Transitioning without BC'ing Support Thread

havilland said:

Its worth a try. I didn't find it messy at all. If you have aloe juice, put the mix in a spray bottle. If you have gel then it's not necessary. And put your sealing oil in an applicator bottle - easy breezy

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Its definitely not messy the way you suggest doing it. I did it early this morning and am now doing a protein treatment.I won't know if it was successful though because the only thing that stayed consistent with today's wash was the shampoo. I did a different prepoo, protein treatment, and will probably use a different moisturizing conditioner--not sure yet about that that one. I'm really hoping that this protein treatment slows down some of this breakage-- of course I'll have no way of knowing what actually did the trick if it does work---but if it does work--I'll repeat the exact same procedure in two weeks or so.


I know some breakage is to be expected but I just want minimal breakage--maybe I won't have to BC--- because my hair will just slowly break off...

@newbeginnings2010 I thought of cutting off a small portion but I figured if I have different textures, that only solves part of the mystery...but like I mentioned, since my hair is breaking, I can play with the broken patches.

I am really amazed at the range of emotions I have had in the past 12+ hours since my last post. I didn't want to keep posting and clog up the thread so I didn't post but it turns out that here I am posting right behind my last post anyway.

Yesterday I was so glad that I didn't have a pair of scissors anywhere in the house because I'm not sure what I would have done to my hair.


At some point between last night and now, I decided that I will wait at least the end of August because I have some events to attend.

I think for the most part, I've been light-hearted (not really the word I'm looking for) about the breakage I'm experiencing but now I'm starting to get annoyed.... talk about creamy crack withdrawals.

I just tried to take a pic of my new growth but it just looks to me like I'm balding/thinning in the crown area. My husband said the same a few weeks ago after I asked him to examine a part of my head that was itching in a weird kind of way.

The part seems wider than I think it should be but I'm too embarrassed to post it. If it is balding/thinning, I'm wondering if it from the gajillion ponytails I've put my hair in over the years or relaxing or both. Bunning is supposed to be my go-to style until I figure out what my hair needs/wants in terms of moisture. I'm really trying so hard to remember but I think I vaguely remember a stylist telling me to vary the position of my ponytails--and if she said that was it because she saw something or was she just giving preventative advice? Can't remember. I don't know.

My hair has always been the thing I've felt the most confident about and now....I'm on this experiment to I don't know where. I'm just so disheartened and I'm already tired of typing this so, I'm just going to lurk until I'm feeling back on the "up" part of my emotional roller coaster. (That could be in an hour or a week--who knows lol) I guess this is a sign that I need to find other things about myself to love.

@daviine So sorry about what you're feeling and going through with your hair. I can understand how upsetting it can be, as I had alopecia areata years ago. I think you should visit a dermatologist and have him examine your scalp just to make sure that your thinning isn't a medical condition. If it is, it can most likely be treated with medication. FYI that weird itching/burning is a symptom of alopecia.

I definitley wouldn't relax (you mentioned you were going through withdrawal) until I saw a doctor. Good luck.

daviine

Aw, I'm so sorry about your situation! Maybe you need braids or something to avoid manipulating your hair altogether. That's what I would have done during my last transition if I wasn't so fed up and impatient with my breakage and tangling. I could have been 2 years natural now, but I relaxed a day or two later after posting my frustration in this very same thread. Now I regret it. But I'm sure whatever decision you make will be the best for you. I would advise putting your hair in a low maintenance style where you won't have to think about it before you chop or relax prematurely.

Good luck!

Godyssey
newbeginnings2010

Hi--thanks so much for your concern. I just wanted to clarify that I'm not considering relaxing. I just meant that my hair is in withdrawal--- because its breaking because it wants more of the creamy crack. Like a true addiction. Sorry for the confusion.

daviine

Ah, okay. Your NG isn't craving creamy crack. It's screaming to be freed from the relaxed ends! Tell those coils to back off and exercise some patience.

