Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

[havilland]

Just BC'd my big sister's hair last night. She transitioned for about a year and a half. Let me just say that her hair is beautiful. I was honored that she trusted only me to cut it. BUT...it was NOT easy. OMG!!

My sister and I are not the type to use the hair typing system because our hair doesn't perfectly fit in any one category. But for those who use the system, I would say that my sister's hair ranges from 3a to 4a. That's a HUGE range! So you can only imagine how difficult it was for me to cut her hair. Some sections were super curly and clumped together which made it easier to discern the natural hair from the relaxed hair. Other sections were big, loose waves and fuzzy waves. When I got to those sections all I could do was...

I'm pretty sure I was more excited than she was when I finally finished lol

But needless to say, we both shouted "It's over!!" at the same time, referring to the end of her transition. I gifted her with a strip from a nylon stocking that I had bought to tie my hair with. She used it to make her first ever HUGE curly puff. She has A LOT of hair lol It stretches to about an inch above APL in the back.

Her BC made me all the more excited to continue with my transition

no pics???? dang.......

 

[Rae81]

think im going to try a twist-n-curl, i want to rod my hair but i think a twist -n-curl might be easier

 

[SqrpioQutie]

i chickened out and never went to the appt i had with the natural stylist.... soooooooooooooo i still haven't had a trim.... i decided to straighten my hair for the weekend but went by the office prior to flat-ironing... i NEVER wear my hair just blown out so that was a conversation piece.... lol

so i came home and flat-ironed..... it took me about an hour because i needed to blow some parts out again (humidity is a beast)... but i did lower my flat-iron from 450 to 370.... i generally only do one pass because my blowdryer gets my hair pretty straight....

i sometimes wonder why i relied so heavily on relaxers....

eta: pics.... the first is my hair right after i washed.... this was the first time i really paid attention to the difference between the new growth and the relaxed ends.... the second is after i finished flat ironing... again, i really don't see why i thought i needed to maintain a relaxer...

 

[RemyRem]

RemyRem

I use curlformers and I also have about 4 text books to buy before September

I use lotta body 5:1 (water to lotta body), Kera care foam, wen styling cream, and ors twist and loc gel. I think you will enjoy them. I know I do

JJamiah And they come out really good? have any pic? I would love to see. I always wanted to try some wen products but maybe in a few months I will be able to get that (I'm becoming a PJ.. lol ).. and I have some motions styling foam. Maybe I could use that. I will see about the gel... b/c I wanna try out some of the aloe vera gel. Thanks for letting me know what products you use!

 

[JJamiah]

JJamiah And they come out really good? have any pic? I would love to see. I always wanted to try some wen products but maybe in a few months I will be able to get that (I'm becoming a PJ.. lol ).. and I have some motions styling foam. Maybe I could use that. I will see about the gel... b/c I wanna try out some of the aloe vera gel. Thanks for letting me know what products you use!

I have a dinosaur phone and have to transfer them later on to the computer then to this website. LOL

The motions styling foam should be good.

They come out GREAT. I love CURlformers I do. the set looks like the $65 I use to get at the salon. And it holds up well too. I want to learn optional styling to do with it other then pony's and wearing it out.

I am warning you don't become a PJ. Once you do, it's hard to get back over that mountain of products. I am a former one myself. My stash as a lot of styling products. I am doing fairly well with the other areas. yet, hubby and I agreed since I am paying cash for school, I need to better manage my funds.

 

[Napp]

wow after this way day session i dont think i want to deal with my hair in its natural state anymore. ive never seen my hair dread up so terribly since my very first transition.(and back then my hair was triple processed) the only thing i did differently is use CON argan oil shampoo and my hair turned into velcro strips from the root to midshaft. i deep conditioned it using my favorite conditioner which usually gives me good slip and i could not get a comb through my hair. then i had to pick apart each dread strand by stand. thankfully i didnt loose much hair but it is making me rethink the long term transitioning thing. my hair has just been acting a fool!

ive been looking at alot of transition threads and pictures and i just dont get how you ladies do it. it seem like everytime i transition i look fly for the first few months and then BAM my hair looks similar to a crackhead's

 

[Sade18]

no pics???? dang.......

