Monthly Archives: February 2011

Feb 9 2011

What I’ve Learned while Transitioning my Hair

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Here are the things I’ve learned while transitioning my hair from relaxed to natural

1) Having my hair very damp before twists make for better twists

2) Protein Conditioning really helps breakage
3) Even my relaxed hair looks SO much better than ever before. No longer dry with weekly conditioning and daily sprays of water
4) I’m allergic to Olive Oil. Not in my hair/scalp, but in a spray/spritz on my chest and back
5) Coconut OIl does harden your hair during the winter, so use with other oil or just at the ends or not at all
6) I got addicted to buying more oils. I’ve bought now JoJoba and Almond
7) Extra Virgin Coconut OIl is now replacing my baby oil and lotion
8) Using products for multiple things has me looking for other stuff I can use around the house. I know am using Vinegar as a fabric softener. My husband HATES the smell, but I like how it keeps lint off the cloths and makes them more manageable. I’ve never used fabric softener before, but Vinegar has been pretty good for the clothes.
9) Have more than one wide-tooth comb.  Something happened to my comb and I’m pretty sure my daughter (18 months) had something to do with it.
10) Amazon.com has great prices for buying oil in gallons
11) There are more women than I thought that are transitioning and/or going natural and/or are natural. I mention to almost any African American woman about going natural and a new conversation lights up the room.
12) JoJoba is pronounce like the sound of ‘H’
13) I’ve taken more pictures of more hair and sharing it with people than I ever have done before. I mean, actually, I never shared pictures with the topic being my hair.  How strange is that! The topic of today’s picture is…. HAIR!!
14) It’s actually pretty fun!
Feb 2 2011

How to Avoid Breakage During Transitioning

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This is my Step 16 on my 4th week for Transitioning my hair.

Never let your hair get dry. It is important to condition, condition, condition! Moisturize daily — that’s the spritz of water (water bottle spray), and you can add an oil to water in the bottle, every night before bed (Shake the bottle up before each use, because, as you know, water and oil don’t mix). Also, trim your hair every 4-6 weeks gradually to get rid of the straight ends — this aids in helping the hair avoid breakage. Also, avoid breakage by using a wide tooth comb, conditioning the hair regularly, and by giving your hair a hot-oil deep conditioning treatment. This is essential to restore moisture and balance. You should also apply oil to the ends of your hair as well, especially with twist outs,  after you wash and clean it.

Oh, and did I mention Conditioning?

My Weekly Regime for Transitioning my hair does seem like it might be a lot of conditioning, but it’s important.  My hair was already breaking out before I decided to transition to Natural hair, but by the 2nd week, I saw A LOT less hair following out when I used my Wide Tooth Comb.  I mean, the first week, my hair was coming out in handfuls (well, it filled up the middle of my palm). And I was concerned.  But by the 2nd Week, it stopped. WHAT A RELIEF!