Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

LaFemmeNaturelle said:
Hey ladies

How long does it take you to wash and detangle your hair? What's your hair type and your length? How many months post are you?

I'm thinking of cutting to APL. I hope it will lessen my breakage and also decrease my washing time.
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It takes me about an hour to wash, DC, and detangle. I'm guessing my hair type in 4a with some 3c sprinkled in and length is BSL. I was 36 months post.
 
Hi ladies (and gents?)... I've learned a lot from reading through the forum but officially joined the today. I used to relax once (maybe twice) a year, so I was used to "stretching", although I didn't know that's what it's called :). I decided to transition last October (2010). At the time, I was 10 months post relaxer, and now I'm 15 months post (last relaxer => December 2009).

LaFemmeNaturelle: I *think* my hair is closest to 3c and I only detangle after my DC, under the shower, with TONS of conditioner. I think I'm down to maybe 20 minutes now. It takes me longer (30-35 min) when I skip my DC and just use conditioner.
 
LaFemmeNaturelle said:
Hey ladies

How long does it take you to wash and detangle your hair? What's your hair type and your length? How many months post are you?

I'm thinking of cutting to APL. I hope it will lessen my breakage and also decrease my washing time.
Click to expand...

It takes me about an half hour since I detangle under the shower. My hair's not thick; so, it takes me a short amount of time. I have 4a hair with some 3c sprinkled about. I'm bsl and a week away from being 11 months post.
 
LaFemmeNaturelle said:
Hey ladies

How long does it take you to wash and detangle your hair? What's your hair type and your length? How many months post are you?

I'm thinking of cutting to APL. I hope it will lessen my breakage and also decrease my washing time.
Click to expand...


It used to take hours, but now its is much easier. I'm 4b some a cottony texture. MBL.

I rinse my hair, d/c with oil and conditioner, then detangle, and air dry, I have been going back and forth between braids or twist to air dry. Every morning take hair down wiht oil and at night spray with mix and use a "curl cream/leavin" to retwist or braid. To keepe you snaity here are my pointers. search for shed strands every day and remove, do everything in sections (washing, d/c, braiding) give extra care to the demarcation area) that is were your tangles are. Also dry d/cing helps with detangling later. I used to dry d/c every week before even attempting to really detangle my hair. My dry d/c was PM the detangler, aloe gel, oil and honey. This was my best friend durring year two.
 
Hi ladies, I transtioned without the big chop, it is possible! I think once I passed shoulder length, it became easier. It was a long process but wort it IMO. In the beginning, I used draw string pony tails and roller sets to help get me through. It probably also helped that I was texlaxing before I stopped relaxing altogether.
 
Bun Mistress said:
It used to take hours, but now its is much easier. I'm 4b some a cottony texture. MBL.

I rinse my hair, d/c with oil and conditioner, then detangle, and air dry, I have been going back and forth between braids or twist to air dry. Every morning take hair down wiht oil and at night spray with mix and use a "curl cream/leavin" to retwist or braid. To keepe you snaity here are my pointers. search for shed strands every day and remove, do everything in sections (washing, d/c, braiding) give extra care to the demarcation area) that is were your tangles are. Also dry d/cing helps with detangling later. I used to dry d/c every week before even attempting to really detangle my hair. My dry d/c was PM the detangler, aloe gel, oil and honey. This was my best friend durring year two.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this and thanks everyone for answering my question. My hair is no longer driving me insane. I actually enjoy washing and detangling it even though it takes 1.5 hours. And it doesn't take that long all the time. Most times, it takes me about 45 minutes or less because I usually only wash in 2 sections. But when I prepare to straighten my hair, I wan't ALL the tangles and shed hair out so it took me 1.5 hours the other day. This was really my first time actually timing it. BUT, as much as I enjoy doing my hair, I won't have that much time to dedicate to washing and straightening. Straightening took 2.5 hours so thats a total of 4 hours (not including the pre-detangling I did before I wash). I'm starting med school this summer so I really need to cut down on wash time/straightening time.

There's also the issue of breakage. My hair breaks ALOT and most of it is not at the demarcation line. It's just relaxed hair. So I'm thinking cutting off a few inches MAY help that situation and cut down on wash time as well. IDK this all may sound stupid to ya'll but it makes sense in my head lol I did an inch trim Thursday but I think when I straighten at the end of the month, I'll cut another 2-3 inches. I remember Mook saying that transitioning is easier when you are actually cutting off relaxed hair at the same time instead of trying to retain.