Lol sorry. I forgot to take photos. Besides I don't want to post photos without her permission

 

[Leslie_C]

Every.day.this.week. has been a bad hair day! LOL...I think I need to put it back in twists for a week or two (put it in time out lol). Funny thing is, dryness was a big problem for me, now its so soft it wont even hold a style for crap lol. It just puffs out and any definition or curl falls out when I step outside. It feels soft and fluffy like a cloud or feather pillow or someting though lol. My hair is very cottony/fluffy...hard to get softness AND hold...is that possible or is it an oxymoron?

 

[shortt29]

I just washed and detangled...left Vatika oil and AVJ in it and braided it in 4 sections. Prepared my henna mix with black tea and gso. Will henna, DC and ponytail roller set tomorrow. Not sure if I will flat iron my roots or not yet

 

[Rae81]

Here is a pic of my hair hopefully u can see how one side is wavy and the other side is straight. It looks funny when I'm wearing my buns. Also the side that's wavy is shinier and healthier looking the other side is so dull looking.

Sent from my HTC EVO 3D

 

[The Princess]

Another post

 

[The Princess]

i chickened out and never went to the appt i had with the natural stylist.... soooooooooooooo i still haven't had a trim.... i decided to straighten my hair for the weekend but went by the office prior to flat-ironing... i NEVER wear my hair just blown out so that was a conversation piece.... lol

so i came home and flat-ironed..... it took me about an hour because i needed to blow some parts out again (humidity is a beast)... but i did lower my flat-iron from 450 to 370.... i generally only do one pass because my blowdryer gets my hair pretty straight....

i sometimes wonder why i relied so heavily on relaxers....

eta: pics.... the first is my hair right after i washed.... this was the first time i really paid attention to the difference between the new growth and the relaxed ends.... the second is after i finished flat ironing... again, i really don't see why i thought i needed to maintain a relaxer...

Your hair look really straight. Good Job. What your Regimen and curl pattern

 

[Z-kitty]

wow after this way day session i dont think i want to deal with my hair in its natural state anymore. ive never seen my hair dread up so terribly since my very first transition.(and back then my hair was triple processed) the only thing i did differently is use CON argan oil shampoo and my hair turned into velcro strips from the root to midshaft. i deep conditioned it using my favorite conditioner which usually gives me good slip and i could not get a comb through my hair. then i had to pick apart each dread strand by stand. thankfully i didnt loose much hair but it is making me rethink the long term transitioning thing. my hair has just been acting a fool!

ive been looking at alot of transition threads and pictures and i just dont get how you ladies do it. it seem like everytime i transition i look fly for the first few months and then BAM my hair looks similar to a crackhead's

I hope you didnt try to wash your transitioning hair loose.... After about 8 months in I could no longer do that or my hair would mat so bad.

 

[Sade18]

wow after this way day session i dont think i want to deal with my hair in its natural state anymore. ive never seen my hair dread up so terribly since my very first transition.(and back then my hair was triple processed) the only thing i did differently is use CON argan oil shampoo and my hair turned into velcro strips from the root to midshaft. i deep conditioned it using my favorite conditioner which usually gives me good slip and i could not get a comb through my hair. then i had to pick apart each dread strand by stand. thankfully i didnt loose much hair but it is making me rethink the long term transitioning thing. my hair has just been acting a fool!

ive been looking at alot of transition threads and pictures and i just dont get how you ladies do it. it seem like everytime i transition i look fly for the first few months and then BAM my hair looks similar to a crackhead's

I had an issue like that when I tried the One 'n' Only Argan Oil Shampoo. My hair hated it!!!! And my biggest error was shampooing with my hair loose. That caused so many tangles and knots that could've been avoided had I sectioned my hair off properly. Luckily, I DC'd with my trusty conditioner. I sat down and had to detangle every knot.

This issue is not the fault of your natural hair, it just reacted naturally to the product. The product caused your hair to do what it did. So now you know not to use that product again. I know detangling must've been a hassle though.

