16 year old nervous about transitioning

Hello! I just joined yesterday because I decided to go natural and this website seems very informative!
I just realized that I'm tired of the burning of relaxers (I have a serious sensitive scalp, I've never had a relaxer w/o it burning my skin) tired of the breakage and tired of the conformity.

So i decided to go through the transitioning stage, but I'm really nervous because I don't really know what I'm doing lol. I haven't had a relaxer since December I believe, and my hair is in micros right now. So when I take them out I might have to wear my real hair for a bit so I have a few questions:

I have dandruff and I've heard that ACV is good for it, soo.....how do i use it lol do i use it before shampooing, afterwards? Just put it on my scalp and wash it out? Don't wash it out?

What do I moisturized my scalp with...Blue Magic? (LOL JUST KIDDING!!) Are all the oils and stuff you guys talk about you put on your scalp? but it sounded like you were just putting it on your hair I thinks.. so is shea butter and all that you put on your scalp? Actually I got the impression that natural girls hardly put things on their scalp lol

-I'm sorry I asked a lot of questions, but it's just my nature haha I just want to know what I'm getting myself into before I do it. Thanks!!

You can put oil on your scalp. There's no set way to take care of your hair it's basically try it and if it works for you go for it.

PaganWifey- Thank you!

ACV can be good for dandruff but I'm not sure about putting that in your hair with the micros in. (I'm not certain about the type of hair you have in or how it's treated.)


No problem!

oh I wasn't going to put it in with the braids anyway...I wasn't sure about that either lol

I have seborrhea of the scalp and putting the ACV rinse on my scalp has helped so much with the flakes. I just pour some on my scalp straight from the bottle, leave it on for thirty minutes, and then rinse it out. And since your transitioning, you might want to keep braiding your hair. It might be easier for you to maintain since you're in school. I suggest looking at this website. It helped me for many months when I was still learning the basics of taking care of my hair. It gave me a break from having to deal with my two hair textures all the time. http://www.growafrohairlong.com/

@skluffy, you may be pleasantly surprised that the dandruff and itchiness goes away as you make the transition. My last relaxer was in November but I have only been actively transition since the beginning of January 2010 (and by actively, I mean- online researching, learning what works and what doesn't). In these last few weeks, I basically no longer have a dandruff or itchiness problem- IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.

I don't know which of my new products or regimens get the credit but I'll list them out for you in case they help you:
1. henna
2. a water/100% pure organic aloe juice/HE HH conditioner/lavender EO mix. (I didn't measure, but I listed the ingredients in order of how much I used with water being the most)
3. 100% pure jojoba oil (I honestly think this is been the most helpful, but like I said... I don't know!).

I had already been doing co-washes quite frequently and was still suffering from scalp conditions but something above made the difference... or maybe it was just the peace of mind that I will never have to torture myself again with another relaxer that burns my scalp! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Thanks everyone for your ideas and comments!Jamaicanmecurly- Well I sure enough cannot wait for that day!
but now I'm thinking there may be something in the oil I use because I just put it in my hair and I'm itchy all over again!

EDIT: oh i just read the label and it has cyclomethicone, which may be the reason for the itchiness. Oh well, does anyone another scalp oil or moisturizer I can try?

Hi Skluffy,

Castor oil, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil are some of the popular ones. I use coconut oil myself, and I really like the results. I just use it like a hot oil treatment before I shampoo and sometimes I mix a little in my conditioner. Currently, I use four different moisturizers:

1. 100% raw shea butter
2. Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter moisturizer
3. CURLS Milkshake
4. A mix of water, vegetable glycerin, coconut oil, shea butter, and sweet almond oil. It's in a spray bottle and I just spritz my hair a couple times a day with this.

