Nubie going Natural

khpooh

khpooh

New Member
So i've been lurking around the site for the past couple months trying to get my hair longer and healthier. Then I saw all the natural girls and their beautiful hair and realized i've forgotten what my real hair felt like since i've been straight for 5 years now. I vaguely remember shamefully breaking a few combs and shying away from my mom's shaking hand with those hot combs you heat on the stove (no mommy no thats my ear!) But I now care about my hair and how healthy it is so i'm thinking of starting over natural for health and new styles. I think i'm a 4b which looks like the driest, most brittle hair :wallbash:

I have a supportive SO who jumped at the idea of me natural and is really curious about how i'd look, his hair is so silky and wavy it hurts me (he's part black part native indian). I have a supportive friend who big chopped a few months ago because she just couldn't be bothered with straight hair anymore but i don't have the strength to face my mother almost bald like she did hers. SO . . . i'm going to try loooooooooooong term transitioning and will be creeping on natural 4b's who didnt big chop! :grin:

I would LOVE any advice you ladies could give a new girl with badly damaged hair on very limited funds (as i'm a college student) Sorry for the long post.
 
Welcome!

You will learn lots of help on learning about your hair on this forum.

Just make sure you keep your line of demarcation strong and moisturized so you don't have too much breakage and avoid too much heat throughout your transition.
 
Thanks for the tips guys, its just what i needed. But Charz what exactly do you mean by keeping it stretched? Like in curlers all the time?

sorry i'm just so new :blush:
 
I wore braids from the spring of my junior year to all of my senior year redoing them every 3-4 sometimes 5 months.
 
happy journey!

mine is: moisturize your ends daily with water based products (= conditioner, spritz or cream or leave -in water or aloe as first ingredient) and seal with inexpensive, great, gorgeous, amazing, extra virgin olive oil! :-)
 
Welcome, khpooh! :wave:

I transitioned with wigs, weaves, and braids pre-LHCF. I was still in high school, and that was the best way (I thought) for me to transition while still looking decent. Thankfully, you will find you don't HAVE to transition that way. You have many, many, many options. :yep:

With that said, you will find an endless amount of information and inspiration here for obtaining long (natural) hair.

Also, you will find many posters do not need to spend a lot of money to see results. In the beginning of my journey, I used V05 to shampoo & condition. That stuff is super cheap...like under $1 cheap, lol. So again, you don't need to spend a lot of money to grow long hair. Just make sure you're paying attention to your hair needs and meeting them accordingly (protein, moisture, trim, etc.)

Here are some threads you may be interested in:

Transitioners Support Thread
Transitioning Buddies
4a/b Hair Pics
Just 4a Hair Pics
Just 4b Hair Pics

Good luck on your hair journey!
 
Welcome! And best of luck with your transition. 4b hair can be fragile, but girl, once you figure out what your specific hair needs, I think you will be blown away. Heathy 4b hair is spectacular! Some of the prettiest puffs, twisted styles, and fro's I've seen are on 4b hair.
 
Welcome khpooh!! It's great that you are deciding to go natural and I really hope you find all the help, support, products and everything you need to make your transition as smooth as possible! :yep:

Now, in no way, shape or form do I want to discourage you from going natural, but I think that it is only fair to mention that unprocessed, afro textured hair can be challenging to deal with if you're not used to it. You will need to learn new detangling and styling techniques, moisturize frequently, and figure out ways to keep your hair stretched so that you can reduce tangles and single strand knots. For example, when my hair gets longer, I plan on keeping it stretch by banding it, braiding, or twisting it.

Some natural hair types do not typically shine, do not feel smooth or silky to the touch, and even healthy, well moisturized natural hair can have a wiry feel to it.

If I am saying anything you already know, please forgive. I am just sharing with you the things that I have, and am still learning about my own hair. I had not seen my natural texture since I was a kid and had no idea how it would look or behave. When I made it up in my mind to go natural, I chose a day and just chopped it all off! I haven't regretted it since!

I think that with a little effort and a willingness to work through any challenging moments, your natural hair will be a joy! It'll be strong, healthy and beautiful!

Best of luck, and keep us posted!
 
Welcome!

A lot of what was said in this thread is true, but I agree with Sianna's post the most. If you are SURE you are a 4b, then you have a learning curve to deal with ahead. I personally (let me stress that word) have not seen a lot of 4b's who are able to do a long transition without experiencing lots of breakage along that line of demarcation. My little sister is a 4b, and while she is now two years natural with a head full of glorious, beautiful, thick, HEALTHY hair, her transition was kinda crazy because her relaxed ends broke off a lot at the end. I also had to deal with breakage in my 4a sections, which is ultimately why I BC'd at 12 months post. It's not even about a moisture/protein balance or anything like that.....it may simply be because the textures are so different. For her, keeping her hair in braid extensions and/or cornrows was the most beneficial -- that way, ALL of her hair was protected, relaxed and natural, yet still able to get the moisture it craved.

My recommendations are just to take it slow, do LOTS of research, experiment with what your hair likes, and ENJOY YOUR TRANSITION! If you have been here a few months, hopefully you have picked up a few product recommendations, style suggestions, and transitioning tips. Get familiar with some fotkis and subscribe to threads that "speak" to you. We are all rooting for you, miss!
 
WOW thank god i actually subscribed since i never heard this much about my type just lurking. Thank you ladies so much you have no idea how grateful I am for your help with this big new step. I really may have to chop but I want to put it off as much as possible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Xerxes
Bad experiences going natural?
2
Replies
59
Views
4K
Xerxes
Xerxes
C
Keeping natural curls and straightening your hair
Replies
7
Views
1K
BoomBoxx
B
Sha76
Going Back to Natural Hair
Replies
10
Views
2K
chocolate01
chocolate01
IMFOCSD
Which is best:Texlaxed or Natural
Replies
8
Views
2K
*Happily Me*
*Happily Me*
RainbowCurls
I'm going natural!
Replies
21
Views
2K
RainbowCurls
RainbowCurls
Back
Top