Transitioner/Natural Check-In

[alibi]

Hey ladies!

I wanted to check in with the other transitioners/naturals to see how everyone's doing.

I know I'm not the only one who has those frustrating days where you're ready to throw in the towel, right???

I figured we could check in on this thread and lean on each other for support.

1) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

For me, it was a matter of overall health of my hair. I loved my relaxers, but my hair was never as healthy as it was when I was growing up, and it never grew as long.

2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

8 months - yay!

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

I'm wearing buns, phony ponies, and flat ironing, although I'm not flat ironing as much b/c it doesn't stay as long now with all my new growth (4.5 inches).

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?

For me, Motions moisture plus conditioner and Pantene S & S have been a GOD SEND! I would be able to get a comb through my head without them!

5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

Every night before going to bed (which coincidently is when I always want to pull my hair out from the roots

) I look at Andre's book, and I'm inspired by the lady with the 4a hair that has beautiful springs and coils all over her head.

 

[deborah11]

1. I decided to go natural after a couple of bad relaxer experiences and finally overprocessing by a rennowed New York hairstylist that I paid over $200.00 . I had just had enuf and decided to take matters into my wn hands.

2. 17 months

3. I have anywhere from 6- 7.5 inches in various places. My hair is growing at a snail's pace. I am transitioning by wearing a bun, phony pony and flat ironing. For the first several months, I used no heat, air dryed and pulled it back or up. I now flat iron every 2-3 weeks. My hair is 4 something, tight waves, fine but dense so appears thick. I still have up to 6 inches of relaxed hair in crown and sides, so dealing with 2 textures can be a challenge. I want at least 10 inches of natural hair b4 cutting off all relaxed hair. i don't know will have to see. Seeing some either split ends or breakagewhere 2 textures meet. not sure which it is so need to be careful about this.
4. Elucence MB conditioner and Carols daughter products have helped a lot but honestly I have not found the perfect can't live without product. I recently started using a new line LMlonghair products and will see how that goes.

5. Just last night I was ready to throw in the towel and get a relaxer than I looked at Asha's album and believed that I could go on a little longer. I really would prefer to go natural, especially if I can ever learn how to flat iron my hair well enough to make it look relaxed without having to use excessive heat. excessive heat scares me so I will only use moderat heat. This is what will determine for me, whether I willremain natural or go back to relaxing or texturizing. continued good luck with your journey.

 

[Bublnbrnsuga]

Wow Yannapoo! 8 months is very good.
1.) After viewing albums on nappturality and just browsing the internet concerning natural hair, I decided to go natural. Plus I went to this one website that had a statement that made sense once I read it and thought about it- "my sisters, the evidence that they have to wear gloves while applying these chemicals to our hair should tell us something."

2. I transitioned for 1 year and 4 months. I have been napptural for one month now.

3. I transitioned using various styles,but my staple style was braidouts. I pressed my hair about 3 times while I transitioned.

4. Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter and 911 leave in creme conditioner.

5. What encourages me is seeing the number of women all over the world who are embracing their natural hair no matter what hair type they are categorized in.

 

[pookeylou]

Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

My hair was rejecting the perms. I lost a great part of my hairline. I could not retain length due to it being overprocessed. I could not justify the money I spent on the perms only to get them done again every 6 weeks. Doing my hair myself and working with chemicals was getting dangerous. I thought my "nappy hair" was "bad hair", but once my thinking changed I saw that it was great hair and I learned to love it.

2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

I have been natural since 11/11/03.

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)


I transitioned by wearing my hair close to my natural state. I did a two strand twist into a bantu knot and then combed it out with my fingers the next day.


5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

The main thing that has helped me is when someone acknowledges what I know to be true. That "our hair" is good hair and it does not need to be fixed. It can grow and be healthy and look great and be unique and versitile. Any day you have hair on your head...is a good hair day.

 

[lillian743]

Hehe here I go!

1) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?
--------------------------------------------------
B/c I wanted to see what my real hair looked like natural, and anyway it was starting to break off badly.

2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?
------------------------------------------------
I transitioned for about 3 months. I've been natural for a month...

) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)
----------------------------------------
I made it by wearing wigs or braid outs.

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?
Black n' Sassy - Creamy set
Wildgrowth - Hair Oil
Intimate - Vitamin Mousse
Sta'Sof'Fro
African Pride - Braid Sheen. (Its a Great leave-in)
Marc Anthony's - Frizz Sealig conditioner
Dark and Lovely - Wave moisturizer(I know I dont have waves)

(5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

My mom and dad helped me and also looking at hair albums people put on here.

 

[spanishteardrops]

At this point I am not transitioning completely just letting my hair grow for a year with now relaxer...I like the curls now so I might just stay relaxer free.

1. My hair was really unhealthy due to bad home relaxers.

2. 8 months!

3. Wearing buns and flat ironing new growth. But I am getting really bored with this bun thing. Any suggestions? My hair in the back is about an inch or so below my shoulders and chin length in the front. I have had about 3-4 inches of growth depending on the area.

4. I love smooth n shine oil repair and silkener.

5. My husband helps me when I have bad hair days

and he gives me scalp massages.

 

[Natural_Girl]

1) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

Various reasons from tired of experiencing back experiences from relaxers, wanting a change, see what my natural texture was really like, etc.


