Transitioners support thread

[Irie1]

I'm right there with you Panama's Own. I stopped wearing a wig 2 weeks ago, which was the protective style i wore for the newbie challenge.

Lately my hair has been looking a HAM with the two textures fighting it out on my head. I'm really struggling with finding a style that works well during this transitional period. I had spirals in my hair but that style was achieved by blowdrying, straightening with a straightening comb and then curling with a curling iron. ENTIRELY too much heat. But my hair looked nice in that style. Now fast forward to this past week. I GUESS the style I wore could be considered a was and go, but it looked like a dried up Jheri curl most of the week. I used flexirods on my hair and for the first day the style was ok. But as the days progressed and i slept on my hair, etc, the style feel apart.

So i'm right there with you sistah!

 

[PanamasOwn]

Im so glad someone feels my pain....I am on a mission to figure something out...I will get this figured out

 

[Mook's hair]

I posted Updates

I'm almost 7 months out. I just updated my album.

I'm struggling a little but doing much better than I was in September.

 

[BMoreFlyy]

Hey fullsizediva!

I just use ORS olive oil cream or cantu shea butter before I pincurl. I gather all the separated curls so that I can pin them easily and as I'm gathering, I apply the moisturizer to the NG and then down the strands if I need to. Then I go over the big curls w/ a little bit of jojoba and pin. I've been trying to do it every night, but usually do it every other or every third and I wear my sets for about 2 weeks (had to cut back on the washing- I was hurting the H2O bill!). It's not that long of a process to me, but I know theres probably a quicker way. If somebody knows it, please SHARE!!

thanks. I used some oil mixture on my scalp the last time and that was good. I don't do pin curls though. My curls generally hold from one wash to the next so I don't have to touch them. The new growth just does it's own thing sometimes.

 

[PanamasOwn]

question?? Is 1.5-2 inches in 4 months normal or EXTREMELY slow. I washed my hair and pulled out a ruler while it was wet, streched i a bit and this was the recording through out. Should I go flat iron my hair and then try to re-measure? I just feel like this is sooo little... or will the growth pick up soon and I should just leave it alone...

Help!? erplexed

 

[DarkAngell]

question?? Is 1.5-2 inches in 4 months normal or EXTREMELY slow. I washed my hair and pulled out a ruler while it was wet, streched i a bit and this was the recording through out. Should I go flat iron my hair and then try to re-measure? I just feel like this is sooo little... or will the growth pick up soon and I should just leave it alone...

Help!? erplexed

Sounds about right.
Supposedly hair grows an average of 1/2 inch per month (6 inches a year). my hair seems to stick pretty close to that. At 4 months i had only 2 inches and wondered the same thing. Now ill be 9 months post in 5 days..i flat ironed the other day and out of curiosity I decided to measure and sure enough my NG is exactly 4 1/2 inches long. I do get the same results with stretching it straight as i do flat ironing.

Update:
Almost 9 months post and right at my half way point towards BCing! lol
combing through my hair and all that is still the same. not too much of a problem. I notice that at the beginning of a new month i get massive shedding and some breakage. Ive been getting the itch to BC lately though because im just so tired of my signature style ( pulled back and curly phony pony)

Im not sure what else to do really. i cant leave it loose because itll be a disaster by the end of the day but my hair's still too short to look attractive tied back without a phony pony in. Ive got some major experimenting to do if im gonna make it another 9 months.

This is been talked about to death in the past but....what hairstyles is everyone doing? Especially those who are close to my length. The pic in my avatar was from when i flat ironed a few days ago.

I really need ideas here!!

 

[lveurslf]

question?? Is 1.5-2 inches in 4 months normal or EXTREMELY slow. I washed my hair and pulled out a ruler while it was wet, streched i a bit and this was the recording through out. Should I go flat iron my hair and then try to re-measure? I just feel like this is sooo little... or will the growth pick up soon and I should just leave it alone...

Help!? erplexed

I think that maybe normal. I'm in the same boat.

