If u transitioned then bc'd, did u have more retention after the bc?

[Diva_Esq]

I have been advised:

Keep transitioning & let your relaxed ends take the beating while you natural hair continues to thrive & grow...

AND

Chop and you'll notice your hair really take off b/c the weak relaxed ends are gone & you natural hair will be stronger.

How long did you transition before your bc & what did you notice?

(BTW, I am 10 mos post & trying to decide whether to bc around 12 months or keep transitioning.)

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

I asked this same question...everybody said it made no difference in their growth.

 

[BostonMaria]

I cut my hair at 10 months because someone told me that I could be hindering the growth. I honestly don't know if they were right or not. I was shoulder length before I cut my hair, NL after the BC and 12 months later I was APL.

I would imagine that I would have been APL no matter what I did.

 

[blksndrlla]

i'm a transitioner, but my reason to keep holding on is to get over the growing "hurdles." Most women seem to struggle getting past SL b/c of the friction. So, I want to be at least APL..maybe BSL to avoid that problem. Only problem I have is figuring out how shrinkage will play into all of this...(i'll cross that bridge when I get there.)

 

[Diva_Esq]

Notice I only asked about retention. I understand that hair doesn't start coming out of your head faster just because you got a haircut.

@ blksndrlla: Like the quote in your siggy...good point!

Thanks ladies so far! Bumping for more responses...

 

[Anew]

This is a good question, something I've also wondered. I believe I'd do better with retention after a BC, I get so frustrated dealing with my relaxed ends. I'm not the best stretcher. Many praises to the ladies that do long term transitions...

 

[ms.blue]

I don't believe that keeping the relaxed will hinder retention b/c the hair is growing now matter what and if the hair breaks at the demarcalation (sp) point you will just have natural hair. Some people will experience less breakage if they b/c but if the don't bc those broken hair are mostly relaxed ends anyway.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

This is a great thread! I'm personally transitioning until it is warm enough to BC. Hopefully that will take me to 7 or 8 months. I don't know what I'm going to do if it gets warmer sooner.

 

[CaliDiamond]

Hi DDTexlaxed! DivaEsq this thread is just in time. Thank you. Today is the first day of my transition!!!!! YAY!
This will be my second time transitioning to natural and I am doing it without the BC. I did it this way last time and I do not think that your hair grows faster if you bc. Retention might be at a better rate though.

 

[Shananyganz]

I personally think the retention question is contingent upon several varying factors; how good of a stretcher you are (for all intense and purposes, transitioning is in essence stretching), are you moisturizing your hair enough and/or paying attention to both/several hair types and giving them what they need, are you giving your hair enough TLC, etc. I myself simply grew tired and frustrated with what I thought were two textures (relaxed and natural)…little did I know my hair has multiple textures off jump…but I digress into another thread. To answer your question, I think the idea that retaining length is greater after the BC exists only because the factors that I listed above are no long in play. As a previous poster pointed out, the hair generally will break at the demarcation line, so it appears that you are losing the growth you attained, but really you are just losing relaxed ends.

I WILL say that I noticed my growth more after my BC; I didn’t have the relaxed ends to contend with. I would not go as far to say that I retained more after the BC…it really was about the same.

-S-

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Good thread. It's too soon for me to notice but one thing I CAN say. I bc'ed going on four weeks ago after transitioning for a little over five months. The shedding and breakage are virtually non existent for me right now. I haven't been using heat and am still in the process of finding new staples.

I am rocking a twa right now but I hope to get it braided for a majority of the summer for retention and maintenance purposes.

 

[Diva_Esq]

Hi DDTexlaxed! DivaEsq this thread is just in time. Thank you. Today is the first day of my transition!!!!! YAY!
This will be my second time transitioning to natural and I am doing it without the BC. I did it this way last time and I do not think that your hair grows faster if you bc. Retention might be at a better rate though.

Congrats on your decision to transition!

Good thread. It's too soon for me to notice but one thing I CAN say. I bc'ed going on four weeks ago after transitioning for a little over five months. The shedding and breakage are virtually non existent for me right now. I haven't been using heat and am still in the process of finding new staples.

I am rocking a twa right now but I hope to get it braided for a majority of the summer for retention and maintenance purposes.

Congrats on your BC!

 

[Diva_Esq]

BUMPING...Anyone else care to respond?

 

[Geminigirl]

I think my hair took off after the BC. i was having difficulity dealing with the textures. My hair was breaking which wasn't good for relaxed or natural. Then I cut and here I am past SL a little. I think I am right on track. In October I hope to be APL which will mark 2 years chemical free for me.

 

[Jewell]

I kept my hair in PS like cornrows w/extensions, buns, and underneath headwraps during my last transition, but I still ended up BC'ing after only 9 mos simply because I was tired of seeing the relaxed ends! They weren't too difficult to contend with, but I was just ready to be free of them (I was APL stretched before that BC), and wanted one even texture!

I had good retention both ways (transitioning and after BC), so I can't really speak on whether there was more or less during a particular stage. This time, I had a lot more length starting out, so I am less willing to part with the texlaxed ends so soon. No BC this time, I'll just gradually trim over years if necessary until the natural hair is at my desired length.