Any long term transitioners? No BC? fotki?

I know there are a few long term transitioners out there, I just don't see much of them. Lets share some of our experiences...
1. How long have you been transitioning?.

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2. Tell us some of your experiences the good, the bad and the ugly.

I've pretty much had good experiences. The one bad thing I did was blow-dry my hair last week, my hair ended up dry even though I did it on the lowest setting. My hair loves to air dry, or if I must I can sit under the hooded dryer for an hour or so. The best thing is I've learned how to get my hair to retain moisture and I've learned how to comb my hair with the least amount of breakage (I have to comb wet, especially at my crown, that stuff gets impossible when it's dry).

3. Do you ever plan on doing the BC or not?

I go back and forth. I want to wait a year regardless, sometimes I want to BC at that point, and other times I want to just let it grow out and trim the ends until all of the relaxed ends are gone. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'll know better when I hit my year mark
4. Do you have a fotki?

Not yet, I'm waiting until I have more variety/styles to start one up, but I do have a blog which you can find a link to in my sig [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I am not 100% natural, but was a long-term transitioned and planned to be from day one. I got my last relaxer August 2007. At that time I asked my last stylist about going natural and she said I had to cut off my hair. Well that's not what I wanted to do so I searched until I found a stylist who could help me transition without the BC and keeping my hair healthy. I actually found 2. The first lady I went to for about 2-3 months and she was great about give me straw sets, flat twists, braids and flexis, just a number of natual styles. I second lady was great about blowing my hair out with little to no breakage during the transition when I wanted to wear it straight. I alternated styles for about 8 months and then got a weave. I wore the weave for about 18 months in 3 month increments, with breaks ranging from 3 days to 3 weeks in between each. I would go to the shop regularly with the weave in as well to ensure my edges weren't breaking and the hair that was left out was in good condition. In between weaves I would get deep conditions. I must say that the stylist did an excellent job because after taking my weave out 10 days ago and deciding to wear it natural until the spring, I must say that it is in great condition. No split ends, no breakage, and no shedding...just lovely unprocessed hair.

Now this worked for me, but if you know how do keep your hair healthy please transition without the help of professionals. It was an EXTREMELY COSTLY 18 months and I vow to never spend that kind of money getting my hair done again.

Transitioning for seven months now and so far so good-except for the constant co-washing (every week, if not twice a week) and having to deal with two textures. I have not gotten any negative or discouraging remarks from friends or family. My biggest concern was with my hubby, who btw, loves long and flowing hair. But after seeing "Good Hair" he realizes that being natural is who we are and that my hair doesn't change who I am as a wife. Now I am wearing a sew-in, which I hope lasts for a month. This will undoubtably perpetuate my laziness ,as well as, aggrevate my frustrations with the itchy synthetic weave.

1. I have been transitioning for about five months and haven't had a relaxer in six months.

2. Let's start with the bad: First, there was so much shedding/breakage in the beginning I thought I was going bald. Second, in order to get the massive amounts of breakage under control, I had to learn how to "treat my hair like lace" and finger comb, which can take forever to do. Third, I get super tired of taking care of the relaxed part of my hair and managing it.
The good: First, it's better than having a relaxer. Second, I love my hair more than when I had a relaxer. Third, I no longer have to wrap my hair. Fourth, I seriously feel like I'm learning about my hair. Five, it's better than having a relaxer.
The ugly: Sometimes I don't feel like doing my hair that often, either because I'm tired from work and the gym or just lazy.

3. Do I plan on BC'ing, no and yes. No, because I plan on transitioning for at least the next three years. Yes, because in about three to four years I plan on cutting off the relaxed part of my hair (if it hasn't fall all off by then or been clipped away with trims).