 

[PanamasOwn]

I went ahead and flatironed my hair (I know Im not supposed to, Im on the V-day Challenge), but I was really dissappointed by that little bit of growth that I had to see if there was any REAL difference in my hair. Well It seems that I achieved much more volume and thicknes than I did length. Which I guess is a good thing. I updated in my fotki so you guys can check it out..I guess I will try to massage my scalp more and up my water intake so the vitamins can effectively do their thang...

 

[deola]

Hi ladies,
Wanted to subscribe to this thread since I'm transitioning for the first time in my life. I had my last relaxer in May 2007. I don't think I want to do the BC. I'm currently on the C&G method for a year and hopefully will stick mainly to that protective styling if it works well for me.

 

[strawberry-jelly]

Just checking in. I can't believe in a week I'll be 6 months into my transition. It hasn't been as hard as I'd thought it would be. I'm proud of myself, I usually cave in at the 6 month mark and texturize again--every time I've made it this far. Wish me luck on another 6 months!

 

[InNeedofHairapy]

In 5 weeks it will be 1 year since my last relaxer. I have about 5 inches of new growth, and I'm loving my new growth, but it's still too short for me to want to do a BC. I did a mini chop last week and was surprised at how much my hair had grown since the last MC which was only 3 months ago. I upped my deep conditioning game in anticipation of the post partum shedding that I hear I may experience after December. I'm doing my best to baby my hair NOW in preperation for much frustration then. I've been doing oil rinses, deep conditioning, and co-washing. I'm still wearing a blasted ponytail, but would love to get my hair braided or twisted. Even though I bought the BBBreslin dvd for kinky twists, and have watched the C&G website video on braiding, but have not had the time to actually test them out.

Transitioning isn't hard. I've done it before..but I am kind of at the point where I'm not liking my hair very much..I think it's this ponytail. I really want to try something different, but I've been too tired/lazy with this month with my pregnancy, and tight with the pennies getting ready to have the babies...not a good combination when it comes to hair, but we'll see.

 

[crazydaze911]

In 5 weeks it will be 1 year since my last relaxer. I have about 5 inches of new growth, and I'm loving my new growth, but it's still too short for me to want to do a BC. I did a mini chop last week and was surprised at how much my hair had grown since the last MC which was only 3 months ago. I upped my deep conditioning game in anticipation of the post partum shedding that I hear I may experience after December. I'm doing my best to baby my hair NOW in preperation for much frustration then. I've been doing oil rinses, deep conditioning, and co-washing. I'm still wearing a blasted ponytail, but would love to get my hair braided or twisted. Even though I bought the BBBreslin dvd for kinky twists, and have watched the C&G website video on braiding, but have not had the time to actually test them out.

Transitioning isn't hard. I've done it before..but I am kind of at the point where I'm not liking my hair very much..I think it's this ponytail. I really want to try something different, but I've been too tired/lazy with this month with my pregnancy, and tight with the pennies getting ready to have the babies...not a good combination when it comes to hair, but we'll see.

My thoughts exactly - i'm 3 weeks away from my 1 year mark. Maybe its just around this time that things start to annoy you - dealing with 2 textures a whole year. hard to be neat and cute and protect your hair all at once. Good luck! with ur hair and ur new bundle of joy!

 

[InNeedofHairapy]

My thoughts exactly - i'm 3 weeks away from my 1 year mark. Maybe its just around this time that things start to annoy you - dealing with 2 textures a whole year. hard to be neat and cute and protect your hair all at once. Good luck! with ur hair and ur new bundle of joy!

Thank you!

And you hit the nail on the head with the neat/cute dilemma...If I can master either twists or braids, I am going to cut the relaxed ends off. Until then, I'm going to keep battling with the 2 textures, and do my monthly mini chops

 

[DozenRoses99]

I have a braidout/twistout question specifically for transitioners. When you do your braidout or twistouts, does your newgrowth and relaxed ends blend well? If so, what methods do you take? It seems that my relaxed ends never blend well with the newgrowth. The newgrowth part looks great, but the relaxed ends look strangly (sp?). Eventually, I will get rid of the relaxed ends, but right now I am just doing mini chops.

