LegallyNatural- A Story of Transition

-Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
I was a short term transitioner at 5 months. I have very thick hair and I thought it would be easier to take care of just one hair texture.

-When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
My last relaxer was November 2002 and I BC’ed on April 1, 2003. My initial reaction was excitement because I never knew what my natural hair looked like. I had worn my hair relaxed since I was 4 years old.

-What was your transition routine? Staple Hair Styles?
I initially started wearing comb coils and two-strand twists. These, however, were not my staple hair styles. I really didn’t care for protective styles and couldn’t wait for it to grow longer so I could wear a really big Wash N’ Go. The coils and twists did allow for my hair to grow very quickly. After that I started wearing Wash N’ Go’s everyday by adding leave-in conditioner and IC Fantasia Gel to soaking wet hair. I would shake it, and sometimes not shake it, and go!

-How did you moisturize your hair to prevent breakage at the new growth line?
Since I didn’t transition for very long, I didn’t have a lot of breakage at the new growth line. I would moisturize my hair with Paul Mitchell The Conditioner, Aveda Elixir Leave-on Conditioner and Aura Leave-in Conditioner. Once I experienced a little breakage, I made the BC.

-Why did you choose to go natural? Are you happy with your decision?
I chose to go natural because I had never seen my natural hair before. My hair had been relaxed for as long as I could remember. I was tired of the relaxers, perm burns, sitting in the salon all day, etc. I am very happy with my decision.