Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

[ChristmasCarol]

Hey Smiley, I'm sure you'll do what's right for you. Hair should be FUN! If you're not feeling the transition right now, you can always try again at a later date. It'll probably be a little easier to transition if you change your mind in the future, with all that you've learned so far. Don't let the fact that you started the thread keep you from doing what's best for you right now. You've helped countless others by starting it.

 

[Jace032000]

Hey girl don't beat yourself up on this--I'm four months into transitioning and I'm already feeling that this isn't right for me. I have an appointment to have my weave tightened up today--but I'm heavily considering asking her for a mild relaxer to touch up my new growth--

In the end you're NOT selling out--it's your hair and things happen!

 

[Marhia]

Hey girl don't beat yourself up on this--I'm four months into transitioning and I'm already feeling that this isn't right for me. I have an appointment to have my weave tightened up today--but I'm heavily considering asking her for a mild relaxer to touch up my new growth--

In the end you're NOT selling out--it's your hair and things happen!

your right in the end is all about what you want to do with your own head. if it's not for you then its not for you. Good luck on whatever decision you make

 

[LaToya28]

I'm right there with you Smiley. (Our last relaxers are one day apart.) I tried to transition once before and gave up at 15 weeks. This time around I'm just taking it one week at a time. I set an initial goal of 24 weeks and I've achieved that, so anything beyond that is just icing on the cake. I think you are doing the right thing by getting the sew in so that you don't make any impulsive decisions. Whatever you decide we support you!

 

[Marhia]

oh and i'm 8 weeks post yay

 

[hair4romheaven]

22 weeks post today. I am wearing a full custom wig with my hair cornrowed underneath. I clarified and dc with qh cholesterol and and egg, EVOO no heat for 2 hours. rinsed then applied NTM leave in and BT to scalp. may sit under dryr becasue I'm cold I hate airdrying in winter. LOL..I may blow dry at the end of the month for a quick length check.

 

[pookaloo83]

10 weeks post!!

 

[Smiley79]

Oh my goodness...I wish I could hug each one of you. I'm at a conventions and just reading ur replies real quick from my phone but I sincerely thank each of you for the advice, kind words and warm support. Ill reply in full when I get home tonite. Thanks a million again!

 

[nakialovesshoes]

Happy New Year Ladies!!! I am 32 weeks post, Freakin 8 months!!!! Wow, time flies. I am kind of getting in a rut with my hair so I think this week I am going to get a sew in. I think it will help keep my hands out of my hair and I can stop flat ironing.

I'm right behind you. I was 31 weeks on Wednesday.

Hi everyone!

I am almost 7 months post-relaxer and have been enjoying my transition so far. Design Essentials products and my steamer have been life savers during this journey. Once a month, I go to the salon to give myself a break, and to do length checks. I went from APL to just past shoulder length during month 2 of my transition, and that greatly eased my wash days! I have been maintaining a length of about 7 inches in the back by trimming relaxed ends every 2 months.

I plan on going 18 months, so 11 more months to go! I will start celebrating in May when I reach 1 year!

Happy transitioning ladies!

Just curious, what Design Essentials products do you use? My jheri curl is by Design Essentials & I use their products as well.

Okay ladies, per my avatar, I've always maintained that I was "unofficially" transitioning. I'm getting weak y'all. I keep looking back at the pics of my curl & I really liked how my hair looked. It was still very thick. No one knew I had a curl unless I divulged.

Then I start having the single strand knots nightmares. That & the three different textures were why I went to the curl in the 1st place.

Please know I'm not here to discourage anyone. I just don't know if I'm fully convinced about my own transitioning.

However, I will be with y'all at least until the end of September. That's when I'm going to make my decision. Either I'll BKT at that point & continue transitioning or either I'll end my transition & get my curl retouched at almost 16 months post.

I think in my mind I already know that I'm going back to the curl but I remain in the thread hoping that you guys will motivate me to stay the course. I think my main problem is I don't even know why I decided to transition again in the first place.

