Jamilah M.- A Story of Transition

CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
I’m not sure what is considered long term, but I was growing it out for about 6 months and was discouraged by all the breakage. So I did a major cut to make my transition more manageable. I was planning on doing the BC in September but about 6 weeks later around the middle of July, I became frustrated with that look, and did the BC.

CN: When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
I did the BC myself on July 17th 2010. It was such a freeing experience. I felt like a big weight had been lifted off of me and immediately I felt beautiful. I pretty much knew what my natural hair looked like, I’ve only had a relaxer since I was 16 and grew it out once before at the age of 19.

CN: How did family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
Most, especially my family, were really supportive. I am my mother’s child, and she is known for doing Big Cuts. While it was very shocking for some, very few had anything negative to say. My response to them was gratitude. My mother has had a TWA many, many times, so I knew she’d be a valuable resource to me.

CN: What was your transition routine?
My mother is a hairdresser, so I pretty much used whatever she had around (Motions, Infusium 23, etc). I washed and conditioned weekly and deep conditioned monthly. I used mayonnaise & olive oil under a heat cap to deep condition.

CN: What was your staple hair style during the transition?
Whatever style I could do to keep my roots and my ends the same texture. I did braid outs or roller sets, but mostly I just wore a blow and curl.

CN: How did you moisturize your hair to prevent breakage at the new growth line?
I deep conditioned monthly. Sometimes I would just do a wash and wear with conditioner.

CN: Why did you choose to go natural?