Gorgeous Dreamer

So!! Who made me Queen of anything?? No one actually but I did successfully “Transition” for 2 YEARS!! Shoot, I’m still transitioning (90 % natural with a few relaxed ends on the Tips).  Recently I have been seeing and hearing fellow transitioners cry out for help due to frustration, and I wanted to offer a few tips that got me by so ENJOY. 

P.S. I’m NO professional as I have no certification, BUT I should be lol.   I have, however,  done very well with my hair and my daughters so take that into consideration. 

1.) Sit down and really think about your decision to go natural, is this really something you want in your life right now.  Transitioning is different for everyone, however there are several bumps in the road almost everyone encounters.

A) Working with TWO completely different textures; Know that your “natural” hair will not in anyway, shape, or form resemble your “relaxed” hair && I mean it, so just because you wet your hair && it forms some kind of wave when relaxed does not mean it will look like that when you transition or even when you are 100% natural.

B) Be honest with yourself.  Listen NO two heads are alike, sure the texture may resemble each other from afar, but how your hair reacts to products, heat and colder weather, whether or not your strands are dense are all factors that set YOUR hair apart.  It’s kind of like just because something works for someone else does not mean it will work for you.  Just because you “saw” someone natural and their hair was “curly” does not mean YOUR natural hair will be curly.  Just because you LOVE an Afro does not mean that Afro will love you.  Be realistic, apart of being natural is learning to love and accept YOU for who YOU are.  It can be a really big stepping stone in the journey for discovering and loving you. 

C) Do your OWN Research.  Sure such and such said so and so, but they are not responsible for how long or short your hair will grow, whether or not your hair will thrive, do your own research.  You can lead a horse to water but your can’t make them drink holds true; You can provide someone with the basics and it’s up to them to look for more information.  There are SOOOO many books, articles, blogs, researches about hair, texture, products, reviews, etc.. Just because I am not a fan of silicones doesn’t mean you should’nt use them.  Establish your own feelings about products and information that has to do with YOUR hair.  Don’t be afraid to make your own INFORMED decision. 

2.) Where do I start?? How do I begin?? I’ll just put it like this, Every transitioner needs the following…

A) A Great conditioner with LOTS && I mean LOTS of SLIP.  Finding a good conditioner does not mean “breaking the bank”.  There is nothing wrong with investing in yourself and the health of your hair, but lets be economical.  Should your conditioner contain silicones?? It’s up to you, I however try to avoid them as they tend to leave a film, and or coat my hair after being rinsed, but hey it may work for you.  Once you find a good conditioner that works well in your hair, KEEP IT, Stick with It!!!

B) Every Transitioner needs a really good, sturdy hair tool (dentangling brush, wide tooth comb etc) to detangle with.  One thing I would never suggest is to comb and or brush your hair while it is any state OTHER than wet.  In my opinion because you are dealing with two textures, you are automatically prone to breakage, why would you want to possibly add to that by attempting to comb or brush two completely different textures in their dry state?  Didn’t make sense to me either.

What about Shampoo??? Ehhh it’s up to you if you so wish to use one then by all means go right ahead.  It’s all a matter of opinion and importance.  I will say this shampoo’s generally contain Sulfates and Parabens.. There I gave you two key words, look them up oh and familiarize yourself with their nicknames, alias’ etc.  So you mean NO Shampoo?? Again I did not tell you and can not tell you what to do with YOUR hair, for those who do not wish to use sulfates or paraben containing shampoos by all means DON’t; there are Alternatives such as Shampoo bars, Cleansing Conditioners && some mainstream products Claim they are hip to the game and feature commercials saying they are sulfate free ( I’ll say this Familiarize yourself with other names for sulfate && other “harmful” products then READ the labels). 

How does this all work together?? Well Shampoo if you choose, Clean your hair with conditioner if it suits you but by all means CLEAN your hair.  The slip provided by the Conditioner makes it easier to detangle your two textures.  You may find that it’s easier to detangle and cuts your time in half if you saturate your hair with conditioner and work your way IN SECTIONS from the bottom to the top.  You should atleast section your hair in two sections, more if you so choose.  TIP: Detangling right UNDER the shower head, while the water is running down your hair will make detangling a breeze.  It’s good to have a great detangler, one that will work for you and your hair, and hair type.  There are several good products out on the market so don’t feel like you HAVE to learn to work with the one you have, especially if your hair is being pulled out. 

3) Products Products Products!!! A good styling products can go a long way.. Don’t ever feel discouraged or begin to hate your hair because something didn’t work the way it did for someone else. 

A) You need a good Leave In.. there are several on the market that ..You can even substitute it for Hair Milk.. Just because I said hair milk does not mean run and get Carol’s Daughter, not that anything is wrong with that line, do what works for you, just know there are many companies that make their own hair milk that may or may not be cost effective and may or may not work wonders for your hair.

B) Establish your OIL of choice.. there’s almond, olive, coconut, Castor etc… Just pick one or two if you so choose but at least one to seal in moisture.  Why is this important, because well moisturized hair is easier to manage, makes styles last longer and can help to avoid breakage.  Dry Brittle Hair BREAKS..

C) Get Familiar!! No you don’t have to be the Queen of Wash & Go’s, Twists are NOT the Only Style && Puffs maybe don’t suit your face all that well.  The Beauty of natural hair, or transitioning hair is the versatility that comes with it.  Experiment, yeah ok so and so went natural and she looks like no one loves her anymore, smh whelp that’s her hair and her business.  Perhaps so and so just has not found a style that they like or one that suits them, keep in mind JUST because you hate it does not mean they do, and Just because you LOVE it doesn’t mean everyone will.  Going natural is about Discovering that YOU matter, the journey to self discovery will lead you to understand that although it’s nice when people love everything you do, you need no ones approval other than YOUR own as YOU are all that truly matters in the scheme of things. 

*** What I have listed above are just a few things I feel may be helpful in one’s Transitioning Journey.. feel free to comment, add your two or three cents and always be respectful, we can agree to disagree while working towards the same goals :) Happy Transitioning Ladies!!!