4. No fotki, but I do have a blog detailing my trial and error: the eXclusive

1. My last relaxer was in June 2009...

2. Good Experiences: Learning TONS of information on blog sites like CurlyNikki & Fotki and actually being able to put them into action, being able to convince others to GoCurly with me, mixing my own ingredients to create PERFECT formulas
Bad Experiences: TANGLES!! Sometimes detangling literally gives me a headache. Aphogee Protein treatment SO did not work for me & my hair ended up hard (thank God for home-made leave-in!). Realizing Shea butter does NOT belong in the scalp..I was itching for days..couldn't wait to wash again!

3. My hair was an inch or two shy of collarbone length when I got my last relaxer and sometime in September, during my FINAL visit to a salon, I asked my stylist to TRIM my hair..and of course..3-4in of perm came tumbling down..smh.. I was not looking for that dramatic of a cut. It works out though because I do not plan too BC, BUT I have already SC (small-chopped) and thas as far as I will go. I basically have a TWA now.

4. Yes, iFotki!! www.fotki.com/MzLaLaRochelle
Let's be friends!

Hi Ladies! I've been transitioning for almost 5months, my last relaxer was July 8, 2008. At first I was co-washing almost daily and things were going pretty well, but now i have like 2in of new growth and detangling is a beast. The good part is seeing all of my little curls that I never knew I had, and experimenting with textured hairstyles (I was addicted to the flat iron for YEARS!)...I guess the bad/ugly is not being able to comb my hair as often as I used to...I can only detangle on wash day....I've been trimming a little every 3-4wks (everytime I blow dry), so I don't really plan to BC. I may do a mini-BC in May after I graduate, but idk....

I had a fotki but I have not updated in like a year lol: public.fotki.com/cjscott

Firstly, I'd like to say that I am new here and was getting ready to start a thread asking ppl if they went natural without doing THE BC. I'm so glad I found this thread bc I was starting to think that I must be doing something wrong since everyone else is chopping their relaxed hair off. I'm just not ready for that. This is my 2nd time going naural, and the first time I BCed after 6 months. This time I want to keep all of my hair.

1. How long have you been transitioning?.
I can't exactly remember when I got my last relaxer, but I have about 3 ins of newgrowth now. I'm guessing its been close to 8 months since my last relaxer.

2. Tell us some of your experiences the good, the bad and the ugly.
I thought it would be more difficult than its been, but I'm surprised to find out that my natural hair is not a whole lot different than my relaxed hair. I was having a bit of trouble detangling at first. The comb kept getting stuck between the textures, but I've figured that out and am not having that problem anymore. I had only been getting a relaxer 3x a year anyway, so I am somewhat used to newgrowth. I do a lot of buns and try not to bother it when its dry. I spray it with water daily, add moisturizer lotion/blended oil/conditioner and finger comb it. I leave it out to air dry. Once its dry I usually bun it. I wash my hair once a week with shampoo and apply conditioner which I leave in. I comb it out and let it air dry. Thats my routine. I do henna, but not often enough bc I have 3 small children and washing it out takes a while. I'm LOVING my natural hair though and haven't had much breakage.
3. Do you ever plan on doing the BC or not?
No, I don't plan to. My hair is currently down to my bra clasp, and I love the length. I am VERY curious to see how long it will grow.
4. Do you have a fotki?
NO

1. I have been transtioning for 4 months and plan on going at least 18 months. but we will see.
2. Good: havent much of an issue detangling. I just bought a denman brush and it worked like a charm. Bad: nothing really
3. I plan to BC but no sooner than a year. but i think of taking scissors to my hair right now
4. dont have a fotki yet maybe i should get one?

