I'M SO HAPPY TO SAY I HAVE MADE IT A YEAR WITHOUT RELAXING MY HAIR! IT MAY NOT MEAN MUCH TO SOME, BUT IT'S A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT TO ME. I'VE BEEN GETTING RELAXERS SINCE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD, AND NOW AT 24, I NO LONGER NEED TO GET A RELAXER!! FOR ME, THE RELAXER JUST STOPPED DOING ANYTHING FOR MY HAIR. IT WAS CAUSING MORE DAMAGE THAN GOOD, AND MY HAIR WAS BREAKING TERRIBLY. IT WASN'T UNTIL I WENT TO A HAIR SALON WHERE THEY JUST BLOW DRIED MY HAIR AND PRESSED IT THAT I REALIZED I DIDN'T NEED TO GET RELAXERS. MIND YOU, I WAS STARTING TO HAVE A BIT OF NEW GROWTH, BUT IT WAS SMOOTHED OUT LIKE IT WAS A RELAXER. I WAS VERY HESITANT TO GO BACK TO NATURAL BEFORE THEN, BUT I SAID TO MYSELF GIVE IT A TRY AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. SOME DO THE BIG CHOP, OTHERS DO THE LONG TERM TRANSITION. I KNEW I DIDN'T WANT TO WALK AROUND WITH MY BIG ASS HEAD, SO I DECIDED TO GO LONG TERM. I DIDN'T WANT TO TURN TO BRAIDS, AND INSTEAD I STARTED BUILDING A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH MY HAIR.
I LEARNED QUICKLY THAT THE WAY I CARED FOR MY RELAXED HAIR WASN'T THE WAY I COULD CARE FOR MY NEW GROWTH. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH TWO TEXTURES, ESPECIALLY SINCE I STARTED DEVELOPING TIGHT CURLS/COILS AT THE ROOT AND THE ENDS WERE NATURAL. I BEGAN TO CUT MY HAIR MORE FREQUENTLY. I ALSO INCORPORATED PRODUCTS IN MY HAIR THAT WOULD HELP MANAGE MY HAIR AND PREVENT HAIR LOSS/BREAKAGE. THERE WERE PLENTY OF TIMES WHERE I WANTED TO GRAB THE RELAXER, BUT I SAID NO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR HAIR.
BEFORE I BEGAN MY JOURNEY, I WAS AGAINST GOING BACK TO NATURAL. I LOOKED AT IT AS A TREND BECAUSE EVERYONE I KNEW WAS DOING IT. THAT WAS ME BEING STUPID/NAIVE! GETTING A RELAXER IS EQUIVALENT TO SMOKING....YOU KNOW IT'S BAD FOR YOU, BUT YOU KEEP DOING IT ANYWAY. THE PEER PRESSURE TO LEAVE THE CREAMY CRACK ALONE WAS ENDLESS.
LEARNING MORE ABOUT NATURAL HAIR MADE ME WANT TO BE NATURAL EVEN MORE. WATCHING ENDLESS YOUTUBE VIDEOS ON NATURAL HAIR, FROM PRODUCTS USED, TO STYLING WAS ADDICTING. I WOULD ALSO TALK TO NATURALS THAT I KNEW PERSONALLY FOR ADVICE ABOUT HAIR. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I LEARNED THROUGH THIS JOURNEY IS THAT DETANGLING AND MOISTURE ARE KEY ELEMENTS IN HAVING NATURAL HAIR. IT'S NOT AS HARD FOR ME TO DETANGLE MY HAIR AS IT WAS BEFORE. FOR ONE, I DON'T DO WHAT I USE TO DO AND TWO I USE BETTER TOOLS AND PRODUCTS FOR MY HAIR.
BELOW ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE YOUTUBE NATURALS. THESE ARE JUST A FEW WOMEN THAT WHO I FIND THAT ARE GREAT COMMUNICATORS IN THE NATURAL HAIR COMMUNITY. THEIR VIDEOS ARE VERY VERY VERY INFORMATIVE, AND THEY STYLE THEIR HAIR LOVELY!