But I WILL start back DCing which I haven't done in such a long time. I know that will cut down on detangling BUT the process of applying the DC is actually adding time. Will the difference save time? IDK! We'll see. But I'm trying to simplify my regimen so that I'm not spending too much time BUT I'm also trying to enjoy my hair. I've been PSing and staying away from heat for 2 years (really all my life) and I'm ready to start wearing it down regularly. Ok I'm done ya'll lol
 
growwithme said:
Hi ladies, I transtioned without the big chop, it is possible! I think once I passed shoulder length, it became easier. It was a long process but wort it IMO. In the beginning, I used draw string pony tails and roller sets to help get me through. It probably also helped that I was texlaxing before I stopped relaxing altogether.
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growwithme Pretty hair. Off to stalk your fotki:yep:
 
LatterGlory said:
Been on this board for a while but just had the first hair dream. This month marks 1 year transitioning - been here @ leat 3 times before as a stretcher, so no dancing/excited emoticons. In the dream had the relaxer applied to hair's edges and experienced such a feeling of disappointment, thankfully it was only a dream *phew*.

Now the journey truly begins, entering into uncharted territories here. So far so good. Transitioning without wigs, weaves, braids etc. Praying that this relaxed/texlaxed hair stays cute and strong throughout the journey.:pray:

Calling for tips @empressri , @celinaStarr, anyone?
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funniest thing, when i transitioned i knew nothing about knots, prepooing...anything! i strictly washed, deep conditioned and wore my hair in twists, braids..or this funky looking wash and go that was more frizzy that anything (though I didnt care!)
 
Hey everyone!!!
I am back :). I was quite busy lately. How is everyone doing on their transition? I 13 months posts as of today and I got my hair braided last saturday. I will keep these in until mid May or maybe longer depending on how much time i have for hair at that moment.
Hope everyone is doing great :)
 
Why are you transitioning without the BC?

I'm gonna be honest. Since starting my journey, I've grown my hair to a length that I haven't seen since elementary school (which doesn't even count because my body was much smaller then). I've already made it publicly known that the reason why I'm transitioning long-term is because I hate how short hair looks on me. While that's true, an even bigger truth is that I feel like I wont be able to retain my natural hair as well as I've been able to retain my relaxed hair. APL hair is long enough for me to still feel comfortable. My plan, however, is/was to transition until I'm at LEAST full MBL (the length I am now). And it's only because I feel like I'll never get there if I were to big chop. So yeah, just decided to be honest. Is this a valid excuse? Or should I just be confident in my retention abilities :-\

Anyways, wanted to know why some of you decided to transition long-term. Especially the ladies who are planning to transition past the length that they started with.
 
LaFemmeNaturelle said:
Why are you transitioning without the BC?


I feel the same way - plus I am style challenged so if I can't get this hair in a bun, no way i can manage. I was thinking of chopping, but then I see my forehead (i get the fivehead jokes from my Uncle all the time) - so that deters me. I'm 1 week shy of 6months post. Not good at retaining unless my hair is in a weave - so thats what I'm doing & I'm tired of this mess! No matter what I do I splits- moisture & protein on point, I just think my ends are bonelaxed. Off to check out your Youtude for some retention tips for a long-term transitioner.
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LaFemmeNaturelle - I like your answer. I think it is a very valid one at that. I first started out this journey saying that I was going to transition for however long my relaxed ends will hold on but after seeing all that some of the "all natural" ladies can do with their hair, I am/have changed my decision to stop at a year and a half (which is next month for me). I do not like short hair on me either and I wanted to at least transition until my hair got to at least a little past my shoulders unstretched since I will be wearing my hair curly and not straight. I do have major shrinkage (at least it's major in my eyes) so it seems like it is taking FOREVER to get there even though stretched I am somewhere around APL. With all that said, I don't want to have short hair after I cut off all the relaxed ends.
 
Golden75 said:
LaFemmeNaturelle said:
Why are you transitioning without the BC?


I feel the same way - plus I am style challenged so if I can't get this hair in a bun, no way i can manage. I was thinking of chopping, but then I see my forehead (i get the fivehead jokes from my Uncle all the time) - so that deters me. I'm 1 week shy of 6months post. Not good at retaining unless my hair is in a weave - so thats what I'm doing & I'm tired of this mess! No matter what I do I splits- moisture & protein on point, I just think my ends are bonelaxed. Off to check out your Youtude for some retention tips for a long-term transitioner.
Click to expand...

Hey Golden75, I actually haven't done my "transitioning tips" video yet. I just recently started making videos so that video is to come. But I'm I, along with the rest of the ladies here welcome all questions:yep:
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This is my first post though as a few others I have been lurking for about three years. I have recently decided to go natural for many reasons and one of them being that I only relax my hair every 6 months. I am only 1 month post and I am choosing not to BC for the same reasons as LaFemmeNaturelle. I think your reason is valid as everyone cannot "do" short hair and i am one of them.
 
