Confessions of a pissed off transitioner

[thebelleofelle]

Sorry for the random rant but this has been heavy on my heart.

So I haven't had a perm since March 2013..I guess I've been transitioning for 9 months and it's been nothing but twists, turns, and headaches. No matter how much water I put in my hair, 2 seconds later its DRY. No matter what "moisturizing" product I use it's always ends the same…..DRY! Of course this didn't start happening until I decided to go natural. UGH this makes me wanna go out and buy a normal ORS relaxer & put an end to my dry spell. I have no idea how to combat this dry this hair. This can't be good for the growth process…….GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

But check out this new growth!!!!

 

[havilland]

Been there. Done that.

You have to keep experimenting with products. You haven't found your staples yet. AND, keep in mind they may change again in 6 months when your hair grows out more.

It's very frustrating to transition. Stay committed to your goal and know you can do it by any means necessary. There are rough days ahead but I swear you CAN DO THIS.

TRY: (separately. Not all at once) lol

steaming your hair

Aloe Vera gel (add this to your current leave in with some olive oil)

Cleanse with a cheating poo then do a deep moisture treatment

Honey treatment

Avocado mask (mash up an avocado and use it as a deep conditioner)

Mayonnaise is good for moisture too

Add silk aminos to your deep conditioner

Step up your deep conditioning to twice a week with heat or steam. I had to commit to this tactic for over a year to keep my hair in check.

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

@thebelleofelle
First off **

Second off...BREATHER BABY BREATHE!

Third Off.....Do you have the book Haircare Rehab by Audrey Sivasothy? If not, GET IT! It will save your hair's life.

If your not in the mood to purchase I'll skip to the process that would worth best for you.

Try this regimen:

Clarify and Chelate (To remove any product buildup)
Do a protein treatment (With the strongest protein treatment you hair can handle)
DC w/ heat (she stresses using heat to DC) using your best moisturizing treatment
Apply your leave ins using the LOC method (Liquid,Oil,Cream)

The last step was something I do personally and as a fellow transitioner I can most definitely say it works!

Also you may want to do a porosity test to see what your porosity level is.

Here is a good one: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlr...ethods/quick-easy-hair-porosity-density-tests

If you are high porosity, I suggest you start using a cuticle sealing product like Roux Porosity Control, ACV Rinse or Cool Aloe Juice.

If you're low porosity I suggest you start baggying you hair and ends nightly to retain your moisture levels. I also suggest you forgo smoothing or highly acidic products. They may only worsen your problem.

 

[havilland]

^^^^what she said

I also want to tell u that my hair was the Sahara for about 9 months until I started deep conditionin with heat twice a week. Now two years later I don't need to do that anymore. So your hair will adjust to the right regimen and achieve a moisture balance I think....it is just gonna take time and patience.

Trust me. I sat in front of my cabinet drinking a martini rocking back and forth staring at a jar of relaxer on many more days than I like to admit.

Wooooosah.....

 

[PJaye]

^^^^what she said

I also want to tell u that my hair was the Sahara for about 9 months until I started deep conditionin with heat twice a week. Now two years later I don't need to do that anymore. So your hair will adjust to the right regimen and achieve a moisture balance I think....it is just gonna take time and patience.

Trust me. I sat in front of my cabinet drinking a martini rocking back and forth staring at a jar of relaxer on many more days than I like to admit.

Wooooosah.....

!!! You are a trip!

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

How are you wearing your hair that you have to continually put water in it? What's your hair care routine? Maybe find a style that can keep your hair smooth and all one texture so that your natural oil from your scalp can help keep the hair moisturized. I find that most curly styles (without stretching the hair out first) leave my hair a dry frizzy mess. However, smooth styles like roller sets can allow me to go up to 2 weeks without washing and my hair remains moisturized....and can then turn into other styles like loose bantu knot outs, braidouts, buns and ponytails. Just find your own groove...you will be just fine.

 

[KinkyGenius]

I cosign what the ladies above have said.

I transitioned for almost 80 weeks and I soon discovered that my relaxed hair Holy Grail/staples were the polar opposite for my natural hair. Really had to experiment with products, pay attention to ingredients and change up techniques.

 

[thebelleofelle]

havilland I'm at that level! That relaxer is looking real good! But thanks for your advice. Maybe I should get back on my baggy game.

 

[thebelleofelle]

lulu97 I usually just wear my hair in buns and I'll do a bantu twist out every now and them but I haven't' found the perfect method to making the twist last longer than one day. I don't have a real routine..I cowash every 2-3 days, shampoo wash once a week, workout 3-4 days, try and drink a liter of water daily. When I wash, I put my hair in either 2 or 4 sections, only shampoo the roots and condition the entire head for 4 mins or over night depending on the weather.

 

[thebelleofelle]

EnExitStageLeft thanks for the advice maybe I'll get LOC method a try. I've heard great things about it.

 

[ail221]

As mentioned you have to experiment with products. Also I say find out your texture and porosity that can help in your search for the right products. No one starts out knowing the perfect regime for their hair. The products I used in the beginning of my journey aren't even the same ones I am using now; almost 18 months in transition atm. When I trim off the rest of my permed ends I'll probably change my regime again.

 

[ElevatedEnergy]

lulu97 I usually just wear my hair in buns and I'll do a bantu twist out every now and them but I haven't' found the perfect method to making the twist last longer than one day. I don't have a real routine..I cowash every 2-3 days, shampoo wash once a week, workout 3-4 days, try and drink a liter of water daily. When I wash, I put my hair in either 2 or 4 sections, only shampoo the roots and condition the entire head for 4 mins or over night depending on the weather.

Def seem to be getting a lot of conditioning sessions in so that's great. This routine doesn't sound bad at all but can you space out how often you co-wash/wash? I find that the less I mess with my hair (washing, manipulating) the better it behaves. Your curlies are so pretty by the way.

 

[thebelleofelle]

ail221 I'm a new resident of NYC any advice for dealing with this fall/winter with transition hair?

 

[ail221]

ail221 I'm a new resident of NYC any advice for dealing with this fall/winter with transition hair?

Personally I'd do more protective styles and invest in some silk/satin scarfs to snag proof your hats and scarves until the winter is over. Find the right combination of liquid, oil and/or creme, retaining moisture is important for the winter because the environment tends to become drier.

 

[healthyhair2]

ail221 I'm a new resident of NYC any advice for dealing with this fall/winter with transition hair?

I am from Brooklyn,now living in the Carolinas. My hair is a 4a/b , I found that my hair did well with moisturizing and sealing. On occasion I would baggie all day with my leave-in, use a moisturizer(water-based , of course), then seal with a coconut/olive oil mixture. Also, under all my hats, I would wear a silk scarf. A light spritz of water, moisturizing and sealing routine at night was a must, because the heat is so dry in New York apartments.
One thing I never did was wear my hair damp out of the apartment. Also, the water in NYC is hard, so a chelating shampoo is a necessity. After that I would use a very moisturzing conditioner like: Nexxus Humectress, Paul Mitchell Supercharged, Keracare Humecto, Oyin Honey Hemp Conditioner,or Mizani Hydrafuse. Every now and then I would use the Aphogee 2-step Protein treatment that makes your hair hard. I always wore my hair ina protective style, but some ladies prefer blowouts. It's up to you. Good Luck!!!

HTH

 

[SuchaLady]

Calling my boo sharifeh We understand.
My hair is still accepting conditioner pretty well. My issue is hairstyles. It looks cool for 2 hours tops then it looks like i didnt do my hair that morning Maybe a stronger gel? I just love my Eco though