I had been toying with the idea of transitioning out of my relaxer for about 5 years. But I was scared. I didn't know how I would be able to deal with my natural texture. I've had a relaxer since I was 20 and before that it was press and curl every week either by my aunt or at the local beauty salon from the age of 7. Before that it was weekly torture session as my mother yanked thru my hair after it was washed, sat me under a hot hooded dryer, yanked through my hair some more followed by a hot comb session. My one constant was the fear of wind and humidity once my hair was straightened and curled.
Fast forward to 3 years ago when I was sitting in the beauty shop one Friday after work with my head wet and 5 heads away from the stylist's chair knowing I wasn't getting out of there until after 11pm. That's when I decided that there must be a better way. I had been toying with the idea of transitioning back to my natural texture but I wasn't sure if I wanted the hassle of dealing with press and curl (now flat-ironing) and fretting how long I would be able to keep my style before it went poof due to the humidity. It was another year before I finally made up my mind. So in March of 2007 I started my transitioning.
I flat twisted and phony pony-ed my hair for about 9 months and then I found a stylist who said she could work with natural hair. During the transitioning period I had discovered that my natural texture was curly so I felt there was finally someone who could help me learn how to live with this and not be forced into wearing twists and ponys the rest of my natural grown life.
Soon I discovered that her idea of working with natural hair was to blow dry and flat iron the life out of it! When I would ask her how to work with my natural texture she would reply,"You can roller set it, but your roots may be puffy." So, I began to rethink my decision. I mean, in my half natural state I still had to be wary of humidity or my hair would start to revert. It did that with the relaxer too but never as bad as it was doing now. I would try to wet, condition and scrunch but the relaxed hair would never cooperate. When I would ask my stylist to cut the relaxed hair off she said,"No you don't want to do that, it will just get puffy." So after 1 year and 3 months of transitioning I decided to texturize.
I got this cute little inverted bob cut with the long front ending just above the bottom of my ears. My hair was so cute! I figured with this new texturizer (that as I was told only slightly relaxes the curl pattern) now that the majority of the relaxed hair was gone I should be able to wet, condition and scrunch now. WRONG!
It was then that I realized that this would have to be my own personal journey. If I was going to do this, I would have to rely on myself and find the will to stick with it by seeking out the knowledge needed to make it work.
Let me just say the internet is a wonderful thing! I have googled up a wealth of information to help me in my struggle to break free from the relaxer. Curly Nikki, Teri from TightlyCurly.com, so many You Tube videos I couldn't possibly name them all, Wendi and Kim from MixedChicks.net, Naturallycurly.com neighborhood and the list goes on.
I am a year further along now in my transition. Almost ready for the BC as they call it (the Big Chop). Yesterday I did my first Twist n Curl, it came out better than expected but I have no idea how it will look tomorrow after I have slept on it all night (yikes).
Fast forward to 3 years ago when I was sitting in the beauty shop one Friday after work with my head wet and 5 heads away from the stylist's chair knowing I wasn't getting out of there until after 11pm. That's when I decided that there must be a better way. I had been toying with the idea of transitioning back to my natural texture but I wasn't sure if I wanted the hassle of dealing with press and curl (now flat-ironing) and fretting how long I would be able to keep my style before it went poof due to the humidity. It was another year before I finally made up my mind. So in March of 2007 I started my transitioning.
I flat twisted and phony pony-ed my hair for about 9 months and then I found a stylist who said she could work with natural hair. During the transitioning period I had discovered that my natural texture was curly so I felt there was finally someone who could help me learn how to live with this and not be forced into wearing twists and ponys the rest of my natural grown life.
Soon I discovered that her idea of working with natural hair was to blow dry and flat iron the life out of it! When I would ask her how to work with my natural texture she would reply,"You can roller set it, but your roots may be puffy." So, I began to rethink my decision. I mean, in my half natural state I still had to be wary of humidity or my hair would start to revert. It did that with the relaxer too but never as bad as it was doing now. I would try to wet, condition and scrunch but the relaxed hair would never cooperate. When I would ask my stylist to cut the relaxed hair off she said,"No you don't want to do that, it will just get puffy." So after 1 year and 3 months of transitioning I decided to texturize.
I got this cute little inverted bob cut with the long front ending just above the bottom of my ears. My hair was so cute! I figured with this new texturizer (that as I was told only slightly relaxes the curl pattern) now that the majority of the relaxed hair was gone I should be able to wet, condition and scrunch now. WRONG!
It was then that I realized that this would have to be my own personal journey. If I was going to do this, I would have to rely on myself and find the will to stick with it by seeking out the knowledge needed to make it work.
Let me just say the internet is a wonderful thing! I have googled up a wealth of information to help me in my struggle to break free from the relaxer. Curly Nikki, Teri from TightlyCurly.com, so many You Tube videos I couldn't possibly name them all, Wendi and Kim from MixedChicks.net, Naturallycurly.com neighborhood and the list goes on.
I am a year further along now in my transition. Almost ready for the BC as they call it (the Big Chop). Yesterday I did my first Twist n Curl, it came out better than expected but I have no idea how it will look tomorrow after I have slept on it all night (yikes).
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