Obsessed with new growth---but not transitioning

[jainygirl]

Help, i'm really going bonzo over here. i swear i'm falling in love with my hair.....my real hair. i mean i've always liked it 'cause it's mine, but now i'm gazing at it in the mirror like Narcissis at his reflection....i swear i'm gonna fall in. i LOVE how my hair grows in. it's in the litle ink pen spring size corkscrews. there are like ten strands each that look they they group up together and just curl like mini-teenie shirly temples....i'm meserized by this because i've never actually just sat and looked at my new growth until recently, but it looks so cute--i can't transition, i won't transition, this is just a phase, it will pass....

 

[debyjay]

Re: Obsessed with new growth---but not transitioni

Jainygirl, I felt the same way after wearing braids for 6 months. I had about 5 inches of new growth that I just could not keep my hands out of. I would stand in front of the mirror and put a center part in the hair and practically fondle my new growth every few minutes, it felt sooo good.

 

[CocoaCure]

That's a wonderful feeling when you love your natural newgrowth! Tell me, why are you afraid to transition. Or maybe afraid is the wrong word...........why are you fighting this temptation??? I've been natural and LOVED it, and now I'm relaxed and loving it. But once I get brastrap length, I just may try to grow out my natural hair and transition too! I LOVE how our natural hair texture makes us different! I've always been something of a non-conformist. (I went natural back in '98 before it was "cool") I LOVE the styling versatility of relaxed hair, but man I'd love to have a big, huge, thick, head of Natural super soft Afro texured hair down to my waist too!!! That's the ultimate fantasy hair for me!!! It's so cool knowing that most of the women in the world couldn't never get their hair like ours - our natural hair that is! I LOVE it! Anyhoo, just wondering!!

 

[DDHair]

Re: Obsessed with new growth---but not transitioni

I have braids now and am transitioning, I plan to take my braids out soon, but when I see braids hanging too much, I will make the excuse and take those braids out, just so I can see my natural springy texture, just like the kind you are describing.

 

[Chichi]

...hopefully LOL. Girl, I felt the same way. That is why I am transitioning. I used to like to run my fingers over my new growth when I had my hair pulled back. My guy friend used to "pet" my new growth

. And you know, I relaxed this last time at 14 weeks but I know that I really didn't need it; did it just out of habit

.

So what are you waiting for

? How long do you usually wait between relaxers and are you taking MSM and other suppements?

Chichi

 

[Chichi]

[ QUOTE ]
CocoaCure said:
I LOVE how our natural hair texture makes us different! I've always been something of a non-conformist. (I went natural back in '98 before it was "cool") I LOVE the styling versatility of relaxed hair, but man I'd love to have a big, huge, thick, head of Natural super soft Afro texured hair down to my waist too!!! That's the ultimate fantasy hair for me!!! It's so cool knowing that most of the women in the world couldn't never get their hair like ours - our natural hair that is! I LOVE it! Anyhoo, just wondering!!

[/ QUOTE ]

My feelings exactly. It is cool knowing that when I finally do grow my natural hair out that no one will have hair just like me. No two naturals have the same hair.

Chichi

 

[Chanteuse]

Me too! I am always stroking my new growth. I almost transitioned before but I punked out when I realized that I really didn't know healthy hair practices to try.
I went to Motown girl site the other day and was amazed at how good her hair looks!! Now I feel conflicted. I just don't want to have to start all over . . .

 

[Purtygurly]

I would transition, but I've wored so hard with the relaxed hair just to cut it all off. Maybe after I reach my relaxed hair goals, I'll transition.

 

[jainygirl]

[ QUOTE ]
Chichi said:
...hopefully LOL. Girl, I felt the same way. That is why I am transitioning. I used to like to run my fingers over my new growth when I had my hair pulled back. My guy friend used to "pet" my new growth

. And you know, I relaxed this last time at 14 weeks but I know that I really didn't need it; did it just out of habit

.

So what are you waiting for

? How long do you usually wait between relaxers and are you taking MSM and other suppements?

Chichi

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm stretching out my relaxer from 8 weeks to 12 on the challenge so i'm getting to the time where i normally try to forget i have newgrowth up top

I'm just past the midway point and won't be relaxing again until January 17--maybe....starting to wonder--ughhhhhhhh why must black women have SO many hair choices???

I think we must be the only women that can choose to do absolutely anything with our hair. plus unfortunately most of us havent seen our "real" hair for so long because of relaxers and other chemicals, that we forgot what it looks like

and THAT leads to alot of curiousity

--jainygirl

 

[inthepink]

Transition! We need more members in the club!

 

[Chanteuse]

I think that natural hair is beautiful especially when you have a big ole head full of it. I don't know. I guess it is possible to transition without doing the big chop. I just don't know

. . . ( - ok I was looking for a perplexed graemlins but this one is appropriate too!!

Not relevent but appropriate!)

 

[inthepink]

Of course, it is possible to transition without the big chop!! Lots of people have done it!

 

[Purtygurly]

But it would take FOREVER hairlove!

And to always be taking care of the two textures... that's not easy

 

[Chichi]

[ QUOTE ]
hairlove said:
Transition! We need more members in the club!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, yup. Count on hairlove to bring some more in

. LOL.

Chichi

 

[serena]

Is this the graemlin you're looking for, Chanteuse?

Boy, this thread really moves me! You ladies are all describing exactly what I'm going through right now: running to the mirror every two minutes to admire and play with my new growth; daydreaming about what it would be like to have a head of entirely natural hair all over again; counting the cost of going natural: cutting off my relaxed hair, albeit gradually (I don't want a twa), just when I am in striking distance of my length goal. But I have this longing...a longing to have the same length I do now, but with all natural hair.

