I Have Officially Decided to Transition - Need U'r Help!

[luv04]

wow congrats southern girl!! good luck on ur journey..i finished my tranistion not too long ago..i wish you well
...stay blessed

 

[Isis]

I your new pics before and after your trim!! Beautiful hair! I wish you much success transitioning!

OT: You look very slim for having a baby not that long ago!

 

[honey_jammz82]

Wow, you look great and your baby girl is soooo cute. I can tell you are loving motherhood! I can't wait to see your natural hair, I can only imagine how thick and gorgeous it is going to be. Keep us updated!!

 

[Miss*Tress]

Your album was one of the first ones I stalked when I joined the board so I will be anxious to follow your journey.

Me too. Good luck! If you carry on with your good hair practices, you should do OK.

I suppose I'm transitioning because I haven't had a relaxer since July 2005 but haven't cut the relaxed ends. Coping with the different textures hasn't been a problem for me except for the frizziness at the edges and crown when I roller set. Of course, I just forget about smooth styles in summer. So I don't have any particular wisdom to impart I'm afraid.

 

[hopeful]

Good luck! I think you'll look really cute with a bob.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

WOW..just WOW...can't say I saw this coming.

<picking jaw up from floor>

Well, congrats on the decision to transition!

The only thing I would advise is not to cut to a short bob. I'm telling you, once you get to an inch or more of new growth, that bob is going to look all kinds of crazy, even if you press it. You may want to leave just enough hair so that you can comfortably pull your hair into a ponytail.

Good luck!

 

[hopeful]

WOW..just WOW...can't say I saw this coming.

<picking jaw up from floor>

Well, congrats on the decision to transition!

The only thing I would advise is not to cut to a short bob. I'm telling you, once you get to an inch or more of new growth, that bob is going to look all kinds of crazy, even if you press it. You may want to leave just enough hair so that you can comfortably pull your hair into a ponytail.

Good luck!

This is a good point. I think she would look nice with a bob but a ponytail while transitioning would likely be a lifesaver.

 

[wyldcurlz]

hi SG,

i transitioned a few years ago without doing the BC either. back then i knew next to nothing about haircare...all i knew was that my hair was not thriving relaxed (probably because i didn't know how to care for it.) but, it was APL when relaxed. all i did was stop getting relaxers! that was it. of course, i kept my hair very moisturized/saturated. i made sure the delicate areas - nape and hairline were always lubricated and i mostly wore my hair in a bun. i washed once a week and deep conditioned after every wash.

that was then...almost a decade ago. knowing what i know now, if i were to transition today, my advice would be almost the same. you are obviously a master with your hair. you know how to care for it. with natural and transitioning hair the most important thing is to be gentle! and to keep the hair moisturized. i'd do pre-shampoo conditioning treatments and deep conditioning as often as possible. i do the no-poo thing, only using traidional shampoo once or twice a month. actually, i found a sulfate free shampoo by aubrey organics (white camellia smoothing shampoo) and one by elucence (moisture balancing shampoo - which is low sulfate) and those are moisturizing shampoos. i also use a little jojoba oil on my ends every night, when i have some.

the hardest part will be figuring out how to style it. it took me a while to get that down. there was a point when i was getting it blown-out, pressed & flat-ironed weekly. most people natural/transitioners i know get their hair pressed &/or flat-ironed every 2-weeks and that seems to work very well for them.

i've finally figured out how to do a wash-n-wear style which is my mainstay. or a bun or ponytail.

i know its been a while since i transitioned, but if you have any questions for me please ask. one thing i'd like to mention, and of course its personal choice, but you don't have to BC! i didn't and i didn't lose any length really. of course, i had trims once every 4-6 months, getting about 1/2 - 2 inches trimmed each time, depending. usually it was about 1-inch that was trimmed off.

it was very successful, my hair is very healthy now. i don't use heat very often, maybe once a month. i hardly have any split ends or "pixie knots." my hair is soft and moisturized.

hth!

 

[Carlie]

This is a good point. I think she would look nice with a bob but a ponytail while transitioning would likely be a lifesaver.

I bunned my hair 90% while transitioning. It was so quick/easy!

 

[Poohbear]

Congratulations on your decision to go natural, SouthernGirl! I remember when I was relaxed, you were one of my hair inspirations!

Anyway, I only transitioned for a little over 7 months and did the big chop. During my transition, I wore all kinds of styles: ponytails, buns, rollersets, braidouts, conrows, or blowdried straight. Conditioner washing often and using S-Curl kept my new growth soft and moisturized. If I didn't want to wash my hair often, I would do a rollerset or cornrows. You can check on my album below as well as my old album which is 'poohbear215' instead of 'poohbear0215' at the end of the address.