SOS PLEASE HELP ME. Im about 3 months post my hair is a pain to detangle. Im losing a lot of hair. Ive tried different combs like k-cutter/tangle teezer/shower comb except my denman(scared it will rip out my hair).

How can I detangle my hair in the shower? What method, what products, what type of comb? I have fine hair(im just not saying this lol) so its fragile.

shockolate I prepoo my hair with a little condish and oil (mostly castor oil or Vatika).

What has helped me is doing a little finger detangling once the oil and condish has softened the hair (usually between 20 min and hour). I finally broke down and bought me a Magic Star 5660 seamless comb-- it's made a BIG difference and was worth the investment.

But I NEVER comb my hair or try to detangle with a comb until I'm in the shower and use the force of the water to help me. Even when I finger detangle I have some type of butter, oil, or leave-in to soften it up first.

I've lost a LOT of hair before this.

I have 4a/b/c hair. Mostly 4b/c. Thick and cottony.

shockolate said:

How can I detangle my hair in the shower? What method, what products, what type of comb? I have fine hair(im just not saying this lol) so its fragile.

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I usually detangle my damp hair out of the shower with my wide-toothed comb, leave-in, and oil of choice. However, since I'm much longer into my transition, it's a bit of a breeze. So, I do advise detangling in the shower with as much conditioner as you can stand, a warm stream of water, sectioned hair (4-6 sections), some clips for your hair, and a wide-toothed comb. Comb ends to root while your hair is in the water's stream soaked with conditioner and use some patience!

I haven't posted in this thread in a long time (due to laziness) but I ended my transition on Saturday. I did my big chop due to the extreme breakage I was having. I was 6 months into my transition and my hair was breaking so bad!! I was clogging up drains and leaving hair all over the sink and floor. So even though I never wanted to BC I did it Saturday and I must say I love it! I co washed my hair two times since then and I lost ZERO hairs. But I really just wanted to come and say good luck to the rest of your transitioners!!!

shockolate said:

SOS PLEASE HELP ME. Im about 3 months post my hair is a pain to detangle. Im losing a lot of hair. Ive tried different combs like k-cutter/tangle teezer/shower comb except my denman(scared it will rip out my hair).

How can I detangle my hair in the shower? What method, what products, what type of comb? I have fine hair(im just not saying this lol) so its fragile.

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I do my detangling in the shower as water is streaming down. Everything seems to stay detangled when I get out and let it air dry

MsLauren said:

I haven't posted in this thread in a long time (due to laziness) but I ended my transition on Saturday. I did my big chop due to the extreme breakage I was having. I was 6 months into my transition and my hair was breaking so bad!! I was clogging up drains and leaving hair all over the sink and floor. So even though I never wanted to BC I did it Saturday and I must say I love it! I co washed my hair two times since then and I lost ZERO hairs. But I really just wanted to come and say good luck to the rest of your transitioners!!!

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Great! No pictures!

Shelew said:

Great! No pictures!

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Just added it!

WriterGirl said:

shockolate I prepoo my hair with a little condish and oil (mostly castor oil or Vatika).

What has helped me is doing a little finger detangling once the oil and condish has softened the hair (usually between 20 min and hour). I finally broke down and bought me a Magic Star 5660 seamless comb-- it's made a BIG difference and was worth the investment.

But I NEVER comb my hair or try to detangle with a comb until I'm in the shower and use the force of the water to help me. Even when I finger detangle I have some type of butter, oil, or leave-in to soften it up first.

I've lost a LOT of hair before this.

I have 4a/b/c hair. Mostly 4b/c. Thick and cottony.

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Im going to try pre-pooing with castor oil thanks. Also where did you get that comb? Can it be found in stores?

Shelew said:

I do my detangling in the shower as water is streaming down. Everything seems to stay detangled when I get out and let it air dry

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That's what i do and it doesnt work

shockolate said:

SOS PLEASE HELP ME. Im about 3 months post my hair is a pain to detangle. Im losing a lot of hair. Ive tried different combs like k-cutter/tangle teezer/shower comb except my denman(scared it will rip out my hair).

