Jasmine- A Story of Transition

CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
I was definitely a long term transitioner.
I got my first relaxer at the age of 15 and stopped getting them at 16 (1 year of relaxed hair DEFINITELY wasn’t worth the damage!). I ended up getting my MBL hair chopped to barely above the shoulders at 17. I got my hair cut several times between the ages of 17 and 19 to get rid of my relaxed ends.
I’m used to having long/medium length hair and was WAYYY to chicken to do “The Big Chop”…but big ups to all the women that have and CAN do it!

CN: When did you do the big chop? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
Well, I never “BIG CHOPPED”. I had ONE BIG drastic cut (MBL to barely touching shoulders) and several small cuts.
I received my first relaxer at 15 so I’ve always known how my natural hair looked..VERY THICK and CURLY!
But, after the several cuts and the end of the flat iron, my hair was still very curly….but not as thick as before. But I’m definitely working on getting my thickness back!

CN: What is your staple hairstyle and products you use?
My staple hairstyle is a wash-n-go ponytail or bun (pictures are included).
To achieve these styles I use, Herbal Essence’s Hello Hydration Conditioner, Giovanni Direct Leave-In, 100% shea butter and for the ponytail I use IC Fantasia Gel.
I have recently been experimenting with Curly Nikki’s Twist and Curl and have gotten FABULOUS results. I plan on making this my staple style to prevent daily manipulation to my hair.

CN: How do you keep your hair moisturized?
I keep my hair moisturized by using lots and lots and LOTS of conditioner!
I Co-wash daily with HEHH then I add Giovanni Direct Leave-in (or Lustrasilk…depending on how my pockets are looking, lol) and seal the ends with shea butter. I used to baggy my hair at night, but now I just do lots of moisturizing in the morning.

CN: Why did you choose to go natural?
I chose to go natural because, not only did I miss having long hair, but I missed having HEALTHY hair.
After my relaxed ends were cut off, I continued to flat-iron my hair WEEKLY, thinking that my hair would grow to be long and healthy…but I WAS WRONG WRONG WRONG! Because of the excessive heat, my hair kept breaking off and I had to get trims ALL of the time, which stopped length retention.
After doing a lot of research and speaking to some of my natural friends, I decided to stop flat-ironing my hair and wear it natural. This is my 6th month of being natural, and my hair has MAJORLY improved. It has gotten MUCH thicker, VERY little shedding, hardly any split ends and is definitely growing.
I originally wanted to stop using the flat-iron until my hair reached MBL, but after experiencing the HEALTHY perks of natural hair, I’ve decided to make this a life-long journey.

The first 2 Pics are of your T-N-C (front and back)
The 3rd picture is a wash and go with Kinky-Curly products
The 4th picture is of my protective bun.
The 5th picture is my hair when i used to do weekly flat-irons.