I think you would have it easy since you are a stay at home mom now and won't have to worry about what your transitioning hair looks like! Congrats on your decision to leave corporate america as well! And congrats about your newborn baby! You just got it going on girl!
Best wishes to you in all that you do!

God bless!
*~Poohbear~*

 

[Vshanell]

Oh wow, congrats on your decision SouthernGirl!! You are such an inspiration and a sweet person. I know you'll do great with your natural journey.

I transitioned long ago for years......back when I knew nothing about hair boards. I kept my hair pressed during most of the transition and gradually trimmed away the relaxer. It took forever though because I wasn't willing to loose much length. I also made sure to keep up with the protein treatments and deep condition. I agree with the others about keeping enough length to put in a bun or ponytail but it is ultimately your decision. Best of luck!!

 

[jaded_faerie]

Congrats & Goodluck on your decision Southerngirl! You are going to be such a beautiful natural!

But I agree with NOT cutting your hair in a bob. I am currently transitioning and I made the decision to cut my hair into a short style, *sigh* right now I am regretting Even when flat ironed the hair is just not sitting right in my HO. I wish I had enough hair to pull back into a ponytail or bun!

The only thing that is keeping me away from the creamy crack, is that I cut my hair just for this transition, and the short hair has made me more motivated to transition.

Just my experience.

HNATURALHG & best of luck!!!

 

[SouthernGirl]

I your new pics before and after your trim!! Beautiful hair! I wish you much success transitioning!

OT: You look very slim for having a baby not that long ago!

Hey Girlie,

Thanks a bunch! Your album is definitely one of my favorites to stalk

Also, thanks for the weight comment! I still can't believe how fast the baby weight came off. I attribute it to breastfeeding b/c I didn't diet or do much exercise. My baby is growing by leaps and bounds so I guess she's sucking away all my pounds

Luv ya,

SG

 

[SouthernGirl]

So... I jumped out of bed this morning to see all the responses I missed last night

Thanks everyone for the invaluable feedback.

JCoily, Wyldcurlz, Miss Tress, Honey Jammz, Luv 04, Carlie, Poohbear, Pokahontas, Jaded Faerie, and anyone else I may have missed, big kisses to you

My biggest dilema right now is what to do with my hair to prepare for transition. Thanks to those of you that have recommended that I not do a big chop b/c I don't want to. I don't mind the two textures. I agree with your points, and I think that ponytails will be key - especially since I don't have as much time not to fuss with my hair. It is important that I am able to have styling options that are as easy as possible. Eventually, wash 'n wear is what I'm shooting for.

I need to go back and view all of your albums, especially the ones that did not BC to transition. I was thinking last night that a bob would be cute, but as I'm transitioning and cutting little by little of the relaxed ends off, I don't know what shape my natural hair will be in. I guess I have a lot of homework to do so I'll be reaching out to you guys with more questions as I go along.

BTW, did you guys go to a salon when you began your transition for a cut or advice or did you just do it all solo? I've never been a fan of salons but I thought I'd have to go for this. Sounds like I have all the info I need right here! That's why I love this site

Thanks again,

SG

 

[thefineprint]

Congrats on your decision! I transitioned for a year and a half with extentions because I KNEW I couldn't handle a big chop! After each change out I trimmed off about 2 inches of relaxed hair and then when I chopped it wasn't so hard to say goodbye to my straight hairs. They looked so limp and fragile under the natural texture! good luck with your journey!

 

[Country gal]

Welcome to the club. I transitioned my hair when it was shoulder length. I have some transitioning shots in my album. I think you will enjoy being natural. Good luck.

 

[JewelleNY]

I'm transitioning right now, about 7 months. It has been somewhat challenging but when I want to relax I just stalk albums for a while and I am ok I just finished checking out SO1913 and Kristina's albums, love their hair

Good luck with the transition, I can't wait for the day when 90% of black women are natural and relaxers are a thing of the past like jerry curls

 

[alexstin]

Your updates are great!! I'll be watching your transition(since you're a hair inspiration for me).

 

[JenniferMD]

Wow...your last relaxer was very recent (few days ago right?). What made you relax if you were thinking of going natural? Was this last relaxer a confirmation that you REALLY wanted to go through with it?

Your hair is beautiful...I'm looking forward to viewing your transition.

 

[JenniferMD]

Your hair is always beautiful!!

Bill Lawrence at the Bill Lawrence Salon on 18th and U would really be able to give you a nice bob. He is very reputable.

I went to Bill faithfully for three years back when I was in high school. He's amazing! But my college pockets couldn't afford him. His style actually reminds me a lot of the Dominican technique. I always left his salon with swingamatic hair.

