12 Months Post Relaxer

Post pics and tales of your hair 12 months post!

Love this idea Nikki!!! Well I'll have to upload pics a little later but onto the stories:

- It took a looooong time for my curl definition to come into its own. I thought that I would have the same curls that I had while I was transitioning and boy was I wrong! After the BC (in December 09) my hair was very sporadic. Only a few parts of my hair seemed to have a real curl pattern and the rest was just frizzy and thick. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved it like that!! I have learned to love my hair as it moves into every stage because it's not going to stay the same as it continues to grow (my hair's name is Chlo "The Fro" Bella )

- My hair was EXTREMELY dry during my 1 year transition!! Not always, but most of the time I was struggling for moisture. After the BC I guess I expected moisture to just be there without any more work. Wrong again!! lol but I'm going into my 5th month post BC and 17 months since my last relaxer and like McDonalds I'm loving it!!!!!

When I first BC, I loved my hair instantly. I transitioned for 1 yr and was mentally transitioned as well. I was on the blogs and reading about all things natural hair, I took pics of my transition, and even kept a journal for products and treatments that worked and didn't work, and regimens. So I was so ready to see what God had blessed me with (because He makes no mistakes). During the transition, I did NOT judge my hair or try to classify it. I just let is grow and be as I nurtured it with weekly DC and treatments. I was open to embrace whatever texture or curl pattern growing out of my scalp because I know it was unique to me, only.

Now that I am going into my 2nd month post BC. I am so glad I did the BC. I had some moisture issues in my first month but thru regular deep conditioning, treatments(henna, amla, bentonite,etc), and keeping my products as natural a possible (no mineral oil, sulfates, petroleum,etc). My hair has said thank you with soft, moisturized, and healthy strands of hair.

pics please ladies.

RoseBud wrote:pics please ladies.

yes ma'am

For my pics, go to my fotki. I have alot of transitional styles in there. I haven't updated all of my BC styles yet. But all my transitional pics are there and wait for YOU [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
www.fotki.com/intelligentbeauty

I am 14months post relaxer and on my 12 month anniversary of transitioning I did a mini chop. I scheduled an appointment today to have my remaining relaxed ends cut in 2 weeks. I am very happy and proud of myself that I have come this far on my journey. I am looking forward to learn the do's and dont's of maintaing my natural hair while continuing on Phase 2 of my hair journey.

My reason for transitioning???? I dont have a concrete reason. Prior to my last relaxer my entire department at work got pink slipped so to prepare myself for interviews I had my hair relaxed after a 4 month stretch. As the months went by and no job offers I decided what the heck let me just keep on stretching. I then researched transitioning and here I am 1 year and 2 months later.
During this period I learned and am still learning how to take care of my hair myself. I was going to the salon every 2 weeks to get it a doobie and every 3 to 4 months relaxed. I have been to the salon 3 times since I made the decisioin to transition. I have no regrets of my decision even though not every hair day was a GOOD HAIR DAY. I never gave transitioning much thought before, because I never knew so much info was out there to help guide me.

March 13, 2009
First Mini chop: March 12, 2010
Final mini chop: scheduled for June 12, 2010 [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Hi everybody!

This is my first posting and I will be sure to add pics later. This is my 2nd longterm transition. The first time my hair was BSL and it took about 2 1/2 years to fully grow it back out to the same length, no BC. How I transitioned was by washing, deep conditioning and flatironing it about once a week and getting it trimmed every 3 months. That was a very easy way to transition because you don't have to really deal with the two textures and the time really flies by because you don't have the annoyance of two textures because they are both straightened so they blend together. The flat-ironing didn't mess up my curl pattern and my hair was in great health. I only used heat that one time during the week when I washed it.

Well, after I took the 2.5 years to grow it out with no BC, I learned about the RUCK anti-curl. It's a texturizer that lossens your natural curl pattern slightly and eliminates frizz. I'm a 3c and it took my hair to a 3B. I had a great 5 years with RUSK, my hair was very healthy, no breakage, it was wonderful. In the winters I would flatiron it and I would wash and go all summer long to give it a break. My hair grew almost waist length. I would only get the Anti-curl touched up about every 4 months. But 5 years of coloring it, the RUSK anti-curl, bleaching it, flat ironing, etc eventually took its toll.