2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

8 years natural

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

I transitioned for a short while then ended up chopping it off

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?
Water
Peppermint oil
Own concoction of remake of Cathy Howse treatment
LeKair Cholestrol Treat - orange one
Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Cond.
Aveda Elixir
Aveda Be Curly
Just tried the latter 2 today for 1st time - and lovin' it!

5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

Just yesterday I was ready to throw in the towel (it happens now and then) and Asha's post and photos TRULY inspired me to get back into styling my hair again and lovin' the options that come with natural hair: straight, wavy, curly - so many - and I've got at least 3 different textures in my thick head of hair!!:O)

 

[Tonya]

) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

Hair was damaged from a mixture of a bad color treatment and relaxed. Hair was much healthier when it was pressed so giving hair a break form chemicals.

2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

5 months transitioning

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

I am currently in braids

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?
COnditioners (Suave and V05)
Surge
Briad spray and s curl
Curling mousse

 

[deeplyrooted]

Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

i decided to get back to my roots because the relaxers just weren't appealing to me. my hair was never as healthy and happy relaxed as it was when it was natural during my young 'un years.

How long have you been natural?

just over 2 years.

How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

i big chopped the relaxed hair off.

What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?

CD's SoMM and 911 leave-in conditioner. those are my MUST haves.

Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

for me, it's been my own personal voyage toward complete self acceptance and discovery. as the quote says from someone i know, "if you have problems with the roots, you have a problem with the tree."

 

[lsubabiedee]

1. Hair health, self-love, and relaxers to me were pointless..............and I loved my hair natural

2. Transitioning since June 2003

3. Wearing my hair in buns, ponytails, and cute updo's

4. water, Suave Awapuhi Conditioner, Parnevu T-Tree Growth Creme

5. looking at pics of beautiful natural women, researching black women and beauty, and the encouragement from friends and my BF

 

[14got]

1 I saw all the ablums of people wear their hair in their natural state and wanted to see what my hair would look like

2 trans for 3 months. I big chopped in june of last year. But it has been a year since my last relaxer.

3. I had braids a minute, rollersets. Twistouts.

4 sta so soft, mouse, surge

5 I look at people like Iris who has been natural for ten years and know that once I get to wear I can wear a ponytail it will be so much easier

 

[Cindy70]

1) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

Breakage and bald spots from relaxers.

2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

I cut all of my relaxed hair off on 3/1/04 with just 4 1/2 weeks of new growth.

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

No transition, I quit cold turkey.

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?

Water.

5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

Looking at other naturals' albums, especially those that have been at it for a long time.

 

[inthepink]

1) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

I noticed severe breakage from a relaxer after MANY years of relaxing and that freaked me out. I thought I'd just go a few months without relaxing but the coming upon a natural's website and how she transitioned, I made the decision to transition myself. Definitely the best decision considering the breakage.

2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

I have been transitioning for just over a year.

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

I typically do braidouts in updos.

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?

A Moisturizing Conditioner, a good leave-in, a light-hold gel, and Hair Milk

5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

Looking at albums of other naturals and transitioners.

 

[nurseN98]

) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

A good friend of mine went natural and I had been thinking about it...draggin my feet. Then I bought a new relaxer to put in my head and I just looked at the bottle one day and decided I didn't want to have any burning sensations on my head. I was just tired of the whole process which was making my hair fall out no matter what I did.


2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

5 months

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

I have hair down to the middle of my back so I'm wearing ponytails and every month I cut an inch. I blowdry once a week to keep the textures somewhat similar but all "my peoples" can recognize that I need a perm. I don't care. I slap gel on it and keep it movin.

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?

Creme of Nature(red or green) OR
Elasta QP creme shampoo/breakage control serum/DPR conditioner
Wild growth oil
John Frieda texture control serum/relax cream

5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

Reading all of the posts of the people who are transitioning or natural already. It's very encouraging and it seems all of the people on this website are positive and helpful. My fiance is also really cool with it. And my close friend (who is already natural) is my support system.

 

[MeccaMedinah]

1) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

I never knew my hair's potential until I visited long hair care forum. Once I learned that I could have nice looking, healthy, natural and long hair I decided to stop relaxing.

2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

I made my decision in January.

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

I was doing braidouts until I did a mini chop this past weekend, I haven't tried them again, yet (I will today though). I also do rollersets.

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?

I use V05 conditioners and only attempt to comb with the conditioner in my hair.

5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

I am not willing to waste my time or money on relaxers. All my years I have loved curly hair. I never knew that I had it because I have had a relaxer most of my life.

 

[Chichi]

Congrats ayanapooh on transitioning for 8 months! Here are my replies:

1) Why did you decide to transition/go natural?

For me, it was a matter of overall health of my hair. I loved my relaxers, but my hair was never as healthy as it was when I was growing up, and it never grew as long.

DITTO plus I remember having so much "body" to my hair when I was younger. Relaxers were not made for my hair so stylists had to overprocess to get my hair straight

.

2) How long have you been transitioning/natural?

a little over 4 months

3) How are you making/did you make the transition? (i.e. braid outs, pressing, braids, big chop/no transition, etc.)

braidouts, buns, curly rollersets (when I do it myself) or the occasional Dominican blowout for a straight look

4) What products can your new growth/natural hair NOT live without?

humectress, serum, and hair vitamins

5) Everyone, what encouragement/inspiration has gotten you through the rough spots?

LHCF members and some natural albums with great tips

Chichi