How can I detangle my hair in the shower? What method, what products, what type of comb? I have fine hair(im just not saying this lol) so its fragile.

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i would suggest the following -

section your hair in four sections and twist it.

apply a pre poo with a deep conditioner to each section on dry hair BEFORE you shampoo. let it sit for at least 20 minutes. or do a hot oil treatment. get an applicator bottle and apply the oil directly to your roots. let it sit 20 mins. an hour is best. also, use heat with a plastic cap if you can.

use a very mild shampoo preferably sulfate free.

then apply more conditioner in the shower and run your fingers through your hair to detangle.

you can rinse out the conditioner or not and then try a very wide tooth comb. some ladies have more success detangling with conditioner in their hair. other do better without. you will have to try both and see what works for you.

i do best after i rinse the condish and then let the shower water run through my hair.

last but not least - each month will bring a new change. your hair is not the same at 100% relaxed as it is with new growth. don't expect it to be. the ease of running a comb through one texture of hair is now gone. if you embrace the change, it will be easier for you to handle. once your hair is one texture again, some of the ease will come back. natural or relaxed, makes no difference. there are benefits to both. so hang in there, chica!


i posted a stretch guide awhile back. i will see if i can find it and pm you.

chrisanddonniesmommy said:

I usually detangle my damp hair out of the shower with my wide-toothed comb, leave-in, and oil of choice. However, since I'm much longer into my transition, it's a bit of a breeze. So, I do advise detangling in the shower with as much conditioner as you can stand, a warm stream of water, sectioned hair (4-6 sections), some clips for your hair, and a wide-toothed comb. Comb ends to root while your hair is in the water's stream soaked with conditioner and use some patience!

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I will try sectioning too. thank you

havilland said:

i would suggest the following -

section your hair in four sections and twist it.

apply a pre poo with a deep conditioner to each section on dry hair BEFORE you shampoo. let it sit for at least 20 minutes. or do a hot oil treatment. get an applicator bottle and apply the oil directly to your roots. let it sit 20 mins. an hour is best. also, use heat with a plastic cap if you can.

use a very mild shampoo preferably sulfate free.

then apply more conditioner in the shower and run your fingers through your hair to detangle.

you can rinse out the conditioner or not and then try a very wide tooth comb. some ladies have more success detangling with conditioner in their hair. other do better without. you will have to try both and see what works for you.

i do best after i rinse the condish and then let the shower water run through my hair.

last but not least - each month will bring a new change. your hair is not the same at 100% relaxed as it is with new growth. don't expect it to be. the ease of running a comb through one texture of hair is now gone. if you embrace the change, it will be easier for you to handle. once your hair is one texture again, some of the ease will come back. natural or relaxed, makes no difference. there are benefits to both. so hang in there, chica!


i posted a stretch guide awhile back. i will see if i can find it and pm you.

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Very good advice. Im going to re-stock on my kenra MC. What are some good detangling conditioners or even rinses?

Last time, I just BC'ed I didnt transition but I would really like to transition this time.

here are the stretching rules again ---which obviously can be used for transitioners as well.

i will put these in my profile under the blog for future reference. (full disclosure - these are not mine. i copied these from a poster on KISS. if she ever posts here, i would love for her to take credit for her work)

These Stretching rules can be applied to transitioning as well. The point is to deal with the two textures successfully. I never had any breakage the entire 5 years I have been doing long stretches. (if the original poster of this is here, thank u! And please take credit for this!)

