Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support thread

[JollyGal]

Hi ladies.

This thread is for the ladies hoping to transition from extended hair to hair out.

This is going to be a tough journey especially if your hair is so used to being styled in one way.

I'm currently wearing my last set of braid extensions. I'm taking them out in july and that will be it.

Please share your success stories or stories of transitioning from extensions to hair out

 

[tiffers]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

I was addicted to glue in weaves for years before I found this site. It was bad. It got to the point that I didn't even care about my real hair anymore because I figured I'd just be wearing a weave for the rest of my life anyway erplexed

Once I found LHCF and discovered that the glue was horrible for my hair and scalp, I quit cold turkey. It was extremely hard to not have the long, flowy hair I had grown accustomed to. The first few months were really tough because I had never really dealt with my own hair. So it took a while to get the hang of taking care of it, it was also tough to not have have that glorious hair hanging down my back.

I definitely feel for you and everyone else who's cutting out the weaves/extensions because it can be hard. There are some days when I miss my weaves, even after 2 years, so it's kind of a constant battle.

Good luck! You can do it!!!!

 

[almond eyes]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

I've done this. I did this for one year before I could say that all my relaxed ends were gone. However, be careful if you have fine hair. I lost a lot of hair not realising that fine hair needs a very delicate regiment for hair extensions.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[JollyGal]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

tiffers I agree. I've become so accustomed to my braid extensions that I don't see my hair any other way. I figured I would be wearing them for the rest of my life (like brandy did) until I discovered BHM and LHCF.

I'm very nervous. I wore my hair out two days ago and got lots of great comments and approached by lots of white men lol. I'm so used to keeping my hair in one style. I used to take my hair out and put the extensions back in straight away without a break (gasp!) It's by the grace of God that I didn't suffer major breakage or receeding hair line.

Now I stretch for at least two weeks.

My mother thinks I'm secretly ashamed of my hair...I've thought about it maybe I used to be but now I love my hair and the 1000's of natural styles I can put it in.

Almond I'm sorry to hear you lost your hair. Did you transition from extensions to hair out before discovering how to really care for your hair?

 

[JollyGal]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

Bumping.

I did it no more extensions. I even shed a tear lol.

Will post pics as soon as possible

 

[MrsHdrLe]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

Sunhun I can totally relate to your story. I was braid extension addicted for 15 years...15 years girl. I wouldn't dare step out w/o some kind of fake hair on my head. It was so bad. And you'd think my hair would be down to my but or beyond w/ all that protective styling, but alas no. I also thought it didn't matter what I did to my own hair b/c it would never be seen. Then one day i saw this beautiful mature woman (about 60 or more) and she had the most beautiful crown of waist length silver hair I'd ever seen and I thought if she can do it, so can I. So I took out my last weave in Feb and began a journey to fall in love with my hair. I love it now and you'll love yours too. One thing is you have to find what works for you (cowashing 3x/week is not my best friend though I wish it were, but it dried my hair out too much, so I had to cowash 1x/week.)
Don't get discouraged and if you're feeling desperate, throw on a wig and keep it movin' Good Luck

 

[jennboo]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

Let's see.

I was in braid extensions from mid May 2008 until mid July 2009. Straight. No real breaks, maybe about 2 or 3 days between sets.

I cared for my hair while in the extensions, but not meticulously so. (Spritzing with water maybe 3 times a week, occasional braid spray, NOT braiding my edges).

I decided one day that i needed to let go of the fake hair, despite the uber ease of upkeep. I did not have any particular style set or regimen in place set up to dive into when i took the fake hair down. One day i was bored and decided to take the braids out and two strand twist my own hair, but i was scared, LOL. When i was natural YEARS ago, In high school, i remember two strand twisting my hair and it coming out horribly (like one poster put it so eloquently, the twists looked like "shoe strings on crack" )..Very thin twists, you could see my scalp, the twists would hardly stay twisted at the ends. Imagine my surprise when my two strand twists actually came out really good this time...plump, thick. The shoe string debacle was due to years of heat straightening my hair. My hair had become so straight and heat damaged that i couldnt even do a decent set of twists on my hair .

I am also amazed at how much better i look (imo) and feel w/out the extensions. I actually think i look 100X better sans fake hair.

My regimen since ive taken out the fake hair: Two strand twist, leave in for 2 weeks. I tie my twists down with a scarf at night. When i wake up, i spritz water on them to plump them back up, dab on some coconut oil, and i am out the door! When i initially twist, I twist wet. I combine equal parts water and infusium 23 leave in, spritz my wet hair with this mixture, then add either grease (run of the mill petroleum-based grease) or Garnier Fructis leave-in conditioning cream.

Experiment and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome

Good luck!

