New *2009* Transitioners Support Thread!

[Foxglove]

Thanks!

I'm taking it a day at a time. I said I would stretch till December anyway as planned and then I can make a decision then.

*Off to stalk your fotki*

Tell me, what moisturizers did you find helped you alot during your long term transition?

Deep conditioning with a moisturizing DC once or twice a week really helped so much with moisture and manageability. My favorite daily moisturizers so far are Karens Body Beautiful hair milk, lacio lacio, salerm 21, and trader joe nourishspa

My problem is my hair feels moisturized but just looks crazy when I bun/wet bun bc the demarcation line is soooo obvious. Flexi rod sets and perm rod sets and twist and curls look great but they never last the night.

Braids have really kept me from running back to relaxing. I always throw some in when I feel like ripping my hair out.

Also I have been trying to avoid direct heat for the last year and a half. I've used direct heat maybe 5x in that time period. Again braids help a lot with this. I've still seen progress in length but I'm getting sick of looking busted when I'm not in braids. I think when these braids come out I'll experiment with flat ironing or pressing every couple of weeks.
Oh yeah also a phony pony helps when I really don't have the energy for a 2 hour styling session

 

[MummysGirl]

Yay!!!! Good news

i need to quit trippin. i've been looking for protein treatments that work, and i haven't found any but Aphogee 2step. i've been avoiding it because i dont like that nasty smell lol, but it made my hair strong. i guess i'll go back to that funky stuff so i won't have these problems anymore. ooh, and i love V05 for detangling and sliding those shed hairs out of my head. things are looking up already.​

 

[SouthernBeauty]

I just decided to tansition.. will be reading all 43 pages of this thread this week haha.

Welcome!

I'll be 38 weeks this Saturday. Loving this transition. My hair is stronger, has a natural sheen to it and I find it likes to just be left alone. I only wash it bi-weekly, moisture every morning while fingercombing and no heat except on wash day. This thread has really helped me get through the hard times.

Great..... I am 38 weeks Sunday!

This is a great thread... I am subscribing!

I do not yet know if I am actually going to transition. All I know right now is that I am 3 months post and I plan to stretch for another 3 months at the very least. However, the longer I stretch the more I do NOT want to relax.

I am protective styling during this time with braids and sew-ins.

I am a slow-grower and my hair is grazing SL. I have really fine 4a hair and to me my relaxed hair looks so thin, so I do long stetches normally.... I am just confused as to whether this stretch will turn into a long term transition... Maybe

I am hanging around here in any case so i hope you lovely ladies can put up with me

Come on over to the transitioning side!

 

[angenoir]

Thanks so much for this advice.

I am going to be in braids and sew-ins for a while. My hair is just brushing SL and the relaxed ends are so thin so I cannot really do a decent bun.

I DC frequently and I used some good oils but I am still looking for a good daily moisturizer that is non-greasy and does not weigh hair down.

As a braid spray I used Avocado Mist by Eqyss and it is great. I would highle recommend this to anyone as a leave in spray.

Deep conditioning with a moisturizing DC once or twice a week really helped so much with moisture and manageability. My favorite daily moisturizers so far are Karens Body Beautiful hair milk, lacio lacio, salerm 21, and trader joe nourishspa

My problem is my hair feels moisturized but just looks crazy when I bun/wet bun bc the demarcation line is soooo obvious. Flexi rod sets and perm rod sets and twist and curls look great but they never last the night.

Braids have really kept me from running back to relaxing. I always throw some in when I feel like ripping my hair out.

Also I have been trying to avoid direct heat for the last year and a half. I've used direct heat maybe 5x in that time period. Again braids help a lot with this. I've still seen progress in length but I'm getting sick of looking busted when I'm not in braids. I think when these braids come out I'll experiment with flat ironing or pressing every couple of weeks.
Oh yeah also a phony pony helps when I really don't have the energy for a 2 hour styling session

 

[LoveCraze]

By the way, do any transitioners use Henna? I ordered the Cassia from Mehandi.com and then realized I think only relaxed heads are using Henna. I can't really remember. Anyway, I was wondering if it matters that I have 2 textures.

