Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

So no additional deep conditioning after the pre-poo deep conditioner @bklynbornNbred? I swear my hair is low porosity but Komaza's analysis indicates is normal to high. I beg to differ because it truly acts like it's low.

ETA: I sat under the steamer for 20 minutes last night before washing. I didn't use sulfate-free though so that might have defeated the pre-poo.
 
divachyk said:
@pelohello @flyygirlll2 thanks ladies. I will try to overnight tonight and see what happens because that foolishness I dealt with last night was exhausting. Did you shampoo & condition some more or just rinse out the conditioner like a cowash.
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I would rinse like a co-wash, but you could do either one. It sounds like your NG isnt getting enough mositure. Hopefully the conditioner that you use will be able to penetrate the hair shaft. When I was transitioning, I used HERBAL Essence, but after a while it stopped working. I really like tressume conditioner. I cant remember the name but I think it's called unruly curl; IDK
 
divachyk said:
So no additional deep conditioning after the pre-poo deep conditioner @bklynbornNbred? I swear my hair is low porosity but Komaza's analysis indicates is normal to high. I beg to differ because it truly acts like it's low.

ETA: I sat under the steamer for 20 minutes last night before washing. I didn't use sulfate-free though so that might have defeated the pre-poo.
Click to expand...
If you have time I would do both. Not on a regular basis but to get your hair back on track.

When was last time you clarified? When products aren't working it may help to start on clean slate.
 
divachyk said:
Ladies, I'm having a huge issue that I can't quite resolve that's gonna make or break this stretching possibly turned transition -- my hair clumps together and forms little dreads that I have to pick and pull apart. Most often, this is the source of my breakage no matter if I pick them apart when the hair is damp or dry. What causes this?
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That was a detangling issue for me. Have you thought about braids or Senegalese twists? You would constantly keep your hair stretched and will have less manipulation and maintenance.
 
divachyk said:
So no additional deep conditioning after the pre-poo deep conditioner @bklynbornNbred? I swear my hair is low porosity but Komaza's analysis indicates is normal to high. I beg to differ because it truly acts like it's low.

ETA: I sat under the steamer for 20 minutes last night before washing. I didn't use sulfate-free though so that might have defeated the pre-poo.
Click to expand...
I'm low porosity and the steam didn't work for me. Dry heat worked better, especially with product.
 
@pelohello @bklynbornNbred @shortdub78

Tried something new yesterday -
Overnight DCed for added moisture
Shampoo, DCed with heat
Upon rinsing out the conditioner, I finger detangled my hair
Applied a rinse out conditioner to detangle with a comb from tip to root
I did not run a comb back through the new growth when I got out of the shower
I combed the (relaxed) length some more to smooth it into ponies for drying

I returned to using the LOC method and that seemed to help

In feeling around in my new growth, it's super thick and coarse feeling but I don't feel any knots. My new technique seemed to reduce breakage but I am unsure what will happen come next wash day -- hope I don't have a bird's nest, matting or tangles at the roots.

The good news in all of this, my new growth seems forgiving where I don't need it properly detangled before putting water on it unlike my relaxed hair. So, I might have to just work with my new growth under running water and not touch it again after I'm out of the shower.

Sorry for the novel -- thanks for your help.

ETA:
So for anyone reading and struggling with breakage on wash day, I did majority of the combing of my relaxed length after my hair was in ponies. The ponies alleviated the stress on the line of demarcation. I hate I didn't think of this sooner. I had next to no breakage doing it this way.

This technique also shortened wash day tremendously since I wasn't fighting and battling the varying textures; I only worked with the relaxed hair which is a detangling breeze.
 
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@bklynbornNbred I put my hair up in a donut bun for the week so I will spritz it with SM moisture mist until Wed.

Wed night I will take down the bun and moisturize it really good and put it back in a bun until Fri night when it's time to wash.

I'd love to cowash mid-week but my hair hates it.
 
My hair never liked co washing either while transitioning.

You don't want to change too much at once but if the spritzing/moisturizing once a week is what you were doing before you may need to find a different product to use for the mid week moisturizing or change up how often you are doing it. See how it feels when you take the bun down.
 
@bklynbornNbred Cream moisturizers seem to cause buildup for whatever reason so I have fallen out of the habit of using them much.

I spritz 2x daily and have been for a while. The inner parts of my hair don't benefit much from the hydration when in a bun but it benefits from the lack of manipulation.

I usually heavy moisturize & seal with a cream mid-week.
 
Alright ladies, curiosity got the best of me so I took down my bun to feel the new growth and all of it felt great with the exception of a few dry patches. Best of all, I didn't have any dreads or matting. Score! I spritzed, applied cream moisturizer, jbco to the scalp, sealed and re-bunned. That wasn't bad at all and it wasn't too much manipulation so I just might do this nightly (or every other night) to ensure I'm getting down in the new growth to keep it hydrated.
 
