NATURALS/TRANSITIONERS, 4A-4BS: HOW LONG DID IT TAEK YOU B4 YOU SAW CURLS?

[bravenewgirl87]

Right now, i am transitioning. I have about an 1-1 1/4 of new growth all over. I can pull each strand and see springy kinks but not waves, curls etc. How long were you transtioning or natural before there were visible curls? How long b4 you could wear your hair out? How did you combat the dry hard new growth and made it look like somthing other than poofs and "naps"? Whats your routine?

 

[glamazon386]

I'd say about 3 months or so post relaxer. The first few times I stretched it just looked like fuzz but later on it started looking like wavy curlies. I guess the hair I was seeing before was scab hair. Once I chopped the relaxed ends it curled up more though. My relaxed hair was weighing my hair down and it made my curl pattern look looser. I don't really have a routine though. I just wash and DC once a week. That's about it.

ETA: I see in your siggy that you're listed as a 4b. To my understanding 4b's don't have a curl pattern so your hair just may not curl. But to be honest, you won't be able to see your true texture until the relaxed hair is gone. You'll get an idea while transitioning but you may have different textures throughout your head when all is said and done. You could always try a curl product to see if your hair will curl up though if you're not seeing it just from washing.

 

[bLackButtaFly]

I saw waves, until I cut off my relaxed ends. I used to do twist outs etc to give the illusion of curly hair, but I didn't get my own until I chopped. Granted I didn't transition long like 10 months, is that long? The waves are a good indicator of the promise of curls, if you're worried that you won't have any, you most likely will if you see waves.

 

[Divalicious]

How did you combat the dry hard new growth and made it look like somthing other than poofs and "naps"? Whats your routine?

The dry, hard new growth might be something called 'scab hair' so, it may not be your true texture. How long have you been transistioning?

Hot oil treatments and deep conditioning might help.

 

[Cheleigh]

Right now, i am transitioning. I have about an 1-1 1/4 of new growth all over. I can pull each strand and see springy kinks but not waves, curls etc. How long were you transtioning or natural before there were visible curls? How long b4 you could wear your hair out? How did you combat the dry hard new growth and made it look like somthing other than poofs and "naps"? Whats your routine?

1. You can check my transitioning albums--I think I really saw something other than "new growth" at six months.

2. As a transitioner, I always wore my hair out (except for the one time I got twists for six weeks). I usually wore ponytails or buns. Sometimes I'd wear a braidout (twistouts didn't work on my transitioning hair).

3. My natural hair wasn't hard and dry. I deep conditioned twice weekly and moisturized all the time.

 

[gradygirl]

I had scab hair for the first 2 months then my texture started changing.

 

[StrawberryQueen]

I didn't see much of anything until I chopped it all off. My coil and curl have come in nicely, but I also have about 1" of scab hair on the ends, which causes my hair to tangled and mat. Once I cut that off, they'll pop more. I just can't bring myself to cut anymore of my hair when it seems like I'm showing so little progress with growth.

 

[bluebearfanatic]

I had scab hair for at least three months before I saw any waves. The key is a lot of deep conditioning treatments and hot oil treatments like someone else said. I'm currently transitioning so far I'm 24months post relaxer and I started noticing waves and some curlies here and there 3 months after. Now I have even more...i'm itching to cut the relaxed ends off but i'm going to wait a few more months then like everyone said I'm sure I'll really see more of my texture.

 

[Robin41]

It was like 3 or 4 months before I saw curls and that was only in areas where I had already cut off all my relaxer, like in the nape section. Now I'm getting curls around all the edges but I still have relaxed ends on the top of my head and that part is still not curling after over a year of transitioning. It waves pretty good but doesn't curl. I'm hoping that after I finally cut off all my relaxer (I'm a punk, what can I say?), I'll see curls all over.

 

[Jaizee]

If you're a 4b, you'll have "kinks" instead of curls/waves. I think that it's best to work with your texture rather than focusing on curl definition. Trust me, it'll be frustrating. I know from experience.

Just remember, kinks, coils, and naps are beautiful!

 

[ScandalousBeauty]

I'd say it was 3-4 months as well. After I bc'ed I thought I was a true 4b with kinks and no curls. As time went on, I found a spiral or two. As the weeks went on, I noticed more and more. Now I feel like I have half teeny spirals, half kinks. I cut some of my ends tonight, because I noticed the spirals were growing underneath of the scab hair. It's like the scab hair was there first then began to transition into a curl. I dunno. I'll be trimming and looking for more of those tonight. I put some mixed chicks curl stuff in there to get them to spring up so I can find them easier. It's Such an interesting phenomenon!

 

[glamazon386]

I'd say it was 3-4 months as well. After I bc'ed I thought I was a true 4b with kinks and no curls. As time went on, I found a spiral or two. As the weeks went on, I noticed more and more. Now I feel like I have half teeny spirals, half kinks. I cut some of my ends tonight, because I noticed the spirals were growing underneath of the scab hair. It's like the scab hair was there first then began to transition into a curl. I dunno. I'll be trimming and looking for more of those tonight. I put some mixed chicks curl stuff in there to get them to spring up so I can find them easier. It's Such an interesting phenomenon!

I agree. My hair looks different now than it did when I chopped 7 months ago. And even that was different than my new growth 6 months before that. Bravenewgirl, I don't think you have enough new growth to tell. Or you could be seeing scab hair which can take 6 months to a year to grow out. Or you might just be a 4b and not have a curl pattern. HTH...