AJellyCake
Well-Known Member
Yes! I’m natural now! I’ve actually been natural for a couple of months , but I was just too busy to share my journey. I am just so grateful to LHCF and everyone in the transitioning without BCing thread.
I loved seeing other people’s journeys when I was transitioning! So without further ado, here we go.
My last relaxer was in March 2011. I usually would relax at 8-10 weeks post. That time around, I decided to forgo the regularly scheduled relaxer and wait longer (I didn’t know it was “stretching” back then
). I started my HHJ in May by deciding to forgo heat and trying more protective styles.
Here is my first protective style, a loose French braid updo.
This was my flat ironed hair at the time.
That first week without heat was painful! I had always had my hair laid and fried. I tried doing braidouts and twistouts. I never thought I would make it through that first week.
Then I decided to go a month with NO HEAT! I flat ironed again in June and it was sometime around then that I decided to try this transitioning thing out.![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
My go-to styles were sock buns, buns, and twistouts.
This was my length check in November 2011 and December. (Lol can you tell when I got my iPhone?
)
In December, I straightened my hair for the first time in six months! I could not believe I’d gone that long without flatironing my hair! I wanted to see if I had made it to BSL, and I had!
I actually didn’t straighten it all the way because I was afraid of damage.
In March 2012, I made it to MBL. I wasn’t straightening my hair, but I could pull it in the shower and feel it. I had a major setback in March due to my relaxed hair tangling! It was like Velcro!
So awful. I cut these giant tangles out and wore my hair in buns for the most part.
Here are my ear curls in March 2012.
In August 2012, I was sooooo tired of transitioning. It wasn’t fun anymore. I chopped at 16 months post! It was so amazing! :reddancer: Even though I’d been able to see my texture growing, nothing prepared me for how light, free, and BIG it was without the relaxer! I loved it, even though I had to get used to it. The hardest part was just the loss of length. I couldn’t pony tail it. I couldn’t bun it! Ugh. I soon figured out how to work with it, though, and discovered I actually could make a bun if I started from a puff.
I cut it again in August to help shape it, and then I trimmed it in September. I also did my first two-strand twists and natural twistout (it was right after trimming, so I wasn’t trying to be very neat).
So here’s my natural hair these days. The nape is about APL stretched. If it’s not in a wash n go (this one was with no gel!!!) or a puff, it’s usually in a bun. I will dust in a few days, and then I’m sprinting to MBL in 2013!!
Thanks for reading! HHJ and HHG!
![Bighug :bighug: :bighug:](/smilies/bighug.gif)
My last relaxer was in March 2011. I usually would relax at 8-10 weeks post. That time around, I decided to forgo the regularly scheduled relaxer and wait longer (I didn’t know it was “stretching” back then
Here is my first protective style, a loose French braid updo.
![FirstFrenchBraidPSUpdo-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/FirstFrenchBraidPSUpdo-Copy-1.jpg)
This was my flat ironed hair at the time.
![HHJBeginningStraighthair-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/HHJBeginningStraighthair-Copy-1.jpg)
That first week without heat was painful! I had always had my hair laid and fried. I tried doing braidouts and twistouts. I never thought I would make it through that first week.
Then I decided to go a month with NO HEAT! I flat ironed again in June and it was sometime around then that I decided to try this transitioning thing out.
My go-to styles were sock buns, buns, and twistouts.
![Firstsockbun-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Firstsockbun-Copy-1.jpg)
![Easybraidout-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Easybraidout-Copy-1.jpg)
![TwoFrenchbraidbraidout2-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/TwoFrenchbraidbraidout2-Copy-1.jpg)
This was my length check in November 2011 and December. (Lol can you tell when I got my iPhone?
![Grin :grin: :grin:](/smilies/grin.gif)
![Transitioninghairlengthchecknovember2011-2-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Transitioninghairlengthchecknovember2011-2-Copy-1.jpg)
![Transitioninghairlengthcheckmarch2012-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Transitioninghairlengthcheckmarch2012-Copy-1.jpg)
In December, I straightened my hair for the first time in six months! I could not believe I’d gone that long without flatironing my hair! I wanted to see if I had made it to BSL, and I had!
![Yay :yay: :yay:](/smilies/yay.gif)
![BSLFlatironedhair-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/BSLFlatironedhair-Copy-1.jpg)
In March 2012, I made it to MBL. I wasn’t straightening my hair, but I could pull it in the shower and feel it. I had a major setback in March due to my relaxed hair tangling! It was like Velcro!
![Nono :nono: :nono:](/smilies/nono.gif)
Here are my ear curls in March 2012.
![earcurljune2012unstretched-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/earcurljune2012unstretched-Copy-1.jpg)
![Earcurljune2012stretched-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Earcurljune2012stretched-Copy-1.jpg)
In August 2012, I was sooooo tired of transitioning. It wasn’t fun anymore. I chopped at 16 months post! It was so amazing! :reddancer: Even though I’d been able to see my texture growing, nothing prepared me for how light, free, and BIG it was without the relaxer! I loved it, even though I had to get used to it. The hardest part was just the loss of length. I couldn’t pony tail it. I couldn’t bun it! Ugh. I soon figured out how to work with it, though, and discovered I actually could make a bun if I started from a puff.
![Puffbun-Copy.png](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Puffbun-Copy.png)
I cut it again in August to help shape it, and then I trimmed it in September. I also did my first two-strand twists and natural twistout (it was right after trimming, so I wasn’t trying to be very neat).
![September2012Trim-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/September2012Trim-Copy-1.jpg)
![Twistsaftertrim-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Twistsaftertrim-Copy-1.jpg)
![Twistoutaftertrim2-Copy-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Twistoutaftertrim2-Copy-1.jpg)
So here’s my natural hair these days. The nape is about APL stretched. If it’s not in a wash n go (this one was with no gel!!!) or a puff, it’s usually in a bun. I will dust in a few days, and then I’m sprinting to MBL in 2013!!
![Washngonogel2-Copy2-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/Washngonogel2-Copy2-1.jpg)
![2nddayPuff-Copy2-1.jpg](http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/naturalnewb/2nddayPuff-Copy2-1.jpg)
Thanks for reading! HHJ and HHG!