Transitioning from Relaxed to Natural Hair

First I must say before starting this transition to your natural hair, make sure this is something you really want to do because people may not necessarily be rooting for your decision. It may be hard in the beginning but eventually alot of the people who disagreed with your decision will be the same ones in awe of your hair eventually. I know this from experience. This is also the story of alot of other naturals. When your hair grows out to a nice length where you can do many versatile styles you will get many compliments but some negative comments too. So take this into consideration before you decide to transition.

One of the most important things that need to be considered when going natural is styling. It's important because of the line of demarcation which is where the relaxed hair and natural hair meets. If there is a difference in the two hair textures eventually over a period of time the hair will break at the point where the two textures meet. To avoid this there are many different styles you can do to smooth the texture difference. One is wear braids through your transition. From cornrows, to individuals braids with extensions, to tree braids.

There are two different types of braids people call tree braids.
1. The first one is where you braid the hair with extensions and to make it look natural you start off by braiding your real hair and slowly add the extension hair throughout the braid. This gives the braids a natural look instead of the obvious knot at the beginning of the braid.
2. The second is a style where you braid the hair and slowly leave loose pieces of hair out the braid. By the time your done the whole head, it can resemble having a weave done.

Braidouts and twistouts are also good transitioning styles. You just braid or twist the hair. I use aloe vera gel and or shea butter while twisting then four hours later take the braids out. You'll have nice curls with the twist or waves with the braids.

Flexi-rods are another good transitioning style. You can do a full weave with no hair left out or straighten your hair. Now as far as straightening your hair it will prevent the hair from breaking at the line of demarcation but if use too often or incorrectly your hair can suffer from heat damage. There are many that use straightening the hair to transition but I think for some it's better to try to transition without heat.

Never comb your natural hair unless it is wet and soaked in conditioner. This prevents breakage since the hair texture can alot of times be hard to comb. Always be sure to use a wide tooth comb. You can even use your fingers.

Always deep condition 1-2 times every week. If you don't have access to your natural hair then spray a leave-in conditioner treatment on your braids everyday. This will help to make your hair more manageable in the long run. Also keeps your hair moisturized and healthy. A good conditioner to use would be Lustra Silk Cholesterol. You can mix it with honey for a good deep conditioner. Leave it in your hair for two hours. Put a plastic bag over your hair with a towel on it. Also use 911 leave in conditioner for braids or your regular hair. It's a nice price, works good on natural hair and has a lot of great ingredients. Buy and see for yourself. It made my hair very manageable but what works for one won't work for all. You'll really get to see that with your natural hair.

Having moisturized hair is very important when you are natural because natural hair is very dry. The natural oils from the scalp can't get to the hair shaft because of the hair's curly texture. Unlike straight hair where the oils can easily slide down the hair shaft and keep the hair from being dry.

If you use all these tips you can be on your way to have beautiful, healthy, natural hair. It will take time and patience but it can happen. Good luck on your natural hair journey.