4 a/b Natural Ladies

[nita4]

How many of you transitioned without the use of braids, hairpieces, and/or wigs on a daily basis?

How did you style your hair?

What routine/regimen do/did you use?

What are/were your most difficult moments?

How did you fight off the creamy crack attacks (thoughts of relaxing)?


This is my third attempt at trying to go natural. I am six months post relaxer, and I know why I stopped relaxing. I took my braids out this past weekend so that I could learn my hair. I'm doing braid outs for now, but I need anything you all can give me to stay strong.

 

[MeccaMedinah]

How many of you transitioned without the use of braids, hairpieces, and/or wigs on a daily basis?
I only had braids twice during my almost 15 month transition...

How did you style your hair? Twist outs- but for the first few months rollersets & braidouts

What routine/regimen do/did you use? I used to conditioner wash once per week, shampoo about once a month, I'd twist my hair with Hollywood Beauty's carrot creme mixed with Africa's Best Herbal Oil blend

What are/were your most difficult moments? Tangled relaxed ends

How did you fight off the creamy crack attacks (thoughts of relaxing)? I got my mind right and never looked back. When I discovered LHCF and all the beautiful natural heads- I was done with relaxers IMMEDIATELY

 

[TrulyBlessed]

Well I'm not completely natural but I'm about 9 months post relaxer, so I'll share my input.

How many of you transitioned without the use of braids, hairpieces, and/or wigs on a daily basis?
I haven't worn any hairpieces or extension braids but i had my hair cornrowed twice with my own hair.

How did you style your hair?
Occasional cornrows, perm rod sets, twistouts, and buns

What routine/regimen do/did you use?
Wash and condition (in 4 sections!) once a week with Elucence poo and cond. Detangle in shower with Denman and/or K-Cutter. Apply Frizz Ease extra strength serum to relaxed ends only. I use Surge or Giovanni Direct for my leave-in. Once or twice a month I use Aubrey GPB. Moisturize twice daily.

What are/were your most difficult moments? months 5-7 were (talk about tangles) but once I discovered the right products and techniques it's been much much better

How did you fight off the creamy crack attacks (thoughts of relaxing)?
This is my second transition so I remember how horrible I felt when I caved in the first time. Also, looking at fotki albums of inspirational naturals helps.

Good Luck!

 

[Poohbear]

How many of you transitioned without the use of braids, hairpieces, and/or wigs on a daily basis? I wore a phony pony and a wig a few times but never on a daily basis.

How did you style your hair? the infamous bun, ponytail, rollerset, or a braidout

What routine/regimen do/did you use? My regime changed up so many times during my transition, so I can't give u a straight answer on that one.

What are/were your most difficult moments? detangling and trying to make my hair look decent.

How did you fight off the creamy crack attacks (thoughts of relaxing)? My thoughts of relaxing got less and less as I progressed in my months of transitioning. I loved my natural hair texture more and more and just couldn't imagine going back to relaxers. Plus, my thin, breaking, overprocessed relaxed ends made me forget about relaxing altogether. I was determine to embrace my natural hair which turned into my ultimate hair goal. Then, I eventually did the BIG CHOP!!!

 

[kristina]

How many of you transitioned without the use of braids, hairpieces, and/or wigs on a daily basis?
I transitioned with braids.

How did you style your hair?
I pretty much stayed in braids the whole time. Though I'd also get it pressed or blowdry it out into a puff or bun.

Now I'm trying to stick to intervaling box braids and twists for 2-3 weeks with a 1-2 week break in between for other stuff (puffs, twist outs, flat-ironing)
What routine/regimen do/did you use?
still working on a routine but the products I love at the moment are rene furterer conditioning cream, biolage detangling, ors lock and twist gel, ors olive oil lotion, mane and tail conditioner with oil, and pure shea butter

What are/were your most difficult moments?
learning to style my hair when i first got out of braids and didn't have a clue

How did you fight off the creamy crack attacks (thoughts of relaxing)?
Well first, I remember all the issues I had with a relaxer. When I got out of braids, I decided to give myself a waiting period before relaxing and my hair got some much easier to deal with in that period that it didn't attract me any more. I straighten my hair if I feel like that look. basically i'm risk adverse and since i like my natural hair and i have a bit of length to lose if something goes wrong, i prefer not to take the chance.

 

[nurseN98]

How did you style your hair? I actually wore either a bun or I did braidouts then put it into a ponytail.


What routine/regimen do/did you use? I conditioner washed 4-6 times a week with Suave then used shea butter or some other hair butter type product as a leave-in then bun it. Then I would put on a little Fantasia Gel on my edges then tie it down for about 15min.

What are/were your most difficult moments? Most difficult were at the beginning when I decided to transition, my hair broke awfully. That was before I learned techniques to deal with detangling easier. I would have a ball of hair in my hands and broken hairs all of the place

How did you fight off the creamy crack attacks (thoughts of relaxing)? I didn't have many of these moments. Mainly because I remember how much I was getting sick of putting that stuff on my head. Me going natural wasn't about safety or trying to get harmful chemicals out of my system. I was just sick of the relaxing process everymonth. I just kept visualizing my natural hair and how great it would be to not have to do that every month and worry about things like rain or whatever.


Just remember why you are doing this. However basic it is, keep it in mind and look forward. It takes a lot of patience to go through transitioning and when you get to the point where you feel like you just HAVE to chop, you'll know it. Try to be flexible with your expectations for transitioning. You may have a two year transition planned but at 1 year, you may just be so sick of transitioning and just chop. As long as you remember why you are doing it in the first place, that will help you stay focused. Good luck

 

[onepraying]

I'm a transitioner who is absolutely LOVING this journey.... I have no choice since I don't believe in cutting, chopping, trimming my hair. Or wearing any kind of weave or hair piece or phony pony at all.


How many of you transitioned without the use of braids, hairpieces, and/or wigs on a daily basis?
I haven't and will not use any of the above.

How did you style your hair?
The regular styles all the other ladies mentioned. Check my Fotki, I have a folder of nothing but transitioning styles.

What routine/regimen do/did you use?
I started early in my transition doing EVERYTHING in sections. I section my hair in 4 ponytails and spray on my poos and conds(taking one down at a time and then putting it back up).. Rinse in these sections, etc., etc. This has cut down on my detangling considerably!

I do "the works" once a week using the c-cow-c fusion method. Then air dry with a baggy and satin ruffle clip for a few days. Then, depending on what I do to my hair, I'll CO one or two times a week.

What are/were your most difficult moments?
When I misjudge the lasting quality of a style. Meaning, when I think a style is going to last a few days, I end up with a mess the next day. The difficult part is calming down and trying to figure out what to do next, with 30 mins to catch my bus!... Oh and watching my ends thin out... it makes me sad. Eventhough they are relaxed, it's still my hair.......

How did you fight off the creamy crack attacks (thoughts of relaxing)?
I made up my mind and once I did that a feeling of freedom that I can't describe came over me. I embraced my nappiness! I was glad to be able to scratch my hair when I felt like it and get it wet and not have to spend that money and time. Like Pooh mentioned, once I got further into my transition, I knew if I relaxed my ends would be jacked up!

hth

~op~

 

[nita4]

Thank all you ladies for your responses. You have helped me more then you know.