Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

[MummysGirl]

You're learning about your natural hair... give it time ok?
I think you should try blow drying (concentrating on your new growth) with the tension method (http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=6041895&postcount=33) on low heat before flat ironing.
Sometimes, do curly styles which won't require your new growth to behave (as long as it's moisturised and strong).

I'm 13 weeks post and I took out my braids yesterday, did a pre-poo, washed, protein and DC and air dried. Ok so far. I woke up this morning to flat iron so I could do a length check and my NG basically fell over itself laughing. The baby bliss flat iron didn't straighten it. After half an hour I was ready to cry and almost changed my mind about transitioning. After I gave up the flat ironing, I put on some coconut oil and tied a scarf round my head to flatten it. If I have only a couple of inches of NG and it's almost impossible to manage, what will happen when it's all natural .

Pic 1 is my hair after detangling. Pic 2 is my hair after DC.

 

[Khaiya]

10 weeks post tomorrow.

 

[Smiley79]

Bumping and Keeping the thread alive......

Sorry I've been away from the forum lately; just encouraging everyone to hang in there. I just took out my box braids; I'm gonna let my hair lounge around for a couple weeks and then I'm doing a sew in to help me get through this phase. Today makes exactly 22 weeks post relaxing. Happy Hair Growth Ladies!!!

 

[tuffCOOKiE]

So like, I've been transitioning for about a year and two months now.

I went to the salon for a wash and set and. ladies, I think I may have to do a big chop. I dunno why I went to the salon but the OTHER thing is, I think my natural roots (about 5 in) are heat damaged.

Any tips on how to fix heat damage??

 

[beans4reezy]

I dunno why I went to the salon but the OTHER thing is, I think my natural roots (about 5 in) are heat damaged.

Any tips on how to fix heat damage??

Have you tried a protien treatment?

As for myself, I am 41 weeks post. I am not going natural, but from bone straight to texturized hair without the BC. Lately I have been noticing increased breakage between the line of demarcation where the bone straight and relaxed hair meet and the only change has been replacing my aphogee 2 min for Mane and Tail. I am going back to aphogee because I do not believe that MNT has enough protien for my hair that is so many weeks post. I am going to get my hair braided soon and completely leave it alone as far as manipulation and we'll see what happens from there.

 

[AmyRose92]

I'm 37 weeks post my last touch up and I'm at an information overload. Looking through a lot of threads this week alone is giving me a headache.
Plus my new growth is starting to make my mom angry (I'm still a minor so she wants to control how I do my hair) since I don't want to flat iron every other day. I'm thinking of flat-ironing today since I have somewhere important to go to tonight and a wedding tomorrow. Sometimes I feel like I just want to BC or relax and get it over with. The two textures are really difficult to work with

 

[nakialovesshoes]

So like, I've been transitioning for about a year and two months now.

I went to the salon for a wash and set and. ladies, I think I may have to do a big chop. I dunno why I went to the salon but the OTHER thing is, I think my natural roots (about 5 in) are heat damaged.

Any tips on how to fix heat damage??

It was always my understanding that heat damage was irreversible. Of course I could be wrong. Let me know if you do find a way to reverse it. The last time I transitioned, I didn't know that you could actually straighten your hair to the point that it wouldn't revert so I was getting my hair burned weekly. I had all types of straight pieces after I BCed.

Now I'm not straightening at all. I don't want any straight pieces. The only way I'll get it flat ironed is when I BKT next year. And at least the BKT will protect it from being damaged.

I'm sorry this happened to your hair & I really hope you find a resolution.

 

[hair4romheaven]

approaching 20 weeks post in about a week. My NG has changed its manageable and softer. I thought I was 4b to the t now I don't know. weird huh? When (how many weeks post) & how should I post a texture shot to find out my texture?