STRETCHING RULES--
I decided to repost this (originally in my blog and 6 month stretching group) in the "Stretchers Help Discussion" forum because I see a lot of ladies here are still having difficulties stretching. I feel for them because I have been in their shoes. Just wanted to tell what I've learned in hopes of helping at least one person. HHJ!
*
The first time I did this 6th month stretch thing I struggled after I hit that 4th month ( note: I'm a 4A hair type) mark so I promised myself I would get to the bottom of my issues once and for all this time around.
My number one problem was itchiness. Yes, my scalp is sensitive to my own natural hair. This does not go away until I have a significant amount of new growth. I knew this was coming so I went before hand and purchased a bottle of peppermint oil.
So rule #1: Calm the itch with oil, not fingernails! Mix ten drops of peppermint oil with a favorite hair oil (mine is coconut) for itches! Best applied after hair has been freshly shampooed. Cools the scalp like nobody's business!!!
My second issue is combing out two different textures of hair after a good shampoo. Or at least the first time around it was too textures. Now that I am transitioning to texlaxed it's 3 textures. You know the deal. Dryness. Breakage from the slightest pull of the comb. Tangling. So here is how I deal with that.
Rule #2: Deep condition on dry hair. That's right. Get a big tub of the thickest, most moisturizing, deep conditioner you can find. Apply to dry hair. Cover with plastic cap (or plastic wrap. I do both), let sit 45 mins. or sit under the dryer for 15 mins.THEN shampoo out. That's right. Shampoo after.
Rule #3: Scrub that scalp, not the hair. On days that I don't deep condition, I put hair in braids, get in the shower and shampoo focusing only on the scalp. Rinse. Unbraid each braid & apply conditioner to the hair, one by one. Then...
Rule #4: Comb hair out UNDER the running water. Then ponytail, & braid UNDER the running water. Can't say this enough because every time I skip this step I'm in a world of trouble. I ALWAYS have to use the force of the water running thru my hair to aide me in combing it out.
Rule #5: Must have a good leave-in conditioner. It's a small rule for me but helps. I apply plain old VO5 conditioner to my braids and let air dry 75%.
Rule #6: Conditioner is your bff! Now this is a new rule! After reaching 4 months post I switch out my VO5 conditioner for a much, MUCH thicker one for my new growth. When my hair is 75% dry apply a thick MOISTURIZING (not protein) conditioner to the new growth and seal with a favorite oil.
THATS RIGHT! I LEAVE CONDITIONER IN MY HAIR! Let me explain. Now I do this 2 ways:
6a) I use a quarter size amount of Motions on each section of hair, working it in good before detangling a second time with a wide tooth comb. I seal with oil, then comb thu with a fine tooth comb (Not too fine. If I feel it tugging on my hair the comb is too fine) to loosen the natural wave pattern.
6b) I mix Shea Butter with a thick deep conditioner (About 4 tbsp. Shea to 8 tbsp. deep conditioner. A tsp of honey for preservative, & a tsp of my favorite oils). Apply that (do my combing method: see 6a) and keep it moving.
*Special 6c note for natural folks, folks going natural, or people with kids that have natural hair*: I have found that applying deep conditioner (not too heavily) after you shampoo, sitting under a dryer (or letting it sit 45 mins.) then styling your hair WITH the conditioner STILL in the hair can be very helpful. Just seal with oil. This helps comb thru courser hair textures with ease.

NOTE: I only apply this thick conditioner to the new growth. See rule number 7 for the rest!

