Hiya,
I have been asked severally about hair care tips for ladies who are transitioning to natural hair as it can be quite a daunting task if you are not well equipped, so I reached out to Blogger Uzo of DON'T TOUCH THE HAIR who has been transitioning for 17 months and she was kind enough to answer the most pressing question most transitioners have.
Enjoy;
Please introduce
yourself
Hi, I’m Uzoma.
I do many things but the internet knows me for my hair journey. I document my
ups and downs on my blog, Don’t Touch the Hair (https://donttouchthehair.com).
I started taking better care of my hair in 2012 and I decided to transition to
natural last year.
How long have you been
transitioning?
I’ve been
transitioning for almost 17 months.
What have you
discovered about your new growth?
·
It
shrinks quite a bit but that’s okay. Shrinkage means my hair has good elasticity
and it’s properly moisturised.
·
I
have different textures throughout my head. The front portion has a finer
texture so I have to be very gentle with it. The back section is a little bit
coarser so it can withstand more manipulation.
·
It’s
much softer than I expected it to be. I had natural hair from 2006 – 2008 and
the entire time my hair felt pretty hard. I’m using knowledge from my hair
journey to help with my hair during this transition. Thankfully, it is working.
When would you say was
the time you started feeling the stress from your line of demarcation (if
applicable)
Around 3 -
4 months post relaxer, I had a pretty bad setback because of a protein
treatment I did. My hair, especially the new growth, got really tangled. In
fact, I wasn’t planning to transition at that point. I did the protein
treatment to prepare for the relaxer I wanted to do the following week. Since I
had that setback, I am more careful about how I handle my hair at the
demarcation point.
How did you combat the
challenge?
I am very
careful when I manipulate my hair. Wash days are when I manipulate my hair the
most. When I wash my hair, I take many precautions to reduce stress on that
area, including sectioning my hair, gentle detangling, using oils to help
lubricate my strands, etc. I also take my time to fortify that section with
protein and moisture. This is by no means perfect and I do see some breakage at
the demarcation point. It is definitely less than what I would expect if I
didn’t take care of that area.
How much hair have you
had to cut in the process?
Normally, I
try to dust my ends every one to two months to prevent split ends. I slacked a
bit earlier this year. In June (at around 13 months post relaxer), I got my
hair done and the stylist trimmed about 3 - 4 inches off. Right now, I have
about 5 – 6 inches of new growth. It’s about 4 inches at my nape. My hair is mostly natural.
When do you plan to be
fully natural (time span)?
When I
started, I had a goal of making my transition 18 months. I’m almost at the
finish line and I plan to cut off my relaxed ends very soon. It has, by no
means, been easy but I’m glad I challenged myself to do this.
What have been your go to products during your
transition? Do you have a transitioning regimen?
My products
have been the same ones that I used when I was relaxed. I use the same
shampoos, conditioners, leave-ins, etc. I didn’t think it would be necessary to
buy new products when I had others to finish. Plus, these products have helped
me get through my relaxer stretches. For shampoos, I use the ORS Creamy Aloe
shampoo to clarify and the Crème of Nature Argan Oil shampoo as my
sulphate-free shampoo. For deep conditioning, I use Crème of Nature Intensive
Conditioning Treatment or Hairveda Sitrinillah Deep Conditioning Hair Masque.
The Crème of Nature conditioner is balanced between moisture and protein while
the Hairveda conditioner is strictly moisturising. I am looking for a good
protein conditioner. Hopefully, I can find one that is Nigerian-made. Right now,
I’m using ORS Hair Mayonnaise but it isn’t as strong as I was expecting. For my
leave-in, I use the African Naturalistas Leave-in Conditioner, if needed. For
oils, I use hemp seed, olive, and castor oils. My moisturiser of choice is the
Cantu Shea Butter Creamy Hair lotion.
My regimen
is pretty much the same as when I was relaxed. I just modified some steps to
help my transition.
Wash: Every 7 - 10 days
1. Pre-poo with oil mix, if needed
2. Detangle to remove shed hair
3. Wash twice with sulphate-free shampoo
(clarify with a sulphate-based shampoo once a month)
4. Deep condition hair with heat or
steam for 20 -30 minutes. I alternate between a moisture-based conditioner and
a protein-based conditioner (If there’s no electricity, I wrap my hair with
cling film and a towel.)
5. Rinse with cool/cold water and dry
with t-shirt or towel
6. Apply leave-ins and detangle
7. Style
For
styling, I usually put my hair in braids and pin them up for the week. I have
attempted some styles to blend the two textures together, like braid outs or
curly styles. I also try to stretch my hair. If I don’t, my new growth will
shrink and tangle. It would be a nightmare to detangle.
Protein
Treatments: Every
other wash day (twice a month). I usually use a medium protein treatment.
Moisturising
and sealing: Every
2 - 3 days, as needed. Apply oil mix (hemp seed, castor, and olive oils +
essential oils) to scalp once a week. At times, I may spray my hair with water.
Trim/Dust
Ends: Once a month to every 6 weeks.
Do you know your hair type?
I think I
have a pretty good idea about my hair type, which is listed below. However, I
don’t really follow the curl typing system that much. Personally, I think that understanding
your strand thickness and porosity can help determine the best techniques and
products to use for your hair. For example, my strands are pretty fine so I
can’t use thick or heavy products on my hair. It would get weighed down.
Curl
type: 4a/4b
Density: Medium to low
Strand
Thickness: Fine to
medium
Porosity: Normal to high
Thanks so much Uzo for the helpful answers, hope this interview helps a transitioner out there!!!
Until my next post, stay blessed!!
Xxx
Dabs
When do you plan to be
fully natural (time span)?
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When would you say was the me you started feeling the stress from your line of demarcaon (if
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When would you say was the me you started feeling the stress from your line of demarcaon (if
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How long have you been transioning?
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What have you discovered about your new growth?
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When would you say was the me you started feeling the stress from your line of demarcaon (if
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