I'm still very new to the transitioning -- only 2 months in. I don't plan to do a BC anytime soon. I did cut from APL to SL. I wasn't full APL -- only in the back so I wasn't too pressed but it was so see-through and lifeless I had to let it go. Plus there was some breakage on the right back side. This is one of the reasons I'm going natural -- the relaxers are thinning out my hair too much.

Question: How are you ladies keeping your new growth soft and moisturized? I'm in a rod set and the relaxed ends are cool but my new growth is so dry. Maybe I'm not deep conditioning enough?

Last night, I put in some coconut oil to my roots and massaged the scalp and it was nice and soft but this morning, it's not as dry but still parched.

One thing I'm learning is that I need to "stretch" out my hair while air-drying because my shrinkage is the ISH! :lol:
 
this s the start of month 6 for me , I can't deal with short hair and I just want enough hair to be able to put braids in , I am in for the long haul and won't be doing the BC until I have reached MBL.
 
I'm slowly transitioning. I haven't had a perm since 09/2010. I just got tired of messing with smelly chemicals. I have issues with thinness, dandruff, and moisturizing. The winters are hard on my head here. So I am constantly reading on deep conditioners, oils and any other moisturizing treatments. Plus I want to learn how to take care and style my daughters hair without chemicals. They have beautiful thick curly hair.

Right now my protective styles are buns, braids (tie-zillions), sew ins and wigs. Soon as my hair gets about maybe APL, I'll have the permed hair cut off professionally.
 
LaFemme,

I'm transitioning without BC for the same reasons you are. I've never had short hair (to be specific my hair has never been shorter than APL) and I don't plan to ever wear my hair any shorter than APL. So until my natural hair can reach that point without being straightened/blown out, I'm going to keep transitioning.
 
This thread is really interesting to me. I started off transitioning, but have recently gotten tired of it and have decided to relax again. My last relaxer was June 2010, and I have dealt with my new growth pretty well, despite not having a strict regimine. So, that is about 10 months of new growth I am dealing with. I think the reason I am relaxing again is because of length issues too. I want to get to MBL and then maybe I will try to transition again, while retaining the length. Right now I am at APL, and am surprised by how well my hair has held up over the last 10 months. There is definitely breakage, but it's not out of control, and I was honestly expecting it. Now I feel like maybe I can do relaxers every 6 months. My hair has a lot more volume than before, which is nice.

I just want to wish all of you ladies luck as you complete the transition. I know it can take years depending on the length of your hair.
 
Welcome to all the new transitioners. This is month 16 for me and I plan on cutting off the rest of my relaxed ends come June. To keep my hands out of my hair, I put in Nubian twists that I will hopefully keep in till June.
 
I'm still hanging in there, but last month was tempting for me to texlax again. It seemed like it was taking way too long for me to detangle, and the natural and texlaxed portion of my hair was making the few remaining bonelaxed ends look so much thinner.

So, instead of doing a touch-up, I decided to trim. I took off all of the super straight relaxed ends, and am left with about 60%natural/40% texlaxed hair now. The textures blend better, and I can detangle much easier. I am loving my TT, and Tresseme b5 gelatin conditioner. Sure, I lost a little length, but now I'm hoping for smooth sailing through the rest of this transition. I don't plan to cut anymore, just grow, grow, grow. My waves are poppin' and shinin'!

Anyone know who had the longest transition on the board?
 
LaFemmeNaturelle - I understand where you're coming from. I've always had length so I knew short hair would be a shock for me. I cut off most of my relaxed ends in the very back so my nape area is pretty much all natural. Since then, I've had some moments worrying that now I was going to have more split ends, etc because my relaxed ends weren't "protecting" my natural hair anymore. But I just tell myself that once I'm fully natural, it will be a process finding out what works with my hair.
 
Does anyone think there's less breakage when transitioning from texlax to natural?

I'm only 5 months post but I'm hoping I'm able to keep all of my texlaxed hair until I reach my natural hair length goal.



sent from my HTC Evo using Long Hair Care Forum app
 
Eluv said:
Does anyone think there's less breakage when transitioning from texlax to natural?

I'm only 5 months post but I'm hoping I'm able to keep all of my texlaxed hair until I reach my natural hair length goal.



sent from my HTC Evo using Long Hair Care Forum app
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Thanks for asking this, as I was wondering the same thing. I'm hoping someone will chime in and give us hope.
 
I blowdried using the tension method tonight. Here are pics:
Mane2-vi.jpg


Mane-vi.jpg
 
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