Rule #7: Low manipulation is the key to happiness. I have developed this thing for putting my hair in 2 donut buns and leaving it there until my next wash. I place my hair in two ponytails after doing rules 1-5. I apply VO5 conditioner. Comb thru with a wide tooth combs (starting at the ends and working my way up).
Then I seal with oil. My favorite oil mixture for my ends is 60% Coconut oil, 30% Jojoba oil, 10% Castor oil. I have fine hair strands so this works for me. *Someone with thicker hair I'd recommend reducing the Coconut oil and upping the Jojoba and Castor oil percentage significantly*.
I comb the hair with a finer toothed comb, then twist it round into a donut bun, laying the ends flat against my hair and pinning the bulk of the hair over them. I ALWAYS do this when my hair is damp. If the hair dries too quickly I mist it again. With the slightly damp ( NOT WET) and in a bun the moisture stays locked in for a day or two.
Rule #8: Keep those edges looking tight. If my edges feels a little dry by the time I finish then I mist them again, then apply a satin scarf. I tell you, 20 mins. in a satin scarf is all I need to have a nice sleek look. Of course I scarf overnight too.
Rule #9: Right amount of protein to balance all that moisture! Protein treatment every 4-6 weeks. I can get moisture overload a bit due to my fine hair strands. It also helps strengthen that line of demarcation. I often follow a protein treatment with a moisturizing one.
Rule #10: Have fun with your hair on the weekends but don't force it to do something it doesn't want to do. I have rollerset my hair (often a ponytail set do to new growth), and blew out the roots once in a while for a straight look but keeping a straight look can be drying when you have a lot of new growth. I never have my hair straight more than 4 days. Actually this rule should be called, "Moisture is more important than style." It is more important that my hair maintain the proper moisture balance, than maintain a straight look. This leads me to rule number 11.
Rule #11: Water is my friend, even in the winter time. I wash (or at least rinse with conditioner) my hair every 4 days in winter, and 3 days in summer. Why? This helps me maintain a proper moisture balance in my hair strands, and keeps my scalp happy. When I went from washing my hair every 7 days to every 3-4 days 50% of my issues went away. One very big one I had for years was dry flaky scalp. This went away after just 2 weeks of doing this. And yes I use a VERY moisturizing shampoo. I also rinse (not wash) from time to time with VO5 conditioner before I hit my 4th month post.
Those are my rules for stretching that chemical process. I hope this helps someone out there struggling because I sure wish I knew it last year. Heck, I wish I knew it ten years ago.
HHJ!

shockolate said:

I will try sectioning too. thank you



Very good advice. Im going to re-stock on my kenra MC. What are some good detangling conditioners or even rinses?

Last time, I just BC'ed I didnt transition but I would really like to transition this time.

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i think any rich creamy thick conditioner will work well. tressemme naturals seems to be a favorite of many ladies. i personally use Hairveda products. but for prepoo I find that hot oil treatments work well for me. i just use olive oil. simple, cheap, easy.

aloe vera gel with oil mixed in is a GREAT prepoo treatment.

the key is you want to soften the new growth before you wet it.

i would finger through to remove any shed hair and then pre treat the hair. then shampoo.

i have similar issues with detangling. i am 38 weeks post. and my hair is fine like raw silk. it tangles easily and hates to be "managed". she is easily ticked off. LOL i have to be very gentle and work in sections.

shockolate said:

Im going to try pre-pooing with castor oil thanks. Also where did you get that comb? Can it be found in stores?

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shockolate I got mine online here:
http://www.hotcombs.net/magic-star-jumbo-rake/

Also check out the seamless comb thread for other ideas:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=570991

I'm a year post on Tuesday and for the first time in a long time, I'm really missing my relaxed hair. I think it's because of some pics that I saw of myself with fully relaxed hair. It looked really good and not as skimpy as the relaxed parts of my hair looks now. *le sigh*

Also, what leave in conditioner are you guys using(possibly a detangling one)? I use John Masters citrus & neroli detangler but atm, i feel like i need something heavier. I also use rusk smoother for my bun but it doesnt detangle.

For detangling conditioner ---I started having more success when I use products naturals use. Remember it is the natural hair you are trying to manage. Relaxed hair is fairly easy. At for me it is. My relaxed hair liked just about any quality product. My roots are a diff story.

I started looking at prods like Kinky Curly Knot Today for detangling, etc. I like hairveda Strinillah deep con. It's is thick and heavy. An old stand by is lekair cholesterol. Yeah I said lekair. LOL. ORS hair mayo is another easy drugstore purchase.

I would def recommend checking out naturals that have your similar hair type on you
tube and trying prods that they use.

on My relaxed hair I could use keracare prods. My natural hair chews that up and spits it out. LOL. (I'm 39 weeks post and texlaxed)

NJoy----congrats on one year post!!!! (I miss my fully texlaxed hair too, so I feel ya!)

Gorgeous!!!!!

