Meet Bukky O…long term transitioner, learning to work with her two very distinct textures:
CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
N: Long term… I am currently 10 months post and don’t plan to BC earlier than 18 months post. My last relaxer was on December 20th 2008.
CN: What is your transition routine?
N: In February of this year, I discovered the joys of co-washing (I tried it in 2007 and wrote it off as a disaster, tried it again this year and it’s a keeper) and loved it!!! So now I co-wash 3-4 times weekly. Apart from that, I stick to my pre-transition routine – deep condition twice a week, and moisturize twice daily. I don’t use heat (no blowdrying, no flat ironing) mainly because I work out 5 times a week and also because I prefer my hair curly (braidout, twistout, rollerset… when I do rollersets, I usually airdry).
CN: What was your staple hair style during the transition?
N: I love braidouts and twistouts… I tried out braids (no extensions) @ 30 weeks and now they’re a huge part of my transition routine! I recently made the decision to braid (no extensions) for 3 weeks, then leave my hair out (twistouts & braidouts) for a week, then go back to braids for 3 weeks. I think this will allow me to transition for as long as I need to.
CN: How are you moisturizing your hair to prevent breakage at the new growth line?
N: I spray with my moisturizing spritz (conditioner, glycerin, EVOO and water) and seal with my shea butter mix (unrefined shea butter, castor oil, coconut oil and aloe vera gel). I also make sure my hair has enough protein, my deep conditioner is a light protein, my leave-in conditioner is also a light protein.
CN: Why did you choose to go natural?
N: I’d reached and exceeded the goals I set while relaxed… Then I suffered a minor setback in December and I wasn’t interested in getting past APL (relaxed) again so I was ready 🙂
I’d always said I’d go natural in the future but earlier this year, @ 7 weeks post, after spending days stalking naturals fotkis, I made the decision to transition and once I did, I knew that was it 🙂
I guess it helped that my Mummy’s hair was natural and BEAUTIFUL!
Pictures
Relaxed – August ’08
Twistout – Jul ’09 @ 28 weeks post
Braidout – Aug ’09 @ 33 weeks post
Braids (no extensions) – Oct ’09 @ 44 weeks post
Texture Shot – Aug ’09 @ 34 weeks post
Fotki: Transitioning Pictures – http://public.fotki.com/
i love, i love i love, please how do you keep ur braid outs and twist outs looking so lovely? and supple and shinny? what do u use?
Good Luck! You have beautiful hair 🙂 I like the twist outs on you. Mine never come out right.
@MummysGirl Thank you so much for the tip!! I really think I will incorporate the braided look into my transition plan! I can't wait for the new growth to come in! And thank you Curly Nikki for being such a wonderful resource! I've been thinking about going natural for years but I never felt ready to do it until I saw all these beautiful women with gorgeous natural hair who you have featured!
Thanks Ladies 🙂
@Anonymous I think airdrying helps my hair stay braided. Blowdrying makes the hair smooth and silky but airdrying allows a bit of texture to be left in the hair. So… I wash, condition, etc, airdry then braid.
I think you should try it and see… I'll admit, after a couple of washes, a couple start to unravel and I just braid them back up.
How do you get your braids to stay braided? I just relaxed my hair on Monday but I've decided that I will no longer use chemicals in my hair… I've come up with a 2-year transition plan which includes braids with extensions, and I was apprehensive about that because I know extensions can wreak havoc on your hairline. My hair is just a teeny bit longer than yours (relaxed, I mean). It's creeping up on bra-strap length, so I could definitely wear braids without the extensions… I'm curious as to how you get them to stay put!
GOod Job my fellow CurlMeleon!!! I am so not doing as good as you, but I'm glad you're getting this transitioning down to a science.
🙂 TynaBeena
Hey, we're almost the same. My last relaxer was 12/12/08. Congrats on getting so far into your transition. Your styles and hair are beautiful!!!
~ Diamond ~
Yay! I finally made it 🙂
Thanks ladies 🙂
I love her twistouts and braidouts. She's a patient lady!
Great pictures! Good Luck on your transitioning!