Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

Today is going to a a "Fancy" wash day.

Prepoo, Chelate, Moisturizing Poo w/ carboxylic acid, Reconstructive Treatment, and DC w/ steam.

Time for some curl popping :)
 
I'm 10 months post, now. My natural texture is becoming more prominent. My relaxed length appears more noticeably stringy. A look I despise. For the most part, I try to keep my hair textured. Amazingly, my hair still retains its curly texture, if I air dry or diffuse.

However, the left side is more curly than the right. I have been experimenting with more protective styles other than the bun. I work in an office so I have to keep my hair as professional looking as possible. The good news is that this position is "temporary" then I can do all the protective styles I want, my favorite being two braids! I am stunned by how much I miss my natural curls. I look at pictures and think "Was you crazy?" Next time I get a hair up my behind (no pun intended) I will break out the flat iron instead of the relaxer!
 
GettingKinky said:
After getting my hair flat ironed yesterday and re-remembering how much I like smooth, silky, bouncy hair makes me question going natural.

But then when I see my potential coils, I want those too.

Maybe I can be a straight hair natural. Knowing my luck I will end up natural with heat damage and messed up coils.
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No, you will probably be just fine. That is the way to go when you desire both textures. I was so afraid of heat damage but wanted to wear my hair straight, I also had an issue with applying heat and then my hair reverting, just didn't want to put in the time. So I decided to relax. As straight as my hair is with the relaxer, I still have some curl to my hair if I don't blow dry.
I am amazed that there could still be any curl left behind the relaxer. I think if my curls can still surface through that, my natural texture would have survived an occasional blow drying and flat iron.

I am speaking for my own hair, i know that everyone is different but when I would apply heat my hair was just fine. And I see that other naturals are fine as well.
 
I have curly relaxed hair too! People have been complimenting my natural hair as a relaxed girl for years :lol:


kellistarr said:
No, you will probably be just fine. That is the way to go when you desire both textures. I was so afraid of heat damage but wanted to wear my hair straight, I also had an issue with applying heat and then my hair reverting, just didn't want to put in the time. So I decided to relax. As straight as my hair is with the relaxer, I still have some curl to my hair if I don't blow dry. I am amazed that there could still be any curl left behind the relaxer. I think if my curls can still surface through that, my natural texture would have survived an occasional blow drying and flat iron. I am speaking for my own hair, i know that everyone is different but when I would apply heat my hair was just fine. And I see that other naturals are fine as well.
Click to expand...
 
SuchaLady said:
I have curly relaxed hair too! People have been complimenting my natural hair as a relaxed girl for years :lol:
Click to expand...

I stepped on the elevator the other day and had my hair up in a messy/curly bun and this little girl, who was about 13 with very relaxed hair, exclaimed "Naturally curly hair," when I stepped on. I wanted to laugh! I thought, she would be so surprised if I were to take this bun down!!! :grin:
 
kellistarr said:
I'm 10 months post, now. My natural texture is becoming more prominent. My relaxed length appears more noticeably stringy. A look I despise. For the most part, I try to keep my hair textured. Amazingly, my hair still retains its curly texture, if I air dry or diffuse. However, the left side is more curly than the right. I have been experimenting with more protective styles other than the bun. I work in an office so I have to keep my hair as professional looking as possible. The good news is that this position is "temporary" then I can do all the protective styles I want, my favorite being two braids! I am stunned by how much I miss my natural curls. I look at pictures and think "Was you crazy?" Next time I get a hair up my behind (no pun intended) I will break out the flat iron instead of the relaxer!
Click to expand...

me too..... i relaxed in december after 5 years natural...(6 without relaxer).
here i am starting all over. im now 9 months post virgin relaxer ....

i should have tried another flat iron before relaxing. anyway, its done its toi late .
 
I know I said I was going to try to get over the mindset that wants smooth edges, but I'm having a hard time. I keep air drying my hair in two ponytails to get the edges to lay down nicely. I know I may be sacrificing future curls, but I just can't let my edges go all rough and frizzy.
 
GettingKinky said:
I know I said I was going to try to get over the mindset that wants smooth edges, but I'm having a hard time. I keep air drying my hair in two ponytails to get the edges to lay down nicely. I know I may be sacrificing future curls, but I just can't let my edges go all rough and frizzy.
Click to expand...

It won't go away :lol: I can't walk around with fuzzy hair. It's not cute.
 
GettingKinky said:
I know I said I was going to try to get over the mindset that wants smooth edges, but I'm having a hard time. I keep air drying my hair in two ponytails to get the edges to lay down nicely. I know I may be sacrificing future curls, but I just can't let my edges go all rough and frizzy.
Click to expand...
I think I responded to one of you posts about this previously. I just finished my transition earlier this month. 22 days natural woot woot. I think brushing my hair back through my year long transition definitely caused me to lose some curl definition in the front and on the sides. It looked a little wonky in the front and side areas the first two weeks. Surprisingly my curl pattern seems pretty uniform throughout my whole head. I believe that my hair is probably 4a throughout my whole head except for this weird two inch section that starts right behind my right ear down to my neck that is like silky 3bish texture (it's not heat damage). I say all this to say that as time has passed it has gotten more defined and curly in the front and on the sides.
 