I have been transitioning for 7 1/2 months. My last relaxer was in May 2009 and I got my hair braided a few weeks later. So far, I haven't really had too much trouble with dealing with the 2 textures. My wash routine is as follows: I divide my hair into 4 parts, secure the 4 parts with butterfly clips, wash it in the shower (one section at a time) with Creme of Nature Shampoo and Conditioner diluted with water, do a deep condition of coconut oil, castor oil, shea butter, and the $1.99 Chrolestrol cream from Sally's beauty supply, put a plastic cap on it and sit under a hooded dryer for 30 mins. I then take a mixure of the shea butter, castor oil, and coconut oil and rub it on my hair from root to in to seal in the moisture. I dilute Proclaim setting lotion with water and rod set my hair (either with the gray, white, or coral color rods). I sit under the dryer on "Warm" setting for about 45 mins and let the rest air dry under a silk bonnet. I take them out the next day and put shea butter and coconut on the hair for sheen.

The one problem I will say that i have encountered (which I will change VERY soon) is that my stylist isn't used to working with hair with 2 textures, so she tries to wash my hair like its still all relaxed and combing it (OMG) I had a lot of breakage from her trying to comb it form root to end instead of vice versa! Sad to say, I may have to retire her or wash/condition/detangle my hair prior to going to see her so she can rod set it on the days I don't feel like it. My other transition styles have been twist braids that I keep in for about 1 1/2 - 2 months and a sew-in curly weave I wore for 1 1/2 months that allowed me to get used to rockin a curly style! The best thing about the curly hair was that the older it got, the better and more nature it looked!

Curl style with coral color perm rods
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Curly Sew in [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Oh yeah, I may BC after a year, but it depends on how much length I have. Right now I have an equal about of new growth and relaxed her. About 3-5 inches relaxed and 3-5 inches new growth. I don't have a fotki, but I am considering it.

1. How long have you been transitioning? 25 months. November 13, 2007 was my last time using a relaxer.

2. Tell us some of your experiences the good, the bad and the ugly. The good: seeing my natural texture, realizing how healthy and strong my natural hair is, the versatility. The bad and ugly: DETANGLING. It took me a while to notice a line of demarcation, but now I definitely see/feel it when detangling. It's sooo time consuming. The inevitable breakage that comes with long term transitioning can be intimidating and downright scary for some. Just know that some breakage is normal as your natural hair will be a lot stronger than the chemically treated hair.

3. Do you ever plan on doing the BC or not? Obviously no BC in the plans. I've been slowly sniping away and now have maybe a couple inches of relaxer left. I'll be cutting the rest away in April.

4. Do you have a fotki? I do, although I haven't done much updating this year. Message me for the link and password.

1. How long have you been transitioning? Hi, I am new and have been transitioning for 33 weeks, 7 months. My last relaxer was May 13, 2009.

2. Tell us some of your experiences the good, the bad and the ugly. So far so good, my only problem is wash days, it's getting harder and harder.

3. Do you ever plan on doing the BC or not? Yes, I can't wait!!! I plan to BC on March 13, 2010. I will be 10 months post relaxer, 43 weeks into my transition.

4. Do you have a fotki? No, not yet.

Hi Everyone! 1st time poster...I've been lurking for a couple of weeks. This is my first time transitioning to natural. I've been relaxing every 6-8 weeks for about 20 years (since 3rd grade)! I remember my mother trying to hold off using chemicals, but feeling like my hair was just too unmanageable. I decided to transition spontaneously this summer. I'm turning 30 this year (yay!) and I thought it was a little weird that I hadn't seen my natural hair since childhood, so I just stopped relaxing.

sKy wrote:I know there are a few long term transitioners out there, I just don't see much of them. Lets share some of our experiences...

1. How long have you been transitioning?.
My last relaxer was September.

Here's a picture of my growth. There is a color difference between the relaxed hair and the natural hair. Hope you guys can see it! I colored my hair a couple of weeks after my last relaxer, so there is a little brown new growth, but it's mostly scab hair, so it will be coming off anyway.

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2. Tell us some of your experiences the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good: Actually being pleased seeing new growth when I look in the mirror, instead of dreading it.
The bad: The extreme breakage I experienced in Oct & Nov. I finally cured it with an Aphoghee treatment.
The Ugly: Family members constantly asking when I'm going to get a perm, or telling me that natural hair is unprofessional.