 

[Enchantmt]

Congratz!! What helped me is moving away from water based products to oil based so my newgrowth wouldnt revert as quickly when trying to maintain a straight style. Once you have a lot of newgrowth, roller sets are your friend. If you pull the rollers taut they will straighten out enough where you cant even tell you have two textures, it will minimize heat and manipulation too. (I always roller set and just seperarted the curls so it would be curly, bouncy, pretty, and I just needed to wear a satin bonnet at night and fluff in the morn. I finger combed only.) Mine lasted 3 days- a week. A Kkutter will be good to help detangle your new growth. You have to be more careful detangling. This was something I didnt take seriously because I had never had a problem before, but had I listened things would have gone much smoother. If you arent avoiding parabens, biosilk detangler worked for me. Tho I think BBD Stretch may be waterbased, its the one exception to the previous statement. That will help minimize breakage for you as well.
Good luck!!

 

[NewYorkgyrl]

Congratz!! What helped me is moving away from water based products to oil based so my newgrowth wouldnt revert as quickly when trying to maintain a straight style. Once you have a lot of newgrowth, roller sets are your friend. If you pull the rollers taut they will straighten out enough where you cant even tell you have two textures, it will minimize heat and manipulation too. (I always roller set and just seperarted the curls so it would be curly, bouncy, pretty, and I just needed to wear a satin bonnet at night and fluff in the morn. I finger combed only.) Mine lasted 3 days- a week. A Kkutter will be good to help detangle your new growth. You have to be more careful detangling. This was something I didnt take seriously because I had never had a problem before, but had I listened things would have gone much smoother. If you arent avoiding parabens, biosilk detangler worked for me. Tho I think BBD Stretch may be waterbased, its the one exception to the previous statement. That will help minimize breakage for you as well.
Good luck!!

Co-signing on everything stated above...especially the K-cutter comb and BBD stretch.

Congrats on your decision!

 

[MissMarie]

Congratulations on your transition SG.

Another transitioner checking in. I've been transitioning for almost 2 1/2 years, no chops big or little so far.
I agree with JCoily and others that you might want to keep your hair long enough to pull it back. Most of the time I've been wearing buns or ponytails. The longer my hair gets the easier it is for me to deal with, the only real trouble I had was around month 6 when it became necessary for me to change most of my techniques and products. I guess that was the natural hair asserting itself, lol. Once I got past that its been smooth sailing
I do braidouts and bantu sets when I want to wear my hair down. I only use heat a few times a year. I've been doing everything myself too, haven't been to a salon in 2 years.
A good detangling comb is a must. I like condition washing and protective styles. Lately I've been experimenting with different oils, still working on my regimen.
Your hair is beautiful and healthy so I'm sure you'll do great. Good luck.
Can't wait to see your progress.

 

[wyldcurlz]

My biggest dilema right now is what to do with my hair to prepare for transition. Thanks to those of you that have recommended that I not do a big chop b/c I don't want to. I don't mind the two textures. I agree with your points, and I think that ponytails will be key - especially since I don't have as much time not to fuss with my hair. It is important that I am able to have styling options that are as easy as possible. Eventually, wash 'n wear is what I'm shooting for.

BTW, did you guys go to a salon when you began your transition for a cut or advice or did you just do it all solo? I've never been a fan of salons but I thought I'd have to go for this. Sounds like I have all the info I need right here! That's why I love this site

Thanks again,

SG

Hi SG,

i didn't go to a salon when i transitioned. i did it all solo. i just never went back to get my relaxers. the one thing i was doing before my transition was relaxer stretching. i was getting re-touches about every 6 months before i transitioned. then i never went back. i started digging in my hair, feeling these lumps & coils of curls. i was shocked because i never knew i had "curly hair!" like the others, i deep conditioned a lot and did protein treatments. the most important thing is to be gentle where the textures blend - where your relaxed hair touches your virgin hair. some people notice some breakage there. i had minor amounts. SG, you have such beautiful, thick, healthy hair - i think it'll be fine. and you know how to care for it. and i'll say it again, if you don't want to BC, don't!! i don't see any point in it unless its something that person really wants to do. once you're a few months into your transition you'll be even better aware of the things you need to do for a successful transition. best of luck! you'll do great! and keep us posted on your progress!

 

[SouthernGirl]

Welcome to the club. I transitioned my hair when it was shoulder length. I have some transitioning shots in my album. I think you will enjoy being natural. Good luck.

