Question for Those Transitioning

[Chichi]

It seems to be somewhat of a trend that I have noticed on this board

-->one has unhealthy hair-->one joins a hair board-->one starts taking vitamins-->one transitions back to their natural hair type

(and there are so many natural gals out there but my question is for those transitioning).
<ul type="square">
[*]Did you start transitioning before you joined the hair board or were you in transition before the board?

[*]Did the vitamins help in your decision to transition?
[/list]
I read last night about one gal who gave up relaxers and just used a flat iron from time to time. And myself personally, I started my vitamin regimem about the time that I had my last touch-up. It has been four weeks and my hair still looks and feels relaxed (that "flat look" ). The tell-tale sign is that my edges are still soft and smooth. So I am thinking that it has to be the vitamins and I haven't even started the MSM yet... Surely, I will be able to go longer between relaxers, I hope

.

So maybe I will be transitioning somewhat in the future because the vitamins are relaxing my new growth. Just a little hmmm... for your holiday Monday.

Chichi

 

[AFashionSlave]

I transitioned in 1997. I started my transition long before I knew about any hair care board. I bought one book(A colored girls...when the chemicals got too rough) and a few products and put one foot in front of the other. I guess vitamins healped with my transistion. I didn't know much then about hair care.

 

[londongirl3]

[ QUOTE ]
It seems to be somewhat of a trend that I have noticed on this board

--&gt;one has unhealthy hair--&gt;one joins a hair board--&gt;one starts taking vitamins--&gt;one transitions back to their natural hair type

(and there are so many natural gals out there but my question is for those transitioning).
<ul type="square">
[*]Did you start transitioning before you joined the hair board or were you in transition before the board?

[*]Did the vitamins help in your decision to transition?
[/list]
I read last night about one gal who gave up relaxers and just used a flat iron from time to time. And myself personally, I started my vitamin regimem about the time that I had my last touch-up. It has been four weeks and my hair still looks and feels relaxed (that "flat look" ). The tell-tale sign are that my edges are still soft and smooth. So I am thinking that it has to be the vitamins and I haven't even started the MSM yet... Surely, I will be able to go longer between relaxers, I hope

.

So maybe I will be transitioning somewhat in the future because the vitamins are relaxing my new growth. Just a little hmmm... for your holiday Monday.

Chichi

[/ QUOTE ]

No that is not true at all Chichi

You don't have to have natural hair to have long healthy hair. There are an infinite number of women with beautiful relaxed hair right here.I can't even start naming because the list wouldn't end.

I am natural simply because I have found it easier to manage and take care of my natural hair as opposed to my relaxed hair(when it was).

I made the decision to be natural when I was about 14, but went through the relax, natural, relax natural cycle until last year.

I had been lurking this board for ages before I joined it so to be honest it didn't play a role in transitioning, I just did it because I wanted to. Infact I think this board made me realize that the problem I had with relaxers was not my hair not taking to the relaxer but mostly the way I handled my hair.

I think if you want natural hair, it too comes with a price. And that price is relearning to take care of your hair because the texture is different. To be honest I think constant pressing is a hindrance to growth more than an aid.

In short, you need to decide how you want your hair. You can be natural and have long hair and you can be relaxed and have long hair.

 

[kookysnkream]

i started last year, before I joined this board. what made me transition was looking back at my pictures when i was about 4 and saw how beautiful my hair was. plus, i noticed that relaxing wasnt really doin anything to my hair.

 

[divanrare4m]

I started thing of transitioning after I joined the board. After reading of the damage it does to your hair (if not applied properly). I have been relaxing my own hair for a while, and I think I may...I know I wasn't applying it properly (I know now, overlapping, super strength). And also reading about the hair dressers that don't do you any justice either. So, I guess, I was a little scared into thinking of transitioning. Note I said, thinking, because I still may get it relaxed...but I don't think I'll do it myself anymore.

 

[Chichi]

LOL...guess this applies to me now

:

Did you start transitioning before you joined the hair board or were you in transition before the board?
After joining; because of the good tips, I now know how to manage my hair.

Did the vitamins help in your decision to transition?
Yes!

Chichi

 

[inthepink]

Did you start transitioning before you joined the hair board or were you in transition before the board?
I started transitioning before I joined the hair board.

Did the vitamins help in your decision to transition?
Nope. I wasn't even taking vitamins when I started transitioning.