 

[TRINITY05]

I'm a 4b and it has been 13 weeks since my last relaxer. What do I put on my hair to help with the tangling and new growth process. I have the worst time blowdrying my hair.

 

[TCatt86]

I had my first flexirod set and they came out cute. I think I will do this style for a while, it's cute and I don't have to play in my hair everyday. I love it. I want to rotate between this and a twist/braid out. For the next few months or until I get the balls to get some kinky twist. I'm really scared about extensions, I don't know why.

 

[Bigghair]

I have a braidout/twistout question specifically for transitioners. When you do your braidout or twistouts, does your newgrowth and relaxed ends blend well? If so, what methods do you take? It seems that my relaxed ends never blend well with the newgrowth. The newgrowth part looks great, but the relaxed ends look strangly (sp?). Eventually, I will get rid of the relaxed ends, but right now I am just doing mini chops.

The relaxed ends are going to look stingy unless you rod set them. So you can two strand twist the hair then rod the ends so that your ends curl and blend with the textured part. I agree that when the ends get too stringy you will want to chop them off.

 

[Bigghair]

I'm a 4b and it has been 13 weeks since my last relaxer. What do I put on my hair to help with the tangling and new growth process. I have the worst time blowdrying my hair.

Washing the hair in sections works. Wash and detangle in the shower and twist each detangled section up. Keep the hair twisted or in little ponytails until you are ready to style that section. Take down and style one section at a time.

 

[aloof one]

My Update so far, 7 months & 1 Week into my Transition:
I'm about 29 weeks post now and I tried just about everything (braids, baggying, wrapping, rollersetting...) before I realized the only thing I can do is just keep straightening my hair & pinning it up at night like I always have. I started MN a few days ago, and my head has the itchies I get when my hair grows. I am almost at 4 inches of NG and creeping toward being APL. Another hilight is because I was trimming every once and a while, my hilights are virtually gone. I have a little streak or two in the back but you can hardly tell.
Now... I am kind of discouraged because my mother felt the need to bring me down at Thanksgiving. She hates the fact that I dont relax anymore, and desperately wants me to get a perm She told people how when I was a baby people thought I was a boy because I had nappy hair with a lot of shrinkage and my twin brother had curly long hair (like my mixed niece). She said she couldn't do it anymore and my hair was so nappy she permed my head at 9 months! I had always believed my mom forced this mess on me as a toddler, but here I find out that as an infant she did this to me?! Worse than I thought. Now I know when I BC next year it will be the first time ANYONE sees what my natural hair looks like.

Even though it pisses me off that my mom has that whole good hair/bad hair idea, it actually motivates me even more to stick it out. 5 more months until I am one year post, and 11 more months to go until I BC (if its long enough)... if MN works it might all come sooner...

 

[Ebony Majesty]

Its been about 11 and a half months since my last relaxer
I would have chopped off my relaxed ends by now, but 3 months ago I discovered a bald spot. Up to this day, it is still shiny.

Anyway I am wearing a weave (french wave) and it fits my texture perfectly! Just wish I discovered it earlier!

 

[Mook's hair]

33 Weeks post checking in.

I'm back on the fence about whether I'm going to grow it all the way out.
I could use some support & inspiration/motivation.

I will definately go all the way to 1 year before I decide.

I've turned to deep conditioning and cowashing lately. (this is helping some)

 

[TCatt86]

Finally on my like fifth attempt for a twistout it finally came out cute!!! Thank God. I'm inching towards the one year mark. I wish I wasn't allergic to sulfur so I could use those growth aids, but I just have to grow the old natural way

 

[sunnydaze]

7 1/2 months checking in. I've really been doing ok. Seems like months 4-5 were tougher. For the most part I wear my hair pulled back in either a bun or a ponytail. I have randomly set my hair and have been able to keep the roots managable by dividing my hair into 4-5 sections and rolling the ends as opposed to doing a traditional set. I'm just really read to celebrate my one year mark!

