New *2009* Transitioners Support Thread!

[joytimes10]

Anyone find a way to get their hair into buns without braiding it. I'm sick of the braids and they are hurting my head but my new growth is well over an inch long and hella thick.

Really I just bun it up right after a cowash even before getting out of the shower; that way it's detangled and the water has done all the work of smoothing my hair for me. If I try to comb and add other product before it dries, it just gets tangled again and that's way too much manipulation for my hair right now.

So, then I put some NTM leave-in on the outer layer and my pony tuck it in a wet bun, tie it down with a scarf and got to bed or whatever. Usually in the morning it's still damp but not too much. I remove the scrunchie, add more leave in throughout and bun it up again. I leave it this way until my next co-wash. I cowash every other day now because it's the only way I know to keep enough moisture content in my hair. Breakage was becoming an issue for me.

 

[HollyGolightly1982]

I blowdried and flat ironned yesterday and it looks SO good. TOO good because it made me think about relaxing. I'm trying to hold out as long as possible

 

[camilla]

I'm gonna crown and glory it for 2009 and then see where I'm at. I hope to be SL by the end of 2009.

ME TOO I WENT FIVE MONTHS LAST TIME AND CAVED IN I THINK THAT IF I BRAID UNTIL JUNE BIG CHOP THEN BRAID AGAIN IM GOOD UNTIL JANUARY 2010 I CAN NOT MANAGE THE TWO TEXTURES MY MAIR IS SOOOOO THICK THAT THE RELAXED HAIR WAS TOO HEAVY FOR THE NG IF THAT MAKES SENSE

 

[joytimes10]

I blowdried and flat ironned yesterday and it looks SO good. TOO good because it made me think about relaxing. I'm trying to hold out as long as possible

Ok, how do you blowdry all that new growth? I end up with a tangled fro mess and forget about flat ironing. I feel like that would take me forever and I'm afraid of heat damage. My hair is not too strong at the demarcation line.

 

[pinkdot's blog]

Just Wondering! HOW Long is everyone trying to Transition???
For me its 8 months to a year! So i would love to know about everyone else's goals

I'm transitioning for 24 months.

 

[DaRealist]

Just Wondering! HOW Long is everyone trying to Transition???
For me its 8 months to a year! So i would love to know about everyone else's goals

At least 2 years.

 

[jreagins]

Ok, how do you blowdry all that new growth? I end up with a tangled fro mess and forget about flat ironing. I feel like that would take me forever and I'm afraid of heat damage. My hair is not too strong at the demarcation line.

I find that I have to rollerset first...

 

[natural2be]

Just Wondering! HOW Long is everyone trying to Transition???
For me its 8 months to a year! So i would love to know about everyone else's goals

I plan on transitioning for a year, which would be my next bday. I will see if that tune changes as time goes on.

 

[Ltown]

I plan on transtioning for a year.

 

[CurlyCoilycourt]

I'm a newbie to the board and this is my first attempt at transitioning!! My last relaxer was October 1, 2008. I originally planned to stretch but fell in love with my coils. I had my first Dominican blowout last Monday and was amazed that am i below shoulder length now within 4 months from neck length. I'm back to pinning my hair up and plan to do Bantu knots and roller sets until my next blowout which i plan on doing in April!!!! This forum has been really encouraging for me in not letting me give up..thank you ladies!!!

 

[jaded_faerie]

this is my 4th attempt...this time i will not be doing a bc (since i did last may)...im working with 4 inches of hair today...3inches texturized, 1 inch natural. Once I reach shoulder length, if the relaxed hair hasn't broken off then, I will slowly cut off the relaxed ends. Hopefully 4th time is the charm!

 

[cch24]

I've been reading this thread and picking up tips for months now, so I decided it was finally time to join. This is my first post! I decided to transition because I'm in college and my schedule for going home and getting perms was very erratic. I'm so excited to see what my hair will look like in about 15 months. I'm 13 weeks post now, and I think I want to transition for 18 months before i cut all my relaxed ends off. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for all the information.

 

[ChoKitty]

Just Wondering! HOW Long is everyone trying to Transition???
For me its 8 months to a year! So i would love to know about everyone else's goals

Until my new growth is at least to my ears. I do NOT look good with short hair, as I've learned over the years. Hopefully I can keep going until my new growth is chin length.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

****DELETED****

 

[Whimsy]

24 - 28 months

 

[Eisani]

Just Wondering! HOW Long is everyone trying to Transition???
For me its 8 months to a year! So i would love to know about everyone else's goals

I don't even know. I snip a lil at a time and I'm currently a lil over 14 months in. At first I said I'll be completely natural by spring of this year, but now I don't know. I'm taking my time and focusing on being a certain length opposed to giving myself a deadline cuz my head is too big for short hair. I just can't wait til summer so I can wear my hair out wet. We love water!!

 

[Chromia]

My last relaxer was September '07 so I'm 16 months post. For the first few months I did rollersets, then I did twistouts and braidouts for a while, and about 2 months ago I started flat ironing. I'm going continue transitioning for at least another year.

