New *2010* Transitioners Support Thread!

[MummysGirl]

I actually had little markers in my diary last year for when I was going to have my hair in pixies and when I'd wear it out

But this year, I haven't done that... YET

MG, you are SO hair-organized. Do you have a hair plan calendar, or something? I couldn't tell you what I'm going to do with my hair tomorrow, let alone a month from now.

 

[Foxglove]

ANYONE ELSE NOT REALLY LIKING THEIR NATURAL TEXTURE??

I made the mistake of assuming it would be like someone else's and now i

realize it's not i'm a little upset. Oh well still NOT gonna relax anymore afterall

I promised to love honour and cherish my real hair-erplexed

Lilababy I would look up youtubes and fotkis of people with your same hair texture
I'm fotki friends with a lot of tightly coiled people and you can see them by clicking my friend list on my fotki
http://members.fotki.com/Ekaette/about/
I also recommend just searching for natural hair or type 4 hair or whatever your hair type on youtube and browsing the posters that make videos and looking at the related videos. Our hair is beautiful too, and once you see how other people style and manipulate it you'll learn to love your hair too

 

[Alta Angel]

I purchased a package of "Marley Braids" at a BSS for $4! When I get home I will look at the exact packaging. The hair actually looks like a long ponytail with several individual dredlocks. I just split the ponytail into thirds and braided it into one braid, and put a black rubber band at the end to keep it in place.

The hair is from the Femi Collection (100% Kanekalon). They also have a website with the same name. I chose style: Marley Braid, color: 2.

It looks so natural! Where did you get it from?

 

[msbettyboop]

OMG!!! I just looked at the ticker factory thingy in my siggy and realised I'm 6 months post! SIX months since I put relaxer on my head. I can't believe it. When I started out, it was just to find a way to solve my hair breakage problem then I put in the first set of braids and 1 month later I was like I might as well grow new hair and get rid of this mess. I watched a documentary on relaxers a few weeks later and decided to just go on till I'm natural. 6 MONTHS!!! Half a year!!! I'm so happy :superbanana:!

 

[MummysGirl]

I know how you feel I was sooo excited when I got to 6 months post... to me it was confirmation that I was going natural.

KUTGW!

OMG!!! I just looked at the ticker factory thingy in my siggy and realised I'm 6 months post! SIX months since I put relaxer on my head. I can't believe it. When I started out, it was just to find a way to solve my hair breakage problem then I put in the first set of braids and 1 month later I was like I might as well grow new hair and get rid of this mess. I watched a documentary on relaxers a few weeks later and decided to just go on till I'm natural. 6 MONTHS!!! Half a year!!! I'm so happy :superbanana:!

 

[andromeda]

OMG!!! I just looked at the ticker factory thingy in my siggy and realised I'm 6 months post! SIX months since I put relaxer on my head. I can't believe it. When I started out, it was just to find a way to solve my hair breakage problem then I put in the first set of braids and 1 month later I was like I might as well grow new hair and get rid of this mess. I watched a documentary on relaxers a few weeks later and decided to just go on till I'm natural. 6 MONTHS!!! Half a year!!! I'm so happy :superbanana:!

You should be very proud of yourself! Congrats!

 

[Nerd.]

yeeeea...uhh.
not a very successful wash day for me
soo many hairs lost

 

[Platinum]

Very Pretty! I love Senegalese Twists!

Ended my transition yesterday after 7 months!!!

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Congratulations on your BC! You look beautiful!

 

[Platinum]

46 weeks post! I can't believe I'm almost 1 year post! I will be taking my Senegalese Twists down in a few weeks. I may try a sew-in for my next protective style.

Looking at all of these BC pics/threads makes me want to BC as well but I don't think I'll do it anytime soon. I'm in the APL challenge and I really want to try to see if I can make it this year. (My hair has never been longer than SL)

 

[andromeda]

yeeeea...uhh.
not a very successful wash day for me
soo many hairs lost

I know your pain. Were the lost hairs shed or broken? Do you think it was the result of your regimen pre-wash or your wash day technique?