 

[Chimma]

Did you start transitioning before you joined the hair board or were you in transition before the board?
I started transitioning before I joined the hair board. Every time I get my hair relaxed I feel this fear that all of my hair will fall out. Anyways, I used a new relaxer with a prettier picture on the front of it, and it turned out great, except that I saw, for the first time, two tiny scalp burns on the sides of my head. I've been burned before, but always in the back of my head where no one can see. As for these burns, no one saw them but me but I freaked out about whether hair would grow back there and what would happen. I hate losing the hair during the relaxing process so much, because when I wash with the neutralizing shampoo I wonder if I have lost too much hair and if it will ever grow back.

I also miss my childhood hair a lot. I have thick relaxed hair. Every professional that I have ever went to has always commented on that fact, but my natural hair was thicker, healthier, and stronger. I would like hair that I have to be less gentle with for the same health. I also feel very strange not knowing much about my natural texture. How can I go through life not even remembering how it feels to have hair that hasn't been altered by chemicals? Even if later in my life I relax again, I feel wrong not knowing for sure the true texture of my hair or how to care for it.


Did the vitamins help in your decision to transition?
Nope. I'm not taking any vitamins.


I do agree that there is a relationship though! This isn't the first time that I have started to transition, but it is the first time that I have had such a great chance of actually succeeding. The hair care board has been instrumental in giving me advice to take care of my hair so that I don't need to run back to the relaxer, like I always did before.

I think that many of black women don't actually want to relax their hair, but they relax because they started young, society pressures them to, and they just have absolutely no idea how to deal with their natural hair care texture. The board may help those people who want to be natural to stick to the transitioning or to let them know that their hair is "good" enough to transition in the first place.

It empowers you so that you really make a choice and see it as a choice - (do I relax or no?) - instead of seeing it as a part of being a black female, something completely necessary that all black women have to do to have "manageable hair."

When I hear other black women who don't know much about our hair talk about our hair and how "bad" and completely "unmanageable" it is when it is natural, and how it never grows long when it is relaxed because that's just how black hair is, I feel frustrated now at their ignorance.

 

[inthepink]

Chimma,

Very insightful information you have there and I agree with a lot of it!

I also understand that fear of sitting in that chair wondering if all of your hair was going to fall out. Heck, it took one time for me and I have no plans on turning back to a relaxer. Funny thing is that I thought I would but after finding another board (before this one), I realized I could go natural, too and that I didn't "have" to relax! Now, I can "relax" b/c I'm not sitting in that chair hoping they don't leave it on too long or forget to rinse it all out or forget to neutralize me!

 

[BronzeBrown]

[ QUOTE ]
Chimma said:
I think that many of black women don't actually want to relax their hair, but they relax because they started young, society pressures them to, and they just have absolutely no idea how to deal with their natural hair care texture. The board may help those people who want to be natural to stick to the transitioning or to let them know that their hair is "good" enough to transition in the first place.

It empowers you so that you really make a choice and see it as a choice - (do I relax or no?) - instead of seeing it as a part of being a black female, something completely necessary that all black women have to do to have "manageable hair."

[/ QUOTE ]

I completely agree with this, particularly because it was my experience. My mom started relaxing my hair at age 6 and in doing so, never really gave me the opportunity to learn that I didn't need to relax my hair – and the alternative was both feasible and attractive. But I’m glad the necessary books (“Good Hair: For colored girls who considered weaves when the chemicals became too ruff” was the book that triggered it all

) were available to teach me that lesson.

 

[Bublnbrnsuga]

I have been transitioning for a year,before I knew about this board and with no regular vitamin regimen.

 

[Peachtree]

--&gt;one has unhealthy hair--&gt;one joins a hair board--&gt;one starts taking vitamins--&gt;one transitions back to their natural hair type

-My hair was healthy before joining the board (I was going through post delivery shedding which led me to the board... I now know that shedding was normal)
-I took vits consistently inconsistent.
-Yes, I'm transitioning back

Did you start transitioning before you joined the hair board or were you in transition before the board?

I decided to transition after joining the board

Did the vitamins help in your decision to transition?

Nope, the vits didn't help cuz I was taking them so inconsistenly that I just decided to stop altogether (I absolutely hate to swallow pills).

Seeing the beautiful results of MY REGIMEN was the catalyst that sparked my desire to transition. Vits, I have gone without... MY REGIMEN, I can not!!!!

 

[douglala]

I attempted to transition before I learned about hairboards but failed miserably. At 7 months post relaxer I gave in and relaxed my hair. I did not know how to handle my two textures and my hair looked horrible. Now, after joing LHCF I am 6 months post relaxer and my hair is going strong. It is a complete turnaround from what it looked like last time at 6 months. I could not have done it without LHCF.