I think I will know for sure by the end of the stretching out relaxer challenge.

 

[CocoaCure]

Hi Chichi............I meant no other women in the world - meaning other races - have our beautiful fluffy natural hair!! Though I'm relaxed and definitely enjoying at the moment with the swingomatic and all of that; my fantasy hair would be big, beautiful, huge, fluffy, soft, waist length natural hair!!! You know how that weave that Diana Ross used to wear looked??? Like that!!!! I always loved her in that weave because the texture was reprentative of a 3c/4aish texture when other women in show biz were wearing weaves with super bone straight Asian hair. I just love the fact that our hair makes us as AA or multi-racial AA women different from all other races!!! I LOVE being different! Trust me and mark my words.............the day will come when every other people on the planet envies OUR natural "highly textured" hair!! Why do I say this??? Well, back in the day Black folks were criticized and caricatured in cartoons for having large, full lips and now go in any toy store across America and see the two, latest, newest, hottest selling lines of Barbie dolls (I collect Ethnic Barbies) and you'll see the "Bratz" and "Flava"!! ALL of these dolls are very "Urban" looking regardless of race, they definitely have an African-American "flava" to them and THEY ALL HAVE MARKEDLY FULL LIPS!!!! So, know that one day, everyone and they're dog will be trying to perm their hair to look like natural long Afro textured hair!! I'll transition after reaching at least brastrap length with my relaxer. Last time when I went Natural I just did the big chop!!! But I'd hate to put this much time and effort into growing out my length only to chop it all off!!! So I'll definitely need help with the transitioning later!

 

[inthepink]

Dealing with the two textures does take a commitment but it can be done esp if you don't want to deal with too short hair. I'd rather deal with the two textures than have no idea how to style hair that is only an inch or two long. That's just my personal preference. I am a slave to my ponytail.

 

[serena]

[ QUOTE ]
I am a slave to my ponytail.

[/ QUOTE ]

And I'm a slave to my bun! No matter what happens, I gotta have enough hair to do my bun.

 

[inthepink]

Serena - probably more a bun than a ponytail for me, too!

 

[serena]

Hairlove: I bunned when I was natural...bun now I'm relaxed...and I just know I'd depend on bunning to get through transistion, too.

 

[inthepink]

Natural buns are so supercute!

 

[Angelicus]

Jainygirl, I love my corkscrews too (mine are in the back only). I relax every three months and it is so cool to just stretch them to see how long they have grown in three months.

 

[Chichi]

That's the thing. when you are natural, you can still have that swingomatic hair (just press or flatiron). I think that I am going to invest in a really good flatiron when I become mostly natural

.

I think that you are right about folks trying to copy our style in the future, if they are not doing it already

. How about those who get collagen injections in their lips?

I agree with hairlove, I would rather deal with the two textures than to lose all of my length. So I am willing to invest in that committment.

Also, another reason why I am going natural is because I always wear my hair up anyway. I mean how many times do I really wear it down? Once a month or so.

Chichi

 

[inthepink]

[ QUOTE ]
Chichi said:
That's the thing. when you are natural, you can still have that swingomatic hair (just press or flatiron). I think that I am going to invest in a really good flatiron when I become mostly natural

.

[/ QUOTE ]

Chichi! This is what I am looking forward to...the versatility of natural hair. I can wear it curly or straight. The best part is that my natural hair has this silky softness to it that my relaxed hair cannot be compared to. I noticed this often with my sister - I used to always say "yeah, but her hair is so soft b/c she doesn't have a relaxer." Only now am I realizing what I was really saying. It IS softer. I cannot wait!

I may also purchase a nice flat iron myself. Right now, I'm doing well by straightening with a curling iron. I just bought a new ceramic one by Conair. They also make ceramic flat irons (slim and thick) and I will probably purchase one in the future. They sell them right at Target - $30 for the slim flat iron and $18 for the curling iron.

 

[GodMadeMePretty]

Yes, they are. My daughter looks so cute with hers. Of course, I don't know how to do a real bun so her ends are merely tucked under the scrunchie. She loves it too.

 

[soslychic]

You guys described the exact reason that I am transitioning. If I'm so obsessed with my new growth and making it soft, and watching parts of it wave when wet, wouldn't it be great to have a whole head full of that

 

[jainygirl]

Hey, I just called my mom and asked her about my hair a little while ago. I asked her how did it grow when i was little (before she put the chemicals in it

) I told her what i saw when i looked at it and she was like" yeah, that's how your hair was when you were little" but then she followed up with "i hope you let it grow" ahh mom, sure knows how to try to guilt people.

 

[sillygurl18]

I'll transition after I have obtained my goal and am tired of relaxed hair. I'll go back to relaxing when I want it relaxed. I love both types. I think of it as variety! I love black hair!!!

 

[Chanteuse]

I'm not quite sure how to cut and paste but that would be the graemlin Serena!!

The more I think about the more I really do want to transition. It's just that I hate the thought of my hair goal being like 3 or 4 years away rather 1 year away. When I tried to transition before I was really uninformed about the whole process and I lost a lot of hair. Now I know so much more and I know I could do a better job.

I actually like my hair now because it's a lot thicker than it was before I sorta transitioned and then transitioned back. I'm just thinking what it would be like if I hadn't changed my mind. SUPER SUPER THICK!!

 

[jainygirl]

i'm starting to get really psyched about maybe doing this

but i'm scared--a little. i don't know anything about my hair as far as if it's "moody"--hard to style-- do those of you transitioning find it helps you to decide whether or not to go through with it by seeing how your natural hair behaves during the transition phase or does it not matter, you are set to transition.