3. Do you ever plan on doing the BC or not?
I plan on BCing when my curls are neck-length. Although, I may not make it that long. LOL

4. Do you have a fotki?
Still working on getting my Fotki together, but I will post a link when it's finally ready.

1. How long have you been transitioning?
I am currently 12.5 months into my transition. Last Relaxer: December 20th 2009.

2. Tell us some of your experiences the good, the bad and the ugly.
I am enjoying my transition, it's been a learning experience and I feel once I'm natural (hopefully Decemnber 20th 2010), I'll have so much knowledge about my natural hair.
My main hairstyles are pixie braids (no extensions), braidouts and twistouts.

3. Do you ever plan on doing the BC or not?
My main goal to cut my relaxed ends is December 20 2010 (2 years). My earliest possible date is June 20 2010 (18 months).

4. Do you have a fotki?
Yes: http://public.fotki.com/MummysGirl/transition-to-natural/
I also have a blog which is still kinda new: http://myhairmyhealth.blogspot.com

1. How long have you been transitioning?. My last relaxer was March 26th 2009, so it's been about 9months it will be 10months Jan 26th

2. Tell us some of your experiences the good, the bad and the ugly. hhhhmmm, hard to say. the good-i started doing research as soon as I was serious about transitioning so I was able to get a realistic view of how to treat my hair. the bad- i'm having a hard time finding a style that would hold up after i've finished excerising. So I haven't been excerising for the last 2months, I sweat like crazy on my head and face so my new growth reverts back so quickly with any style I do, even with bunning, my hair looks horrible. the ugly-I have come to realize that braid outs, twist outs do NOT work on my hair. The difference between the two textures are crazily noticable when I do these styles.


3. Do you ever plan on doing the BC or not? I might, i'm still not too sure. I originally planned on BC after a year, but i'll admit i'm a sucker for length and the ablity to pull my hair in a ponytail or bun when a style didn't work out as intended or if i'm just too lazy to do anything with my hair. So i'll probably transition for as long as I possibly can.

4. Do you have a fotki?

http://public.fotki.com/Nicky791/

This is my second go round. The first time I my last relaxer was March 2007 (my wedding). And I went until Feb. 09 then I broke down and permed. The first time I had hair sewn in every 3-4 months for almost a year. My hair was in a bob when the weave went in and was past my shoulders when I took it out so I began to get it pressed. I broke down when I wasn't able to get it pressed as often and I didn't know what to do or how to care for it.

I only relaxed it twice after this, but it was enough to break of all of my hair from my nape up about 1 and 1/2 inches ( it looked like someone tapered the back). That when I knew I had done wrong, because my hair the first time had got so strong and healthy and long. It has now been 9 mths since my last relaxer and I am not turning back. And since I have discovered this site and a few others I know I can get my hair back to where it once was.

1. How long have you been transitioning?.
I have been transitioning for close to 8 months now. My last relaxer was May 22, 2009. I have been getting relaxers faithfully every 2 months since I was 7 or 8 years old and last year I decided they weren't for me anymore. I was mostly keeping up with them out of habit. I was also inspired to go natural by my cousin who transitioned for about a year and is now completely natural : )
2. Tell us some of your experiences the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good: I loovvee shopping for new products and trying them out! It is always fun. During the summers when I have more free time I also love trying out new hairstyles.
The Bad: It's very hard to find staple products and staple hairstyles that work into my busy schedule. With college, work and dance team I don't have the time that I need to nurture my hair like I should. My relaxed hair is bone straight so I am finding it very hard to make them blend into my highly textured coils, but I'm looking forward to trying some more transitioning styles in the hopes of finding one that works.
3. Do you ever plan on doing the BC or not?
Yes I plan to BC in May on my one year anniversary. Since it will be summer I will have three months before college starts back up to find hairstyles that will work for me and my natural hair.
4. Do you have a fotki?
http://members.fotki.com/JazLani