To Those Who Transitioned for 1 1/2-2 Years!

[SmilingElephant]

As alot of you all know i am transitioning and currently as of today 10 days away from being 6 months post. At first i said i was gonna BC after 3 year transition.....but after more research i plan on BC after between 1 1/2 to 2 years and i just wanna know how many ladies have transitioned for that length of time and what was your length after you BC?

Share your story

 

[naturalmanenyc]

I never did a BC. I did 2 mini chops though. My transition was 12/2007 - 12/2009.
I always kept my hair below my shoulders during my transition.

I have a very detailed photo journal here: Public Home | RegsWife | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

First mini chop
What a difference a day makes - Mini Chop 46 weeks & 6 days album | RegsWife | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

Second mini chop
Another mini-chop & second Brazilian Keratin Treatment - Rejuvenol - 68 weeks & 4 days post relaxer album | RegsWife | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.

I went from this in November 2008 (46 weeks into transition - relaxed):

to this in April 2009 (68 weeks into transition - natural hair - flat ironed - BKT):

 

[GodivaChocolate]

I transitioned for about a year to a year a half with some mini chops towards the later part of my transition. I can't remember exactly because I did not do it intentionally at first. I am just about at the same place where I BC'd which is almost APL (my longest lengths).I bc'd when my natural hair was just about SL and relaxed ends were APL. It's weird because I feel like I haven't made any progress but in fact I've made a lot it's just because I waited so long to bc and I reached my original bc length naturally this time (hope that makes sense...lol) I'm looking forward to this point on because this is where I will start to see real results.
Also start a hair diary because it will help you remember how far you've come and what works and doesn't work along the way.

 

[LynnieB]

Not completely 1.5 years but I did my final cut after 15 months of transitioning.

Pics in this thread are 18th months of growth: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/ha...9276-lead-hairs-challenge-3.html#post12165267

That length was very short to me and those first 2 pics I don't think I've ever posted online before. I spent most of my first year in twists, braids and puffs styles because I hated the length. Couldn't even get it into a ponytail without a ton of help from bobbypins or hairclips.

I'd been doing minichops along the way - bangs, nape were the first to get clipped, the rest in May,07. Never had a breakage problem but I was just ready to be done with those thin relaxed ends (compared to the new growth) and always dealing with the 2 textures.

 

[Duchesse]

I transitioned for almost exactly a year. My length was about 6 inches in the back (it grows fastest there) and 4/1/2-5 in. throughtout. Long enough to put in a puff, but too short to bun.

That was about 2 months ago, and I've been wearing wigs for the past like 7 months(during transtition) , and haven't wore my natural hair out until this week! I realized I wasn't feeling comfortable with my own hair, so this week I made a pledge to go wigless, and I've been rocking some classy updos.

length at bc

 

[Mook's hair]

I did a 2 year transition trimming as it grew and maintaining 1 length the whole time.
This is a week after my relaxer April 2007 When I started transitioning.

This is 1 year into it. April 2008 you can see the new growth & shrinkage at the top.


This is what I ended up chopping off all at once in April 2009/ as you can see there weren't a lot of relaxed ends left because I trimmed every other month for the whole transition.

And this shows my natural twists post chop April 2009 and how much shrinkage they have.
Shrinkage took a while to embrace. It annoyed me at first.

And this is a fresh trim in June 2009. The first time I flat ironed.


I am a 4ab.

When transitioning long term I noticed that many (not all) of the ladies who held on to all their length and wanted to grow longer hair while transitioning had a harder time than those of us who trimmed as it grew. Hanging on to all those relaxed ends and letting them creep down your back tends to cause more detangling issues. It can be done but eventually all those relaxed ends will have to go so why let them cause more trouble then they need to.

Plus, If you keep them then the amount you'll have to chop will be more significant.


Hope this helped. I documented my entire journey in my fotki album. The link is in my sig.

There will probably be times when you're ready to give up and go back to relaxing. This is normal. And if you decide to change your mind, that's your prerogative. But try to stick it out, when you have days like that, jump over here on LHCF and let us talk you through it. It usually helps.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Mook's hair and LynnieB

Thank you

My thing is i want to be at least APL stretched by the time in BC in 2012...i have NO idea what to do with SL or NL hair

My hair does grow pretty fast though and i do get the average amount of growth per month

 

[mswright00]

My last relaxer was July 2008, I am still in the process of transitioning. I really do not plan to do a BC, because I want to keep the length of my hair. I believe once I make it to my goal of brastrap length I will cut all of the relaxed ends off.

This journey has been easier that I thought, my hair is soo much more healthier.... I love it!

 

[SmilingElephant]

I did a 2 year transition trimming as it grew and maintaining 1 length the whole time.
This is a week after my relaxer April 2007 When I started transitioning.

This is 1 year into it. April 2008 you can see the new growth & shrinkage at the top.
View attachment 98909

This is what I ended up chopping off all at once in April 2009/ as you can see there weren't a lot of relaxed ends left because I trimmed every other month for the whole transition.