My niece is transitioning and asked me a question that I simply could not answer, so I thought I would post it here for greater feedback. Currently, she is 28 weeks post relaxer and her hair doesn't look like it has any new growth. She sent me 4,692 pictures of her hair in various states (wet, dry, free of product) and in every shot it all looks the same from root to tip - wavy. She keeps asking me, "Where's the new growth? How do I know what to cut off if there isn't any discernable new growth?" Honestly, I was at a loss for words.

She began relaxing when she turned 18 years old (because had she done it as a minor, her mother would've broken her arm in 8 different places before assaulting the person who sold it to her). Her objective at the time was to obtain bone straight hair, especially the roots, that was easy to straighten and style. Before relaxing, her hair, IMO, was 3a with bit of 3b. For almost two decades, she's had bone straight roots with wavy midshafts and ends. She would get a touch up every 12 to 16 weeks when her roots began to "wave up". Now, it's all wavy and she has no idea what to do...and I have no idea what to tell her. Any suggestions?
 
Sounds like she has a weak curling pattern. It doesn't sound like she has kinky hair? She may have to wait longer if she has silky hair + weak curling. Waves are harder to see, she should give it at least a full year. I have weak curling in the front and top (lazy waves), I'll attach a wet and dry picture of my 7 month transition so that she can have an idea. My hair definitely isn't 3a/3b nor silky (it's wiry, mostly 3c/4a) so I can only imagine how her hair type and texture will just not be easily visible while transitioning, if my top/front kinda wasn't. It'd help to see a pic or two of her hair to be sure, but I'm almost positive that it's just her texture and curl pattern.

Also, is she straightening her hair? If so, do remind her that she may be heat damaging it or weakening her waves further. If she's heat styling she may want to give it up until fully natural so she won't have doubts about her growth.

Top photo is wet hair, bottom is dry at 7 months transitioning. Only the top of my hair is like this, the rest are 4a/3c curls, no waves.
E2pHGsgp
 
19 months post since the other day.... I been keeping my hair straight mostly since every time I try to do something different, the diffence between my thick roots and thinner ends doesn't look right to me . The humidity and /orthe deep conditioner I been using these past couple weeks have been making the natural part of my hair frizz up while the rest stays straight
 
Amarilles said:
Sounds like she has a weak curling pattern. It doesn't sound like she has kinky hair? She may have to wait longer if she has silky hair + weak curling. Waves are harder to see, she should give it at least a full year. I have weak curling in the front and top (lazy waves), I'll attach a wet and dry picture of my 7 month transition so that she can have an idea. My hair definitely isn't 3a/3b nor silky (it's wiry, mostly 3c/4a) so I can only imagine how her hair type and texture will just not be easily visible while transitioning, if my top/front kinda wasn't. It'd help to see a pic or two of her hair to be sure, but I'm almost positive that it's just her texture and curl pattern.

Also, is she straightening her hair? If so, do remind her that she may be heat damaging it or weakening her waves further. If she's heat styling she may want to give it up until fully natural so she won't have doubts about her growth.

Top photo is wet hair, bottom is dry at 7 months transitioning. Only the top of my hair is like this, the rest are 4a/3c curls, no waves.
E2pHGsgp
Click to expand...


Thank you so, so much for this! The pictures has helped tremendously, especially me because my entire head resembles the top of yours - lazy waves (and the longer it gets, the "lazier" it looks). I always assumed that it was as a result of years of stretching while air drying.

OTOH, my niece's hair is a bit silkier and has definite loose waves. She stopped relaxing and straightening her hair at the same time, so she's been air drying and working with the waviness for 28 weeks. I'm going to advise her to continue with her weekly DCing, air drying and regular trimming. Since she has no visible new growth, it's going to take a long, long time before she can be sure that her hair is relaxer-free. Thanks again for your help; it is greatly appreciated.
 
H0tPinkButtafly said:
What are u ladies doing to ur hair this summer? I have been keeping my hair straight but that will be pointless in the heat
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I've tried a few new styles this spring and know what styles i'll do this summer. I plan on doing braidouts, twistouts, two strand twists, french braids, and jumbo flat twists.

I refuse to do anymore buns. I'm bunned out!
 
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If I weren't nervous about having short hair and very wary of going through the awkward growing out phase, I would BC. I really like the way my hair curls at the roots. But I think I will just hang in there for 2 more years.
 
I'm still hanging in there. I had plans to cut the relaxed ends off my nape but I couldn't find my hair scissors. I'm too cheap to buy more right now. 18 months post and I can't see myself chopping any time soon. I'm loving how thick my hair appears...keyword is appears. Trying to make it at least 6 more months!
 
I say that I am unofficially officially transitioning.

I haven't relaxed since January and I'm not really planning to relax. I just want to make it past month 8 (7 years ago when I first called myself transitioning, that was the month that I said *** it and relaxed) before I commit to slowing transition cutting.

All that to say that I may be peeking in here from time to time.....
 
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