Advice on transitioning!!

[sweettrini]

Hello everyone!! I am a new member and this is my very 1st post here. You ladies have some wonderful advice and have given me the courage to try to transition to a natural. I have 4a/4b hair that loves moisture. My relaxed hair is currently shoulder length and I am really not interested in doing the big chop. I would like to get suggestions on how to grow out the natural hair while trimming the relaxed hair until it's all cut off. If anyone out there is doing htis now, please let me know your methods and how it's going. Are you experiencing major breakage from the two different textures and how can I prevent this? By the way, my last relaxer was early June and I cannot cornrow but I can do box plaits. Thanks!!

 

[inthepink]

Welcome sweettrini,

I have been transitioning actively since the end of May. I wash twice a week (one just a conditioner wash) and I mostly do twistouts and braidouts - put up in a ponytail or barrette though. I don't wear my hair down much anymore. I have been able to reduce "demarcation" breakage by keeping new growth moisturized. I've been using ORS Carrot Oil lately but Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter is my favorite for this.

I think it's really important to have a good regular moisturizing conditioner, a good deep conditioner and a REALLY good detangler. My brands of choice for those are Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner, Lustrasilk Cholesterol, and Biolage Leave-in Tonic.

My transition isn't going perfectly b/c I'm still on a quest for the right products, best regimen. But just the reading and the extra attention I have given my hair is starting to pay off.

Good luck to you!

 

[Supergirl]

Hi There!

Just want to say welcome to the board

 

[Peachtree]

Hi, welcome

I must say that Hairlove gave u sum really good tips. In addition, castor oil is wonderful at softening the new growth

 

[dontspeakdefeat]

Welcome to the board!

 

[Spagirl]

Hi Sweettrini...Welcome to LHCF!

 

[Karonica]

Hello!

I have just begun my transitional journey as well, but I am quite used to dealing with multiple textures at once. The best advice I can give you is to be as gentle as possible. Become friends with a wide tooth comb, believe me. Avoid unnecessary combing and brushing when possible. The hair is really delicate, particularly at the line of demarcation (the point where the relaxed and natural textures meet on your strand).

Keep your hair full of moisture and you should be fine. But the most important thing is to be gentle. Also, I hope you have a good leave-in conditioner to help with detangling, as this can be the biggest struggle of all for wet, transitioning hair. Right now, I use Infusium 23 because it's the only thing I currently know of that can kill some tangles. Oh yeah, did I tell you to always be gentle?

 

[Zoe]

Welcome to the board...Im transistiong myself

I havent permed my hair since June 2002. Ive been wearing braids and weaves since then.

I basically keep my hair moisturized.I havent really found a good shampoo/conditioner yet since I haven't started wearing my natural hair out just yet. I waiting for a decent length.

The last perm I had I had a lil china doll cut. Each time I get my braids redone (every 2 months) I deep condition and give myself an oil treatment as well as clip some of my permed hair off so its not a total shock when I officially cut the rest off

Carol's Daughter..I loveeeeee

Good Luck girl

 

[nijilah]

Welcome!
I have been natural for maybe a year now, I think. I had shoulder-length relaxed hair and transitioned without doing the big chop. I washed my hair once a week on Sunday because it took me hours. Remember, you must be gentle with the 2 different textures.
I always did a pre-shampoo treatment with either mayonnaise or warm olive oil. I would wash my hair and then apply a moisturizing conditioner. I would put a shower cap and towel over my hair and let the conditioner sit for about an hour. Then, I would finger comb my hair then comb it with a wide tooth comb. After rinsing out the conditioner with cool water, I would apply a leave-in conditioner, oil, and then aloe vera gel, and then plait my hair into maybe 10 plaits. I always air dried my hair. In the morning, I would take the plaits out, separate the hair with my finger and I would have a beautiful braid out for about 3-4 days.
I re-braided my hair in plaits every night (beforehand, I would spritz my hair with a little water and oil). After that initial 3-4 days, I wore a loose bun.

I forgot. When I washed my hair and the 2 textures became unbearable, I started to wash my hair in 4 sections -- plait the hair in 4 large loose plaits, take one section out and wash it, finger comb, then rinse and re-plait. It is timely but I managed to keep my hair.

I did trim every few month and I even cut 2 damaged sections which are now as long as the rest of my hair. No one could tell about the cut because the rest of my hair covered those sections.

I would say that it took me about 1-1.5 years to officially transition. My hair went through so many texture changes that I didn't know what was going on sometimes.

 

[Karonica]

Could you tell us more about the texture changes? Did you experience "scab hair"?

 

[sweettrini]

Thank you all so much!! I begin another phase of my hair journey!! I am looking into the Wash and Wear relaxer on Jazma's website which allows you to switch back and forth between curly and straight, much like the silkener process mentioned on another thread. I'll let you guys know how that goes!!

 

[aqualung]

[ QUOTE ]
I would like to get suggestions on how to grow out the natural hair while trimming the relaxed hair until it's all cut off. If anyone out there is doing htis now, please let me know your methods and how it's going. Are you experiencing major breakage from the two different textures and how can I prevent this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Welcome!

I haven't retouched since June either. I'm considering growing out my hair for a while in order to use the Curl Free (ammonium bisulfite) relaxer system. It's rated the gentlest treatment available: http://www.geocities.com/blackhairsupergrowout/subclubs/rchat3.htm

How to manage the new growth? I've read that it's important to moisturize dry new growth and try to get its texture close to that of the relaxed hair.

I'm considering straightening balms that CLAIM to gradually straighten the hair with repeated applications. They have a cumulative effect. (I don't have testimonials, so I'm not recommending them strongly. Maybe I should start a thread on these two and try to get opinions?)

1. Hair Reformer (Curl Relaxer Balm) by African Wonders
2. Phytodefrisant (Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm) by Phyto

Sweetcocoa and Hairfanatic have used KMS Flat Out to manage new growth during transitioning and spacing out touchups. Not cumulative, just cones.

P.S. Find lots of online reviews of the Wash and Wear relaxer on various forums, and try to determine its active ingredient. I found the Jazma website to be vaguely worded.

Good luck!

 

[hawaiianhoney]

Welcome sweettrini!

I'm a newbie as well and just decided today to transition. I will be watching this thread to see what all advice people have to give.

Karonica, what in the world is "scab hair"?

 

[Supergirl]

Hi,

Just wanna say welcome to the board!!!!!!!!

 

[Daughter]

Good luck!

You've had a lot of good advice given. I transitioned for about 11 months before I got fed up and impatient to see my natural glory and cut the relaxed hair off myself!

I'll just add a couple of things, I mainly wore my hair in individual braids (extnesions) or cornrows (natural) at the time. Try to be patient and allow yourself to get used to your natural texture - if you haven't already, you'll fall in love with it! Get a picture of a sista who has a similar texture to you and use it as motivation if you are tempted to give upp and straighten.

Once again, good luck!

 

[CaramelKiss]

[ QUOTE ]
Good luck!

You've had a lot of good advice given. I transitioned for about 11 months before I got fed up and impatient to see my natural glory and cut the relaxed hair off myself!

[/ QUOTE ]

Same here, except, I waited 2 months and then did my big chop. Not only was I impatient, but the tangles was becoming a major hassle for me. Also, with the daily conditioning washes and extra growth as a result, I figured summer was the best time to remove my relaxed hair. My only regret, I wish I had done it sooner!!!

 

[Karonica]

Hawaiianhoney, read this thread:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=135652&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1