 

[Smiley79]

That's funny cuz now my NG is acting real fiesty lately, lol. I'm thinking it's crying out for some cowashes maybe...I've never been much of a cowash fan but I'll try it out for a couple weeks and see if I notice a difference. Can't wait for my sew-in next month so I don't even have to deal with Miss. New Growth! LOL

 

[Bun Mistress]

Today is a first for me I co washed (yea I know where have I been?) and air dried with without twisting or anything. Well it's still drying as I type. I have to say I'm pleased. Even with the slow grow my hair is coming along nicely. It seems like my dry natural hair is a loose 4a wave or S.
This is going to be a long transition.....talking years.

 

[Black Hoya Chick]

21 months post. bunning and chillin lol

 

[Ltown]

14 months post still bunning!

 

[LoveCraze]

Still hanging. Lately I've noticed that my hair justs gets bigger and bigger. I mean I like it big but Dang! LOL. I find myself with the urge to tame it somehow. All this from a thin head I've been plagued with for as long as I can remember.

 

[moonglowdiva]

My 12 year old daughter is transitioning back to natural. She was natural 12 years and decided in May to give relaxers a try. She and I agreed that being natural was better for her. So she is 12 weeks post I think. At any rate, a bc is not an option because I do not want the children to tease her so we are being patient and just growing the relax hair out.

 

[KBA]

I'm 13 weeks post and I took out my braids yesterday, did a pre-poo, washed, protein and DC and air dried. Ok so far. I woke up this morning to flat iron so I could do a length check and my NG basically fell over itself laughing. The baby bliss flat iron didn't straighten it. After half an hour I was ready to cry and almost changed my mind about transitioning. After I gave up the flat ironing, I put on some coconut oil and tied a scarf round my head to flatten it. If I have only a couple of inches of NG and it's almost impossible to manage, what will happen when it's all natural .

Pic 1 is my hair after detangling. Pic 2 is my hair after DC.

Hang in there! I've found air drying doesn't work as well for me as roller setting or a quick blow dry to stretch my new growth. Not everything works for everyone, but it took me some experimenting as well. I'm about 13-14 weeks.

 

[tigereyes83]

I'm so happy i found this thread. I'm 15 months post. I have been in weaves 95% of the time. The relaxer keeps on breaking off. My hair is straggly at the ends so a few week ago I gave myself a trim and went back into a sew in. To be honest I don't even know how to deal with my natural hair. I just keep on avoiding it and weaving it back up. I'm changing things up quite a bit next year.

 

[Serenity--x]

I'm 13 months into my transition, and I think I am going to go crazy !!
I have toooo much shrinkage, it's soooo thick and I feel like I'm going nowhere .

 

[Smiley79]

Wow, so many great uodates and stories. Keep it up ladies!!!

 

[PinkyD]

I was detangling...carefully ...with conditioner in and I heard the dreaded SNAP! maybe three times. I realize I have to be carefull when I get to the are where the corners of my four parted sections meet. It's easy to accidentally pull a strand or two from another section (thats clipped up) and snapping off hair. Each strand is so precious, I looka t 5 inches of snapped off hair and I think that was a year's worth of growth sigh.....

 

[msbettyboop]

Thanks so much for the link mummy's girl. I've always been terrified of heat and didn't want to blow dry but I guess once every 2 months isn't all that bad.

You're learning about your natural hair... give it time ok?
I think you should try blow drying (concentrating on your new growth) with the tension method (http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=6041895&postcount=33) on low heat before flat ironing.
Sometimes, do curly styles which won't require your new growth to behave (as long as it's moisturised and strong).

 

[nicole0216]

I have been w/o a relaxer since 7/5/09 and it is a continuing struggle. I love the transition because i know that it is healthy hair but there are times when i want my hair to flow and not have to worry about it. I am going to keep transitioning and I hope i will have some of you ladies support cause I need it.

 

[Bun Mistress]

product rave time!!!
So in the past (relaxed r natural) I could not blow dry straighten my hair. Well yesterday I was determined to stop paying for this.

I went to the salon two weeks ago and they used the Aveda smooth line and I had the easiest comb out ever. So I bought the trial size and finally tried it. I used the style prep smoother and gloosing straigthern then I paddle brushed my hair dry. I straigthen with my maxiglide (with pins) and then did one pass with my GHD with Salon results.

