet because my ends are totally bone straight I'm also don't really know how to braid or twist. I'm wearing it straight, I rely on the salon for blowouts and at home I do roller sets I haven't done any protein treatments since the DE treatment because I figured I'm not supposed to ... Is that wrong? The DE treatment is still on my hair I can smell it , I want to go natural because I can't retain length as a relaxed head and the only time I had super duper long hair was before the relaxer I like relaxed hair though, I like straight hair, I also want to wear my hair stretched most of the time ... I'm excited going natural I really am but this stage is hard , I want to cry seeing my hair break off I don't want to be forced to chop , making the decision to chop is one thing being forced to chop because of breakage would be devastating I'm just scared now of that possibility so I'm really going to take all of your advice and really baby my hair , I'll buy a million silk scarves and pillowcases if I have to I need to keep these ends for a year lmao

Awwww sharifeh !!! It's rough. I use to read this thread earlier on in my transition and still be frustrated with my hair. Even tempted to relax it again . How are you wearing your hair on a daily basis? Are you trying to comb dry hair from root to tip? Have you tried braid outs/ twists outs? Also, what helped me immensely was blow drying. Idk how you feel about heat but blow drying my hair weekly made a HUGE difference in how I started to feel about my hair. I was able to easily put in a ponytail, or a bun. Easy to comb. Now I took 2 weeks off of using heat. I'll see how I feel this wknd as to whether or not I use heat. Trying to find a good balance. Also, I KEEP a bottle of Nexxus Emergencee on hand. I LOVE it for my transitioning hair as well. I apply it to my hair in 4 quadrants and literally saturate each section so that ALL my new growth is covered thoroughly. I use it with heat, lightly poo it out and then follow up w/ a moisturizing conditioner. A weave is def a good protective style. It will take your mind off your hair, and allow you to look cute. Just be careful with your leave out. You don't want it to become heat damaged or anything. Next Tuesday I'll be 11 months post, and I kid you not --- I HONESTLY didn't think I'd make it this far. As crazy as it sounds, I felt more bothered and annoyed much earlier on in my transition. My only problem is that I can get lazy. For ex, I've been meaning to do a braid out all week, and I've been wearing my hair brushed back in a low small bun. I'll have to do a braid out on Friday night only b/c I'm going out and want to look nice . I also urge you to do what's best for you and try not to be deterred by what other naturals/transitioners are doing. How are you most comfy wearing your hair? Why do you want to go natural? What's your desired aesthetic? All these things matter honestly. I've asked myself these questions and kept it real with myself. Honestly speaking, there are A LOT of natural styles that I simply do not see myself wearing. I'm almost 32, work corporate, have a more of a classic/preppyish at times style, so I don't desire certain styles. Even the styles that I do think is trendy and big and fabulous I'd have to reserve those for the weekend.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[sharifeh]

honestly I can't wait to play in my natural hair. I'm so sick of my weak, scraggly looking relaxed ends hanging on to my beautiful natural hair. Once upon a time the thought of not relaxing my hair gave me heart palpitations now I find myself looking forward to the day when I will reach for those scissors and snip snip. Eight months to go till then

beauti
How far along are you?
I can't wait till my natural hair is long enough that cutting off the relaxed hair doesn't give me a heart attack,

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[naija24]

Took me 3 months but I am finally okay with not getting relaxers anymore. Thanks LHCF.

now I just need to figure out what kind of naturalhead I want to be.

 

[beauti]

sharifeh I'm 64 weeks post. I honestly don't care how long my natural hair gets, I'm cutting off my relaxed ends at two years post. I cared before my transition but at this point I'm just ready to let it all go! Just not like...tomorrow

 

[naija24]

Just loosened a twist to feel my hair underneath. GOD I MISSED MY LOOSE HAIR. I can't believe I was considering locs for three days. Lawd have mercy. I still don't want a relaxer but I think straight haired or heat trained natural is the obvious choice for me.

I have good half inch of new growth at the nape so that is nice. It's only been about 3.5 weeks too.

8 more weeks in braids to go! I'll be 12 weeks post relaxer on Sunday.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

flyygirlll2

Here You Go: How I Band

HTH's

 

[flyygirlll2]

flyygirlll2 Here You Go: How I Band HTH's

thanks girl, I will check it out

 

[bebezazueta]

Yay! 5 months post today. Time to wash again. Put this bun in a week ago.

 

[Britt]

@Britt
I haven't tried braid outs and twist-outs yet because my ends are totally bone straight I'm also don't really know how to braid or twist. I'm wearing it straight, I rely on the salon for blowouts and at home I do roller sets I haven't done any protein treatments since the DE treatment because I figured I'm not supposed to ... Is that wrong? The DE treatment is still on my hair I can smell it , I want to go natural because I can't retain length as a relaxed head and the only time I had super duper long hair was before the relaxer I like relaxed hair though, I like straight hair, I also want to wear my hair stretched most of the time ... I'm excited going natural I really am but this stage is hard , I want to cry seeing my hair break off I don't want to be forced to chop , making the decision to chop is one thing being forced to chop because of breakage would be devastating I'm just scared now of that possibility so I'm really going to take all of your advice and really baby my hair , I'll buy a million silk scarves and pillowcases if I have to I need to keep these ends for a year lmao Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

sharifeh Ohhhh ok. I wasn't sure how you were wearing your hair. Do you plan to wear your hair straight through the remainder of your transition? How are your rollersets coming along at the salon? I hope you have a stylist that is totally ok with managing your two textures . If you're wearing your hair straight, then it should be easier to handle during the week.

I forgot that you have the DE, yes -- they said that eliminates the need for a protein treatment. Mine has I think been wore off and I've used my Emergencee multiple times. How do you plan to wear your hair once your fully natural? Straight mostly? If you continue to keep straightening it throughout your transition you'll eventually have 'heat trained hair'. I also think it's easier to not be so tempted to big chop soo soon if you're wearing your hair straight. You could just start to trim the ends every so often as you go along. I'm a few days shy of 11 months post and there's no way I could imagine chopping now . I think my hair would be sooo short and awkward looking, not interested

 

[SuchaLady]

Yay! 5 months post today. Time to wash again. Put this bun in a week ago.

bebezazueta What type of gel are you using?

Girls I'm having the craziest problem. I can't get all my hair in a ponytail. Meaning it'll still be puffy like I made it loose on purpose which is not the goal Do I have to pull and smooth a little harder before putting the ponytail holder on? The back is the worst. I didn't want to pull too hard but now I see I may have to.