GUIDE TO SELF BC'ING!!!!

[chocolatetresses]

We Def need one! I think this will be a great thread for DIY'ers and those low on cash (like moi). I respect all stylist and their hustle...but sometimes I wanna do for myself! Anywho..I think this should be some type of a guide sooooo I'm asking this:

>What Condish to use ( I was thinking ORS)
>Type/Brand of Shears (was told No scissors..could lead to split ends)
>How to go about it(like how to part it and all that hoopla)
>Should I Deep Condition?(Before,After,Both?)
>What do do after the BC?( apply leave in..what?)
I dunno how to go about it ladies?!?!?!?

Thanks ladies for any input!!!

 

[chocolatetresses]

Bump Bump Bump!

 

[determined_to_grow]

GOOD THREAD!!!! I'm loving it... I would like to do my own BC and then probably get it touched up in the salon - to me that is so liberating...

 

[chocolatetresses]

Thanks girly! I hope more ladies chime in! Who knows...we might can make this a sticky or sumthin! Bring it on ladies!!!

 

[loulou82]

I wasn't very calculating.

1. I became annoyed with my hair
2. Told my SO to get the hair scissors (bought at the BSS-no special type)
3. Dampened the hair with conditioner and water so he could see the NG
4. Sectioned into 4 parts with duck clips and began
5. I re-dampened any sections that started to dry
6. Co-washed after the initial cut so he could see any stray pieces.
7. Applied my regular leave in and made my first wash n go puff.

I co washed the next morning too and DC about 3 times that week. Each time my hair looked better and more moisturized.

 

[chocolatetresses]

Thats what's up lou lou! thanks for the input & luv the fotki girl! Gorg hair!...Keep em coming ladies lol!

 

[chocolatetresses]

bump bump bump it up

 

[adf23]

Following up on what LouLou said....

I just self Bc'd last month. I admit I had the same fears/questions in my head before I did it, like, would my hair look choppy and jagged (it doesnt)

Steps I took:

Washed and conditioned hair, detangled in the shower as always.

Once out of the shower, applied cheapie Suave condish and divided hair into 4 sections, clipped each section out of the way of the one I was working on. Nearby, I had a spray bottle w water.

I started at the back- twisted each section of hair, cut the straight part (easy to differentiate!). Went on from there with each section.

Once I was done, I jumped back in the shower and cowashed- I wanted all hair hair to "clump" together if it was going to.

Came back out, applied coconut oil and cheapie condish, and clipped any remaining straight ends. From there, I made my first natural puff, like Loulou.

note * the first time I straightened my hair, it was in layers, but was surprisingly even across the bottom- that was one of my initial concerns, that the bottom later of my hair would be jagged and all different lengths. Guess my hair grew pretty even- I didn't care about layers throughout

HTH!

 

[DMJ's Mom]

when I did my BC i was pretty reckless with it. I got my hair dripping wet and any chunk of strands that were straight or not as curly as my new growth got chopped off. I let it air dry then used my shower comb to comb it all out into a mini fro and just trimmed it until it was an even fro all around

 

[Tylove101]

Like the other ladies, I didn't put too much in the process when I BC... I transitioned for about 17 months before I BC'd. I noticed when I DC on dry hair I could really see the difference from my natural hair and relaxed hair... so that's the method I used. I put my hair in 8 sections (4 on each side) and applied the conditioner (Aubrey Organic HoneySuckle Rose). I smoothed the conditioner in my hair and the natural hair curled and the relaxed didn't and I cut. After cutting my entire head I let the conditioner stay on for a hour then co-washed in the shower. After that I did my normal routine and loved my curls. There were no tangles at all because the relaxed hair was gone!
OP, It's pretty easy... just take your time and make sure you are cutting the relaxed hair and not your natural hair.

 

[Mom23]

I didn't do much prep either. I just got my hair scissors and went to work. When I finshed my hubby went over it with the clippers and that was it.

Good Luck!! I'm sure you will do a wonderful job.

 

[Mook's hair]

Subscribing.

 

[Neala21]

Definitely subscribing

 

[daaiyah]

BCing is easy at first.
However it is helpful if you have someone to help you with the parts you cant see. The demarcation line makes is easy to find the place to cut. The back of the head can be tricky so a helper is valuable in this case.
Also, in my case, a local hairdresser trimmed it for me for 10.00, the cost of a haircut. That is the best 10.00 I ever, ever spent. My hair do looked 100% better. I still had about 1 inch of relaxed hair on top and she turned it into a cute fade sort of hairdo. Trimming the edges really low. After that I had a cute hair style and my daughter commented that it looked like a rock star.
That little bit of style made a big difference in how I felt about my new hair.