NaturalNeiicey- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mWyJtnPm1VQ7x-DkrdhCA
My Natural Sistas- https://www.youtube.com/user/MyNaturalSistas
MahoganyCurls- https://www.youtube.com/user/MahoganyCurls
Naptural85- https://www.youtube.com/user/Naptural85
Quest for the Perfect Curl (Elle)- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfQfarrA_NpKtQhUn7Yh2cw
Mini Marley- https://www.youtube.com/user/minimarley12
HERE'S SOME TIPS THAT HELPED ME THROUGH THIS 1 YEAR OF TRANSITIONING:
1. LOVE YOUR HAIR FOR WHAT IT IS, NOT FOR WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE!!- WHEN I FIRST BEGAN LOOKING AT VIDEOS ON NATURAL HAIR, I WOULD ADMIRE THAT PERFECT CURL AND WANT THAT. BUT I LEARNED THAT MY HAIR WASN'T LIKE THAT AND THAT IT WAS OK. I QUICKLY LEARNED TO LOVE MY HAIR FOR WHAT IT WAS. ALSO, I WATCH A VARIETY OF NATURALS (LISTED ABOVE) WHO HAVE DIFFERENT HAIR TEXTURES. FOR ME, IT'S MORE ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE THAN THE HAIR. I CAN LEARN A TECHNIQUE AND MANIPULATE IT ACCORDING TO MY HAIR TYPE.
2. PATIENCE!!!- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT DURING THIS TRANSITIONING PROCESS. I LEARNED THE HARD WAY WHEN I BEGAN NOTICING A LOT OF BREAKAGE AND HAIR LOSS. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR A LONG TRANSITION, I SUGGEST A BIG CHOP RIGHT AWAY. THIS WAY, YOU WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH TWO TEXTURES.
3. USE PRODUCTS DEDICATED FOR NATURAL HAIR!- THIS MEANS SULFATE FREE SHAMPOOS, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WILL CAUSE DAMAGE TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL HAIR. I WILL LIST MY FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCTS BELOW ALONG WITH PRODUCTS I HAVEN'T LOVED.
4. USE PROPER HAIR TOOLS!!- A WIDE TOOTH COMB IS GOING TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. FROM TIME TO TIME, I WILL USE MY HANDS TO DETANGLE MY HAIR AND THEN FOLLOW UP WITH THE WIDE TOOTH COMB. ALSO, ADDING COCONUT OIL OR CONDITIONER TO YOUR HAIR DURING THE DETANGLING STAGE HELPS A TON! IF I DON'T FEEL LIKE GETTING IN THE SHOWER, I REACH FOR MY SPRAY BOTTLE AND WET MY HAIR ENOUGH TO EASE DETANGLING.
5. GET RID OF THE HEAT!- THE ONLY TIME I USE HEAT ON MY HAIR NOW IS WHEN I'M DEEP CONDITIONING. NOW SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY IT'S NOT GOOD TO AIR DRY YOUR HAIR, BUT FOR ME, THE BLOW DRYER IS MY ENEMY. AFTER I WASH OR COWASH, I LIKE TO SECTION MY HAIR INTO FOUR TO SIX GROUPS AND CONTINUE TO DETANGLE. AFTER THAT I USE THE L.O.C. (LIQUID, OIL, CREAM) METHOD AND TWIST MY HAIR. I THINK LET IT AIR DRY AND STYLE HOWEVER I WANT IT FOR THAT WEEK.
6. PROTECTIVE STYLE YOUR HAIR!- FROM BRAIDS TO TWISTS MAKING SURE THAT YOU AREN'T CONSTANTLY IN YOUR HAIR IS THE WAY TO GO. I HAVEN'T BRAIDED MY HAIR IN QUITE SOME TIME, BUT I DEFINITELY TWIST MY HAIR OR WEAR MY GO TO FLAT TWIST CROWN.
7. MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE!!- IT'S WINTER AND THAT MEANS YOUR HAIR IS MORE DRY AND BRITTLE! I HAVE TO REMEMBER TO KEEP MY HAIR MOISTURIZED EVERYDAY OR IT WILL BEGIN TO BREAK OFF AND NO ONE WANTS THAT!
8. PROTECT YOUR HAIR AT NIGHT!!- I WEAR A SATIN BONNET, BUT YOU CAN USE A SATIN PILLOWCASE WHEN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT. THIS PREVENTS YOUR HAIR FROM DRYING OUT AND HELPS THE OVERALL HEALTH OF YOUR HAIR!
9. DEEP CONDITION WHEN NEEDED!- I'M CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR A REALLY GOOD DEEP CONDITIONER FOR MY HAIR. IT'S IMPORTANT TO DEEP CONDITION YOU HAIR BECAUSE IT HELPS SUSTAIN THE HEALTH OF YOUR HAIR, AS WELL AS MOISTURIZE YOUR HAIR!
