Successful transitioners... Product recommendations

[CarLiTa]

Hi ladies

i'm transitioning and currently 5 months post relaxer.

i'm struggling!

It's the dryness that is driving me crazy. My texture, from what I've observed, is a 3c/4a. I have layers of different textures... let's see if i can explain it. from the back to the front of my head, it seems to go from 3c, 4a, 3c, 4a+3c

the 4a in the crown is difficult... well it's always been.


Please help me!

Successful transitioners of the 3c+ kind, what products made the transition easy for you??

What techniques?
I've got my detangling comb and I will be getting a Denman.

At the moment, I don't really have shampoo nor conditioner... nor leave-inerplexed

nothing that i would use in the past seems to work as well as i would like.

My hair is just NOT cooperating (the relaxed part, that is)

--
so again:
Successful transitioners of the 3c+ kind, what products made the transition easy for you?? What techniques?

Flat-ironing every week/2 weeks?

How many times per week did you deep condition??

thank you!

 

[loulou82]

I transitioned 15 months. I'm 4a/b. What helped me was a creamy thick moisturizing DC like AO HSR or NTM Conditioner. Washing my hair in sections ( 4-6 twists) worked tremendously. I lost little hair and was able to properly detangle. The denman didn't work well with my transitioning hair because it caused a lot of shrinkage in my NG (even though it also defines them nicely too). I shampooed and DC'd once a week because I wanted to cut down on manipulation. I air dried in braids or twists. If you do this then you can do a braid out the next day.

I was battling thick NG and bone straight relaxed hair. Not a good combination and I needed to pay attention to both. I used a non-sulfate shampoo like Giovanni, Trader Joe's, or Elucence Moisture Balancing. I used a mild protein treatment monthly (AO GPB). I basically bunned or wore braids for the majority of my transition. I would have blow dried more often using Pinkskates Tension Method (there's a large thread on it) if I knew about it. I only flat ironed 3 times during my transition. I wasn't a fan of frequent flat ironing because I didn't want to damage my curl pattern and because I planned on wearing natural hair styles as a natural as opposed to being a straight natural. If I were going to wear my hair straight most of the time then I would have incorporated a flat iron more often. However, Lauren450 flat ironed throughout her transition and her curls and coils remained intact. Allandra also flat irons her transitioning hair is it looks great.

HTH.

 

[faithful]

Hi! I transitioned about 3.5 years. I have super thick hair. The things that lou mentioned worked for me too. I don't think it it was so much about the products as it was the techniques. I knw Shea butter was really helpful though. I washed and conditioned washed in a minimum of 4 sections. The denman didn't work during the trans bc my bone straight hair couldn't stand up to it. I wore buns, flexi sets, braid outs, twist outs, ponytail roller sets and ponytails most of the time. Occasional flat irons by my friend during pregnancy.

 

[CarLiTa]

THANK YOU LADIES!!

it seems that the search bar isn't working properly. If anyone could bump the Tension Method for me, I'd REALLY appreciate it!

I think i need to focus more on my relaxed hair at the moment. When both are dry (relaxed and natural), the relaxed part is even more dry. So, maybe I should focus on putting moisture on the relaxed part and maybe that will make it a little easier.

It seems like my new growth handles brushing and stuff like that better than the relaxed.

i also want to try flat-ironing more often too.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

20 months post texlax here...

I poo/DC 1x/week. I had to start using SLS free poo because my natural hair doesn't like the other stuff.

I prepoo for 1-3 hrs and then poo. I DC for 30 min w/ heat or 1-2 hrs w/o. I use JASON's Sea Kelp poo or the Biotin poo. I DC with the matching con or Nature's Gate hair masque or an AO con.

I do a lot of braidouts, but I'm planning to straighten 1x/month in 09.

My natural hair loves jojoba oil, and Giovanni Direct seems to still be a winner as well.

I still use a Jilbere de Paris shower comb to detangle.

 

[CarLiTa]

THANKS DI!

you give such great advice!

Im about to head out to Whole Foods to get some things!

 

[Coolata]

subscribing

 

[glamazon386]

EQP Mango Butter helped to soften my new growth. Also dcing with LeKair shea butter choleseterol helped. I just wore my hair in low manipulation styles. Wigs, weaves, braids, phony ponies, etc. I think I only had it straightened (dom blow out) once in the 5.5 months I transitioned.