All this to say if you are looked for a good detailing/straigthening line. Try it, they are selling the trial stll.

 

[Shay72]

product rave time!!!
So in the past (relaxed r natural) I could not blow dry straighten my hair. Well yesterday I was determined to stop paying for this.

I went to the salon two weeks ago and they used the Aveda smooth line and I had the easiest comb out ever. So I bought the trial size and finally tried it. I used the style prep smoother and gloosing straigthern then I paddle brushed my hair dry. I straigthen with my maxiglide (with pins) and then did one pass with my GHD with Salon results.

All this to say if you are looked for a good detailing/straigthening line. Try it, they are selling the trial stll.

Honestly I'm not sure I will ever straighten my hair again. No interest at this point but this is good to know. I have the Sabino Moisture Block and I hate it.

 

[pookaloo83]

Tried a bantu knot out today and it was a failure. Not only that, but I woke up to find it was a rainy day. So poof city! I'm at APL right now. I'm thinking about cutting it into a bob.

 

[MoniintheMiddle]

Well I am one year post as of 12/19 but I am not going to post pics until I am fully natural. I usually wear my hair pinned up with the front straigtened. Sometimes I look at these relaxed ends and grab the scissors...it's like trying to be talked down from a ledge

I have been doing mini chops along the way so I have a good 5.5 inches of newgrowth and maybe 4 inches of relaxer (well, until i wash today because I'm gonna "trim" some more

 

[SherylsTresses]

I'm 21 weeks post

Transitioners, how often do you flat iron your roots?

Last weekend, I rollerset and flat iron my roots. The results were not so flattering b/c I used too much leave-in and my tresses looked overmoisturized and thin. I want to rollerset and flat iron again next weekend and was wondering what you guys suggest before I put heat to my roots for the second weekend in a row. erplexed

 

[Smiley79]

I've been feeling the same way lately...and shame on me since I started this thread! LOL. But now that I've experienced more growth...I am in extreme need of retaining moisture for my hair and it just doesn't seem to work...it will work for a little bit and then I'm right back to straw dry hair. I sure hope things turn around....I've tried ACV rinses to get my porosity unbder control, i've tried more frequent cowashes, daily moisture, etc...I don't know anymore. We'll see how it goes. I'm hangin' in there though.

 

[destine2grow]

I am transitioning and I have no idea how to style my hair. It is growing out of a short cut. I tried a braid out but the braids would not stay. I tried a twist out it was just ok. I think I may have 2 buy some rods and gel and see how that work. Any suggestions?

 

[slim_thick]

Stay strong Ladies!! I'm 20 weeks post and I almost threw in the towel Friday night because my hair was so dry, brittle and the new growth was really bad. I shampoo, Conditioned with Pantene RNL: breakage defense and dc's with Garnier Fructis 3 min mask. This time, I applied the mask with my perm brush, the same way I would apply my relaxer. Then I applied the Pantene rnl conditioner to the length of my hair. Left it on for about 30 minutes with a plastic cap, combed out my roots and rinsed. My new growth was really soft and manageable this time. Blew dry my hair on low with a serum, and flat iron using coconut oil.

When I arrived to work this morning, everyone assumed I went to the salon or surrender to a relaxer. I will continue to apply all of conditioners this way for EVER! Good Luck, Happy Hair Growing.

 

[Bun Mistress]

I'm 21 weeks post

Transitioners, how often do you flat iron your roots?

Last weekend, I rollerset and flat iron my roots. The results were not so flattering b/c I used too much leave-in and my tresses looked overmoisturized and thin. I want to rollerset and flat iron again next weekend and was wondering what you guys suggest before I put heat to my roots for the second weekend in a row. erplexed

I try to only use heat twice a month. I don't flat iron inbetween but a silk scarf to lay down my edges is my best friend. I had to stop roller setting at month 4 b/c the results were horrid also no mater how much I detangled it never stayed straight.