15 weeks post after using Hairfinity Vitamins for 2 months. Silicon Mix, Coconut Oil, and Salerm have been a lifesaver during this transition!

havilland said:

For detangling conditioner ---I started having more success when I use products naturals use. Remember it is the natural hair you are trying to manage. Relaxed hair is fairly easy. At for me it is. My relaxed hair liked just about any quality product. My roots are a diff story.

I started looking at prods like Kinky Curly Knot Today for detangling, etc. I like hairveda Strinillah deep con. It's is thick and heavy. An old stand by is lekair cholesterol. Yeah I said lekair. LOL. ORS hair mayo is another easy drugstore purchase.

I would def recommend checking out naturals that have your similar hair type on you
tube and trying prods that they use.

on My relaxed hair I could use keracare prods. My natural hair chews that up and spits it out. LOL. (I'm 39 weeks post and texlaxed)

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I have the Hairveda deep con ill try and find it in my stash. I wasnt too impressed by it on my relaxed hair though. Ive tried cholesterol and hair mayo when i was natural and they didnt work out. Im going to buy the Knot Today tomorrow thanks!

I wish I had made a list of my HG items back then. I remember glycerin worked well for me then I remembered threads saying that if the air was dry, glycerin will suck out moisture from your hair. Anyone remember that???

Sistaslick's hair is similar to mine from what I recall but she's relaxed. I need to look on my fotki.

Ok, I'm now at 11 months post relaxer, and I am definitely thinking of chopping after a year. I think I may be able to deal with my hair at that point. I should have between 5 and 6 inches of hair at that point, and that should be good long enough to do a good twist out, some good wash-n-go's, and I could still put my hair in extensions to get a break. I don't know, I'm thinking about it.

I am in a full head weave, with some of my edges left out because I wanted to protect them. The tiny amount left out is braided in a two horizontal braids, and hidden by the weave hair. (this is the first time my braider did that, and I LOVE it). But I digress,

yesterday I shampooed and conditioned the weave and the hair underneath it (under the net). i also took those braids out and conditioned the left out hair. And just... UGH, those damn stringy ends were so ridiculously wack, that I wet it with conditioner, and cut them off. I felt so HAPPY, even if it was just a tiny amount of hair.

i relaxed my hair for the first time last year and hated it. these ends kinda show you why -- my hair did not react well to relaxers. My thick 3c/4a/4b turned into this stringy, lifeless and stuck together, thin, body of hair I can't freaking wait to be able to cut off all of the relaxed ends.

shockolate said:

I have the Hairveda deep con ill try and find it in my stash. I wasnt too impressed by it on my relaxed hair though. Ive tried cholesterol and hair mayo when i was natural and they didnt work out. Im going to buy the Knot Today tomorrow thanks!

I wish I had made a list of my HG items back then. I remember glycerin worked well for me then I remembered threads saying that if the air was dry, glycerin will suck out moisture from your hair. Anyone remember that???

Sistaslick's hair is similar to mine from what I recall but she's relaxed. I need to look on my fotki.

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it may take u awhile to find products and techniques that work. Try not to let it get you down. Also, I something works for you, DO IT! Don't worry about what other "heads" do. My hair doesn't like detangling with conditioner in it. I have to rinse it out first. Other ladies can't do that .....oh well. To each her own your hair likes glycerin. Hates the shower. Go for it.

Don't try to force your hair to do what it won't do.

FYI. The hairveda strinillah works best without heat. I do not know why. But it does. Try it on dry hair with a plastic cap for about 20-60 minutes and see if you like it. Good luck!!!

havilland said:

it may take u awhile to find products and techniques that work. Try not to let it get you down. Also, I something works for you, DO IT! Don't worry about what other "heads" do. My hair doesn't like detangling with conditioner in it. I have to rinse it out first. Other ladies can't do that .....oh well. To each her own your hair likes glycerin. Hates the shower. Go for it.

Don't try to force your hair to do what it won't do.

FYI. The hairveda strinillah works best without heat. I do not know why. But it does. Try it on dry hair with a plastic cap for about 20-60 minutes and see if you like it. Good luck!!!

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Ill try it with heat thanks!