Transitioning from
permed or relaxed hair to natural hair should be an
exciting time for you. It should not be a time of
intimidation or
of a feeling of loss. Many women face objections from
boyfriends,
husbands, family and even in the workplace. While we can't
help
you with those social and political pressures, we can give you some
tips on what to expect and how to make the transition as easy as
possible.
What to Expect When Transitioning to Natural Hair
People often ask us how
they can make their relaxed hair "revert" back
to natural hair. The true answer is you cannot. Nothing will
make
hair that has been chemically relaxed go back to its natural
state. You have two choices, you can live with the permed
hair at
the end of the natural hair that is coming in or you can cut the permed
hair off. Should you decide you just can't let go of that
length,
be prepared for some breakage. The place where the natural
hair
joins the permed hair is a weak point. Many people experience
a
lot of breakage when growing out a perm. By treating the hair
gently and minimizing combing during the transitioning stage, you can
minimize
the breakage. How
much breakage you get is dependent on your hair type and how you treat
your hair during the process.
Baka
Beautiful's Natural-Laxer MIX is excellent for
minimizing breakage during this phase. By gently softening
the
natural hair and strengthening the entire hair, the Natural-Laxer makes
the transition from permed hair to natural hair easier and less
traumatic.
How to Make the Transition to Natural Hair
There are a few basic
ways to make the transition to natural
hair. The simplest is to just cut off the permed hair and
live
with a short hair style for several months. This is the
boldest
way. But, takes the least amount of work and there's no worry
about breakage.
- Cut off
the relaxed hair-
depending on how much new growth and your preferences you have a few
styling options. You can wear a TWA (tweeny weeny afro) or
twists
(two strand or comb twists) pretty easily with almost any length hair.
For other styling ideas, see http://www.ourhair.net or
http://www.hairweb.com
- Braids and/or extensions-
you can have your hair
braided until it grows to a length where you feel comfortable cutting
off the new growth and going with other styling options
- SisterlocksTM-
SisterLocks can be started with one and one half inches of new growth
at the scalp. They are similar to dread locks but with a look
more like micro braids or very small twists. They leave you
with
many styling options. For more information (including
pictures)
go to http://www.sisterlocks.com
- Other
Transition Styles-
see below for more ideas of styles to wear while making the transition
from relaxed to natural hair.
If you are going to try
to maintain your length while transitioning,
keep these things in mind. Your hair is very fragile during
this
time. Handle it as little as possible and make sure you keep
it
well moisturized. Sleep with a silk cap or scarf at night to
prevent friction on your pillow and to maintain moisture in your hair.
How Not
to Make
the Transition to Natural Hair
Transitioning to natural
hair in other ways, like pressing the natural hair as
it grows in underneath the relaxed hair, are going to make your hair
prone to breakage and can damage the natural hair you're trying to grow
in. Products that claim to revert permed hair might make it
frizzy, but are not going to really make it natural. You do
not
want to put chemicals on top of chemicals in your hair. You
will
only end up damaging the hair and get even more breakage than you would
experience otherwise. While transitioning, try to find a
style
that will accommodate the new growth coming in like twists or
braids.
Finding a Natural Hair Transition Style
This may be the biggest
challenge of all about going natural (besides
the comments from your friend and co-workers). How do you
style
your hair when it's very short or when some of it is nappy and the rest
is straight. There are several options. Here are a
few:
- TWA-
do
the Big Chop and just wear a Tweeny Weeny Afro
- Braids or
SisterLocks-
SisterLocks can be started with as little as 1-1/2" of new growth at
the scalp.
- Two
Strand or Comb Twists-
simple yet effective. If you decide to cut your hair, you can
just use some styling gel (like Black Earth's Lock It Up Gel) and part
your hair into sections. Either twist on a comb or take two
strands and twist them around each other. Your hair can be
worn
like this for several days before having to re-style.
CAUTION: Hair that is left twisted for too long can begin to
lock. So, unless you want locks, take it down every once in a
while.
- Straw Set-
this is a
great style if you want to keep your permed hair. The tight
curls
make the different textures (your roots and ends) less noticeable.
- Crinkle
Set or Twist Out-
by braiding or twisting your hair using a setting gel, you can create a
wavy/crinkly look that minimizes the different textures of your
hair. This is a very simple and very cute style.
You can wear your hair in twists or braids for a
while, then remove them and wear the "twist out" look.
- Flat
Twists- basically
the same as cornrows. The difference is you use two strands
of
hair instead of three.
How To Do a Straw Set
As your new growth gets
to about an inch or so, you'll really begin to
notice the transition between the natural hair and the permed
hair. This hair style protects the hair by minimizing strain
on
the place where the hair is most vulnerable because you can just
"finger comb" your hair. It might take a little while when
you
first try this. But, as you get practice, this style doesn't
take
that long to do.
You will need:
- A pack of plastic drinking straws
- For slightly larger and looser curls, use small
perm
rods- available at many beauty supply stores
- End papers
- Bobby pins
- Black Earth Crinkles & Curls or other setting
lotion (make
sure it's alcohol free)
- Light hair oil
Step
1: Shampoo and condition your hair and blot dry with a towel.
Step 2: Part you hair into 1/4 to 1/2 inch sections
Step 3: Place end papers on to ends of your hair.
Step 4: Roll your hair onto the straws or perm rods and
secure
it with a hair pin.
Step 5: Repeat steps 2-4 until you have finished
your
entire head.
Step 6: Dry your hair under a hooded dryer.
Step 7: Gently
remove the straws and separate the curls.
Step 8: Spray with a light oil and continue to spray with oil
on
a daily basis.
How To Do Flat Twists
You will need:
- Comb
- Black Earth Crinkles & Curls or other setting
lotion (alcohol
free please)
- Bobby pins
- Shampoo and condition your hair and blot dry with a towel.
- Part your hair using a rat tail comb to make the parts
clean and
straight.
- Put styling gel onto hair for greater hold.
- Separate the section into 2 strands at the hairline.
- Wind one strand over the other, picking up hair as you move
down
the section.
- Secure the twist with a bobby pin placed parallel and
underneath
the twist.
- You can either twist right to the back of your head or
leave hair
out at the ends and roller set or straw set.
How To Do the Twist Out Look
You will need:
- Setting lotion (Black Earth Crinkles & Curls or
Treasured Locks Locks of Curls Pomade & Gel are perfect for
this)
- Hair Oil (any good hair oil will do- Treasured Locks H2G
Hair Growth Serum, Hair & Scalp Elixir are great)
- Wet hair
- Add oil
- Braid hair or twist it using the setting lotion
- You can wear the braids or twists for a day (or two or
three)
- Remove the braids and leave the hair crinkly for a few days
- Wear a cap at night or rebraid to maintain the style
