I'm currently transitioning to natural (36 weeks with no touch up as of 9/7/08). My decision happened in several steps.
Step One - I had used a stylist every 2 weeks since age 13 when my parents divorced and I stayed with my father. I had no idea how to do my own hair and had been weaving for the last few years. My long time NYC stylist retired and moved out of state in May 2007 to become a full-time real estate salesperson. I was left with no stylist that I trusted in the area.
Step Two - I could not find a new stylist that I was comfortable enough with to relax my hair. It had taken me about two years to find my stylist who retired & moved and I did not want to start the search again. I ended up having my sister put in a mild relaxer in August 2007 when I was out of town visiting. I had been rocking half wigs and drawstring ponytails for months and I really needed to have my hair done but I did not trust just any stylist.
Step Three & beyond:
I found LHCF through RabiaElaine and started to read up on proper hair care.
I got a partial sew-in weave in August/September 2007 that could have been a disaster if left in longer than the 4 weeks I planned. The braids were not tacked down properly and my hair had begun to matte a little. Fortunately, RabiaElaine did my take down and I lost none of my length.
I then got a full weave for about 6 weeks with a straight back cornrow base - something I had never done before then. My husband helped me take down the weave. This was after a relaxer stretch from August through early December. RabiaElaine had told me to NOT relax right after the weave take down (which my stylist had ALWAYS done) so I had to manage my own hair for a few weeks. I did it with braid outs and curly styles. I had never seen my natural curly hair....or at least I had not remeber it being curly since mom relaxed me around age 10.
After 18 weeks with no relaxer, I decided to texlax instead of get a bone straight relaxer on December 30, 2007 in an attempt to have fuller hair. My intent was to get another full weave in a few weeks but plans changed. After my husband saw my texlaxed hair on 12/30/07 and the length, he asked me to stop weaving since he felt that my own hair was long.
After that I made the choice to grow out my own hair. For me personally to have thicker hair means not relaxing at all. Some ladies can maintain thickness with relaxers but after relaxing since age 10, I know that relaxing makes my hair thinner since my stylist was always super careful and did not overlap.
Over the last 8 months I have seen a definite increase in the thickness of my hair. The only bad part (besides dealing with the line of demarcation and realizing that relaxed products don't always work on natural hair) is that I agreed to not cut my hair until I reach BSL. Actually, I agreed to only cut anything under BSL. So I will have thin ends for a while. Luckily I keep my hair pinned up 95% of the time so only me and DH know about the then ends (and of course those who check my siggy and my fotki).