The first two are heavier moisturizers that you can use when styling, and the last two are lighter and more for refreshing a style that you've been wearing for a couple of days. HTH [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Thank you curLEIGH!

so you use those oils to moisturize your scalp? Or do you just put it on your hair? Or you use the shea butter and heavier moisturizers on your scalp? I don't know why this is confusing to me lol

I use moisturizers on my hair and scalp, and then I put an oil over that. Applying the oil second is called sealing because it seals in the moisture you put on first. I put the oil on both my scalp and hair, and I focus on the ends. Be careful not to use to much because your hair could become greasy. I usually do about a tablespoon to put on my hair and ends, and about a teaspoon for my scalp. I know that some naturals use more, but because I still have so much relaxed hair, the extra oil would make the straight ends look limp and greasy. I don't seal every time I moisturize, just kinda when I feel like it LOL. But I make sure to do it if it's super cold and windy outside.

good for you Skluffy101. I know how you feel about transitioning at such a young age but you have an advantage: time. If I had started this journey when I was your age I can't imagine how strong and healthy my hair would be right now but at least I made the change.

What do you use to wash your hair? Do you use shampoos and if so do they contain harsh sulfates? Sulfates can dry your scalp and hair. I only cowash and when I do use shampoo, I've purchased a sulfate free brand. I hope you are washing your hair while you're in braids because a clean scalp will lead to growth.

ACV rinse can be used to help clarify your scalp. I mix it with water and spray directly on my scalp during my finale rinse. You could also try to include tea tree and peppermit oils into your products to combat your itchy scalp. Definitely moisturize with a water-based moisturizer such as braid sprays and seal your hair with natural oils like EVOO, EVCO, jojoba, sweet almond and other carrier oils. HTH and don't worry about the amount of questions you ask. That's why we love this site because everyone supports and educates each other.

Hi! You will find that as your scalp heals from the perms, the dandruff will go away. I had really bad dandruff when they permed my hair as a child. If perms straighten the hair permanently, think about what is does to your poor scalp! I still had dandruff when I stopped perming and just flat ironed. I think it was because I was still using the same "greases" and shampoos. Now that I use all natural products, I have not even had a flake. I think the henna and amla helped. Keep asking your questions!

Thanks everyone for the wonderful advice!!
My dad is taking me shopping this weekend for some new hair products...i just really all the labels on my stuff and I was a sulfate-addict lol
it was funny though because my dad randomly bought coconut oil for his scalp and I was all like yay!! but i read the ingredients and it had mineral oil and petrolatum in it -_- oh wells...

I've been telling everyone this but I really think you should join the Butters-n-Bars challenge!!!! The ladies there have a lot of knowledge about transitioning and products and whatnot. But you've gotten some great advice so far

Personally I put oil on my scalf if it's feeling dry but I also spray it on my hair when I'm taking out a style I had to set while wet because it minimizes frizz. Like if I'm doing a braid out, when I'm unbraiding I'll have oil on my hands to keep the hair from frizzing.

Product shopping is so much fun!! I'm sure you'll get some great stuff
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Im 16 too and ive been transitioning for about 4 months. i find that i have less dandruff in my hair now that my scalp has been free of relaxer for a while.
I find the coconut oil is one of the best oils for everything.
-sealing hair after moisture has been put in it
-deep conditioning
-skin moisturizer
-and eating it, if ur into that

i swear that its a miracle, along with shea butter
if u buy either make sure that they are unrefined and organic, i find those to be the best. you might also want to try aloe vera gel on ur edges when they get thick
i hope u have a good transition.

That's great that you are transitioning too!
Where did u buy your coconut oil at?
Also I have another question. Can I used a spray bottle and do the whole water + condish + oil thingie or is that only for fully natural hair?

you can do the spray bottle concotion, I have been using it for some time and I was transitioning for 13 months and that actually work wonderful on both My daughter and My hair

I'm seventeen and i've been transitioning for about 3weeks now. I was wondering since I've never had a perm (I hot comb my hair) do I need to bc? I do have some straight ends and my hair type is maybe 4b with a little 4a in some areas. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You don't have to big chop...you can just gradually cut off the straight ends as you go along...I've been transitioning for 18 months and I just trim an inch or so of my hair every few months

oh okay thnx I think I'll do that cause it was really hard to twist my hair at the ends because they were so straight

Yea my ends are too straight to do anything with them, so my hair is up in a bun most of the time, or I will put a weave in or single braids....

have you tried kiky twists?

yea when i said single braids i actually mean kinky twists...i loved when I had my kinky twists...here's a pic

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