Last night while detangling I noticed that my new growth is pretty strong. It's the relaxed ends that are weak and fragile. They snap like twigs so I try to be very careful.

Any advice??

You may want to make sure that you have a good balance with moisture and protein. Our relaxed ends tend to be deficient on protein due to relaxers. Also make sure you deep condition your hair every wash day. HTH

 

[MissMusic]

I've said it before, but with my recent setback I am definitely going back to natural. I will cut when my new growth reaches about 8 inches, so knowing my hair growth in a year. See ya on the natural side!

 

[Ltown]

I've said it before, but with my recent setback I am definitely going back to natural. I will cut when my new growth reaches about 8 inches, so knowing my hair growth in a year. See ya on the natural side!

Welcome to transitioning thread!

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I'm 4 months post relaxer now and found new success with flat twists that I bun. It lasts until I wash. Now I'm looking even better with Bee Mine serum back in my regimen!

 

[diva24]

I am getting bored with my hair. I suppose I should get it braided.

 

[Black Hoya Chick]

i straightened my hair for the first time in 7 months for my bday. sorry no pics because i want to wait until december and shock myself with pics. lol. i didnt even leave in bone straight cuz i looked like everyone else. i added 8 braids (2 to each fourth) and am sporting a beach wave look. when pulled completely straight, its like an inch or so past APL.

 

[Platinum]

18 weeks post!

 

[Bulletproof]

18 weeks post!

Congrats!

Has anyone else tried to detangle with just their fingers. I mean finger combing. My box braids that I have been wearing under my half wig were H.A.M.ey. I didn't braid them neatly in the first place so this was to be expected. As I was moisturizing the new growth I just decided to take one out to feel the condition of the hair, plus I suffer from Hand in Hair. Then I finger combed thoroughly and detangled with my fingers and weird as it sounds, I felt my hair was tangle free. It took 2 minutes or more but I swear i don't think I needed to comb it afterwards. I re-braided the braid and did half my head this way and except for the larger braids I didn't have much problems. Now I am curious how long I could go without actual combing and just using my fingers.

 

[PeanutButterandHoney]

^^ I have to finger detangle before I actually detangle. Only in the back though. I just take my fingers and pull my hair apart. I bun so bunning has cuased my hair to lock up a lot.

 

[finickyone]

I use my fingers to detangle my dry hair before I wash. I then use my fingers again to detangle when my hair is loaded with conditioner. After that I detangle with the shower comb, rinse & the detangling process is mush easier. Until I wash again, I don't use a comb, just my fingers.

 

[MummysGirl]

Hey Ladies... how's everyone doing?

Everything's going okay over here... I'm rocking a braidout today.

 

[Chameleonchick]

I'm doing okay over here. Tommorrow I will be 9 months post!!! Whoo! I wanted to take these twists down today but I may wait until Saturday.

 

[Foxglove]

I'm doing okay over here. Tommorrow I will be 9 months post!!! Whoo! I wanted to take these twists down today but I may wait until Saturday.

You are so in my head right now! I think we're 3 days apart

 

[Ltown]

47 weeks one more month to my year, Oct 08, 09

 

[pmichael52172]

Fall/Winter is almost here, no more frizz, humidity or reversion. So how will you all be styling? I don't wear fake hair so I was thinking I'd let go of the pin curls some days and alternate with straight styles (I can wrap under a silk scarf and hat), or try my hand at twist outs. I'm half relaxed, half natural.

Mummys Girl and other twist/braid out pro's please share technique and product tips on this AND how you prepare them for bed.

 

[LuyshuZ]

17 months post checking in.

 

[BlondeByDesire]

17 months post checking in.