 

[LynnieB]

I wasn't very calculating.

Me neither. I was just too through with dealing with those relaxed/texlaxed whatever ya wanna call 'em - ends.

Like the other ladies, I didn't put too much in the process when I BC... I transitioned for about 17 months before I BC'd. I noticed when I DC on dry hair I could really see the difference from my natural hair and relaxed hair... so that's the method I used. I put my hair in 8 sections (4 on each side) and applied the conditioner (Aubrey Organic HoneySuckle Rose).

Between the two of you - you've described my BC. Only diff was I used vo5 and I'd already started whacking away at the nape and front (where bangs used to be) a couple months before the final chop.

I had a few straight pieces here and there but figured I could take care of them as I began styling the hair. Twists were pretty good for pointing out any leftover chem hair because the straight pieces refused to keep themselves twisted together very well. The natural hair would form curly Q's and not unwind themselves.

I'm glad I did it myself and felt totally in control.

OP, make sure you are mentally ready to chop.

 

[vkb247]

I like reading all these BC stories. Makes me feel better about being all random with mine (I didn' even bother with conditioner) I have bc'd twice and like you ladies I just got tired of the straight ends and went at um. I usually had to continue to clip more straight ends as I discovered them over time but it felt so good to clip those ends.

This is the only time I actually like scissors!

 

[chocolatetresses]

thanx so far ladies! keep the stories coming!

 

[chocolatetresses]

Sooooooo......I'm BC'ing this month...well Jan 20 2009, which is today/tomorrow. The reason I decided to BC on this day and month is because I wanted to BC in Jan due to it being the first month of the new year and I wanted to document my growth starting fresh, I guess u can say. The second reason is OBAMA IS BEING SWEARED IN ON THIS DAY AS OUR OFFICIAL PRES. I don't think this day could be any better to BC! I'm excited and scared at the same time. I don't have much support from friends of fam (except my big sis) But I'll be aight! HHG ladies!!!!!

 

[lilsparkle825]

I like reading all these BC stories. Makes me feel better about being all random with mine (I didn' even bother with conditioner) I have bc'd twice and like you ladies I just got tired of the straight ends and went at um. I usually had to continue to clip more straight ends as I discovered them over time but it felt so good to clip those ends.

This is the only time I actually like scissors!

I didn't use conditioner either...I wet my hair and cut away. My mom did the majority of the cutting, but I was hacking away at these really small straight pieces for about an hour after she finished. The curls got really defined when I cowashed the next day, and the rest is history.

 

[vlucious]

i was also reckless with my bc. i applied shampoo to differentiate the textures and cut. i went to my ex-bfs friend to shape it up the next day.

 

[luxe.li.]

I BC'd Dec 11th
I knew how much NG I had from measuring
I BC'd on dry hair with regular scissors....(whoops I guess)
I did it dry so my hair would have blunt ends. I just cut short in the back, long on the top, short on the sides. I wore it straight for a week before I CW, DC, etc.

Then when it was wet I realized I still had relaxed ends, so I went ahead and clipped off the relaxed ends except for my bangs. I did this after I CW, then I DC, then I wore it in its natural state for like a day or two, CW and blew my hair out and flat ironed.

Plain and Simple lol I guess.

 

[luxe.li.]

BCing is easy at first.
However it is helpful if you have someone to help you with the parts you cant see. The demarcation line makes is easy to find the place to cut. The back of the head can be tricky so a helper is valuable in this case.
Also, in my case, a local hairdresser trimmed it for me for 10.00, the cost of a haircut. That is the best 10.00 I ever, ever spent. My hair do looked 100% better. I still had about 1 inch of relaxed hair on top and she turned it into a cute fade sort of hairdo. Trimming the edges really low. After that I had a cute hair style and my daughter commented that it looked like a rock star.
That little bit of style made a big difference in how I felt about my new hair.

Hmm I actually didn't use a helper, I probably should had, but I live alone and it was so spontaneous so I didn't have my friends over the apt to help.

Anyway.....lol I will admit I cut away a good 1/2" of my actual natural hair the second time around (to clean up and get rid of the relaxed ends) because my hair would wave and I really couldn't tell the exact point where the relaxed hair began, so I just cut into the natural hair to make sure......

 

[vlucious]

p.s. make sure to do a strong protein treatment, (i did mine about once a week for the first month; along with moisture) to stop the frizzies and the initial 'shock' your hair goes through.

 

[Ms_Ann]

Good thread. Keep it coming.
Subscribing.