Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

I did cut a very small piece of hair on my side which is crazy still doesn’t curl just looks like a Brillo pad. I know the important things about my hair but I’m drying to know what my curls may look like. The front is a slight wave and the back has major shrinkage I was thinking a 4b or 4c.

Yeah I think you're right. It looks 4b/c to me as well. Maybe a bit of 4a sprinkled in there as well.

 

[Saludable84]

I did cut a very small piece of hair on my side which is crazy still doesn’t curl just looks like a Brillo pad. I know the important things about my hair but I’m drying to know what my curls may look like. The front is a slight wave and the back has major shrinkage I was thinking a 4b or 4c.

You have to ook at your hair wet or with some conditioner. You look misty 4a to me, with some parts looking tighter possibly because they are drier. 4b is a zig zag type pattern and 4c (depending on the scale) can just be tight small curls. If yours is wavy, it just may be 4a and since you have the relaxed ends, you are not seeing the true wave of your hair. The weight of my relaxed hair made my natural hair look like 3c until I cut it off.

 

[BlessedXs2]

Yeah I think you're right. It looks 4b/c to me as well. Maybe a bit of 4a sprinkled in there as well.

Thank you

 

[BlessedXs2]

You have to ook at your hair wet or with some conditioner. You look misty 4a to me, with some parts looking tighter possibly because they are drier. 4b is a zig zag type pattern and 4c (depending on the scale) can just be tight small curls. If yours is wavy, it just may be 4a and since you have the relaxed ends, you are not seeing the true wave of your hair. The weight of my relaxed hair made my natural hair look like 3c until I cut it off.

Yes it definitely does have a curl just tight and a ton of shrinkage. The back (the picture I posted) looks like it’s only at shoulder length the front is unchanged in length since the relaxed hair is weighing it down so much.
While I know curl pattern doesn’t really matter knowing I’m type 4 cottony a b or c will help me mentally prepare and keep me from watching those other you tubers

 

[Coilystep]

@BlessedXs2 I agree with all the other ladies. You will not get a true idea of your curl/texture until you cut the relaxed ends off. Even after you cut it you will go through a period of when your hair is in shock. How long have you been transitioning? I suggest you cut some inconspicuous areas to get a preview. Like @Alma Petra I cut a few spots during my transition although mine were mostly in the back and could be hidden by my other hair. How long do you plan to transition?

 

[BlessedXs2]

@BlessedXs2 I agree with all the other ladies. You will not get a true idea of your curl/texture until you cut the relaxed ends off. Even after you cut it you will go through a period of when your hair is in shock. How long have you been transitioning? I suggest you cut some inconspicuous areas to get a preview. Like @Alma Petra I cut a few spots during my transition although mine were mostly in the back and could be hidden by my other hair. How long do you plan to transition?

I am about 14 months post relaxer the first picture is from today with Cantu leave in and the second was about a month or so ago. So far nothing I have used has really made any of my curls like look like curls. I may cut another piece later I’m just scared I’ll go crazy and cut it all off lol. I plan to transition for at least 2 years maybe chop the summer after my 2 year mark.

 

[Alma Petra]

I am about 14 months post relaxer the first picture is from today with Cantu leave in and the second was about a month or so ago. So far nothing I have used has really made any of my curls like look like curls. I may cut another piece later I’m just scared I’ll go crazy and cut it all off lol. I plan to transition for at least 2 years maybe chop the summer after my 2 year mark.

Thank you dear!

You don't need to cut too much to find out. But you say that your hair feels like brillo pad and this explains why even your chopped parts don't curl up. Everybody says that moisture is essential for curls to form and clump and be defined. And I believe that this is true. You have to find a way to moisturize your hair. My suggestions for this are

1. Oil rinsing (I love sunflower oil among others)
2. A good moisturizing leave-in (there are so many good ones out there. You can try Curl Junkie Smoothing Lotion for example)
3. Most people would say a great moisturizing deep conditioner (I haven't found mine yet. A popular DC on this board is Mielle Organics Babassu and Mint DC. My favourite conditioner for moisture and slip is a rinse out: Herbal Essences Bee Strong Conditioner)

Other things that I have found to help a lot in bringing the curls out in addition to moisture:

1. Clay (I use rhassoul)
2. Camille Rose Naturals Caramel Cowash!
3. Hair gel (my favourite is Wetline Xtreme)
4. Curly hair mousse (I have 4 different types and all of them have this effect)
5. Technique: smoothing and resmoothing the curls with your fingers from root to tip, either on the surface or by shingling each individual curl clump while you have your curl defining agent on (clay, the caramel cowash, your leave-in, mousse, gel, or whatever you find to define your curls)

And finally, there is a certain degree of frizz that we might eventually just learn to live with. But from the photos and your description, your hair still has a lot of potential for more definition and less frizz.

