Transitioner heading toward a RELAXERRRRrrRrrRrRR! *seeks supporters?!?*

[sweetsuccess]

hey,

ive been transitioning for 13months now and i know ive came along way, but i was only able to hold out this long because i had sew ins left and right. but now that im unemployed, i do not see myself getting sew ins for a long while.. and i love to wash my hair but cant for the fact that it takes a day long process.

i am considering self relaxing my hair and rollersetting during EVERY single wash and wearingn the curls... pinned up or letting them fall.. for the year 2009. my hair has grown from neck length to past shoulder length with sew ins, and i feel that i can grow my hair long and strong while relaxing, rollersetting, working out and continue my hair regimen along with my pill consumption.... and would just like to know some lhcf supporters with my decision.....

does my plan sound crazy? or good ? i know there are some relaxer haters and some relaxer supporters.. and ive been borderline throughout my ENTIRE transition process.

anywho, i just wanted to share and seek advice.

thanks in advance for yalls help

 

[varaneka]

I'm thinking about going back to relaxing as well so I support you! As long as you keep a good dc/moisture and protein/reconstructor balance to your haircare routine you should be fine!

 

[Morenita]

Hi there. I'm coming up on one year into my transition. A long-term transition is not for everybody and it definitely takes a lot of patience. I tried to transition twice before LHCF to no avail. I did not know how to take care of the new growth and it too drove me insane on wash day. I found myself ripping the comb through and became very frustrated and self-relaxed in the end. After I came to LHCF and found out about so many amazing tips and techniques to care for my super curly hair, I realized that I still did have the desire to transition and I made the commitment. Here are my :

1.) Be extremely patient with your hair as it is and continue your transition. Learn from other people's experiences and successes and mistakes and use what you can. Experiment and take away from those trial and errors what works for you and eventually become a natural who knows more about her hair because of the time she took to get to learn about it and care for it during the journey.

Or

2.) Relax it. It does takes time to learn about what works for your hair and what doesn't and I don't think it will get any easier for you however once you are fully natural, so transitioning may not be for you. Natural hair takes a lot of care and considerably more time and patience If things have become too frustrating, it may just be better to call it a day. Just no matter what you decide, please think long and hard on what your reasons are and make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons. I really feel for the people who wish they hadn't relaxed when they are in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th transitions (myself included) and they think of all of the growth that they could have had toward that goal.

Or, you can choose something in-between. Texlax, weave it back up, idk. I am sure some other ladies will chime in and help though. Whatever you decide, you will have support along the way and good luck with everything!

 

[msa]

Well since you're planning to wear your hair curly...have you ever tried bantu knot outs? I do them when I want a curly fro...but it might be a good style for you to try that won't require you relaxing your hair just yet, and it will help to blend the two textures. If it works out, you could just continue on with your transition.

 

[girlcherokee]

i say since you are going into this knowing what you are doing - go for it! do what makes you feel good!

 

[CandacyEliz]

I feel the same way...

While my hair is definitely growing, it is becoming a burden to deal with

 

[chosen07]

my first thought was "wow, you made it this far and wanna turn back?" (I cut at 6 months) but honestly, when it boils down, its up to you, what is gonna make you most comfortable?. I think the advice given by pp's is wonderful..especially about thinking long and hard and making sure you are making the decision for the "right" reasons. do you doll...GL!

 

[sweetsuccess]

so for me who is converting back to relaxed hair from growing natural for over a year, do you suggest i get it professionally done?! or can i do box perm?! and if so, which perms would u recommend?!?

 

[Whimsy]

Girl you've come SOOO FAR!!! Don't go back now!! Just be patient with your hair. I'm 17 months into my transition and it's had its ups and downs. Maybe get another sew in? try some braidouts? I just don't want you to do something you'll regret.
Maybe just BC?!
Look, you can ALWAYS relax, at any time, so I'd suggest you think before you act. Try alternatives before you try something permanent.

 

[adf23]

Agreeing with Whimsy. There are many folks here that transitioned for a long time, relaxed then started over a year later! You have gone 13 months, which is a really long time. Surely you can't turn back now!

What about half wigs? Braid your hair into 2 french braids, leave a bit of the front out, and throw on a half wig. Remove wig nightly and repeat the process the next day. Take hair down to wash weekly.

I transitioned for 20 months with the help of phony ponies and half wigs. Don't give up just yet!!

 

[Lynnerie]

Well, you have to decide what is most important to you. Being natural, having the versatility of natural hair and letting it grow natural or having relaxed hair. Ofcourse if you relax your hair will be longer. Is that something that is more important to you?

I've been there before, long hair trumped everything and I couldn't imagine starting over but then I got to a point where I just wanted natural hair. So i transitioned and chopped at 8 months. And I wouldn't go back to a relaxer if someone paid me to. 13 months is a lot of hair and being natural you will be back past shoulder length before you know it.

Also, it was easier to deal with transitioning hair by not getting braids and sew-ins cause the hair doesn't always get proper moisture when its covered like that. I got braids and when I took them off I had a matted mess on my hands. My hair does not mat anymore now that the relaxed ends are gone.

 

[Mook's hair]

so for me who is converting back to relaxed hair from growing natural for over a year, do you suggest i get it professionally done?! or can i do box perm?! and if so, which perms would u recommend?!?

Hi, Have you tried cornrowing your hair yourself? I've got tutorials?

If you decide to relax, I actually suggest that you do it yourself. I have heard too many bad salon stories and I have one of my own.

2 years ago I went for a touchup after a 6 month stretch, my thought was that it would be better for a professional to do it. Well,, I was wrong, they did not let it process long enough and they did not pull the relaxer down far enough to cover all of the new growth which was a lot because it was 6 months.