Naturals: When did you REALLY see your true texture(s)?

[Your Cheeziness]

So, after being e-jealous of naturals for far too long and having my trusted stylist give me chemical burns around my ENTIRE hair line during my last relaxer, I've decided to transition.

I've never been more than 14 weeks post and can't wait to see what my real texture looks like. I plan on doing at least a year long transition because my head is too big for a TWA.

My question to naturals and long term transitioners is: When did you truly see your natural texture? (7 months, 1 year, BC, etc?) What did you think you knew about your natural hair while relaxed, but found to be untrue when you were natural (if anything)?

Here's my texture after a hard protein treatment at 9 weeks post. No conditioner applied yet.

Thx!

 

[ElegantExotic]

Your hair is so pretty!!!


I can't really remember how long it took for me to see my natural texture. I transitioned gradually under weaves, cutting off a small bit of the relaxed ends every takedown or so. But when I cut off the last of the relaxed bits, I had a head full of spring-y curls!!!

 

[Ganjababy]

It took me about a year after I cut all the relaxer off to see my true texture. As my hair gets longer the texture seems to change- the curls seems to clump better and get bigger so it is still evolving. It has been 16 months since I cut all the relaxer out and 2 yrs since my last relaxer.

 

[ryanshope]

About 4 months post B/C. I have probably have 3 textures--kinkiest on the sides and loser in the back an on top---so i have this mullet fro going on :-?

 

[pookaloo83]

About a few months after the BC. My post BC hair was hard and brittle. Over time it got softer and softer. i ended up cutting off all that hard hair. Maybe it was scab hair?

 

[poookie]

Great thread!! Please keep the replies coming ladies

 

[PrincessLinzz]

I believe it took me about a month or so. I didn't bc but let the relaxer grow out and it wasn't anything nice. My hair became really curly like coiled curls and it would clump together and was hard to detangle. It was weird. Now my texture has changed again to like loose spiral waves and no curls. Still weird, I just let it do whatever it wants.

 

[glamazon386]

A few months post bc

 

[discodumpling]

3 yrs natural in April and my texture continues to change and improve as my hair health knowledge grows!

As a permie I just knew I had the coarsest hair EVER! With the proper care & products it's very soft!

 

[washize]

I've been natural for 5 years, and I've just recently discovered my hair has a curl pattern. And i've noticed with daily rinses and conditioning 3 times a week, my curls have loosened to type 2 waves, and type 3c curls, from a type 4a. Honestly I'm starting to think that AA hair, is just mega super dry, and with constant moisture internally and external, your true curl pattern will show.

 

[BostonMaria]

Maybe 2 weeks after I did the BC. I think it was mostly because I was not putting the right products in my hair and plus I was trying to still figure out how much conditioner to leave in.

While I was transitioning I could not figure out my hair type. The relaxed hair weighed it down.

 

[Bettina]

I stretched/transitioned for about 7 1/2 months and saw my texture after I bc'ed April 2009. You have lovely hair BTW, you have come so far!

 

[likewtr4chklit]

About 4 months post B/C. I have probably have 3 textures--kinkiest on the sides and loser in the back an on top---so i have this mullet fro going on :-?

My texture is similar to this. It's kind of annoying.

 

[kasey]

I've been a natural head forever and found my true texture after I stopped daily use of a blowdryer with a comb attachment and pressing comb. Frequent rinsing and using AO products also helped.

 

[Lyoness]

2 months after iI bc'd.. it took me a while to figure out a regime that worked for me and my lifestyle.. I was clueless!!!

 

[SEMO]

I don't think I really got a feel for my true texture until about 6 months into my transition.

I thought while I was relaxed and at the start of my transition that I pretty much had the same texture of hair all over my head. That is definitely not the case.

ETA: Actually, come to think of it, my texture/curl pattern changed (or appeared to) after I hit BSL.

I think the texture changed b/c I learned how to better moisturize my hair. And the curl pattern is slightly bigger b/c I think the weight of my hair started stretching the curls down some. But I don't know if that's really considered a true change or not.

 

[lilsparkle825]

when transitioning, i thought my texture was looser than it really is...i thought i was a 3b/c and i am really a 3c/4a with 3b only at the nape. i saw hints of the curliest parts when i BC'd, but they didn't really pop for maybe a month or so. like others have said, i had to discover how to cowash, add my leave-in (or leave my cowash condish in) and LEAVE IT ALONE...otherwise it would get all frizzy. heck, the part in front where my bangs are was just wavy until this year, shortly after i hit the 2 year post/1 year curlyversary mark. i didn't cut it off, it just gradually changed from waves to curls, so i know it wasn't scab hair.