Hey Girlie

I saw your album, and I must say your hair is AMAZING!!!!! I remember when you started your transistion and I have watched your hair flourish. I saw a thread you posted the other day about wanting a change. I started to reply and tell you I was transitioning then, but I wanted to be 100% sure first

BTW, I know we're both in the same area. Do you go to a stylist for anything now that you're natural?

Thanks,

SG

 

[SouthernGirl]

Wow...your last relaxer was very recent (few days ago right?). What made you relax if you were thinking of going natural? Was this last relaxer a confirmation that you REALLY wanted to go through with it?

Your hair is beautiful...I'm looking forward to viewing your transition.

Hey Chica

You are correct, my last relaxer was days ago and at first I wished I had waited. The updates in my album were not originally added to be the last pics prior to transition. I had not made any significant updates in ages so it was time. The folder was originally titled "Recent Hair Shots" or something like that. After making my decision (after debating so long), I made the commitment and changed the title.

Either way, I decided that it was best to relax b/c I was planning to get my hair cut above the shoulder, then transition (I only cut my hair after it's freshly relaxed) so I could start fresh. After lots of feedback about cutting that short, I'm probably going to keep my length and transition from this point. Hope that makes sense!

SG

 

[SouthernGirl]

I went to Bill faithfully for three years back when I was in high school. He's amazing! But my college pockets couldn't afford him. His style actually reminds me a lot of the Dominican technique. I always left his salon with swingamatic hair.

I've heard this from others. The two women I worked with years ago that went to him had the most amazing hair I'd ever seen. Not long at all, but healthy like you wouldn't believe and lotsa swing!

SG

 

[SouthernGirl]

Congratz!! What helped me is moving away from water based products to oil based so my newgrowth wouldnt revert as quickly when trying to maintain a straight style. Once you have a lot of newgrowth, roller sets are your friend. If you pull the rollers taut they will straighten out enough where you cant even tell you have two textures, it will minimize heat and manipulation too. (I always roller set and just seperarted the curls so it would be curly, bouncy, pretty, and I just needed to wear a satin bonnet at night and fluff in the morn. I finger combed only.) Mine lasted 3 days- a week. A Kkutter will be good to help detangle your new growth. You have to be more careful detangling. This was something I didnt take seriously because I had never had a problem before, but had I listened things would have gone much smoother. If you arent avoiding parabens, biosilk detangler worked for me. Tho I think BBD Stretch may be waterbased, its the one exception to the previous statement. That will help minimize breakage for you as well.
Good luck!!

Great advice!! I was actually thinking my pincurls might be a nice transitional style for me some days, so hpefully I'll get the same effect of your roller sets.

Thanks,

SG

 

[SouthernGirl]

Hi SG,

i didn't go to a salon when i transitioned. i did it all solo. i just never went back to get my relaxers. the one thing i was doing before my transition was relaxer stretching. i was getting re-touches about every 6 months before i transitioned. then i never went back. i started digging in my hair, feeling these lumps & coils of curls. i was shocked because i never knew i had "curly hair!" like the others, i deep conditioned a lot and did protein treatments. the most important thing is to be gentle where the textures blend - where your relaxed hair touches your virgin hair. some people notice some breakage there. i had minor amounts. SG, you have such beautiful, thick, healthy hair - i think it'll be fine. and you know how to care for it. and i'll say it again, if you don't want to BC, don't!! i don't see any point in it unless its something that person really wants to do. once you're a few months into your transition you'll be even better aware of the things you need to do for a successful transition. best of luck! you'll do great! and keep us posted on your progress!

You're awesome! The overwhelming response is not to BC, so I have decided not to

I'm pretty patient and gentle with my hair so I'm going to keep it. I've cut so much over the past week that I should be in good shape. No splits, all even, no complaints so I'm going for it. I just have to figure out the intervals b/w cuts. I guess I'll know, but right now I have no concept of how often to cut. I guess I can use my old relaxer schedule as a cutting schedule. Besides, I really don't know what my natural textue looks like under there I guess I'll wait to get enough new growth to see and go from there.

Thanks hun!!!

SG

 

[melodee]

Hi SG( My Expressive Eyed twin) ,

Long time, no type!LOL

Congrats on your decision to go natural. I am confident you will not have problems. Your hair is so pretty, and it will be so natural as well.

I am in my 11th month of transition. I plan to fully chop when my hair is a little below shoulder unstretched. The back can be stretched to the shoulder at this point, so I'm figuring it will be another 5-7 months at least.
So far, I am loving the look and feel of my hair. My one issue is that the styling sometimes leaves something to be desired during the latter months of transition. I pull it back in a ponytail or bun, and none of my fam/friends really likes Mel in a bun (except hubby who is being supportive--but he really likes long hair.)

I'd love to chat transition with ya. PM me anytime.