Transition: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

Transitioning is a very trying process in which you go from chemically relaxed to the natural curls. It's not just from a relaxer, although that is what the term is usually used for. Transitioning can be used for heat or color damage as well. Chemical relaxers are quite unhealthy for the hair even more so than just straightening with heat, in my opinion. It not only stifles your hair growth, but it also alters your curls as well.

It wasn't until I saw a video about embracing your natural hair by the Glamtwinz334 on YouTube that I truly decided to go natural. I do have a video about my hair journey on my YT channel and you can check out my hair posts here for more info.

I had been contemplating what my actual hair looked like without chemically straightening it and I was mortified to find out that my hair is in fact, naturally curly. Through all the research that I did very few talked about the transitioning process. I am hoping to shed light on those looking to take the dive into embracing their natural too.

The New Growth

When transitioning, it may take a few months before you notice new hair growing depending on how fast your hair grows. But the curls emerging from your scalp aren't an indication of what your actual curl pattern is without the weight of straight hair weighing it down. In my experience, the initial hair that grew from my head even after transitioning for a year wasn't the revenants of my actual curl pattern. I had decided on May 9th of 2015 that I was no longer going to chemically straighten my hair.

I went to Korea in August that same year, and being in a foreign country that did NOT cater to your hair was definitely challenging. By the time I came home in June of 2016, my hair was 95% natural. I went to Chicago for fall break that year and noticed my hair started to change from what I was used to.

Transitioning curls are completely different. It's important to note that if you do decide to transition rather than big chop you may see a prolonged process in hair growth. Hair growth is based on genetics and while vitamins and a healthy diet can help it's imperative to realize you are going to see different results than me or your favorite influencer.

Transition Routine vs Fully Curly Routine

It was really hard for me to find products that worked for my hair while transitioning. Mostly I stuck to Cantu as it was one of the few options available to me while I was in Seoul. It wasn't until I tried Shea Moisture's coconut and hibiscus line upon coming home that I started to see change. I had tried the line the summer before Korea while transitioning and it hadn't done ANYTHING for my hair. But full-blown natural curls? I was walking on sunshine.

Don't be discouraged if the products you try aren't working on your hair. It could be that your hair doesn't like thick products and you should try more watery kinds or vice versa. It could be the product itself or your hair's reaction to certain ingredients in said product. Your hair could hate gel or be more a fan of cremes. This is a trial and error kind of process and a lot of ppl lose hope while transitioning. I promise it'll be worth it when you see how versatile your natural hair is.

Hair Porosity & Hair Type

If you don't know what hair porosity is or why it's important let me give you a quick review. Porosity is a reference to your hair cuticle and how well it retains moisture and oil. Porosity, just like hair growth, can be affected by genetics. But it can also be affected by how you take care of your hair. What I hardly hear most people say is that you can have different porosity's on your head which makes it difficult to know what products to use. You can have high or low porosity hair.

High Porosity: Known to have gaps in the cuticle which results in too much moisture being absorbed and therefore is prone to humidity and frizz.

There's a middle ground as well. Your porosity can be normal or medium which indicates that you have relatively healthy hair that lets in enough moisture without causing breakage and can hold styles well. This is where we hope our hair to be, but it doesn't mean your hair is bad if you have one and not the other.

Low Porosity: Known to repel moisture, prone to build-up, and usually requires products with a lot of emollients to attract moisture to the strand.

Alongside porosity, there's this dreaded thing called hair typing in the natural community that I am not a personal fan of. If you were to ask me mine? I'd guess and say a combination of 3C and 4A and definitely high porosity right now as I heat style my hair on occasion.

I don't believe that hair typing is a rule and should only be used as a guide to figure out how you should manage your hair. There are so many factors that make your hair what it is such as genetics, porosity, and density. Hair typing is a very small portion of significance when it comes to your hair health.

So if you're wondering, "Bri, what the hell do I do with my hair?" Well, what works for me might not work for you. I know we are all tired of hearing that, but it's true. My best advice is to find someone who is close enough to your hair type and try their routine. That's what I did when I was figuring out my hair. I didn't just rely on YouTube. I went to Instagram and blogs too.

My Recommendation:

•Clarifying Shampoo

•Moisturizing Conditioner that's easy to detangle with

•Leave in Conditioner

•Styler (I personally prefer gel stylers)

To see what I have used or do use please check out my other posts regarding hair. If you are currently transitioning and need advice or help with your hair feel free to ask any questions you have below.

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