 

[Whimsy]

4+ months here... it's almost normal for me up until now because i'd usually do a touch up at 4 months.... let's see how the rest of this road goes....
GOOD LUCK AND KUDOS TO ALL!!!

 

[ashiah]

The relaxed ends are going to look stingy unless you rod set them. So you can two strand twist the hair then rod the ends so that your ends curl and blend with the textured part. I agree that when the ends get too stringy you will want to chop them off.

Oh wow, I don't know why I've never thought of that. I've just been wearing it up in some up 'do to hide the stringy ends.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that last week I discovered I can wash my hair in twists and the relaxed part won't unravel (well, some parts did, but it's not too noticeable), which means I can wear twists for two weeks now instead of one. I just hope in the next month or so I can think of another hair style besides the bun or twists. I tried experimenting with bantu knots, but I don't know how to get them tight enough. It seems no matter what I do, the natural hair poofs up, and the knot just sits on top of it.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

Wrong Forum! Sorry

 

[DarkAngell]

checking in at 10 months post.......

blah......

i dunno. i sometimes wanna just BC...but SO will kill me.
Does anybody else ever have those quick "what am i doing?!" moments? When your look in the mirror and say "am i sure i wanna go natural?" of course that feeling goes away and i style my hair as usual.....

Ive been relaxed since i was 8 ( 16 yrs ) so i look at my hair sometimes so clueless about it! I love my texture...but im still unsure of how it will look in the end because from my ears down is 3b....the middle is like....3c/4a-ish....the top lays flat and wavy ( hopefully just from the weight of my hair ) and the top part of my hairline is either 4b....or scab hair that just wont stop growing out that way.

How long can scab hair grow out?? I cant even call it 4b. Its just hair that has no rhyme or reason to it..

Anyone else have different textures in whole sections like this?

 

[AshCash]

checking in at 10 months post.......

blah......

i dunno. i sometimes wanna just BC...but SO will kill me.
Does anybody else ever have those quick "what am i doing?!" moments? When your look in the mirror and say "am i sure i wanna go natural?" of course that feeling goes away and i style my hair as usual.....

Yep... last month I was pretty convinced I was going to go back to TRing. I called my salon and my stylist was leaving the next day on maternity leave until February. I won't let anyone else touch my hair with chemicals. My mom said it was a sign and I agree. I'm really glad I didn't (couldn't) go through with it because I am loving my hair (roots) now. I really want to BC but I am going in for a mini chop today to give me some layers. I figure if I'm going to cut all my hair off anyways in a few months I might as well have some fun with it now. Plus it will get rid of all the color on my ends.

 

[AshCash]

The relaxed ends are going to look stingy unless you rod set them. So you can two strand twist the hair then rod the ends so that your ends curl and blend with the textured part. I agree that when the ends get too stringy you will want to chop them off.

When I do a braid out I secure the ends with a magnetic snap on roller (tip from Hairlove's Album). My ends stay curled until the next wash. Unfortunately I have not gotten down the the twist out yet.

 

[InNeedofHairapy]

50 weeks post and counting! I'm almost at my year end. I'm very tempted to chop the rest off. I'm still being lazy about attempting kinky twists or braiding my hair, but when I finally do it (which I may attempt this weekend, seeing as how my babies are coming soon) I will wear the braids or twists for a while, and when I take them out to re-do them, I will THEN do the BC.

Until then, I'm still deep conditioning, still moisturizing, and still wearing my protective (and boring) styles.

I've decided that I'm going to stay natural at least until I've weaned the babies (after a year) so that will give me two years transitioning/natural and my hair should be in tip top shape at the end of that time...depending on how I feel, I'll relax again or stay natural....I just know that no chemicals will touch this scalp for another year at least.