And this shows my natural twists post chop April 2009 and how much shrinkage they have.
Shrinkage took a while to embrace. It annoyed me at first.

And this is a fresh trim in June 2009. The first time I flat ironed.
View attachment 98913

I am a 4ab.

When transitioning long term I noticed that many (not all) of the ladies who held on to all their length and wanted to grow longer hair while transitioning had a harder time than those of us who trimmed as it grew. Hanging on to all those relaxed ends and letting them creep down your back tends to cause more detangling issues. It can be done but eventually all those relaxed ends will have to go so why let them cause more trouble then they need to.

Plus, If you keep them then the amount you'll have to chop will be more significant.


Hope this helped. I documented my entire journey in my fotki album. The link is in my sig.

There will probably be times when you're ready to give up and go back to relaxing. This is normal. And if you decide to change your mind, that's your prerogative. But try to stick it out, when you have days like that, jump over here on LHCF and let us talk you through it. It usually helps.

Awwww.....so sweeeet

I have had NO kind of urge to return to relaxing at all tho! This coming from a chick who swore she couldn't go past 9 weeks!

1. Because ppl think/though i was natural anyway.

2. I hate the whole process of relaxing my hair...been doing it since i was 5

3. My edges finally blend with the rest of my hair!....I hated when everything would be all smooth and straight after a relaxer and then i have these little curlies around my edges and nothing could keep them down...NOTHING!!! I do wanna try that ORS Edge Control tho...anyway...Mook i've been checking your Fotki off and on for 2 years now and i can say you and many other naturals are my inspiration for wanting to go ahead and transition

 

[diva24]

I never had a real BC but more of a trim as I grew approach. My final trim was 3 years. I was BSL stretched

 

[SmilingElephant]

I never had a real BC but more of a trim as I grew approach. My final trim was 3 years. I was BSL stretched

Okay...cause at first i was like....i'm gonna transition for 3 years...and then i started doing some research bc i couldn't understand why most women would go no further than 2 years...so i calculated and i'm like....i hope to have some decent length on or around my 2 year mark bc 3 years sounds like a very long time....i just do not see alot of ppl transitioning that long at all....so i made this thread to see how many ladies on here transitioned for a long time.....i guess i should've made a poll with this one too.

So if i can at least get to APL stretched before i BC i would be VERY happy...and then when i think about it too...i'm gonna be wearing my hair mostly curly anyway!!...i just like the comfort of KNOWING i have a decent length still...i've never had short hair before.

 

[Nonie]

I started my transition when I had an inch of growth and trimmed a little (1/4 inch or so) every 6-8 weeks. I continued that regimen even after I became fully natural because I liked how thick my hair looked from base to ends with regular dusting. At two years (from when I started with one inch of natural hair) my hair was here:

A year prior to that I was here:

 

[SherylsTresses]

SmilingElephant I really like your transitioning perception....

 

[Bun Mistress]

I haven't BC'd yet, but I'm over 1 year and don't plan to BC anytime soon. My natural hair is at or below SL right now. I'm a slow grower. Good luck with your transitition

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

Girl, I'm giving myself 2+ years. It's long; but, I'm not having too much of a difficulty. So, we'll see.

 

[beana]

Mook's hair your hair is incredibly beautiful!!!!!! You have definitely been one of my major inspirations to go natural

 

[beana]

I plan to long term transition with a sew-in weave. Every time i redo my weave i plan to trim an inch off at a time. i'm taking off 2 inches off this time though because my relaxed ends and thick new growth do not get along at all.

 

[LisaMar]

At the end of this month, I will be one year post relaxer and I don't plan to BC at all. I did not plan on transitioning at all; it just kind of turned out that way. My hair is very fine 4A/AB, with 4C at the nape. I usually self relax 4 time per year with bad hair practices, and am still able to maintain APL with thin ends.....so 4 months turned into 6 months, then 8 months....where searching for half wigs to remedy the thinning and breaking I was experiencing, I discovered LHCF in April, and decided not to relax under I really research pros/cons. Next thing I knew, its now Nov, I'm APL, which is my regular length except for the first time, its HEALTHY, and not breaking off, thanks to all of the advice from LHCF ladies. This entire time I was split on if I wanted to be natural.....or not, still kind of undecided....was waiting for specific phyto relaxer to go on sale, since I heard so much about it....well, it hasnt gone on sale yet, and I hoping to resist the urge to buy if when it goes on sale.

I bun 99% of time, if hair grows longer than APL, then I will know my efforts are really paying off.

 

[SmilingElephant]

Keep em comin ladies

I love to read experiences!!

 

[Sequoia]

I transitioned for just over 2 years with several trims along the way. I was about SL when I BC'd. My hair blow dried:

 

[ZkittyKurls]

i will bc'ing next friday after 18 months. i will post pics of my hair after that. but if you look at the newly natural thread you can find pics of when others have bc'd as well as what some of their hair looks like around 1 1/2 to 2yrs. i believe i will be a little past SL once i bc, but i want a nice big puff for the summer and spring to come moreso than length.