The rest of your hair will probably only coil up and clump to its full potential after you big chop but you should see an improvement there as well.

 

[Saludable84]

Yes it definitely does have a curl just tight and a ton of shrinkage. The back (the picture I posted) looks like it’s only at shoulder length the front is unchanged in length since the relaxed hair is weighing it down so much.
While I know curl pattern doesn’t really matter knowing I’m type 4 cottony a b or c will help me mentally prepare and keep me from watching those other you tubers

When all else fails, watch 4b/c/z hair types. They have to be the gentlest with their hair. A style is a style but care is everything. Unless you are are trying to wash and go, as that can be type and texture specific.

 

[Saludable84]

@BlessedXs2 I agree with all the other ladies. You will not get a true idea of your curl/texture until you cut the relaxed ends off. Even after you cut it you will go through a period of when your hair is in shock. How long have you been transitioning? I suggest you cut some inconspicuous areas to get a preview. Like @Alma Petra I cut a few spots during my transition although mine were mostly in the back and could be hidden by my other hair. How long do you plan to transition?

@BlessedXs2 the bolded. After I big chopped, I had sections on my ends that looked looser and damaged, but it was just the hair that grew after the first year. The texture is looser and really looks heat damaged, but I haven’t flat ironed in over a 2 years and I’ve cut quite a bit. It should be gone, but it’s not, as it’s not exactly unhealthy, just looser.

 

[BlessedXs2]

Thank you dear!

You don't need to cut too much to find out. But you say that your hair feels like brillo pad and this explains why even your chopped parts don't curl up. Everybody says that moisture is essential for curls to form and clump and be defined. And I believe that this is true. You have to find a way to moisturize your hair. My suggestions for this are

1. Oil rinsing (I love sunflower oil among others)
2. A good moisturizing leave-in (there are so many good ones out there. You can try Curl Junkie Smoothing Lotion for example)
3. Most people would say a great moisturizing deep conditioner (I haven't found mine yet. A popular DC on this board is Mielle Organics Babassu and Mint DC. My favourite conditioner for moisture and slip is a rinse out: Herbal Essences Bee Strong Conditioner)

Other things that I have found to help a lot in bringing the curls out in addition to moisture:

1. Clay (I use rhassoul)
2. Camille Rose Naturals Caramel Cowash!
3. Hair gel (my favourite is Wetline Xtreme)
4. Curly hair mousse (I have 4 different types and all of them have this effect)
5. Technique: smoothing and resmoothing the curls with your fingers from root to tip, either on the surface or by shingling each individual curl clump while you have your curl defining agent on (clay, the caramel cowash, your leave-in, mousse, gel, or whatever you find to define your curls)

And finally, there is a certain degree of frizz that we might eventually just learn to live with. But from the photos and your description, your hair still has a lot of potential for more definition and less frizz.

The rest of your hair will probably only coil up and clump to its full potential after you big chop but you should see an improvement there as well.

Thanks I’ll slowly start trying new products. I’ve been afraid to but I guess it’s about time to learn my natural hair.

 

[Alma Petra]

Thanks I’ll slowly start trying new products. I’ve been afraid to but I guess it’s about time to learn my natural hair.

Yes it's a combination of products that flatter your hair, and technique. Experimentation is fun in and of itself.

I highly recommend the products I mentioned in my post. Some of them are cheap and easy to find too such as sunflower oil, Herbal Essences Bee Strong, Wetline gel, and I guess the clay. But not all heads of hair react similarly to all products. It's basically trial and error.

I'm also excited for you since you plan to big chop in less than a year. You will enjoy your hair a lot.

 

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

@BlessedXs2 I agree you won't fully know until your hair is natural but from what I can tell your hair reminds me of this youtuber

 

[BlessedXs2]

@BlessedXs2 I agree you won't fully know until your hair is natural but from what I can tell your hair reminds me of this youtuber

I think you hit the nail on the head! I can look at her ends and see the texture I was talking about on the piece I big chopped. It just doesn’t really curl on me but it does look curly on her. Guess I need to grow some more. Her hair is beautiful! This definitely gives me hope. Thank you for linking the video.