 

[jerjer29]

this is my 4th attempt...this time i will not be doing a bc (since i did last may)...im working with 4 inches of hair today...3inches texturized, 1 inch natural. Once I reach shoulder length, if the relaxed hair hasn't broken off then, I will slowly cut off the relaxed ends. Hopefully 4th time is the charm!

lol no offense but it's people like you that make me stick to this, because i wont wanna look back 2 years like 'dang, if i would of just stuck to transitioning i would of had about 12 inches of natural hair by now' haha

but anyway, i'm on my 9th month!! and i plan on BCing on my 12th because that'll give me about 6 inches that puts me at shoulder length when straightened. i trim my hair right back to shoulder length like every other month anyway so i'm gonna go ahead and BC at the 12th month mark. i kind of forgot i was transitioning, and me snipping my ends like that back to shoulder lengths was just something i always did even relaxed, so when i washed my hair last week and saw how much my natural hair had taken over my relaxed hair lol i was SHOCKED. i barely have any relaxed ends lefts, my bangs are almost fully natural ( i trimmed like 3 inchse off of them this week) and the back layers of my hair barely have even an inch of relaxed hair left.

 

[Whimsy]

I blowdried and flat ironned yesterday and it looks SO good. TOO good because it made me think about relaxing. I'm trying to hold out as long as possible

Shouldn't how good it looks remind you to keep up the transition since you know you can do straight well, and have natural curls when u want em too?

 

[Whimsy]

lol no offense but it's people like you that make me stick to this, because i wont wanna look back 2 years like 'dang, if i would of just stuck to transitioning i would of had about 12 inches of natural hair by now' haha

LMAO

OUCH!

 

[Duchesse]

this is my 4th attempt...this time i will not be doing a bc (since i did last may)...im working with 4 inches of hair today...3inches texturized, 1 inch natural. Once I reach shoulder length, if the relaxed hair hasn't broken off then, I will slowly cut off the relaxed ends. Hopefully 4th time is the charm!

You sound like me jadedfaerie! If I only stayed natural at my first attempt, my hair would be BSL by now!! Its more like 6th time is the charm for me .

 

[Filmatic]

You sound like me jadedfaerie! If I only stayed natural at my first attempt, my hair would be BSL by now!! Its more like 6th time is the charm for me .

This is my second time. I just wasn't mentally ready the first time.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

I BC'd this weekend, but I'm wearing kinky twists right now until I can grow my hair long enough to style. Its about 2 inches long. I have a whole story of my experience and I will take pics of the twists. The lady did a terrible job and charged way too much so I'm going to try and get them redone before I have to go to work on Saturday.

 

[BotanyGrl]

I think I'll be transitioning for at least two years. I would love for my natural hair to be at least APL straightened before I chop the relaxed ends off.

Does anyone have an issue with tangles on the relaxed portion of your hair. I don't know what do about it outside of being patient when detangling. Any advice about what to do would be appreciated.

 

[bravenewgirl87]

I think I'll be transitioning for at least two years. I would love for my natural hair to be at least APL straightened before I chop the relaxed ends off.

Does anyone have an issue with tangles on the relaxed portion of your hair. I don't know what do about it outside of being patient when detangling. Any advice about what to do would be appreciated.

Start from the bottom and comb up. Use Blended Beauty Curly Shake. Pantene's Nature Fusion conditioner is extremely rich. I'm the worse person to ask. My relaxed hair broke off (but, i Think that was due to rough combing)

 

[Filmatic]

I think I'll be transitioning for at least two years. I would love for my natural hair to be at least APL straightened before I chop the relaxed ends off.

Does anyone have an issue with tangles on the relaxed portion of your hair. I don't know what do about it outside of being patient when detangling. Any advice about what to do would be appreciated.

I am having the same problem. It is making me really want to snip but I hold on. Also is hard for me to moisturize the 2 sections at once.

 

[Whimsy]

I think I'll be transitioning for at least two years. I would love for my natural hair to be at least APL straightened before I chop the relaxed ends off.

Does anyone have an issue with tangles on the relaxed portion of your hair. I don't know what do about it outside of being patient when detangling. Any advice about what to do would be appreciated.

I'm on a 2+ year transition myself. I'd suggest detangling when wet and heavily conditioned, also start at the bottom and work your way up. just be gentle and patient.

 

[DaRealist]

I think I'll be transitioning for at least two years. I would love for my natural hair to be at least APL straightened before I chop the relaxed ends off.

Does anyone have an issue with tangles on the relaxed portion of your hair. I don't know what do about it outside of being patient when detangling. Any advice about what to do would be appreciated.

Yeah, this is my issue too. Remaining patient is all I can offer you as well. erplexed

 

[trinidarkie1]

Checking in! My hair has been breaking like crazy, I've come to the conclusion that it's a protein deficiency. The last time I had really great success in growing my hair was when I was on a low carb diet/High Protein diet.

This weekend I used my Ojon Restorative Treatment over night, and washed with the Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner and then applied the Ojon Restorative Leave-In treatment. My hair felt so great and still does.

I'm going to put some grapeseed oil on my scalp tonight and put some cornrows in. Wigging it until I get my weave installed.

 

[FindingMe]

Checking in! My hair has been breaking like crazy, I've come to the conclusion that it's a protein deficiency. The last time I had really great success in growing my hair was when I was on a low carb diet/High Protein diet.

This weekend I used my Ojon Restorative Treatment over night, and washed with the Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner and then applied the Ojon Restorative Leave-In treatment. My hair felt so great and still does.

I'm going to put some grapeseed oil on my scalp tonight and put some cornrows in. Wigging it until I get my weave installed.

I love OJON, but it adds more moisture for me. What protein did you use to combat the deficiency? Or, do you think you were actually missing moisture? Both issues have caused my hair to break in the past...

Maintaining the right balance for your hair is so tricky...just when you think you have it down, the seasons change or % NG to relaxed hair changes (or whatever) and you find yourself needing to adjust again...

I hope you get it figured out....

closing in on 10 months...