Ladies, what are your reasons for transitioning? TIA...

 

[♦K.O♦]

I'll be 7 months this week!

 

[skegeesmb]

I'm still here. I cut my hair and I think 90% of the dye is cut out. My hair feels and looks a lot better. I'm really glad it's cold here, that is making the time go by fast for me. I'll see what happens when it gets warm again, I'm slowly making my way along to the year mark. Yay!

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Nakia and Scorpimini, I am right with you guys at 8 months. Yay for us!

When I first joined the forum, I figured I'd continue to texlax every 3 or 4 months. I never really thought of going completely natural. Then I saw how much thicker, healthier and longer my hair could be if I stopped using relaxers entirely - and that was that. I wear my hair straight (or stretched) 100% of the time. That way I don't have to worry about knots or tangles. I did BKT treatments after months 5 and 6 and it has made the last 3 months a breeze. I can flatiron every 2 weeks w/o worry about heat damage and I've retained all the hair I've grown over the past 4 months. The key to my transition and race to MBL is keeping my hair tangle-free and moisturized at ALL times. That means no braid-outs, no twist out's, no scrunch and go's, no rod sets, etc. All those styles require products my hair doesn't like and I'm left with tangles on day 2.

Before anyone decides to relax, I'd urge you to consider a BKT treatment. If your hair is healthy, it can help get you over the hump. You can style your hair as though it were a bone-straight relaxer even while transitioning. Here are a couple pics of my latest "swang":

Keeping my hair straight lets me forget I'm transitioning.

 

[Smiley79]

Wow, Sipp, your hair looks beautiful. I'll research the board about that...I don't even know what that is.

 

[Smiley79]

Oh, the Keratin thing....honestly, it's just not in my budget, but you hair does look gorgeous and it's got that "swangg" lol.

 

[Smiley79]

Great progress ladies!!!! It's nice to see you all hangin' in there week after week!!! Keep it up. And welcome to any newcomers.

 

[Ltown]

Nakia and Scorpimini, I am right with you guys at 8 months. Yay for us!

When I first joined the forum, I figured I'd continue to texlax every 3 or 4 months. I never really thought of going completely natural. Then I saw how much thicker, healthier and longer my hair could be if I stopped using relaxers entirely - and that was that. I wear my hair straight (or stretched) 100% of the time. That way I don't have to worry about knots or tangles. I did BKT treatments after months 5 and 6 and it has made the last 3 months a breeze. I can flatiron every 2 weeks w/o worry about heat damage and I've retained all the hair I've grown over the past 4 months. The key to my transition and race to MBL is keeping my hair tangle-free and moisturized at ALL times. That means no braid-outs, no twist out's, no scrunch and go's, no rod sets, etc. All those styles require products my hair doesn't like and I'm left with tangles on day 2.

Before anyone decides to relax, I'd urge you to consider a BKT treatment. If your hair is healthy, it can help get you over the hump. You can style your hair as though it were a bone-straight relaxer even while transitioning. Here are a couple pics of my latest "swang":

Keeping my hair straight lets me forget I'm transitioning.

Do you blow dry/hood dry your hair first, also what product are you using to flat iron?

 

[stephluvshair]

Hey ladies. I rarely post but I am getting so excited about my curlies (lol I wish i was 1 yr post already so I could chop) Anyways here are some nape texture shots and a rollerset I did this weekend



lol excuse the stuff on my neck ( i was doing a protein treatment with eggs and evoo)

 

[Shay72]

Looking at your nape Steph reminds me that my nape is like Type 1. No pattern, straight, and silky. Kinda weird to me when I definitely have 4A hair coming in everywhere else on my head.

 

[FlawedBeauty]

hey all. just wanted to pop my head to say im still goin. just a lil over three months now

 

[pookaloo83]

Hey ladies. I rarely post but I am getting so excited about my curlies (lol I wish i was 1 yr post already so I could chop) Anyways here are some nape texture shots and a rollerset I did this weekend



lol excuse the stuff on my neck ( i was doing a protein treatment with eggs and evoo)

Looks good. Do you flatiron your roots after the rollerset?