I’m going to slowly start working on new products to see if I can get a bit of definition
. What I’m using now is mostly from when I was relaxed. My hair feels soft as long as I stay away from the shampoo and I’m able to detangle without breakage. Like @alama Petra said I have less than a year before I chop! When said like that it doesn’t seem that long. Time to get it together

 

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

I think you hit the nail on the head! I can look at her ends and see the texture I was talking about on the piece I big chopped. It just doesn’t really curl on me but it does look curly on her. Guess I need to grow some more. Her hair is beautiful! This definitely gives me hope. Thank you for linking the video.

I’m going to slowly start working on new products to see if I can get a bit of definition
. What I’m using now is mostly from when I was relaxed. My hair feels soft as long as I stay away from the shampoo and I’m able to detangle without breakage. Like @alama Petra said I have less than a year before I chop! When said like that it doesn’t seem that long. Time to get it together

No problem... I'm glad I could help.

 

[Britt]

Sooooo I'm transitioning again. I'm just about 4 months post relaxer and am reminded how dreadful this was the first time I transitioned. My roots are roughhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It's crazy how compared to having a head of natural hair it's softer and just easier to comb and manage overall. I looked at old pics of when I was transitioning and when I was natural and started to feel discouraged for starting all over again. I'm going to have to rock out with braids during this transition. I even feel tempted to chop and wear braids while my natural hair grows longer.

 

[Alma Petra]

Almost 8 months into my transition. I don't feel much difference between my naturally frizzy roots and chemically damaged frizzy length lol. But I can feel the demarcation line as it tangles up and snags during detangling. Can't wait for this snagging line to move considerably lower down the strands.

 

[BlessedXs2]

My 14 month transitioning hair. I can’t believe I’ve been able to keep this length and thickness. When I’m washing the shrinkage is to my shoulders so I can’t imagine how it’ll be once I’m fully natural. I’ve been frustrated with styling so I decided to flat iron and will wear this hopefully 3 weeks then get a sew in for a while. At this point I feel I can go more than 2 years.

 

[BlessedXs2]

Almost 8 months into my transition. I don't feel much difference between my naturally frizzy roots and chemically damaged frizzy length lol. But I can feel the demarcation line as it tangles up and snags during detangling. Can't wait for this snagging line to move considerably lower down the strands.

From your pictures you look natural already. Were you texlaxed?

 

[Alma Petra]

From your pictures you look natural already. Were you texlaxed?

Sorry for the delayed reply.
I'm transitioning now (7 months)
The lower half had more texture and the upper half was rather straightish.




Why do I feel that I want to go back there? Sadly I can't because I cut the front part of my hair.

 

[Britt]

My 14 month transitioning hair. I can’t believe I’ve been able to keep this length and thickness. When I’m washing the shrinkage is to my shoulders so I can’t imagine how it’ll be once I’m fully natural. I’ve been frustrated with styling so I decided to flat iron and will wear this hopefully 3 weeks then get a sew in for a while. At this point I feel I can go more than 2 years.

You have such pretty hair! It's so thick from root to tip.
When I look at the older pics of when I transitioned the first time my ends were soooooooo thin and wispy compared the hair growing in. I'm 4 months post and things are getting rough already. I have to either braid it up this go around or I'll be tempted to just texlax. You probably had thick relaxed hair to start with because from root to tip your hair looks so seamless.

 

[BlessedXs2]

You have such pretty hair! It's so thick from root to tip.
When I look at the older pics of when I transitioned the first time my ends were soooooooo thin and wispy compared the hair growing in. I'm 4 months post and things are getting rough already. I have to either braid it up this go around or I'll be tempted to just texlax. You probably had thick relaxed hair to start with because from root to tip your hair looks so seamless.

Thank you! Flat ironing my hair did have me questioning why am I doing this. I’ve been able to grow it longish and it’s stayed thick and healthy when taken care of. I just have a ton of hair. A blessing and a curse. Even if I did relax now it wouldn’t be the same. I’ve experienced a good bit of breakage and my ends are shot. I actually trimmed another inch or more after I took the picture. They just look dry to me.
After I wash my hair I’m putting it away also. Don’t wanna deal with it either. At least you’ve done this before you you know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel me..... idk I sure hope it’s a light lol

 

[BlessedXs2]

Sorry for the delayed reply.
I'm transitioning now (7 months)
The lower half had more texture and the upper half was rather straightish.

View attachment 414701 View attachment 414701


Why do I feel that I want to go back there? Sadly I can't because I cut the front part of my hair.