10. TRIM YOUR HAIR WHEN NEEDED!- THROUGHOUT THIS TRANSITION, TRIMMING MY HAIR HAS HELPED CUT DOWN ON THE BREAKAGE AND MADE MY HAIR LOOK HEALTHIER. THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS TO GO THROUGH A LONG TRANSITION AND NOT HAVE TRIMMED YOUR HAIR. YOU'LL END UP WITH MORE SPLIT ENDS THAN YOU WANT, AND ULTIMATELY HAVE TO CUT MORE HAIR OFF THAN YOU WANTED.
**IN APRIL, I PLAN ON CUTTING THE REST OF MY RELAXED HAIR OFF AND BEING 100% NATURAL. I MAY EITHER RECORD OF TAKE PICTURES AND POST THEM ON MY BLOG**
PRODUCTS I'VE TRIED AND LOVED. I DIDN'T SPLURGE ON A TON OF PRODUCTS. I WANTED TO TEST SOME STUFF OUT AND SEE HOW I LIKED IT. THESE PRODUCTS ARE ON MY HOLY GRAIL LIST THOUGH!! ^_^
- SHEA MOISTURE: RAW SHEA BUTTER RECONSTRUCTIVE TRANSITIONING KIT (DID A REVIEW ON THIS PRODUCT)!!
-
OYIN HANDMADE: HAIR DEW & HONEY HEMP
HEAVEN FOR DETANGLING
AN EVERYDAY MOISTURIZER
TROPIC ISLE LIVING'S JAMAICAN BLACK CASTOR OIL. USED FOR HAIR LOSS AND SEALANT
PRODUCTS I REGRET BUYING
- CANTU COCONUT CURL CREAM: WHEN I SAY CANTU, I SAY CAN NOT! IT LEFT MY HAIR LOOKING WHITE AND IT JUST DIDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR IT WHEN IT CAME TO STYLING. I HAVEN'T THROWN IT OUT YET BECAUSE ONCE I CUT ALL MY RELAX HAIR OFF, I'M GOING TO TRY IT AGAIN AND UPDATE THIS!
- CANTU COWASH: I WAS RECOMMENDED BY AN OLD COWORKER THAT THIS WAS A GOOD PRODUCT. LIES SHE TOLD ME! THIS LEFT MY HAIR DRY AS HELL AND CAUSE MORE TANGLES THAN GOOD.
MY ATTEMPT AT A TWIST OUT! EARLY STAGES OF TRANSITIONING!
Before After
THE PICTURE BELOW SHOWS HOW MUCH MY HAIR GREW AND THE TEXTURE (COILS) I BEGAN TO SEE IN MY HAIR! (LARGER PICTURE TO SHOW TEXTURE)
MY GO TO PROTECTIVE STYLE
MY TWO STRAND TWIST...PROTECTIVE STYLE
TWIST AGAIN! NEVER THOUGHT I'D LIKE THIS STYLE
<--PERM ROD SET SUMMER 2014 (JULY) 5 MONTHS TRANSITIONING
IT CAME OUT CUTE
<--If I don't have cream, I just do the Liquid and Oil Method! (to the right) Jamaican Black Castor Oil, (left) spray bottle, and Wide tooth comb!
BELOW ARE PICTURES OF A SECTION I CUT OFF!
Though I'm not cutting all my relaxed hair off til April, I began cutting a bit --->
<---1 year post relaxer! This is after I cut off the relaxed ends. (Above ^ picture)
The picture to the right is what my hair looks like when I let go. A bit of a curl pattern going on there.
<---Hair stretched. Some length!
Hair shrunk
<---My hair has grown a lot within a year. Where my thumb and index finger are, is where my natural hair ends.
METHODS I FIND EASIEST FOR ME TO DETANGLE MY HAIR
- APPLY CONDITIONER OR COCONUT OIL TO HAIR TO EASE DETANGLING.
- USING A WIDE TOOTH COMB, START FROM THE BOTTOM AND WORK YOUR WAY TO THE ROOTS. SLOW AND STEADY!!
- IF POSSIBLE, DETANGLE IN THE SHOWER. I FIND WHEN WATER IS RUNNING ON MY HEAD, IT EASES THIS PROCESS.
- AFTER DETANGLING, TWIST AND CLIP HAIR AND BEGIN WORKING ON THE REMAINING SECTIONS.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT DENISHAHOBBS23@GMAIL.COM OR LEAVE A COMMENT.
<3 NISHA
