Help- end of the road

I've been transitioning 8 months and I've come to the end of the road. When I started my transition, I had thick, colored hair. I wasn't having any problems with it, I just went a while without a relaxer and figured now as as good as any time to go natural. I started with just getting my hair blown out every 2 weeks, and had severe shedding and breakage. I've had a mini-chop and instituted a self imposed 3 month hair challenge (no direct heat). My relaxed has thinned out soooooooo much. While my new growth is thick, it's still short. I really want to transition 2 years, but also don't want to be unsatisfied with my hair until then. I'm graduating this year and want to be happy with my pictures. At this point, I've been wearing flat twists. They look stringy because I've lost so much hair. What should I do. I realize that my hair is legitimately damaged, so I will still have to nurse it back to health even if I relax. I don't want to do a big chop because my head is big and I want longer hair. At the same time, I can't deal with stringiness.

I know it's a lot to ask for help at this late stage in the game, but I need it-- desperately.

I truly understand your pain. I am 6 1/2 months into this thing and I am really frustrated. I started my transition with bra strap length relaxed hair. It longer now with the natural part and sometimes tempting to relax. So I am going to lose alot of length hower, I decided that when I am going home in March, I am going to BC. I am in film school and currently in my senior year. I just don't have the time anymore. So this is what I did, because I made up alot of reason why I shouldn't BC. I made a list. A very honest one! Of pros and cons of BC before my set goal. The reality was it was more practical of me to do it and MY reason for not BCing is because I was more concerned with what other people would think then what I thought! I had to do a self esteem check real quick. Trust me even my closest friends think I should hold off and think it will look weird BUT IT is better for me to do it now. Plus the biggest benefit is I'm breaking my hair now with transitioning because I don't have the time to nurture it now. I figure if i can focus on one texture and put my love and energy into that I could grow healthier longer hair faster. When your hair is breaking at that line of demarcation its not good for the hair you will want to one day rock. At the end of the day i told myself this. I am a pretty girl with more to offer from the inside then outside and whatever I got on my head Ima rock it. KKK lol I hope this helps.

The only reason as to why I am hold off til next month is because my mom really wants to be the one to cut it. We are strangely close SInce I nagged her to give a relaxer to me in the first place rightfully so she should help me chop it.

You can nurse your hair back to health in the meantime if you not trying to cut anymore relax ends off your best bet is to continue to lay off the heat. Try going on you tube and see if you can find some transitioning hairstyles.. Maybe those styles can help your hair look fuller. I did one called twist out. Just twist your hair in 2 strand twist and the relax part you will curl up with perm rods that will make it curly.

What's your regimen now?