It’s so pretty! That’s the thing about texlaxing one slip up and it’s trouble

 

[Britt]

Thank you! Flat ironing my hair did have me questioning why am I doing this. I’ve been able to grow it longish and it’s stayed thick and healthy when taken care of. I just have a ton of hair. A blessing and a curse. Even if I did relax now it wouldn’t be the same. I’ve experienced a good bit of breakage and my ends are shot. I actually trimmed another inch or more after I took the picture. They just look dry to me.
After I wash my hair I’m putting it away also. Don’t wanna deal with it either. At least you’ve done this before you you know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel me..... idk I sure hope it’s a light lol

Ohhhh it's a light.... you have beautiful hair also, you'll love your natural hair.
Yeahhh transitioning is the worse to me. This go around I completely see why people big chop, especially if your hair is a little kinkier. It's much easier dealing with a head full of natural hair than transitioning. My hair didn't feel 'right' and healthy until I chopped off the relaxed ends.

 

[Alma Petra]

It’s so pretty! That’s the thing about texlaxing one slip up and it’s trouble

Thank you! You're right. And I was also always experimenting with my texlaxer and often tempted to relax the whole length. Nonetheless I look at my straightish texlaxed hair and I think that it was better looking. Why the hell am I transitioning now?

 

[BlessedXs2]

Flat ironed my hair again and have been wearing this for 2 weeks want to wash it so bad but idk what I’d do with it if I did so I’m gonna PROBABLY leave it alone for today. The big chop itch is really getting to me but I don’t know if I’d be able to get it into a ponytail and life is extremely busy for me atm so I know I’m probably not gonna be up so styling short hair. I keep saying I’m gonna get an install but with Christmas coming I want to get everyone taken care of before I buy the hair . I did treat myself to some new products that I can’t wait to try but again if I sh how will I style and I don’t want to flat iron again. Y’all pray for me cause I’m really annoyed with my hair. I’d be surprised if I make it to 2 years at this point but who knows.

 

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

Flat ironed my hair again and have been wearing this for 2 weeks want to wash it so bad but idk what I’d do with it if I did so I’m gonna PROBABLY leave it alone for today. The big chop itch is really getting to me but I don’t know if I’d be able to get it into a ponytail and life is extremely busy for me atm so I know I’m probably not gonna be up so styling short hair. I keep saying I’m gonna get an install but with Christmas coming I want to get everyone taken care of before I buy the hair . I did treat myself to some new products that I can’t wait to try but again if I sh how will I style and I don’t want to flat iron again. Y’all pray for me cause I’m really annoyed with my hair. I’d be surprised if I make it to 2 years at this point but who knows.

I know the struggle. When I didn't know what else to do with my transitioning hair I washed dc applied leave in sealed and threw it in a wet bun. Is your hair long enough for that?

 

[BlessedXs2]

Yes it’s long enough I just feel like I look a mess with it. It’s been my staple style for months and months. The natural hair puffs up and it doesn’t looks as sleek as I’d like. I haven’t done it in about 2 months but the natural part was just a little too short to actually go into the rubber band so it had a funny poof. It may actually go in now though.

 

[BlessedXs2]

Screw it im washing! I want to try this tgin dc! Good thing I threw out the scissors or I’d chop today

 

[VictoriousBrownFlower]

Yes it’s long enough I just feel like I look a mess with it. It’s been my staple style for months and months. The natural hair puffs up and it doesn’t looks as sleek as I’d like. I haven’t done it in about 2 months but the natural part was just a little too short to actually go into the rubber band so it had a funny poof. It may actually go in now though.

Do you use gel? I would think gelling the hair with a hard hold gel like eco and brushing it back then putting a scarf on should help.

I know the struggle and bordem of wearing the same style for forever but just think of the end when you chop and have a head full of gorge curls and kinks.

Another thing you could do is find a really cute wig and braid up your hair underneath for a change from the bun. Even getting some kanekalon (sp?) hair and making a big juicy natural looking top knot or french braid but you need gel to keep the perimeter neat.

 

[BlessedXs2]

Do you use gel? I would think gelling the hair with a hard hold gel like eco and brushing it back then putting a scarf on should help.

I know the struggle and bordem of wearing the same style for forever but just think of the end when you chop and have a head full of gorge curls and kinks.

Another thing you could do is find a really cute wig and braid up your hair underneath for a change from the bun. Even getting some kanekalon (sp?) hair and making a big juicy natural looking top knot or french braid but you need gel to keep the perimeter neat.

Ive never been able to find a wig in my color. I’m naturally a red head and they don’t really make them in my color . Thanks for the encouragement! I was able to see my waves and curls so I Know this is definitely gonna be worth it but this “phase” is really getting to me. I can’t wait until I’m finally there. I’ll end up doing one of the styles you suggested. Thanks you for you’re help and I plan on coming back in a few days to cry some more