Keep ends tucked away
Your ends are the oldest part of your hair and can be prone to damage and breakage. Added with the fragile line of demarcation, it’s important to make sure that you care for your transitioning ends.
Doing updos like buns are an excellent way to keep your ends tucked away and healthy during your transition. You can experiment with other styles as you like, but you will notice that by keeping your ends protected you have less breakage, damage, and less split ends. Updos are also a good way to keep your hair out of the way and it hides the fact that your hair is two different textures.
Keep hair moisturized
Moisturizing hair consistently is an important step to keeping it healthy whether you’re transitioning or already natural. Your transitioning period is a good time to figure out your hair regimen and learn what products work for your natural hair.
Begin adding more moisture into your regimen while transitioning. Try deep conditioning* at least once a week, and start sealing your hair after every wash with either the LOC (Liquid. Oil. Cream) or LCO (Liquid. Cream. Oil) method.
Refresh your hair every few days by spritzing it with water and reapplying an oil. Massage oil into your scalp and concentrate it on your ends every time that you moisturize. Also consider adding pre-pooing or oil rinsing to your regimen for extra shiny and moisturized hair.
Consider protective styling
Protective styling (if done correctly) can be the same perfect solution for getting past your transitioning period. Protective styles blend the two textures together and keep your hair tucked away. There are a variety of styles you can try, some examples are below:
-Box Braids
-Senegalese (or Marley) twists
-Weaves
–Wigs*
-Crochet Braids
Pick the style that works best for you and go with it. If you decide to protective style, you can keep it in for increments of one or two months and you won’t have to deal with that annoying line of demarcation!
Trim Regularly
Although the point of transitioning is so that you don’t have to chop off all of your hair (until you’re ready) you still need to trim your ends regularly. Our ends are the oldest parts of our hair, so they may need a little more maintenance.
Since you’ll be taking more care of your natural hair than the damaged hair, your ends may be more susceptible to split ends, tangling, etc. Figure out a trimming regimen that works for you.
Decide whether you want to trim every few weeks, every few months, etc and decide exactly how much you want to trim each time you do. Just make sure you’re getting rid of that damage! Every trim puts you one step closer to a head of fully natural hair!
Transitioning can seem like a chore if you have no idea what you’re doing, but it doesn’t have to be hard! As long as you keep your hair healthy and moisturized during your transition, you’ll notice that your natural hair will grow rapidly.
Before you know it, your relaxed or heat damaged hair will turn into a full head of curls and you’ll have a regimen that you can keep and add on to when you’re fully natural!
Samantha Siler says
Thanks!
Melanie Worthy says
I should have done more research. I thought I “Had” to “Big Chop”
Michelle Daley says
Lovelove
Trudy Proctor says
Every month I chopped some of the perm off as my hair grew..it was easier that way for me.
Chelsea Lowe says
the part in the middle pic looks like more of a patch :/
Shayla Hicks says
Yes it does, possibly caused by weave tracks or such. But the pic does not take away from the fact that she grew out her relaxer! 🙂
Chelsea Lowe says
absolutely!
Shayla Hicks says
Noo, you didn’t have to BC. I tell people all the time to slowly remove those ends over time and wear protective blended styles… No worries though, hair grows back. Be patient!! 🙂
Melanie Worthy says
7 months now & yes it is growing nicely
Kadi Sunshinekisses says
I wore braids to help with the transition. And after about 1 year my hair was all natural
Heather Dotson says
I’m doing a long term transition. I usually wear braids and trim my hair every three months and cut at least an inch of my relaxed hair off. I’m close to having all the relaxed hair gone.
Jamie Carter-Bailey says
I definitely didn’t BC was scared lol. I went from bsl to now above my shoulders i clip my hair once before i started seeing stringy ends. Its bug full and beautiful and I love it! !!
Jamie Carter-Bailey says
I went from bsl to above my shoulders, it was too much hassel dealing with 2 different textures (natural hair likes a product relaxed hair doesn’t ) my hair is big fluffy and i love it