Kimberly- A Story of Transition

CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
I was a long-term transitioner. When I first decided to transition, I knew that I wanted beautiful natural hair, but had a big complex about being bald, so I did things the hard way.

CN: When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
I did my first big chop, in February of 2009. My hair was a lot shorter than I had ever had it before and it was a big change. My first reaction was “What have I done!”

CN: How did family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
My family was supportive of my decision, but they wondered what I was going to do with my hair now. My mom took me to Carol’s Daughter to buy up everything I would need. Nobody else in my family is natural, so they were very curious.

CN: What was your transition routine?
Since I had two textures of hair, I was fighting to make my relaxed ends look curly. I let go of the heat and began to twist my hair with Carols Daughter Lock Butter. I would twist it all over, and wear it twisted for a few days. Then I would take it out for a coiled look. Every now and then, I’d straighten it with a flat iron to switch things up.

CN: How did you moisturize your hair to prevent breakage at the new growth line?
I used tons of Hair Milk by Carols Daughter, and also gave myself weekly hot oil treatments.

CN: Why did you choose to go natural?
I would see women with beautiful natural hair and I was intrigued by it. When my hair was relaxed, I was a slave to it because there was not much diversity. I told myself that I would not have another relaxer and I haven’t since June of 2008.