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Transitioning – From Perm to Blow Dry to Natural

I stopped using that creamy crack back in 2012. I knew I wanted to rid my scalp of that feel good burning sensation but I knew the big chop was for me. So I stopped the perm but I continued to keep my hair straight. Every 2 weeks I would sit at the Dominican salon, under the dryer for 45 minutes, allow a blow dryer to disrespect my roots and end with the sizzle of a flat iron getting my hair “bone straight”.

I wasn’t ready to give up my straight hair at the time. It was apart of my identity. It was who I had been for as long as I could remeber. I also knew it was easier to wrap my hair and give it a little bump in the morning before work instead of stressing through a twist out. Was it healthy for my hair? Probably not. Did I take care of it, as I should have? Definetly not, because the heat damage is real.

Fast-forward to 2019 when I decided to make braids a seasonal thing and pull back on my heat damage. I decided to keep braids in at least once a season to give my heat-damaged hair a break. Which was good because that meant for a month I didn’t have to get up everyday and hassle with my hair! During that time, I got familiar with the best natural hair care products. What was a good scalp oil? The difference between a hot oil treatment and a deep conditioner. I made the decision to get real about these natural curls and let them flow.

What I didn’t research was my expectations! Word of advice – if you don’t know or understand your curl pattern- diversify the naturalistas you follow. The worst part of transitioning to natural is getting your feelings hurt or hating how you hair looks in the different stages. Following girls who had longer hair than I did, a different curl pattern or had been natural for a lot longer than I was made me hate how my hair looked and reconsider going back to the creamy crack.

Fast forward to quarantine- I was actually able to experiment with my hair without having to leave the house! For me this was a win! All the styles or products I wanted to try – I could do. Hell no one was going to see me, and those zoom calls could be hidden with a scarf or a pull back ponytail. So, why not try it!

What I realized about my hair was my curl pattern was something I was NOT prepared for. I was expecting it to hang beautifully with a part in the middle with good volume. I actually have more 4C parts than I realized. This made me shift my entire expectation of this natural journey – made me get real about my hair. This made me do a deeper dive into the best products for my hair.

What I’ve learned so far on my natuarlista journey:

  1. Not doing a big chop makes transitioning very differnt. You will not get the curl pattern or the styles you want right away because you still have blow dried ends. So be mindful of that when you are looking to replicate a style or look
  2. Follow people that have the same hair texture as you do. I was orginally following pages of girls who had longer hair and a different curl pattern than I did. So when I tried a style they posted – I did not get the same results.
  3. Every product is different – and may yeild different results. Try out a full line before trying a new product. I mean – I am a prodcut junkie so please take this with a grain of salt. But try to use the product in full (as long as it dosent damage your hair) before trying something different. Give the prodcut a good 2-3 uses before throwing away. I have been loving Mielle and Curls lately.
  4. Love your hair in every stage. I know this is hard – everyone talks about the ugly phase. While this is easier said then done, try to style your hair in a way that you love – in every stage. This will help you begin to love yourself and your natural hair together.
  5. Talk to your friends with natural hair. This helped me tremendously. I leaned into my friendships for support and advice.

No matter where you are in your journey – whether transitioning or considering a big chop – it’s beautiful. And it’s you. That alone is beautful. 🙂

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