 

[SqrpioQutie]

Your hair look really straight. Good Job. What your Regimen and curl pattern

thank you!!.... i have no specific regimen really.... i co-wash everyday unless my hair is straightened... then i wear a wet bun....

when i straighten, i do a double shampoo (suave clarifying and HE drama clean) and then i use either garnier fructis 3 minute undo (like yesterday) or whatever other moisturizing conditioner i have on hand.... i'll use a leave-in (yesterday it was beautiful textures tangle taming leave-in), detangle (which generally is like 2 minutes worth of work) and then blow it out with the handheld with the comb attachment on medium... oh, and i use the smallest comb attachment.... when i'm ready to flat iron, i section, do a a quick second blow dry on high with paul mitchell super skinny serum and then flat iron using a light spritz of heat protectant (silk elements)....

the only thing that's involved is the whole straightening process, which is why i don't do it often.... lol

i probably need to do a protein treatment at some point in the near future but i admittedly haven't put too much thought into it....

eta: i forgot the curl pattern question... if i were to guess, i'd say 3c/4a but it'd be a pure t guess.... if i ever make it to the natural stylist, maybe i'll get a definite answer... lol

 

[SqrpioQutie]

wow after this way day session i dont think i want to deal with my hair in its natural state anymore. ive never seen my hair dread up so terribly since my very first transition.(and back then my hair was triple processed) the only thing i did differently is use CON argan oil shampoo and my hair turned into velcro strips from the root to midshaft. i deep conditioned it using my favorite conditioner which usually gives me good slip and i could not get a comb through my hair. then i had to pick apart each dread strand by stand. thankfully i didnt loose much hair but it is making me rethink the long term transitioning thing. my hair has just been acting a fool!

ive been looking at alot of transition threads and pictures and i just dont get how you ladies do it. it seem like everytime i transition i look fly for the first few months and then BAM my hair looks similar to a crackhead's

i'm really wary of some shampoos - especially those containing oils... they just don't do well for my hair for some reason.... i don't have the same issue with conditioners that are heavy in oil though.... my biggest issue is with olive oil... at 9 months post, i still find that my HE drama clean does the best for me.... i get clean without feeling stripped....

 

[JJamiah]

I think for my September hair style instead of a cornrow updo, I'll get a weave. Short hair style and funky for a month

Then I will break it down and wear a half wig so I can keepup with my weekly DCing

 

[The Princess]

I had to place my silicon mix shampoo in the corner for stripping my hair so bad this midweek shampoo.

I think I'm going to wash my hair with WEN 613 and DC with ----haven't made up my mind yet.

I purchased Motions silk leave in conditioner and I like it alot. I used it on my second day bun. I just sprayed my whole head and my bun and put my scarf back on. The next morning my natural hair was soft and laid flat with waves. I didn't have to use any gel or anything. It's apart of my rotation.

I been using Fantasia IC styling gel. I have a love/hate with it. I like that it defines my curls instantly and it has a good hold and gives me deep waves when I bun. However I hate that it flakes when I use it on second day hair. It turns white and ugly. Even if I use any other conditioner to moisturize, the gel in my hair makes it flakes up.


So I only use the gel on freshly clean hair.

 

[Lanea87]

Lol sorry. I forgot to take photos. Besides I don't want to post photos without her permission

Ask her please, we dont want her face just her hair

Here is a pic of my hair hopefully u can see how one side is wavy and the other side is straight. It looks funny when I'm wearing my buns. Also the side that's wavy is shinier and healthier looking the other side is so dull looking.

Sent from my HTC EVO 3D

Have you clarified?
That is soooo weird that one said is wavy and the other side doesnt match iterplexed

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Hey ladies, I cheated today and cut a tiny bit of relaxed hair from the left nape. It feels good to finally see my texture. I can monitor it now and see what products my hair likes best overall, but especially that section. OK, I should've never done that because now I'm anxious. Lord someone keep the Scissors away!

Here it is:

 

[Napp]

I hope you didnt try to wash your transitioning hair loose.... After about 8 months in I could no longer do that or my hair would mat so bad.

I had an issue like that when I tried the One 'n' Only Argan Oil Shampoo. My hair hated it!!!! And my biggest error was shampooing with my hair loose. That caused so many tangles and knots that could've been avoided had I sectioned my hair off properly. Luckily, I DC'd with my trusty conditioner. I sat down and had to detangle every knot.

