Transitioning Tips

Congratulations, you’ve chosen to transition. :) Dealing with two textures can be extremely difficult, but it will be worth it. It doesn’t matter if you plan to transition long term or short term. You want to take care of both your natural and relaxed hair. If you don’t pay enough attention to your relaxed ends, your hair will break off and that will make transitioning tough. Nobody wants to walk around with damaged, broken off hair! Use these simple tips and you’ll be able to transition as long as you please.

This first tip is a no-brainer, but. . .DON’T give in and relax your hair.  If being natural is what you really want, you’ll more than likely just end up starting over again and you’ll lose all of that new growth you had before you relaxed.

Keep your hair moisturized! Your hair is extremely weak at the line of demarcation (the point where your relaxed hair meets your new growth). If it’s not properly moisturized. . .*snap*. Your hair will break.

Try protective styles. Styles like braids, twists, pin-ups, and buns help keep your hands out of your hair and help you to become more patient. Also, while your hair is tucked away, time is passing! You’re so much closer to being fully natural.

Avoid heat! Blowdryers work by drying the hair from the inside out. Yes, your hair dries faster than when air drying, but your hair will appreciate you more if you allow it to keep its natural moisture. Another source of heat to avoid is the flat iron. Hair gets heat damaged for several different reasons. You could damage your hair by flat ironing your hair too often, using too high of a heat setting, or your hair could just not be in prime condition for straightening to begin with. Heat damaged natural hair tends to take on a looser texture than it should have (sometimes the hair become bone straight >_<). You CANNOT undo heat damage. You will just have to cut the hair.

Fake it ‘til you make it.  Try styles that disguise your new growth. Rod sets, braid outs, twist outs, and even natural weaves help keep you from needing to use heat.

Deep Condition. Deep conditioning helps moisturize the hair while adding a barrier around the shaft to help prevent damage. If you must flat iron your hair, make sure to deep condition (either under a dryer or overnight) before hand.

Be patient! Going natural is not about the destination, but about the journey. Love your hair at every step of the way because if you take proper care of your hair, you won’t be at each stage long.

Embrace what you have! One of the biggest issues a lot of ladies have about going natural in the first place is texture. Unfortunately, a lot of people are brought up believing that there is an ideal type of hair. This is not true. You were given the hair that looks best on YOU.  Once you embrace your hair and stop wishing for what someone else has, you will be much better off.