Long Transitions v/s BC pros and cons

[dicapr]

I'm now officially transitioning. I am thinking of doing a 18 month transition which should give me about 9 inches of hair to work with when I cut off my relaxed ends. Just looking for info so that I can see if this time frame would work.

 

[LynnieB]

it's definitely a long transition for me. i've got these bald patches to grow out before i can even think of chopping anything completely off.

i may just go with cutting an inch here and there as it grows out. not gonna sweat myself with schedules or time limits though.

i've always had longish hair and i guess for some they'd call it a crutch - so be it .......it's been a part of me since birth .

it'll be a good year before my alopecia areas get 6 inches on them.

to your question: i really think the BC is prolly the easiest way to go and would be the best option if you're comfortable and confident enough in your self to rock that twa.

also - those who do go with the twa, THEY are the ones, IMHO, who have successfully transitioned their mind (and that's really what being natural is all about, isn't it?)

i guess you just gotta do yourself without worrying about what anyone has to say on either side, eh?

good luck with your transition!

 

[PaperClip]

Good morning....

I expected to have an 18-month transition. However, thanks to my hairdresser who PUSHED me further by cutting off A LOT of the relaxed ends before she moved away, and then just getting tired of fighting the opposing textures, I got the remaining relaxed ends cut off after only 10 months since my last relaxer. I was one who was very insecure and dependent on weaves and braids and after the BC, wore half-wigs for a couple of weeks.... I got tired of that really quickly. This is my second week wearing my hair out w/about 4 inches of hair. It's very liberating.

I should add that I think timing the start of the transition is important. I started my transition a year ago this month. It was helpful for me to start in the cooler months because I wore a press and curl for about 5-6 months and there was less of a chance in sweating it out.

I think the quick BC is easier, but maybe it is helpful to do a transition because it helps with the mental/emotional challenges as well as the physical changes.

Peace and success to you!

 

[luv04]

i did about a 9 month transition..and after that i was ready to chop..once i started gettin rid to the relax hair i couldnt stop..but im now natural and i think this amount of time for a transition is enough for me..intially i wanted to wait longer but its alll good now..healty hair was better than hanging on to thin ends..and such but now..im content with this..so good luck to ya..and happy hair growing

 

[NewYorkgyrl]

I am still trying ot figure this out myself.

I was gonna go for 18 months. I will be a year into my transition in less than 10 weeks and I want to BC but I don't feel as though I am ready. I like being able to put my hair in a ponytail (when I'm not in braids) especially the days when my hectic medical school schedule gets even moe hectic.

I think I will just take it week by week. You will be surprised how fast the tie goes.

Congrats on your decision and good luck. We are all here to help.

 

[Proudpiscean]

I will do a long transition. Although I have played around with a specific date to be fully natural (18 months ) I'm really not sure how long I will go. I will not BC because I value my length right now more than I value being fully natural......when the scales tip, I may BC.....until that point I will just patiently wait it out. It's more important to me that I do not continue to put relaxers in my hair than to chop all the relaxed ends off. I guess I'm in the minority....to me it's easier to do a long tranisition ( maybe because I only relaxed my hair 2-3 times a year anyway so I'm used to dealing with different textures ) I guess what I'm saying is: it's all about values

OP: Great thread!

 

[mscounselor]

I decided to do a long transition because I wanted to make sure that my mind was transitioned before I cut off the ends. If I BC'ed early I dont think I would have lasted very long. It all depends on where your mind is once you start the transition.

 

[Nightingale]

Long transition. I don't like my hair short, so a long transition let me keep my hair while my natural hair grew to a length I was okay with. I was happy when I chopped and was immediately able to do more than wash and gos.

 

[inthepink]

I did an 18 month transition and it was extremely hard! Though, for me, it would have been harder to do it sooner since I was not used to short hair. I don't regret doing the 18 months at all. It worked for me. I had planned to do 24 months but I got fed up at 18 months and never looked back!

 

[dicapr]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I remember as a child my dad used to call me BBH-Basket Ball Head. I think maybe I should wait until I get enough hair to put in a cute style and skip the TWA. I went online and found a hair salon about 50 minutes away that specializes in natural and transitioning hair. If I get too fed up, I'll pay the money and the gas and go there for a much needed consultation and transitioning styling. So its 15 months longer for me (did a 3 months stretch already).

 

[Ms Red]

In my mind I set the goal of 18 months transitioning-- to make sure I transitioned my mind first, like MsCounselor said. But every day it gets harder. Once I pass October, who knows? I may decide to BC sooner than I thought.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

I transitioned for 14 months wearing my hair only in a bun. The first 6-7 months were the hardest because I felt like I looked crazy and I spent a grip of money on products to tame my edges. (The answer is apply gel/pomade with a toothbrush ($1) and tie down with a scarf)

By month 10, I was absolutely FIENDING for straight hair so I bought a maxiglide and haven't thought about perming my hair since.

By the one year mark, I was itching to BC but I wanted to have enough hair to pull into a bun/puff so I scuttled through another 2 1/2 months before I cut. In hindsight, I was happy to let the permed ends go, but my hair wasn't quite long enough to pull back in some places so my early puffs had about 10 bobby pins sticking in to keep the hair back.

Long transitions are doable, but I will tell you one thing, YOU WILL KNOW when it's time for you to cut the ends off. If you read enough people's BC stories, the one thing everybody has in common is that 'they just couldn't take it anymore'.

HTH

 

[danimani]

I am doing a long transition and have had absolutely no problems. Once you find what your natural hair loves, it's pretty easy to work with it. My texture is far different than what I expected and isn't that hard to deal with at all.

I probably will transition for at least 18 months before chopping off the relaxed ends.

 

[KiSseS03]

I've done both, and the most recent time I transitioned only for 9 months. BC'ing was the best thing for me because it forced me to stick with the natural thing. Even though it was a little difficult in the beginning the thought of going from Armpit length hair to about 4-5 inches keeps me straight.

 

[B_Phlyy]

I'm doing a long transition this time only because my mom wants me to. I think the BC is easier (at least for me it was) because I wanted natural hair more than I wanted long hair, so I was satisfied regardless.