So May 2009 I started my second transition. I just had my one year anniversary. I haven't done a BC, I just trim it about every 12 weeks. I'm hoping to transition for two years and in May 2011 to BC. When I started my transition in May 2009 my hair was just grazing my shoulders and now I'm somewhere between APL and BSL. Half of the length is natual and other half has the Anti-curl. For some reason the part of the hair that has chemicals isn't 3B like it used to be, its really straight and flat so I've been doing braid outs once a week.

That's my story. Good luck to everybody out there.

@ jenerett wow!! can't wait to see ur bc in may 2011

Hello Everyoneee;! I am fifteen. I decided to go ALL-NATURAL! But, I have only managed 2 months post relaxer, almost 3. I want to know how you guys got so far. What did you do during the beginning of your transition for a lot of growth and such? Any suggestions?

Hey guys! I'm 17 and i have just made 1 year of transitioning on the 20th of June. Im so happy i went on this journey and I'm excited to have fully natural hair. I have no intentions of returning back to the creamy crack again!. I recently did a half chop so the back of my hair is completely natural.. soon enough all of the relaxed ends will be gone!

you can check out my Youtube for videos and pictures of my journey
Ciao!

https://www.youtube.com/user/KSHANC

I made my 1 year of transitioning today!

Tmochava wrote:I made my 1 year of transitioning today!

Congrats, do you know how much longer it'll be before you're completely natural? Planning to BC or grow those ends all the way out? Any products your loving?

TyraB wrote:Hey guys! I'm 17 and i have just made 1 year of transitioning on the 20th of June. Im so happy i went on this journey and I'm excited to have fully natural hair. I have no intentions of returning back to the creamy crack again!. I recently did a half chop so the back of my hair is completely natural.. soon enough all of the relaxed ends will be gone!

you can check out my Youtube for videos and pictures of my journey
Ciao!

https://www.youtube.com/user/KSHANC

Fabulous for you! Your so fortunate to have done it so young.

Renny wrote:

Tmochava wrote:I made my 1 year of transitioning today!

Congrats, do you know how much longer it'll be before you're completely natural? Planning to BC or grow those ends all the way out? Any products your loving?

I'm trying to shoot for one more year before I cut off my relaxed ends but I'm loving my hair so it may be sooner than that. The products I'm loving right now are Qhemet's moisturizers and my spray mix. They really keep my hair soft and moisturized.

Today is my 1 year transitionversary!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I am still so excited about this because I have been discovering new things about myself, meeting new beautiful people, and feeling like as I'm growing out of my old hair I'm also growing out old baggage too. Like old bad views of myself. I see myself transitioning for at least another year or longer because I am loving this journey.

TyraB and BeautifullyMehh, I wished I'd been as confident and intelligent as you when I was 15 or 17. But I am still happy to be on the same journey with you. Yay all of us!

No pics today, but I'll try to get one in the next day or so.

SherylsTresses checking in at 1 year post. I've waited sooo long to submit this post...!!!

Welcome SherylsTresses!

I've officially been transitioning for 1 year Since yesterday!

Gado-Gado Gal wrote:Welcome SherylsTresses!

Awwwe thanks Gado-Gado Gal. I've been posting on LHCF but I'm glad to be here....!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

NFW_THA_QUEEN13 wrote:I've officially been transitioning for 1 year Since yesterday!

Congats!

It's a shame but that is what my hair looks like after 12 months of transitioning. I am happy to say it's been 12 months but unfortunately I have yet to see the curly locks I was expecting because I was ignorantly blow drying and flat ironing my hair every two weeks. I hope the word gets out to early transitioners that flat ironing your hair through the process is a very bad idea. It will definitely set you back tremendously. However to finish on a positive note...my hair is definitely healthier than it would have been had I kept a relaxer.

Hey Ladies, I'm only 3.5 months post relaxer, but I'm thinking about BC on my one year mark of transitioning. Tell me what got you so far and what is you average lenght with shrinkage after one year. Thanks...

Bjanelle wrote:It's a shame but that is what my hair looks like after 12 months of transitioning. I am happy to say it's been 12 months but unfortunately I have yet to see the curly locks I was expecting because I was ignorantly blow drying and flat ironing my hair every two weeks. I hope the word gets out to early transitioners that flat ironing your hair through the process is a very bad idea. It will definitely set you back tremendously. However to finish on a positive note...my hair is definitely healthier than it would have been had I kept a relaxer.

Its still healthy and thats the point, congrats on your one year mark!