Saundra L.– A Story of Transition

CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
I transitioned for exactly 4 months. I knew from the beginning I wouldn’t transition for a long time. I applaud ladies who can transition for 12 months or more.

CN: When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
I self BC’d (with a little help from Hubby) on August 9, 2009 and it was love at first site.

CN: How did family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
My family and friends all had positive reactions to the “new me.” I got a lot of “It looks good on you, You have the face for it.” (I still get that..SMH) Of course my natural friends loved it!

CN: What was your transition routine?
I washed my hair once a week and tried to choose a style that would last for 7 days. I started out using Pantene Relaxed and Natural Shampoo and Conditioner but later moved on to Aubrey Organics Shampoo and Conditioner and Organix Shampoo and Conditioner. Because I always wore a curly style, I used Infusium 23 Leave In and coconut oil to set my hair.

CN: What was your staple hair style during the transition?
I tried a lot of curly styles during my transition. The first few months two strand twist on perm rods was my staple style and the last few months consisted of roller sets.
Satin covered sponge rollers were my best friend during the last few months of my transition.

CN: Why did you choose to go natural?
There were several factors to my decision to going natural but the main reason was post partum shedding. My hair was shedding really bad after I had my son…hair everywhere, even in my son’s diaper. I lost my edges down to the scalp around the front and sides. It didnt really bother me initially because my stylist was really good at hiding it but when the back started to break off, I knew I had to do something different. I thought about it for a few months. It wasn’t until I went to visit my best friend that my decision was made. When I saw her hair, I said, “I’m doing it.” She was like, “Huh?” Those were my first words to her. LOL! I told her I was going natural. That was April 2009.

I know you hear this all of the time but I wish I had done it sooner. I LOVE MY NATURAL HAIR!!!

Thanks Nikki for all you do for the Natural Hair Community!!

1st pic – Big Chop
2nd pic – Finger coils – 4 months
3rd pic – Chunky Puff – 5 months