Friday, March 12, 2010

Transitioning??? Or thinking about it?

Hey guys! Sorry I have been a little absent. I have been working on that secret project I mentioned in my post earlier this week. I am too hype about it too! Cant wait to share details!
So, lately I have been hearing more and more people talk about transitioning or wanting to transition to natural, but dont have the slightest clue on how to go about it the right way. Well let me first start by saying that it is not for wimps! Lol. This will be a long, trying journey. (hence the reason why I didnt do it, I just big chopped all my hair off!) But I have been helping people close to me make it through this tough stage. My sister Camilia is one of these people and she has been representing to the fullest. You may remember her...she was featured a couple of weeks ago on Fyecurls with her bantu knots, twistouts, braidouts, and rod sets. She is awesome! These styles are the easiest way to make your relaxed hair blend in with your new growth (natural) texture. If you would like to see these methods done, let me know and I will have Camilia do a video for you guys. Thanks in advance sis.;-)
Another important part of transitioning is deep conditioning/hot oil treatments. The new growth as well as the demarcation line (the point where the natural hair/new growth meets the relaxed hair is VERY fragile! If frequent conditioning and essential oils are not used on this area it WILL break! And those of you that are transitioning with braids, kinky twists, etc. need to do this as well. Dont let your hair be out of sight, out of mind, or this could prove to be damaging to those precious new strands that are growing in. I personally dont recommend flat ironing your hair too much while transitioning because this could cause heat damage on your new growth and cause it to lose it's curl pattern. So when you big chop, these pieces of hair will not behave properly. And that would be sad...so sad. :-(
So I wish those of you who are transitioning or thinking about it GOOD LUCK!!! You can do it! So gear up and arm yourself with essential oils: castor oil, coconut oil, and olive oil...to name a few, and some of my fav conditioners I mentioned under "My favorite products" post and you will be ready to big chop before you know it! Just keep your eye on the prize...healthy, natural hair! Peace and blessings yall!

9 comments:

  1. I've been natural 5 months and it has been a journey to say the least, but I have enjoyed it thus far. My hair is at this stage now where its not long enough to really twist like I want it but long enough for comb twist and I really enjoyed that look but it got old quick. I did take your advice Carla and I bought TONS of products and I've been just trying them to see which one will work the best but what do you do when you are that in between stage :( help!!!!!

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  2. NaturalStar I have been there! I did comb twists or fingercoils most of the time during this stage. Sometimes you can pin up sides with a bobby pin for a different look. If that doesnt work, you can always get kinky twists or box braids put in. That is a last resort of course because its harder to care for your hair when its braided up like that. I also experimented with jewelry and accessories during my "too short to do much with it" time. Good luck and keep experimenting! Your hair will be long enough for twists and other styles before you know it girl!
    (side note:) There is a girl on YouTube named RimBlu4 who was able to do amazing styles with little to no hair! You should check her out.)

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  3. What hot oils do you recommend?

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  4. I just looked her up FYEcurls and she is AMAZING!!!! You are my HERO!!!!! Thanks and much love!!!!

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  5. No prob NaturalStar!
    And Camilia, I use all 3 oils for different things. Coconut oil for shine and softness, mostly on dry hair. Olive oil for softness and conditioning, mostly on wet hair. Castor oil on the ends of my twists and braids to help with dryness.

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  6. The castor oil is REAL thick so it really helps to prevent breakage on ends. Especially good in the winter months.

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  7. I just wanted to co-sign on a couple of things:
    1) You are my hero too :-). I love this natural hair blog.
    2) It is very true that flat ironing or pressing your hair often will disrupt your curl pattern. There's about a 2x2 inch patch of hair at the top of my head that just doesn't curl. It's wavy, but not curly like the rest of my hair. My hair stylist says that it's not uncommon for your hair texture to vary at different places on your head. But I also know that it could be the result of heat. However, since I do like the flexibility of wearing straight and curly styles, I have no regrets.

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  8. Aww! Thanks Billynda for the kind words! (sniff, sniff)...And I personally have about 3 different textures on my head. The top, front is wavy, almost straight! Its frustrating at times! Thats bad enough...so I am not going to go overboard with the heat whenever I do use it.

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  9. Oh and Camilia, for deep conditioning/hot oil treatments, I mix conditioner, olive oil, and honey together, put on a shower cap and sit under dryer for 30 min.

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