 

[Carrie A]

I could "see" my texture but I didn't realize how it would all fall together until after the big chop. I'm still trying techniques to improve the health of my hair. I don't think my hair texture has changed since the bc.

 

[beans4reezy]

Nothing to add really, I just wanted to say congratulations on your decision to transition.

 

[countrychickd]

Cheezy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're transitioning!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you girl. I'm heading to the site now to check your page out. To answer your question....I didn't see my true texture until after my BC. I'd say about a month after my BC, I saw my true texture. Before that, I was greatly mistaken about my hair because of the relaxed ends.

 

[Duchesse]

I've been natural for 5 years, and I've just recently discovered my hair has a curl pattern. And i've noticed with daily rinses and conditioning 3 times a week, my curls have loosened to type 2 waves, and type 3c curls, from a type 4a. Honestly I'm starting to think that AA hair, is just mega super dry, and with constant moisture internally and external, your true curl pattern will show.

I totally agree. I've been natural on and off for 10 years (currently transitioning). My natural texture/true curl pattern has been the most consistent when I stopped dying it and using heat, and moisturized like crazy.

 

[BrooklynSouth]

I continue to see texture changes as time progresses. The first time I really noticed was about a month after the BC. My hair began to soften and had an obvious wave pattern. I am still amazed at the various textures..the top of my hair seems to belong on another head..longer, softer with very little kink...genetics is amazing.

 

[Sweet_Ambrosia]

6 months post I had a good idea what my true texture would be, 1 year post I was 100% certain. I transitioned for 2 years and at the end of my transition my texture/curl pattern was pretty much the same, no drastic changes.

 

[Taina]

I will be 5 months post bc this january 8, and my hair is beeing changing since aug when i bc. I still seeing 2 diff textures on my hair, but my texture is softer now than 5 months ago, so i don't really know if my real texture is the one that i have now, if was the one that i had before, or if it gonna be charging again.


One thing i didnt know about my hair, is that i have like 3 differents textures in my hair. The curls are tight in the top and loosen in sides and back

 

[WantNatural]

I am two weeks post BC and my hair has changed every day. I transitioned for 8.5 months and I knew that I would have tight coils early in my transition. Then my coils began to loosen up, and I figured that was the weight of my relaxed ends. Now that they are gone my hair has coiled right back up into right ringlets all over my head. My nape and the hair over my ears are looser and my edges are a tight wave, but the rest are tight coils. But it seems to curl up more and more each day, so it will be interesting to see how it evolves as time goes on.

 

[Your Cheeziness]

6 months post I had a good idea what my true texture would be, 1 year post I was 100% certain. I transitioned for 2 years and at the end of my transition my texture/curl pattern was pretty much the same, no drastic changes.

I plan to have a long transition like yours as well. Gorgeous hair, btw! Thx!

 

[Bigghair]

I could see my true texture right after the bc. It doesn't seem to have changed, but my hair looks different depending on how I manipulate it after washing.

 

[Your Cheeziness]

A few months post bc

Love your hair!

Your hair is so pretty!!!

Thank you!

I stretched/transitioned for about 7 1/2 months and saw my texture after I bc'ed April 2009. You have lovely hair BTW, you have come so far!

Thanks, it's definitely been a journey I'm happy I'm on!

Nothing to add really, I just wanted to say congratulations on your decision to BC.

Hey Lady!! Thanks!

Cheezy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're transitioning!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you girl. I'm heading to the site now to check your page out. To answer your question....I didn't see my true texture until after my BC. I'd say about a month after my BC, I saw my true texture. Before that, I was greatly mistaken about my hair because of the relaxed ends.

Hey my e-fav lady! Yes, I'm going to give this a go!

 

[Oasis]

After I shaved my head the 1st and 2nd time the hair that grew back was very curly and defined. It looked 3cish. I shaved that off and those curls didn't return. It was a complete change in texture and I'm not sure what did it. The hair that grew back after that is the same hair I have now (4b), over 2 years later.

 

[BostonMaria]

I will be 5 months post bc this january 8, and my hair is beeing changing since aug when i bc. I still seeing 2 diff textures on my hair, but my texture is softer now than 5 months ago, so i don't really know if my real texture is the one that i have now, if was the one that i had before, or if it gonna be charging again.


One thing i didnt know about my hair, is that i have like 3 differents textures in my hair. The curls are tight in the top and loosen in sides and back

Taina my hair is the same way. Loose on the sides, curly all around, the crown is very dry, and the very front of my hair is loose waves and holds no curl pattern but its also very dry. Weird! That's why I don't pay attention to the hair typing system. My mullet in the back is there mostly because my nape area is loose silky waves & curls and the middle is curly as heck, doesn't blend in very well LOL