100% Natural!!

So I did it!  I cut my relaxed ends Saturday, February 18th, 2012.  Was I a case of nerves, or what?  At the same time I was ready to let them go.  I actually got it cut while at home visiting my parents and little brother.  I went to my old stylist to have it done.

Blow-out, puffed out.

view from the back.

LENGTH CHECK, (impromptu)  I will likely do another with better angles and less cropping...let's just say it was late, and I didn't have my best "face" on.

Back

Front-Side

Front-Center

Pros of Transitioning

These are just a few Pros I observed on my transitioning journey:

• Crash course on how to take care of the new, 'natural' hair that grows above the fine, relaxed tresses. 
• Requires more diligence and care because not only do you have to nurture and tend the new growth, but also protect and maintain healthy relaxed ends.  WHICH helps prepare and train you with a great regimen for when your transition is complete. 
• You retain 100% of the natural new growth during your transition period.
  ~I consider transitioning the ultimate protective style because the new hair is somewhat protected by the relaxed ends.
• You are able to retain length if you're nervous or anxious about losing length; like I was.
• You have the best of both worlds (this can be considered a con, but once you develop a great regimen it's easier to appreciate the two textures)

Have any transitioning pros of your own you'd like to share?  Feel free to comment.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!  *BESOS*

Mission Accomplished!!

The Transition is complete!!!

My hair has come so far: In this picture I had a little more than an inch of "natural" hair here.  The rest was relaxed. 

February 13, 2011 (New Growth from 11/10/10 to 02/13/11)

It's funny, I thought my hair was so 'nappy'...I was so frustrated most days and didn't know how to deal with my relaxed hair with all the course, new growth that was growing above it...it was totally a re-education for me...What a journey.  I'm glad that I transitioned instead of doing the BC so early.  This transition was best for ME--I may have given in and relaxed my hair all over again if I didn't go through the process of watching my hair transition from straight to coily.   My transition has definitely helped me become more patient!

Now one year later, the ratio of relaxed to natural hair has reversed!  Check it out:

February 08, 2012 (Un-stretched)

Stretched:

February 10, 2012--Day

February 10, 2012--Night (During nightly regimen)

So, what's next?  I am finally ready to let go of what remains of my relaxed hair--ends.  I have cut my hair three times during my transition: 2 inches, 2-3 inches, and 2 inches.  I have a bout 1-2 inches left to cut.  I will definitely post pics and blog about my BC.

This has been quite a year for me!  I look forward to what lies ahead for me, and my hair!  "BESOS"

I Love My Kinky Coily "4C" Hair...

I don't subscribe to the whole typing system as a definite point of reference for my hair because my 4C hair may not be like another person's 4C hair.  So I don't take the typing system, or it's backlash personally.  Because no two heads of hair are the same.  Heck, I have several different textures on my own head, it'd be crazy to try to seek out an individual with my same exact hair type.  It gets to a point where you want to just say, C'mon!!!!!!!  Let's be realistic.

I confess, I've searched "4C hair videos on the YT and immediately felt like, "Uh-uh, that's not how my hair is."  Then I start to kind of go back and forth with myself like, maybe I'm not really 4C, but 4A...but then I look back at my coils and "BAM"  those coils in the crown of my head are definitely 4C.
To compare my sentiment to a more tangible aspect.  Take the "plus-sized" and "Big Girl" references.  These are general references like "4C" for ladies of a certain frame and weight class, but it's a vague classification for a variety of women...size 8 to infinity...Just saying.  So my 4C coils may not be as tiny or plump as another natural beauties coils, but they are tight coils...so they are 4C. 

SO  MY POINT IS...I love my kinky coily hair.  I even did my first wash-n-go Sunday, and I realize I have 3C, 4A, 4B, and 4C hair textures on my head.  It is very easy for me to distinguish my 4C hair texture from my 3C, 4A, and 4B textures...and vice versa.  Each class has characteristics all their own.  That's what's so unique and wonderful about our hair. Ha! I love it!!!  I think it's sad that some ladies do not accept the texture of hair that grows from their scalps.  And I think it's sadder that society still has this stigma against courser kinky coi1y hair as "less desirable" than looser curl textures and straight hair.  Well, no one has to love our afro-textured tresses, I love it enough for all of us ; )

 

Senegalese Twist...Mission Impossibly Long

It took me from 11/28/11 to 12/21/11 to twist my hair!!!  And I took my twists out on 01/08/12.  LOL, that's a shame right?!  I know.  Y'all just don't know how busy and tired I've been.  I attended My aunts 70th birthday extravaganza in New Jersey the first weekend in Dec, and I work retail part-time so from Thanksgiving Eve to New Years Eve I have no off time,  it's a crazy time of year--the holiday season.  So, hey, I did good to get it done at all.  My twists were very long, unintentionally.  I used the thinning method so that the ends would be tapered and thinner, and it took 5 packs of the jumbo braid 100% Kanekalon hair, which I cut in half.  The twists ended up being waist length, I was afraid to wear it down in public--didn't want anyone to pull on it-you know people are rude. :)  So I mostly wore them up in a bun or ponytail, or down in a braid.  These twists were so much fun, and I got a lot of compliments even though I would see young ladies who had theirs done professionally and be thinking, don't stand too closely beside me (LOL) because their twists looked so much more polished than mine...but they were my first attempt at Senegalese twists.  I had them done professionally by Africans in Florence, SC and I paid over $200 for them, so all it cost me for these was $22--the cost of 7 packs of hair--which I only used 5 packs.  I think it was an alright trade.  Without further a-do, here are some pictures:

 

The Transition: Still In Progress

 

 BC DATE: FEBRUARY 28, 2012!!!!! 

My Solution to My "Product Robbery" Post : I Refuse to Go Broke, Going Natural

"Okay Jen, you had your moment to get all worked up about the prices of natural haircare products, so what are you going to do about it?"

Good question.  I'm going 'natural' naturally.  Water, Oils, Shea Butter, Glycerin, Mayo, Egg, Milk, Avocado; and I'll keep researching for more natural products that I can use in my hair and go from there.  This feels more natural to me.  Besides if I'm going to pay high prices for products with these ingredients, why not just invest in these ingredients myself?  And Yes, it's far less expensive in the long run!  In the same respect it will take a lot more planning and structure to my regimen than I currently have going on--and that's good because honestly, I really don't have a regimen yet.  I wash my hair, moisturize it, and twist it at night, that's it really.  Not much Deep Conditioning (DC), no hot oil treatments to date, so I like the thought of having to give my hair more TLC than I currently do.  Besides, I'm all natural skin care, why not be all natural hair care?  I'm simple. And this seems simple enough for me.  Yes, I will still use gels, and some "stylers" because I understand the chemistry of products and what makes them effective for achieving desired results, but my staples will not be any particular store, Internet, trade-show...overall manufactured product. 
I don't know how this will work out.  It sounds great in theory, but I know my schedule.  I'm going to have to work to make it work, but I'm up for the challenge!  And I will update my many successes, and hopefully very few failures--if any--on my blog.  Let's see how this goes.