This issue is not the fault of your natural hair, it just reacted naturally to the product. The product caused your hair to do what it did. So now you know not to use that product again. I know detangling must've been a hassle though.

i'm really wary of some shampoos - especially those containing oils... they just don't do well for my hair for some reason.... i don't have the same issue with conditioners that are heavy in oil though.... my biggest issue is with olive oil... at 9 months post, i still find that my HE drama clean does the best for me.... i get clean without feeling stripped....

i wash my hair in 2 sections. maybe ill do it in 4 next time.

ive never had success with sulfate free shampoo and i think that is the culprit.


oh fyi i think i might be the only one in here who is not transitioning to "natural". I'm not ready to be natural yet because i know i will have to BC and im just not ready to deal with it untamed... im only 5 months post and frustrated as heck! It was the same way each time i transitioned.

Im just letting my NG grow out so i can try the new keratin treatments. I'm just waiting for it to come in the mail so hopefully this will be the last bad wash day i have in a while

 

[The Princess]

Hey ladies, I cheated today and cut a tiny bit of relaxed hair from the left nape. It feels good to finally see my texture. I can monitor it now and see what products my hair likes best overall, but especially that section. OK, I should've never done that because now I'm anxious. Lord someone keep the Scissors away!

Here it is:

Your curls are beautiful.

I cut a patch in the middle of my head. I also cut some inches off. It feel so good.

 

[The Princess]

Anyone tried any of the products from the new Cantu sheabutter natural line.

Below is a link that was started a few months back. http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=609173

Just wondering if anyone transitioners tried it out.

 

[GeorginaSparks]

phone pics of some of my natural roots!!

ignore the weave lol

 

[SqrpioQutie]

oh yall.... i went to a jazz festival today/tonight and why oh why did i think that the humidity wouldn't kill my hair?!?!?.... i started out with the cutest curly ponytail on top of my head with a long curly parted bang (or would that just be considered the side, idk).... either way, it was really cute and i went skipping out of here like i was gonna do something... my friend even tried to call it out as a clip in since i told her i was gonna skip all the work and wear a half wig...

anyhoo... i expected the curls to fall... what i didn't anticipate was the rain that fell and the resulting almost immediate reversion of my natural hair... my guess is that i reverted so easily because 1, i've never rocked with an abundance of completely natural hair and 2, i flat ironed using less heat than normal for me...

tomorrow, i will be rocking a bun.... a cute one, but a bun nonetheless.... lol

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Your curls are beautiful.

I cut a patch in the middle of my head. I also cut some inches off. It feel so good.

Thank you! It's the first time I've ever seen them

 

[havilland]

i wash my hair in 2 sections. maybe ill do it in 4 next time.

ive never had success with sulfate free shampoo and i think that is the culprit.


oh fyi i think i might be the only one in here who is not transitioning to "natural". I'm not ready to be natural yet because i know i will have to BC and im just not ready to deal with it untamed... im only 5 months post and frustrated as heck! It was the same way each time i transitioned.

Im just letting my NG grow out so i can try the new keratin treatments. I'm just waiting for it to come in the mail so hopefully this will be the last bad wash day i have in a while

Good luck with the keratin .......to me, heat straightened is still natural. hang out with us!

 

[SqrpioQutie]

i just made my first whipped shea butter.... neato.... then i proceeded to twist my hair into 5 sections using my new whipped butter and so far i'm pleased... feels nice and moisturized.... can't wait to see how it feels when i take it down and then put it into my bun (cuz i wasn't playing about that whole bun for day 2 of this jazz festival)....

i want to try a pomade next... how do you make those??

maybe i'll make my flaxseed gel today too.... i've been sitting on this for a minute...

 

[Lanea87]

Bunning......still
ETA....yea it's fake

 

[SqrpioQutie]

sooooooooo i ended up not bunning and did a side low ponytail that was actually sorta cute with a twist going back into it.... however after experimenting with my new whipped shea butter this morning i sorta hated how my hair felt (i hate using a lot of products in my hair when it's straight) so i decided i'd wash and attempt a twist-out.... plus, i bought the jane carter sample pack when i was in target this morning so i was anxious to see if it was any good....

so, after messing with all of that, i twisted my hair and pinned it up... lo and behold, i had left a little piece out... so the question was add it into a twist orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr experiment????

experiment it is!!!

so i cut it.... ... from my measurement (yardstick) i cut just over a 3 inch piece of hair (1st pic).... the remaining curl stretches to the bottom of my neck (2nd and 3rd pics)... the flash went crazy on that last pic - sorry!!!

and i sorta liked the shampoo, the conditioner idk.... LOVE the wrap and roll thus far as well as the curl defining cream.... i'll know better in the morning...