 

[ChristmasCarol]

yeeeea...uhh.
not a very successful wash day for me
soo many hairs lost

So sorry to hear that, babygirl. What do you think went wrong?

You have lovely hair, btw.

 

[cch24]

17 months down, 7 to go!

 

[Nerd.]

I know your pain. Were the lost hairs shed or broken?

yes.
All broken you guys.
I don't understand.
How can something that saved my hair 7 days ago, completely turn against me last night?
I don't know. For the first time, I have just been pretty down with the anxiety coming along with this hair metamorphose.

 

[MzK]

1 Year tomorrow, but currently sporting feed-in cornrows for my mum's wedding. Plan to keep these babies in until May-ish.

Plan to transition towards the end of the year (if I don't get the urge to BC early)!

Happy transitioning everyone.

 

[CourtneyD]

I'm in!
I am ten months post and plan to keep on transitioning (no chop) until I am full shoulder length, which is probably another year. I've been baggying so my ends look good so far. I haven't had a need for a trim and have do 1-2 S&D's.

Thanks!

 

[CourtneyD]

I'm in! I have been transitioning since last May (10 months) and plan to keep going until I am full shoulder length before I get the ends cut off. I'm thinking another year. Thanks!

 

[andromeda]

yes.
All broken you guys.
I don't understand.
How can something that saved my hair 7 days ago, completely turn against me last night?
I don't know. For the first time, I have just been pretty down with the anxiety coming along with this hair metamorphose.

Well, I haven't fully mastered the hair thing myself but I try to take an "observe, assess, isolate, modify and re-evaluate" approach, along with visualizing my goals. The vision of a huge afro puff is all that keeps me going sometimes. And hiding my hair and leaving it alone has helped too.

Hope you find a solution.

 

[Shay72]

I am starting to see more breakage and SSK's. If I only make it a year I would actually be okay with that. I will take it day by day.

 

[Aggie]

13.5 months into my stretch/transition. I actually have no desire to relax my hair anytime soon. The longer I stretch, the easier it seem to get for me. Or maybe it's that I have been using extremely moisturizing products or maybe my K.I.S.S. method is working swimmingly. Either way, thankfully the new growth is not so hard to handle anymore:woohoo:.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

yes.
All broken you guys.
I don't understand.
How can something that saved my hair 7 days ago, completely turn against me last night?
I don't know. For the first time, I have just been pretty down with the anxiety coming along with this hair metamorphose.

I noticed your other thread about detangling and I hope the ladies were able to help you. I don't know if anyone suggested trying Porosity Control. I've never used it myself, but I know other transitioners say that this helped immensely. Maybe you could start wearing braided styles - without any added hair - you don't want to thin yours out while trying to protect it. HTH

 

[Imani]

I got a trim today! My ends feel sooo great! I am just hoping my little weak spot of hair catches up with the rest soon, like by the end of the summer

They used all Design Essentials products on my hair today at the salon, I think I'm going to try to do the same thing at home next week.

 

[motherpopcorn562]

The 2009 thread is way over 200 pages long: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=312457

I've provided the link so we can still refer to it

This is a continuation of the last thread, getting us ready for the new year yay: for 2010).

I think we can start by stating:
1. How far into your transition are you?
2. What's your transition goal?

HHG Ladies

1. I'm 9 months into my transition
2. I think my transition goal is shoulder length natural hair by Dec 2010 (I'm collarbone now with 3 inches of new growth)

 

[FlawedBeauty]

5 months in...

 

[Grand Prix]

So yeah, I'm definitely not going to to be a heat straightened natural.

I tried to go a whole 2 weeks without washing my hair.
The first week's great, goodie, don't have to deal with my hair and look how silky.
Second week you start to become aware of your hair not smelling nice and fresh (or truthfully, not so fresh), the oils you added attract dust, hair is getting stiffer and you secretly allowed you nape to revert in the shower.

