CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner?
E: I am currently in a long term transition. I’m 16 months deep at this point so I may as well go for the gusto. My last relaxer was November 13, 2007.
CN: When will you BC?
E:I don’t plan to BC hence the long transition. I have a seriously HUGE dome piece and the short look is just not for me. I am slowly trimming off the tex(re)laxed ends.
CN: What is your transition routine? Staple Hair styles?
E: My transition routine is almost the same as it was when I was relaxing. I was a lengthy stretcher anyway going anywhere from 4-7 months between chemical services so I just follow the same principles I did then; do everything in four sections (wash, cowash, DC, detangle, etc), detangle under running water w/fingers and a large tooth seamless comb, moisturize and seal w/an oil regularly, keep hair detangled at all times. My staple hairstyles are wet buns and updos, braid and twist outs.
CN:How did you moisturize your hair to prevent breakage at the new growth line?
E: Cowashing has helped immensely along with regular dc’s and using a good leave in or water based moisturizer then sealing with oil. Sometimes I’ll use my conditioner as a leave in as well. It has worked wonders! Also, don’t be afraid to moisturize more than once a day. If my hair needs the extra kick, hey, who am I to disagree and deprive my tresses?
CN: Why did you choose to go natural? Are you happy with your decision?
E:I made the final decision to transition while doing a cowashing challenge last summer. As I stated earlier, I was already a hard core stretcher (and was actually doing a stretch at the time) but once I saw how easy it was for my new growth to stay soft and detangled with frequent cowashes and great products, I was hooked and said this chemical stuff is for the birds. My hair and I can go it alone and that’s what we’ve been doing ever since. I’ll be honest, some days I get very discouraged and feel the temptation to slap some relaxer in this stuff but the feelings always pass when I look at how thick my hair is and how I’ve managed to retain length and get some good growth even during my transition.
Your hair is so gorgeous! Generally, how many times a week do you cowash?
Thanks you all! To answer a question, yes, I use henna to color. I was using henna before just for conditioning purposes but decided to use it to color my hair in November. My natural hair color is very light and takes to color well, but before using henna I was coloring my hair with cellophanes. I’ve been able to successfully switch to henna to avoid the chemicals in cellophanes and still get the color I love. I alternate between Jamila and Yemeni henna. The henna from Yemen is definitely a more intense red than Jamila, but it’s such a chore to rinse because it’s not as finely sifted.
Eisani, your hair is so beautiful. I’m transitioning also and the twist-out is working for me with my relaxed ends. (I’m 7 months in and counting)
-brownjay
Wow…love the hair. And I’m all about the long transition 🙂
Beautiful hair! You just made me reconsider chopping at 18 months, especially since I have found a style that is low maintenance and seems to be working for me. Is your color from henna?
Wow. Beautiful Hair! 16 months is a long time. I was going to stay at a couple of months of transition. I’m at 5 now, I was going to chop in about 3 months but I’ve been thinking about extending my transition to a year +. Hmmmm. She’s definitely making it look easy, lol.
Anywhooo, I love the color! Does she Henna!?!?
Beautiful Hair! Good luck on the remainder of your transition. You’re doing a great job!
wow 16 months! You are doing a great job and I SO envy your patience 🙂
Very beautiful! I wish I would’ve held on a little while longer with the transition because I definitely miss my length. I had planned on a long transition but got sick of the 2 textures. If it’s working for you girl, GO FOR IT.
Your hair is drop dead gorgeous, Im a little jealous.ugh:-) I cant wait for my hair to acheive this length. Thanks for sharing, you are doing a great job!