Information Overload!!!

I feel like transitioning is Hardcore!!! Like tryin' to figure out what my hair likes dislikes, what styles work, what curl type I am, this ordering everything online...whether to henna or use casssia, perm rods or TnCs, lookin' for cones....AHHHHH!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Sorry...I admit I love the process but it's drivin' me a little nutz.....
Sorry just had to vent....anyone else?

I feel ya. How long have you been transitioning? I transitioned for 18 months, the first few months was a lot of new info. I had ben the sole stylist for my hair for almost 10 years, I did all of my own relaxers and everything. Therefore, when I went natural, I had to re-learn everything I knew about haircare. Everything. So I am totally with you on that. The good thing, once it gets burned in your brain, it's there and you no longer have to carry a list with you so to speak.

Once I got a routine down, it's like 2nd nature to me now. It gets easier..

Hi! I've been transistioning since Aug. 09 but heat-free since Dec.09 so....I'm actually very new to all of this...less than a month. I'm just gonna do a DC treatment then get some cornrows or braids for a few months. I'm just feelin' kind of discouraged. The only hairstyle that comes out nice is a roller set and it only lasts 2 days tops....so... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Yes. I used heat for the first year of my transition. Once I stopped using heat, I started doing twist outs. Have you tried those yet? The key is to leave a lot of conditioner on your hair and twist using a good sealant oil. I would twist probably about 15-20 twists throughout my hair then roll it up on flex rods. The result is very similiar to a rod set, however the good thing about it is at night I would re-twist my hair before bed so it would look fresh daily. When I re-twist I would use a mixture of conditioner, water, and at least 1 oil in spray bottle and spray each section and seal again and I would only do about 10 maybe nightly.

This method not only blended the two textures while my hair grew out, but retwisting kept it from looking old and raggedy.

Hope this helps.

Thank goodness I am not the only one! I am super new to this process. My last relaxer was in Nov 09. I have looked at various websites for tips and suggestions. And it is truly information overload!! I am kind of guessing that this process is going to be a lot of trial and error. I have tried to twist and roller set my hair and it only came out looking pretty good once. The problem for me is that I hate to leave out my house without my hair being perfect. I guess this process will teach me that I am not my hair!

I am also a product junkie and there have been so many mentioned that I must try. Hands down my favorite website other than Curly Nikki is http://www.missjessies.com/ ! They have pictures and videos that show you step-by-step. Their photo gallery is amazing - it gives me hope that one day I will be rocking some seriously beautiful curls! I have not tried their products, but I have friends that love their stuff!!

@Veela....thanks. I have tried the twist but I was using setting lotion, not conditioner. I'll try that with leaving the condish in.
@SandyNicole- I feel u---trial & error. I also originally liked MissJessies but then I research the products and they get bad reviews of being too greasy & $$$. I have found that my hair appreciates coconut products/ herbal essence/ and organic products. But I have tried every hairstyle and nothing make my hair plump & full but roller sets. I'm sure the others will work once my hair is 100% natural.

@Sandy, there's a thread under products about Miss Jessie's. I was a some time user for there stuff too and I was just about to invest in some more of their products until I read the thread. And they are soo expensive.. So I just scratched them off of my list like last week.

Ohhhhhhhh thanks ladies! I am not into greasy hair!!!

I hear from my transitioning friends all that time about how hard it is. All I can do is encourage you ladies to keep growing and keep experimenting. When the journey is over you will be telling the next generation of transitioners your story

I hear ya! It truly is information overload!

My last relaxer was the end of October and I had been going to the salon to get my wash and roller sets until about 3 weeks ago. I just decided to go natural about 1-2 months ago and I realized very early on (when I walked out of Target and CVS with a big headache and no product) that there is a lot of information and to pace myself. I mean, I plan on being natural from here on out, so no use in rushing right? At the end of the day, I decided to pick up one shampoo, one conditioner for co-washing and regular conditioning, one deep conditioner (well, really two that I mix together), one leave-in conditioner, shea butter, a few oils and aloe vera gel and some hair rollers, flexirods (or whatever styling tools you need based on the style you want to try, in my case, a roller set) and have decided that these products are what I am going to use for the month of January (or until my product runs out, whichever is later).

I refuse to drive myself crazy (and believe me, I was headed there) because I have convinced myself that I truly will not know what works on my hair until I try it out on my hair (duh, right?). Now, I do have a running list of several other products I really want to try, and I will try one new product in each catagory (unless I really like what I already have) once my current products run out.

I have only done one wash on my own since transitioning, and I already have an idea that I probably will not like the shampoo (too stripping I think), or my co-wash conditioner or leave-in (not enough moisture I think), but perhaps I was doing something wrong (like not putting on enough conditioner) or just did not have it right the first time. I expect that sticking with the product (at least until they are empty) will allow me to really understand how my hair responds to it and whether I like it or not. I also plan to journal everytime I was my hair, noting my likes and dislikes, which I have begun doing on fotki, especially because what I may love now, I may hate later, and what I hate now, I may love later (which I believe is the beast of the whole transitioning thing). Keeeping a journal will help out a lot with this.

I am sure later that I will not need to try a product until it runs empty to figure out how my hair responds to it, b/c by then, I will know my hair, what it is capable of, and what to expect, but as of right now, as a new transitioner, I have realized that I just have to accept that I know absolutely Nothing about my hair. We really do just have to start over from scratch with this one ladies (scary huh?).

Maybe doing this will help ease some of the anxiety you are having. I still read a lot of information and visit this site every day, but keeping myself on a routine has really helped me keep my cool about this whole transitioning thing.

@monnie-ur right--and that's a great idea about the journal. I mean like just knowing what's the best and not the best is my issue. But I have figured out 2 things...with my hair texture and having permed ends...nothing works but roller sets....I've tried them all. And really I find the things that I used when I first was able to do my hair myself(at 11 yrs old) like cowashing, airdrying, using a light condish as a leave in, rollers are what works!!lmao... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Our hair was made to seem so complicated but it's really sooo simple.

I created a journal for some of friends that were started to get overwhelmed. I just gave it to them for Christmas so I am wait until we all get back into our regular routines until I get some feedback from them.