Krystel- A Story of Transition

CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
Short term. This is my second (and final) time going natural, so I had very few qualms about it. I pretty much decided that I wanted to go natural for good right after I got my last relaxer in December 2010. I just didn’t want to deal with relaxers anymore! I’ve had thick, mid-length hair all my life, but I’d noticed that with each relaxer it was getting thinner and shorter. I transitioned for 4 months with braids so that I could have some new growth to work with before I did the BC.

CN: When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
I did the BC on April 16, 2011. I was relieved that I finally did it. Since it was my second BC, I wasn’t as nervous at all! Now that it’s done I feel light, free, and like I can be myself!

CN: How did family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
My family and friends were very supportive of it. They weren’t shocked or surprised this time around. The reaction that surprised me the most was my boyfriend. He really loved my relaxed hair, and when I told him I wanted to go natural he didn’t seem that pleased about it. However, when I got the cut and sent him pictures he ended up loving it because he thinks it brings out my face more :0)

CN: What was your transition routine?
For the first 2 months of my transition, I pretty much wore my hair in a ponytail (bad, i know). The rest of the time I wore braids. While wearing the braids I shampooed every 2 weeks with African Royale Spray Shampoo to minimize build up from thick shampoos or conditioners. I also used Carol’s Daughter Tui Leave in Conditioner every day and Organic Root Stimulator Nature Shine Spray to keep my moisturized.

CN: What was your staple hair style during the transition?
I wore kinky twists for 2 months of my transition. They were great because they were very low-maintenance.

CN: How did you moisturize your hair to prevent breakage at the new growth line?
While wearing the braids I made sure to spray my hair everyday with the ORS Spray which contains a lot of oils such as Coconut Oil throughout my head and around my edges.

CN: Why did you choose to go natural?
Though this is my second time going natural, it’s the first time that I actually CHOSE to adapt to the lifestyle of really caring my hair. The first time I did it because after taking down braids I’d worn for a year, my hair was completely matted. I ended up cutting it off in order to get more braids, but ended up liking my TWA. But at the time I had no goals for my hair and wasn’t really committed to it. I loved my natural hair, but I wasn’t committed to working with styles and finding the right products for my hair. So I permed. I always knew that I wanted to go back natural in the future, and now I’m at a place where I can say that I’m officially DONE with perms and all the damage it did to my hair. I’m ready to work with my natural hair for the rest of my life.