Good for you ... how much longer?

 

[Allandra]

Hey Ladies... how's everyone doing?

Everything's going okay over here... I'm rocking a braidout today.

Everything's going good over here. I have my hair in a curly ponytail today.

 

[MummysGirl]

I'm doing okay over here. Tommorrow I will be 9 months post!!! Whoo! I wanted to take these twists down today but I may wait until Saturday.

I'm a little over 2 weeks behind you, looking forward to updates when you get to play with your hair again

47 weeks one more month to my year, Oct 08, 09

Well done lady!!!!

17 months post checking in.

Well done!!! I'll be there in 8.5 months and hopefully still transitioning

Everything's going good over here. I have my hair in a curly ponytail today.

Good to know, looking forward to seeing your pics when you BC I don't think I've seen any pictures of your hair curly.

 

[MummysGirl]

Fall/Winter is almost here, no more frizz, humidity or reversion. So how will you all be styling? I don't wear fake hair so I was thinking I'd let go of the pin curls some days and alternate with straight styles (I can wrap under a silk scarf and hat), or try my hand at twist outs. I'm half relaxed, half natural.

Mummys Girl and other twist/braid out pro's please share technique and product tips on this AND how you prepare them for bed.

I use the same products for both my braidouts and twistouts. I cowash as usual and apply my leave in (Giovanni Direct) then I either (end result is the same in both cases):
1. Put hair in 5 sections, applying lustrasilk shea butter cholesterol to each section before cornrowing or flat twisting. I bantuknot the ends or use a roller or flexirod.
OR
2. Airdry hair in ponytail till 80% dry then follow steps in 1.

I only recently started doing cornrows/flat twists on damp hair because I don't want to air dry my hair in a ponytail when I'm done at the gym (in the morning before work) so I just put in the cornrows and slap on a headband till my hair dries or sometimes till the next day before taking them out. Weekends, I do it as detailed in 2.

I dip my fingertips in my shea butter mix while taking out the cornrows/braids, to moisturise while my fingers run through my hair.

Every night, I dampen each section lightly with my moisturising spritz and apply a very very small amount of lustrasilk shea butter cholesterol before putting back in cornrows/flat twists <--- without doing this, I wake up to a mess on my head
HTH

 

[Ltown]

Hey Ladies... how's everyone doing?

Everything's going okay over here... I'm rocking a braidout today.

Mummy I love you braid/twist out I can do twist out for one day and that it, I'm still playing around with products but I was told 3c's are always frizzyerplexed

 

[Black Hoya Chick]

bored with my hair as always. lol.

 

[MummysGirl]

Thank you

Do you retwist at night? What products do you use? Do you do the twists on damp or dry hair?

Mummy I love you braid/twist out I can do twist out for one day and that it, I'm still playing around with products but I was told 3c's are always frizzyerplexed

 

[Ltown]

Thank you

Do you retwist at night? What products do you use? Do you do the twists on damp or dry hair?

Yes I have retwist but it is a hot mess. I done them on wet/dry with NTM leave in, cantu-leave in. Monday I wash, twist with cantu, curl and let them air dry, cute! So that evening I spritz lightly retwist hot mess.

 

[skegeesmb]

Hey guys, I'm still transitioning. My hair is straight, but I am probably going to wash it soon. My hair is just not hanging right. I am at a stinky stage of growth, chin/shoulder/past shoulder length. It's very annoying.

 

[MummysGirl]

Maybe try what I do - spritz lightly and, in your case (I use lustrasilk), use a little bit of cantu or NTM before retwisting?

When I tried just rebraiding (no products) a few months back, the next day result was nowhere as cute as the 1st day.

Keep trying

Yes I have retwist but it is a hot mess. I done them on wet/dry with NTM leave in, cantu-leave in. Monday I wash, twist with cantu, curl and let them air dry, cute! So that evening I spritz lightly retwist hot mess.