 

[tricie]

It so simple you'll hit your self in the head I swear.
You just sectin of your hair apply your leave in detanlge with a wide tooth comb, grasp a small section of hair as if your were going t brusk or use the comb attachment but instead use the concentrator (the narrow nossle) and blow dry your hair while slowly working from the root to tip. I have been using comb attachments and paddles brushes and loosing a ton of hair. I got the same results using this method. Just remember to detanlge and use small sections.

Thanks, Kiffany! May have to try this!

 

[lolascurls]

I've decided to start transitioning now! I am about 7 weeks post!
Why not, I figured!

 

[msbettyboop]

Bumping! Also peeps if you have not tried the tension blow dry method you are missing out. Enough said. I did a blow dry only tonight turning out great, no breakage using Smooth infusion.

Mummy's girl recommended this to me a few weeks ago. I'm going to try it when I wash my hair after I take out my braids

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Do you blow dry/hood dry your hair first, also what product are you using to flat iron?

Thanks ltown!

I think the key to a great flatiron job is DC'ing. I DC w/heat for 1 hour before I straighten.

If I want it as silky as these pics, I blowdry on low after I airdry about 70%. It's stretched while air-drying. I use about a quarter size Fantasia IC Straightening Serum/Heat Protectant for the blowdry. When I flatiron (using Maxiglide or FHI), I put a little more IC on the very ends - very little. If I use too much, the ends will look see-through and greasy. I only straighten the new growth to the root where I'm going to part my hair and through the crown and edges so it can lay over the rest of the hair and look really straight. If I were to part my hair in back, you could still see the waves at the roots! I think leaving the new growth wavy gives me way more volume. And I'm lazy.

I don't add any oils until after the 2nd day - then it looks flat and greasy, so I start bunning until the next cowash.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Oh, the Keratin thing....honestly, it's just not in my budget, but you hair does look gorgeous and it's got that "swangg" lol.

Honestly, the keratin treatments SAVE me money! I did them myself, so I only had to buy a large bottle of the product. ($100) I can get about 5 or 6 treatments out of one bottle. Even if I used it every other month, that would only break down to $100 for an entire year! A texlax in the salon would set me back at least $70 EACH TIME. I don't care if it cost $1000 - it's worth it! Beg, borrow, or steal...

Oh yeah, it will wear off in about 2 months or so, depending on how often you wash.

 

[Arian]

I'm excited about my first install of kinky twists this saturday. I'm thinking that being in the 2010 Braid Challenge will help me with my transition...I know it's going to take at least 2 years for my hair to fully grow out....

And so I wait....impatiently...

 

[SherylsTresses]

I'm 23 weeks post.

This week I airdried in the scarf method. My hair is styled in two curls in the front and a large plait in the back. At night, I moisturize from ends to roots using Silicon Mix Leave-In or a conditioner and seal with EVOO, baggy my ends, and use pincurls or satin foam for my front two curls. At work, I wear a black satin foam pillow curler on the end of my plait while I'm at work.

 

[Computer Blue]

Checking in 11 months post today. Still doing my same regimen with no problems. Washing/dcing in braids and rollersets with sedu-ed roots Time is really flying.

 

[beans4reezy]

10 Months post. I'm maintaning my hair with braids outs and pin ups. DC'ing twice a week is giving my hair the added strength it needs.

 

[grownwomanaz]

i shampoo every other week which could be my problem. especially since i work out 4-5 times a week!. could you explain this co-washing method??? ill try anything at this point to stop the itchiness. but on the bright side, my hair has grown! i havent straightened it to be sure but when i braid my hair at night, i can see that the braid length as definitely gotten longer =)

Co-washing is just when you use conditioner instead of shampoo and I use extra virgin coconut oil on my scalp when it's dry also my hair. Herbal Essence Hello Hydration and VO5 Moisture Milks are my favs and they are cheap and moisturizing.