Natural Guidance

Hello, my name is Tasha. I'm 27 and I live in Baton Rouge, LA (Hello Humidity!). I haven't had a relaxer since October 09, and I
need some help. I was transitioning, and my relaxed hair was REALLY
tangled, and my hair was shedding/breaking ,so two weeks ago I decided cut 4-5 inches off of my hair
(hoping that I could get rid of the majority of the relaxed hair b/c I
am not ready for the b/c). This is my first haircut in 10 years, lol and
I feel very good about it. I now have somewhere b/t 4-5 inches left. The stylist that I would normally go to for a shampoo and flat-iron style is not gentle with my fragile hair, even though she "specializes" in natural hair transitioning. I can feel my hair popping off each time her tiny comb and wire brush passes through my wet hair. I've decided that I can take care of my hair on my own because I feel that I will treat it better.

With that being said, I am in desperate need of a big sis who is willing to offer MAJOR GUIDANCE so that I can have a full, healthy head of hair. I think my hair is 3c, but I'm still not sure because I haven't tried any curly styles yet. I've purchased TONS of hair products and I will try my first wash today with the products suggested by Nikki. Wish me luck!!

P.S.
I have some organic Rosemary oil for hair. Any pointers?

Thanks in Advance!!!!!!

Hey NaturalG! Welcome and congrats on your decision to grow your hair the natural way! You've come to the right place. Although I transitioned for a short time before I BC'd, I transitoned once before for about 6-7 months.

The line of demarcation is a booger! The line between your natural and relaxed hair can be a real challenge. What I did to keep my hair protected was mostly roller sets, twistouts w/rods, straw sets, buns, etc. These styles help hide your relaxed hair and camouflages our natural hair. The styles may become a little redundant, but it keeps you from using too much heat and it keeps your natural hair moisturized and conditioned. I also had to deep condition my hair more often.

Rosemary oil you can dilute it in water and make a spritz. Rosemary is a healing agent and it's said to stimulate hair growth. It has a very strong scent.

I don't want to overwhelm you so just send my your questions, and I'll do my best to answer! Again, welcome and we're glad to have you!

Thanks soooo much for your help! I viewed your fotki album and it was VERY inspiring!! I think you inspired a few of my friends and family to consider saying "NO" to relaxers! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I co-washed for the first time on Thursday and tried the twist-n-curl style which I really liked. It lasted one night and one full day, even though I slept on a satin pillowcase, so I would like to know how I can preserve the hairstyle for at lease one more day?

Also, what would you suggest for a daily moisturizer routine? I mixed the rosemary oil with water and sweet almond oil which seems to be working well for the past 3 days.

And my final question for the day...
Besides sulfates and 'cones' in some hair products, what ingredients should I probably avoid so that I can be successful on my healthy hair journey?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, I'm just so glad that someone's willing to assist me. I wish I would have stumbled on this website and you 7 or 8 months ago, lol!

Thanks again for your help!!