Ready to start the transition - have some questions

I was talking with my daughter earlier today and i mentioned that i would probably wash my hair this evening. She asked me if i was gonna co-wash?! I though to myself WTH is that. All my life when it came to washing my hair, i would shampoo, put a little conditioner on it for a little while and then grab the blowdryer and flat iron. She started talking about co-wash, deep conditioner, poo, My head was reeling from the confusion, it's like we were talking two different languages. I was so confused! I have been off the creamy crack since February but i'm not ready to cut yet - i'm really scared. My hair is really fine and has thinned out alot in the front and in the crown area. I "think" i have decided to do braid outs for awhile. i currently wear wigs most of the time. I keep my hair corn rolled under the wig and today when i took the corn rows out that's when my daughter suggested wearing a braid out. i'm tempted to try it but my hair is soooooo dry. any recommendtions or suggestions??!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I have been transitioning since 9/09, and I have never co washed. Once a week, I shampoo (sulfate free), deep condition, detangle, apply leave in condition, styler and sealer, then plait braid or use Curlformers.

Always be sure to balance moisture and protein in your products: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?singlepage=true&cat=69http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?singlepage=true&cat=69.

HTH

I co-wash mainly by accident. I wash my hair way too frequently and I'm a little too lazy to shampoo and condition everyday. Personally I like my shampoo. It removes buildup, and I use shampoo at least once a week.

Ask your daughter what kinds of products she uses to do her braidouts, maybe you two can share, you can buy your own and do product swaps. Braiding on wet hair I find to be easiest. It doesn't have to be soaking wet, it can be damp, and then add a moisturizer, and then an oil if you wish and braid up. When hair is dry, you can take it down.

Naturally Esq wrote:I have been transitioning since 9/09, and I have never co washed. Once a week, I shampoo (sulfate free), deep condition, detangle, apply leave in condition, styler and sealer, then plait braid or use Curlformers.

Always be sure to balance moisture and protein in your products: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?singlepage=true&cat=69http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?singlepage=true&cat=69.

HTH

Hi Naturally Esq how has your journey been with the transitioning? I get more and more excited about it every day. My daughter has been natural for about 4 months now and she is having great results and now she has inspired me. what kind of conditioners have you found so far that work for you?

Treece wrote:I co-wash mainly by accident. I wash my hair way too frequently and I'm a little too lazy to shampoo and condition everyday. Personally I like my shampoo. It removes buildup, and I use shampoo at least once a week.

Ask your daughter what kinds of products she uses to do her braidouts, maybe you two can share, you can buy your own and do product swaps. Braiding on wet hair I find to be easiest. It doesn't have to be soaking wet, it can be damp, and then add a moisturizer, and then an oil if you wish and braid up. When hair is dry, you can take it down.

Thanks for responding Treece, my daughter has so many products now, i told her not to get rid of anything!! i'm going to work with some of the stuff that she has until i can figure out what works for me. I'm getting more and more excited about this journey. I even get to the point where i stop naturalists on the street and start asking them quesations!! At first i felt kind of silly doing it but now i don't care. you know what they say- you won't know if you don't ask!!! My har is pretty fine and never seems to hold a curl for too long, i was wondering, if i do a braid out - how to i avoid the curls/waves from falling out through the course of the day? I don't want to look cute in the morning and look like a wet dog by the head before lunch! Any suggestions?!

Fabulousat50 wrote:

Naturally Esq wrote:I have been transitioning since 9/09, and I have never co washed. Once a week, I shampoo (sulfate free), deep condition, detangle, apply leave in condition, styler and sealer, then plait braid or use Curlformers.

Always be sure to balance moisture and protein in your products: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?singlepage=true&cat=69http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/278612/the_fine_art_of_protein_and_moisture.html?singlepage=true&cat=69.

HTH

Hi Naturally Esq how has your journey been with the transitioning? I get more and more excited about it every day. My daughter has been natural for about 4 months now and she is having great results and now she has inspired me. what kind of conditioners have you found so far that work for you?

My transitioning journey gets better every day. The first few months were difficult when I was trying to style because I had more relaxed hair than natural. I now have about 50/50 natural/relaxed hair. My natural hair holds the style better than the relaxed. Hint: if you try the braid out, roll the relaxed ins on a straw and you will get a tighter lasting curl.

Re products: I use only Giovanni Products that can be bought at Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, CVS, Pharmaca, and health food stores. Once a week, I use Giovanni Smooth As Silk (SAS) Deeper Moisture Shampoo to poo, SAS Deeper Moisture Conditioner and Reconstructor to DC, SAS Xtreme Protein Infusion or Direct Leave In as leave in, I set my hair with Giovanni Natural Mousse Hair Styling Foam and seal (root to tip) with castor oil or EVCO

HTH

Fabulousat50 wrote:

Treece wrote:I co-wash mainly by accident. I wash my hair way too frequently and I'm a little too lazy to shampoo and condition everyday. Personally I like my shampoo. It removes buildup, and I use shampoo at least once a week.

Ask your daughter what kinds of products she uses to do her braidouts, maybe you two can share, you can buy your own and do product swaps. Braiding on wet hair I find to be easiest. It doesn't have to be soaking wet, it can be damp, and then add a moisturizer, and then an oil if you wish and braid up. When hair is dry, you can take it down.

Thanks for responding Treece, my daughter has so many products now, i told her not to get rid of anything!! i'm going to work with some of the stuff that she has until i can figure out what works for me. I'm getting more and more excited about this journey. I even get to the point where i stop naturalists on the street and start asking them quesations!! At first i felt kind of silly doing it but now i don't care. you know what they say- you won't know if you don't ask!!! My har is pretty fine and never seems to hold a curl for too long, i was wondering, if i do a braid out - how to i avoid the curls/waves from falling out through the course of the day? I don't want to look cute in the morning and look like a wet dog by the head before lunch! Any suggestions?!

Well, someone else was asking to use a gel with her braidout and I was thinking that would make the hair too hard (depending on your gel, not all get "crispy"), but maybe if you use a gel it will help with the curls falling out. I don't normally wear those styles for more than 2 days, so I'm not an expert on getting the hair to hold! I'm glad you're so excited, I think this will be such a bonding experience for you and your daughter. I've always wanted to stop a natural before but I've never had the heart to, plus I wouldn't know what to ask lol. I do compliment them if I get the chance. Well, good luck with your journey!

@Fabulousat50... I used to have that same problem with my braid-outs not holding. Now I use Eco Styler on my hair and it gives my hair a great hold and shine. My braid-outs last up to 3days now & they used to only last for only a day. My picture is one of my braid outs at 3 days. Hope that helps

BeautifullyMehh wrote:@Fabulousat50... I used to have that same problem with my braid-outs not holding. Now I use Eco Styler on my hair and it gives my hair a great hold and shine. My braid-outs last up to 3days now & they used to only last for only a day. My picture is one of my braid outs at 3 days. Hope that helps

Thank you Beuatiful, i will try that, your hair looks great - it gives me hope!!