Britt said:
Do it do it do it :grin:. I was nervous about bc'ing and I'm so glad I did it impromptu when I did.
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I totally agree with this. I had so much anxiety about cutting. I didn't think I was going to have any hair left. When in reality once it was cut. I still had a decent about of length. This is the shortest my hair has ever been, but by no means am I bald. I am definitely looking forward to when it grows longer. I'm am enjoying this cut for now it's giving me a chance to explore different techniques, and I think it's very manageable. I think if I would have transitioned for another year I would have been overwhelmed with the amount of hair, and that would set me up for failure. I tried to do my first twist out this morning and it was a failure, however I did not panic I just jumped in the shower and did my normal wash n go routine. Even though I had an epic fail at a twist out this morning it did not upset my morning to bad I was able to make it too work on time. This has truly been an ongoing learning experience. I'm thinking I will never be able to do a twist out though. I tried doing one several times through my transition and they were also epic fails. I will keep experimenting though.
 
GettingKinky said:
Sorry @honeybee. :smile:
How long have you been transitioning?
Click to expand...
GettingKinky, I made one year this July 4th! :yay: I want to go at least another year.

Britt said:
Do it do it do it :grin:. I was nervous about bc'ing and I'm so glad I did it impromptu when I did.
Click to expand...
Britt, I'm transitioning longer because, both other times I went natural, I relaxed around this time. I honestly didn't know what to do with it and this was before hair boards. Now I know I have to option to just skip the short natural hair phase. I think that, for me, that's the only way to make sure I stick with it. :ohwell:
 
Honey Bee said:
I'm transitioning longer because, both other times I went natural, I relaxed around this time. I honestly didn't know what to do with it and this was before hair boards. Now I know I have to option to just skip the short natural hair phase. I think that, for me, that's the only way to make sure I stick with it. :ohwell:
Click to expand...


I understand. You're doing good with your transition so you can keep hanging in there.
 
im getting SOOOOOO BORED with my hair ..
i really dont know what to do.
braids:no!
buns: ive been doing them but it breaks my hair to pull the edges.
wig: i wanted to wear it in Winter...

i need to stay professional for the office....
 
coolsista-paris said:
im getting SOOOOOO BORED with my hair .. i really dont know what to do. braids:no! buns: ive been doing them but it breaks my hair to pull the edges. wig: i wanted to wear it in Winter... i need to stay professional for the office....
Click to expand...

I just ordered 6 wigs for the winter. I'll be keeping my hair in cornrows and wigging it daily. Wigs give me the versatility I need to keep me from getting bored with my hair.
 
HappywithJC723 said:
I'm planning on doing this too. What did you get, if you don't mind me asking? :)
Click to expand...
I got several synthetic long wigs: Outré Paris (2 colors), Zenn (2 colors), Ruby, and Freetress Equal Danity. I love getting longer wigs because I can gradually cut them as they become ratty and turn them into something brand new before tossing them. They are also heat safe up to 400 degrees :yep: I experiment with color via wigs because I'm too afraid to color my real hair.
 
Tomorrow, I will be 22 months post. Planning on doing another mini chop at 2 years post in October. My stretched natural hair is at APL. Unstretched, a little past EL :ohwell:....

I too have a wig but I cannot seem to figure out how to get all my hair under it AND have it lay flat. My hair is grazing WL and fairly thick, so I am struggling..

Wig-wearers, any helpful tips? What is your braid pattern? Youtube videos that could help me? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
pearlific1 said:
I just ordered 6 wigs for the winter. I'll be keeping my hair in cornrows and wigging it daily. Wigs give me the versatility I need to keep me from getting bored with my hair.
Click to expand...

do you ever wear straight wigs?
i have a cute curly one but can only wear one style (maybe i just have no imagination to create different styles)...
III mine is a half wig, maybe thats why. ..

full wigs used to eat my edges :-(
 
pearlific1 said:
I got several synthetic long wigs: Outré Paris (2 colors), Zenn (2 colors), Ruby, and Freetress Equal Danity. I love getting longer wigs because I can gradually cut them as they become ratty and turn them into something brand new before tossing them. They are also heat safe up to 400 degrees :yep: I experiment with color via wigs because I'm too afraid to color my real hair.
Click to expand...

Getting longer wigs and cutting them gradually is an awesome idea! I never thought of that.
 
I think I may be a hair hoarder! I think I'm over 2 years post. I didn't have the intention of going natural, I just didn't have time to relax my hair so I never paid attention to what date I last had a relaxer.
Flat ironed my hair is BSL, but my natural hair is not quite APL. I should be ok with cutting the relaxed ends off, but my hair has not been this long since the 1990's and I don't want to let it go. My wash n go looks terrible because of all the straight ends, so do my twist outs. What's a girl to do? I love the length, but the heat from my twice monthly flatiron may be killings her!
 
Eugh so I really need to know how to stop cutting hair...I feel like I've been BCing for the past 2-3 weeks :nono: I keep finding straight ends and they're annoying the liiiife out of me, makes me wish I had just BCed with a razor from the getgo 2 years ago!

A before and after of my little issue. See that little asswipe straight-ie poking out? It's driving me nuts! :pullhair:
11.jpg
22.jpg


ASIDE from that, natural hair has been absolutely super. It really tangles so very little and I can handle my hair in much bigger sections now. The hair is naturally very 4a (except in the front) and shrinky and super coily. With condish the curls are bigger/more elongated, and the curls take bigger shapes very easily too if I fingercoil them. They stay easily too, I have yet to try gel. All in all I just love it...I do kinda wish it was thinner and way less of it, but so far so good! :lol:
 
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