And I tried a little something new.
Hairspray.
I know I know, what was I thinking! But I found threads saying lots of lhcf'ers used them.

I tried it on a bantu knot out on flatironed 2nd week hair, thinking it would look nicer than misting it with water.
It did, but it also made my hair hard and gave me splits.

Oh well, who needs these relaxed ends anyway.
Beter to experiment not than on precious natural ends.

Can't WAIT to wash tomorrow.

 

[Grand Prix]

1. I'm 9 months into my transition
2. I think my transition goal is shoulder length natural hair by Dec 2010 (I'm collarbone now with 3 inches of new growth)

I'm in!
I am ten months post and plan to keep on transitioning (no chop) until I am full shoulder length, which is probably another year. I've been baggying so my ends look good so far. I haven't had a need for a trim and have do 1-2 S&D's.

Thanks!

yes.
All broken you guys.
I don't understand.
How can something that saved my hair 7 days ago, completely turn against me last night?
I don't know. For the first time, I have just been pretty down with the anxiety coming along with this hair metamorphose.

Don't feel disheartened, 6 months post is pretty tricky. That's a whole new head of natural hair growing under there.
Could it be that you might be listening to your natural hair too much? I find it craves moisture soo much, I have to remind myself that the rest of my hair needs protein if I'm planning to hold on to it..
This might make sense seing what worked for you a week ago doesn't work now; you might have an overload of moisture/protein that you can't put your finger on because you're getting different messages from your hair.

 

[gissellr78]

Very cool thread. I am 9 weeks post ( I know not a lot ) but i have been thinking about transitioning a lot. I want to get to know my hair...I am soooo feeling my naps right now...

So..Can someone tell me like top 5 products and things to do or not to do..HElP...in the meantime i am reading the thread

 

[Stepiphanie]

Hi Ladies, I've been lurking the last few weeks. You all are doing great! I'm only 2 wks short of 1 year so I'm super excited! I did a teeny tiny update on fotki of some of the styles I've been rocking. Let me know what you think.

 

[Stepiphanie]

Very cool thread. I am 9 weeks post ( I know not a lot ) but i have been thinking about transitioning a lot. I want to get to know my hair...I am soooo feeling my naps right now...

So..Can someone tell me like top 5 products and things to do or not to do..HElP...in the meantime i am reading the thread

Gisellr now you know I love that gorgeous hair, I'm sure it'd be great natural too. DO IT!! Lol

As far as products, I think you should start with whatever was working for you, and just tweak it along the way. My faves are AE garlic, Biolage ultra hydrating, qhemet aohc and olive and honey balm and oyin burnt sugar pomade. I really do think that technique is the most important thing, here are some that have helped:

*washing in plaited sections (usually 8), really cut down on hair breakage and tangling

*Detangling under water with conditionner and seamless comb

*DCing weekly. I have a steamer and it has really made a difference

*Using protein as needed. To keep relaxed hair happy, reduce breakage.

That's all I can come up w/ at the moment. HTH

 

[Black Hoya Chick]

my hair is growing at a break-neck pace!
still going though w/ the tail-end of this transition..when the front is past APL (its got about an inch to go), i will cut the last inch of relaxer off of it, which will be in about a month or two.
back to the update: the back, which is all natural, is SOOO close to BSL:

and i only use two products to moisturize/seal/style now: garnier fructis sleek and shine leave-in and pure avocado butter. I wear my hair in a curly ponytail or bun. KISS and its WORKING!

the rest of my reggie:
- wash and DC weekly with mill creek botanicals biotin shampoo and conditioner
- cowash as necessary with garnier fructis triple nutrition conditioner
- clarify every 6-8 weeks (unless necessary earlier) with ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo
- oil treatment/rinse every 1-2 weeks with pure coconut oil
*tis all

sorry the post is so long

 

[seraphinelle]

I'm still trucking along.

Can't wait to take this weave out. Will do so tomorrow after my assessment.

Think I will give weaves a break for a couple of weeks!

Think I'm just over 9 months.