wavy transition... not too different from my relaxed hair...

Been lurking around this site, youtube and google just trying to find out everything about natural hair. I am transitioning b/c.. honestly, I hate relaxers. I've had them since i was like 7 or 8; and now I'm 22 and had no clue what my natural hair texture was. And I'm lazy in that, I really hate getting relaxers and then having to get my hair styled (so annoying). And really, I usually just ended up putting my hair in buns all the time b/c I'm so busy so relaxing made no sense really. And my sister is now natural and did the big chop of Jan 09 and she has a huge curly hair that I really like.

And last August I just had my last relaxer and was too busy during the semester to get another one. And then over Christmas break I was like, "Yeah, not getting another relaxer".. I also would flat iron my hair whenever and i get so close to the roots that really.. my hair is straight enough whenever I needed it to be so it was whatever. And then I looked into really transitioning b/c I mean, I hadn't done co-washes or really looked at any other products to use in my hair and whatnot.

But now, it's been 7ish months and I've recently figured out how my natural hair is... and yes, I've read the forums that say that the little bit of your natural hair is not what your true texture is... but I've recently seen though just washing and letting my hair airdry that hair is just wavy. Like, my sister's transition looked for lack of a better word "crazy" b/c of the two completely different textures of her hair that is now completely curly versus her relaxed hair..

My hair on the other hand doesn't look too different. Has anyone had the same experience? During my "first semester" of transition, I looked kind of crazy but I wasn't taking care of my hair like I am now. And now like.. my roots are definitely thicker but not by that much.. And also, does anyone have any advice for me in terms of hair upkeep b/c while I really started to get serious I was reading about curly hair (looking at my sister) but mine are just waves (no curl)... like this:

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Any experience? Sorry for the long post.

Yes, I can relate. I did not see a big difference between my relaxed hair and new growth. The new growth was wavy and manageable. I wore my hair back and up most times. I also wore twists, braids and braid outs on my own hair, no hair extensions.

As for how to care for your hair/upkeep, ensure you use products without silicones, drying alcohols and mineral oil (petroleum jelly, paraffidum liquidum and other names it goes by). Good ingredients my hair likes are coconut oil & coconut based, aloe vera gel/juice, water, cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. The key is to moisturize and seal in the moisture. Try not to use too many products at one time. Less is more especially when trying new products or product combinations. Also, give products a chance. Try them a few times before putting them in the no good pile.

The hair that is right under the scalp from your last relaxer is normally called scab hair and is said to be affected by the relaxer. Therefore it's almost a texturized version of your real curl pattern, but by 7 months a little of your curl pattern should be showing. Your hair may be the curl pattern you see now /after/ your hair grows out, but when/if you BC your hair may shrink up without the added weight of the relaxed hair. Snip a piece of your hair and try this for yourself.

Hair at the crown is looser so I didn't notice much of anything that I snipped there, but a piece that I snipped at the side shrunk up. Right now the sides and back of my hair is a very tight coil and at the front is a loose curl pattern. Your hair may look wavy at a distance but if you look up close you may see your hair twisting, if that makes sense. If your sisters hair was like yours during transitioning than you can probably bet after the B/C that your hair will go curly. Also find out what your parent's hair was like, you'll probably be a nice mix of them, or someone in your family.

All I can say is wait until you're all natural to be sure. I have claimed my own hair type, but who knows, it may look different afterwards.

As for care, I take care of my head as if it was all natural, it's hard to try to baby both textures. Moisturize your hair daily or as needed, wear protective styles, avoid heat and have fun. I've experimented with a bunch of styles since going natural and have done more with my hair in the past 8 months with my hair then I have in a lifetime. I've found that trying out things other ladies find useful, such as oil, you may find useful as well. But you don't have to do everything. I don't co-wash because my hair doesn't feel clean, I had buildup from cowashing for 3 weeks and it was rather disgusting, so adding a pre-poo may be helpful if you're worried about the shampoo (if you want to shampoo). Happy growing.

ChrsLvsBks: How did you do braids on your own hair? I'm thinking of that, since I need a break from washing and detangling and combing, too much breakage. But I want to do it without extensions; I think that would be easier to care for.

Did you have to use a rat tooth comb for the parts? Was it hard to get the roots tight enough to look nice, but not so tight that they broke from tension? did you coat them with anything first? wet or dry?