 

[JollyGal]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

Sunhun I can totally relate to your story. I was braid extension addicted for 15 years...15 years girl. I wouldn't dare step out w/o some kind of fake hair on my head. It was so bad. And you'd think my hair would be down to my but or beyond w/ all that protective styling, but alas no. I also thought it didn't matter what I did to my own hair b/c it would never be seen. Then one day i saw this beautiful mature woman (about 60 or more) and she had the most beautiful crown of waist length silver hair I'd ever seen and I thought if she can do it, so can I. So I took out my last weave in Feb and began a journey to fall in love with my hair. I love it now and you'll love yours too. One thing is you have to find what works for you (cowashing 3x/week is not my best friend though I wish it were, but it dried my hair out too much, so I had to cowash 1x/week.)
Don't get discouraged and if you're feeling desperate, throw on a wig and keep it movin' Good Luck

15 years! When you took your weave out what were the first 6 months like? Did your hair suffer in any way? I'm scared because I think my hair may not like being out because it's so use to being in braids.
Thank God for that lady you saw . Last year July I typed long afro hair in my search engine and the rest is history
I don't think I'm going to jump on the co wash bandwagon just yet.
Thanks for your story

 

[JollyGal]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

Let's see.

I was in braid extensions from mid May 2008 until mid July 2009. Straight. No real breaks, maybe about 2 or 3 days between sets.

I cared for my hair while in the extensions, but not meticulously so. (Spritzing with water maybe 3 times a week, occasional braid spray, NOT braiding my edges).

I decided one day that i needed to let go of the fake hair, despite the uber ease of upkeep. I did not have any particular style set or regimen in place set up to dive into when i took the fake hair down. One day i was bored and decided to take the braids out and two strand twist my own hair, but i was scared, LOL. When i was natural YEARS ago, In high school, i remember two strand twisting my hair and it coming out horribly (like one poster put it so eloquently, the twists looked like "shoe strings on crack" )..Very thin twists, you could see my scalp, the twists would hardly stay twisted at the ends. Imagine my surprise when my two strand twists actually came out really good this time...plump, thick. The shoe string debacle was due to years of heat straightening my hair. My hair had become so straight and heat damaged that i couldnt even do a decent set of twists on my hair .

I am also amazed at how much better i look (imo) and feel w/out the extensions. I actually think i look 100X better sans fake hair.

My regimen since ive taken out the fake hair: Two strand twist, leave in for 2 weeks. I tie my twists down with a scarf at night. When i wake up, i spritz water on them to plump them back up, dab on some coconut oil, and i am out the door! When i initially twist, I twist wet. I combine equal parts water and infusium 23 leave in, spritz my wet hair with this mixture, then add either grease (run of the mill petroleum-based grease) or Garnier Fructis leave-in conditioning cream.

Experiment and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome

Good luck!

@ bolded 1 that is what I did. Somehow being lazy still helped.
@ bolded 2 I said I was going to do this before I even read your reply. Twists will be easier on my hair. I may combine caster oil, lemon EO and coconut.

Has the heat damage grown out of your hair?

Thanks for your story

 

[jennboo]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

@ bolded 1 that is what I did. Somehow being lazy still helped.
@ bolded 2 I said I was going to do this before I even read your reply. Twists will be easier on my hair. I may combine caster oil, lemon EO and coconut.

Has the heat damage grown out of your hair?

Thanks for your story

Bolded:
That was years ago. I was a heat-styled natural for 2 years (8th and 9th grade). I went to a stylist to get my hair pressed and curled every two weeks for those 2 years: wash, condition, blowdry, press, curl. The stylist actually did a nice job with it, as my hair looked relaxed bone straight...but it was horribly damaged...my hair wouldnt revert back to its naturally kinky state when wet. This is when i tried to do those twists, and they looked terrible. I relaxed my hair in 10th grade and wore it that way all through college and grad school.

I cut off my relaxed hair in May of 2008.

 

[bluediamond0829]

Re: Transitioning from hair extensions to hair out (natural or relaxed) support threa

Well im definetly transitioning out the last time i did a weave had it in for 2 weeks and the itching was out of this world. And its not like it was my first time having a weave, but this time the itching was just crazy. Everytime i would try to scratch my scalp and then apply the something to make the itching stop it would burn.(maybe that was my mistake, but my scalp was very irritated and even red in some places)--and the weave wasnt too tight. So finally i just came to the decision to take the weave out. I tried to wash my hair with diluted shampoo twice while it was in so it still wasnt working. After i took the weave out my scalp still wasnt right. i had white flakes on it and when i went to even try to stand in the shower and let water rinse through my hair it burned like i was getting a relaxer.

I have length now to my natural hair so i will just work with what i have and learn to care for it.