**Stylist said,"Keep Ur hair Str8 or CUT...

[healthyhair2]

it off, otherwise it will break!" This was what the stylist I went to last Thursday said to me.She is AA with NATURAL hair , I might add. She has been relaxer free for 10 years. To give u some background, I finally broke down and did a cut to help me along in my transition. If you have read some of my other posts , then u know I have struggled with raggedy ends and tangling. I am almost 8 months into my transition and I decided that I would let go of 3 inches of hair. Now I'm just about armpit length.
I went to Aveda in Soho and I really like the new stylist, she gave me a great blowout,then showed me exactly how uneven my hair was before she cut. She asked me what I could live with and I told her to just take off the length ,so it would look healthy. I did explain that I was transitioning, so I would trim in another 4 months. She used the new Aveda Damage Remedy daily Repair and the Smooth Infusion Glossing Cream. My hair felt great and looked nice too, but I think she is trying to get me to commit to going every 3 weeks ,by saying I cannot wear my two textures at the same time. This is what I have been doing and IMHO, it was going well. I planned on getting braids in a month or so. My hair was VERY broken from relaxer damage, but I thought I was doing a good job of DC'ing. I'm under the heat cap right now!!! I want to know what u ladies think and what your experiences have been with the two textures and transitioning? I have added Co washing to my regimen. I DC twice a week and I moisturize my hair daily and seal. I always use protective styles-plaits , ponytail or french twist. I nursed the 2 inch hairs on the right side of my head to jawbone length since October 2009.Just want to see what you ladies think about this. I'm a 4 something, but I want to show other 4's we don't have to cut it all or relax or Blowdry all the time.What do u think ladies???

 

[chebaby]

i can see where she was coming from. not many people know about braid outs and other heatless styles to wear while transitioning. its not like she was going to tell you to wear a wet pony tail lol. for the most part if you are transitioning and know nothing about hair care the best thing to do is cut it (bc) or keep it straight.
and i say that because most people cant deal with two textures.

 

[BostonMaria]

My hair is very thick and as the months went by I found it harder and harder to transition. The knots and 2 different textures drove me batty LOL I felt like I had no choice when I did the BC in 2007.

BUT.... I did find it much easier to rollerset my hair to camouflage the 2 textures. It would have been difficult, but I probably could have been a long term transitioner had I been more patient. If you know how to do your own hair I recommend rollersets. If not, well maybe if you're ready for it then the BC could be a good thing. I wish you luck!

 

[healthyhair2]

bumping for more replies.....

 

[healthyhair2]

i can see where she was coming from. not many people know about braid outs and other heatless styles to wear while transitioning. its not like she was going to tell you to wear a wet pony tail lol. for the most part if you are transitioning and know nothing about hair care the best thing to do is cut it (bc) or keep it straight.
and i say that because most people cant deal with two textures.

I've actually been more patient THIS time around. I've BC'd at least 3 times in 9 years. I will not go back to short hair this time. I realize that's her job and she has to make a living. I don't want to trade relaxer damage for heat damage though I really am trying to get a feel for what u ladies on the board think and do in regard to transitiong for long periods of time. Thank goodness , I can handle my own hair and I can style it myself. I can even blowdry and flat iron. I don't think most stylists think we are capable of doing our own or why would we be there. For me ,I don't cut or relax my own anymore though.

 

[knt1229]

I'm a long term transitioners. I will be 1.5 years post relaxer on 6/29/10. My regime has been pretty similar to yours. Regular DC's, moisurizing and sealing. I also co-washed, did oil pre-poos, and protein dc's every other week.

Once my moisture level went up my hair was soft and manageable. For the first 9-9.5 months of my transition I did rollersets and air dried my hair. But I stopped because I started noticing broken hairs when I took the rollers out. I then started wearing my hair pulled back in a claw clip with headbands. I hated this but it saved my hair. Now that most of my hair is natural and is not as fragile anymore I am back to rollersetting and experimenting with natural styles. I used heat only occasionally during my transition.

I have no breakage, splits, or any major problems while transitioning. I believe that if you know your hair and understand what it needs you should have no problems doing a long term transition. My biggest problem was styling and that is a problem for me regardless because I am just not as creative with my hair as some ladies are.

 

[tmhuggiebear]

i can see where she was coming from. not many people know about braid outs and other heatless styles to wear while transitioning. its not like she was going to tell you to wear a wet pony tail lol. for the most part if you are transitioning and know nothing about hair care the best thing to do is cut it (bc) or keep it straight.
and i say that because most people cant deal with two textures.

I completely agree. Most people can't and don't know how to deal with two textures. In that case, it would be best to bc. I personally transitioned for a year and just bunned it all the way through. ( I am style challenged) I moiturized every day, and deeep conditioned 2 a week and made sure to balance my protein and moisture. My hair was just fine. To be quit honest, I probably should have jus bc'ed but I am just way to stubborn. Good luck with your journey. Just make sure that what ever you choose to do, you will be able to deal with it and maintain the style and health of it.

 

[Minty]

I def. understand where she was coming from - especially with her seeing all the breakage from the relaxed ends. Her job is to make your hair a walking referral as it seems she likes what she does because she took so much time with the consult.

Transitioning, I never did too much manipulation because it was strenuous for my relaxed ends - and I hadn't suffered relaxer damage.

Beautiful hair is healthy hair -

so if the ends are just that bad off let them go. I wore wet buns like everyday to preserve my transition as long as possible. It was the only thing that worked for me.

By the way, I think I like your stylist - be patient with her, she may be a keeper!

 

[healthyhair2]

I def. understand where she was coming from - especially with her seeing all the breakage from the relaxed ends. Her job is to make your hair a walking referral as it seems she likes what she does because she took so much time with the consult.

Transitioning, I never did too much manipulation because it was strenuous for my relaxed ends - and I hadn't suffered relaxer damage.

Beautiful hair is healthy hair -

so if the ends are just that bad off let them go. I wore wet buns like everyday to preserve my transition as long as possible. It was the only thing that worked for me.

By the way, I think I like your stylist - be patient with her, she may be a keeper!

Yes, I like her too. I plan to go back after my braids. Since I let her cut 3 inches off this time , I will cut again in September or October. I spent a grip , but it was worth it. My hair looks MUCH better. I actually never really wear my hair out(or down). Maybe she thought I was styling challenged, but at 8 months into my transition it is not practical for me to wear straight hair in the New York humidity. So braids are next. You ladies have inspired me to keep on going deeep into my transition. I will not BC Until I feel ready. But I'm going for at least 16 months --- 8 more to go!

 

[Serenity_Peace]

Now nearly into my 9 month of transition, this past weekend, my stylist chopped off 5 or 6 inches to assist in my transition. He did a BKT on me and suggested that the keratin will strengthen my hair, especially at the demarcation line. Rather than do a drastic TWA-BC, I decided to gradually continue to cut off an inch of relaxed hair every two months or so until I'm 100% natural. If wearing my hair straight via BKT helps, I'm all for it. So I'm deciding to get a BKT done every 2 or 3 months, cutting an inch or so until the relaxer is gone!

I think it's a great strategy!!!

 

[hopeful]

Good luck with your transition OP. It sounds like you know what you are doing. Many people resort to keeping their hair straight while transitioning but if you can transition to natural without heat I think that is ideal because you won't be risking heat damage and you have time to become familiar with your natural texture. Braids are a great idea. I wore kinky twists the last 6 months of my transition and that worked out well. You should do what works best for you and your hair. If you decide to straighten later in your transition that is fine too. Your hair will let you know what it wants.