The transition to natural hair from relaxed can cause a feeling of anxiety due to the enormity of the change to something new. People get confused or feel overcome by the learning curve associated with natural hair care.
Simply put . . . We humans fear the unknown. Yet, transitioning back to natural hair presents an opportunity to learn what works best for your hair’s health. Moreover, it gives you the time to gain the confidence needed to properly care for your hair post-transition.
If you’ve put off a transition to natural hair out of fear or currently struggle with a transition to natural, continue reading. In this post, we’ll explore tips and strategies to make your transition to natural hair from relaxed easier and more successful. So, let’s start or revamp your natural hair journey with a bang!
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links, and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for Natural Hair Nysa (at no extra cost to you). Feel free to visit our Disclosure of Material Connection page for more information.
Transition to Natural Hair from Relaxed: The Basics
So, what does it mean to transition anyway? Transitioning constitutes the period of time during which you grow out your natural texture hair to a desired length while retaining your relaxed hair.
During the transition to natural hair, hair strands possess a natural texture closest to the root. The hair remains permanently straight towards the ends. You soon will have a different hair texture with unique needs. As such, the transition marks the time to learn how to nurture your natural hair. This will help to keep it strong and resilient.
A tale-tale sign of the transition is the line of demarcation where the two hair textures meet. When you finish the transition back to natural hair, the demarcation line will serve as your final trim line to rid yourself of the remaining relaxed hair.
The length of a transition to natural hair from relaxed varies. It depends solely on the feeling of the individual. Some naturals transition for a brief period of only a few months. They then end their transitions in a dramatic removal of relaxed hair know as a “big chop”.
Other naturals transition for longer periods to allow their natural hair to grow to a length that feels comfortable for them. During this time, one usually trims the ends of the hair periodically, so the final cut to fully natural is less dramatic.
Transition to Natural Hair from Relaxed: Step 1 – Stop Relaxing Your Hair
Yes, the transition to natural hair can start as easily as refraining from relaxers, texturizers, and other chemicals meant to permanently change the texture of your hair. Once you end the chemical processing, you will get a real sense of your natural hair texture as it grows.
As such, you should prepare yourself for a potential surprise. When I started my journey to natural, I was so sure I was a straight up 4C texture across my entire head. After I started the transition and then went fully natural, I realized I actually have significant areas of 4B tresses concentrated at the back.
In order for the transition to natural hair to work, you must completely avoid straightening chemical processes. You don’t want to set back your progress by returning to the creamy crack.
Transition to Natural Hair from Relaxed: Step 2 – Stay Away from Heat
The temptation to use heat usually sets in with most naturals around the time of the first missed relaxer touch-up. By this time the two hair textures are beginning to show. Thus, many individuals turn to heat to smooth the new growth.
However, heat can severely damage hair when it is overused. It can permanently change your texture. Furthermore, heat can irreparably harm your hair cuticles, giving a rough feel and frizzy look to strands.
So, completely avoid direct heat during your transition back to natural hair. Stay away from straightening combs, flat irons, blow dryers, curling irons, etc. Indirect heat, i.e. hooded dryers, may be utilized strategically in your regimen like during deep conditioning. Even then, use them in moderation.
On a personal note, I intimately know the damage heat can do. I basically had to big chop + (all the relaxed hair plus some of my natural new growth) due to heat damage in 2015. You can check out my post chop the teeny weeny afro (TWA) in the picture below.
I lost several inches to heat damage, so don’t become a victim as I did.
Transition to Natural Hair from Relaxed: Step 3 – Do Research and Plan Your Regimen
Research
Taking care of natural hair poses a distinct set of challenges separate from caring for relaxed hair. Natural hair is extremely fragile, especially when dry. It craves moisture. Moreover, at times it seems to have a mind of its own.
Natural hair needs plenty of TLC to keep it healthy. Thus, the transition to natural should include lots of research on how to properly care for your blossoming hair.
Blogs like this one, YouTube videos, eBooks, and social media can provide a plethora of information to help with planning an appropriate natural hair care strategy.
You can also pick up one of the following books for more detailed information on transitioning back to natural hair:
- The Science of Transitioning: A Complete Guide to Hair Care for Transitioners and New Naturals (B&W Version) by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy
- Curly Like Me: How to Grow Your Hair Healthy, Long, and Strong by Teri LaFlesh
- Going-Natural: How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair by Dr. Mireille Liong-A-Kong
Plan A Regimen
Moreover, the transition presents the perfect time to determine a regimen to nourish your naturally-textured strands. When putting together a natural hair regimen, it helps to keep the following quick tips under consideration:
- Keep the regimen simple
- Set aside time in your weekly schedule to complete your regimen
- Use sulfate-free shampoos or wash with a conditioner (co-wash)
- Clarify when needed to remove product build up
- Deep condition after every wash (Check out 8 Conditioners for Natural Hair That Will Knock Your Socks Off for some awesome product suggestions)
- Moisture seal on wash day and moisturize throughout the week when needed
- Use a protein treatment monthly to preserve the moisture-protein balance
- Handle your strands like they are silk, using special care during detangling
Don’t let your initial regimen overwhelm you. You should try hard to stick to the basics. Check out Natural Hair Care Basics Shouldn’t Be Complicated Part 1 and Part 2 for more valuable information to help you plan a robust natural hair regimen.
Transition from Natural Hair to Relaxed: Step 4 – Work Protective and Low-Manipulation Styles
Protective and low-manipulation styling help provide outstanding length retention for naturals. Why? Both methods reduce the amount of handling taking place on hair strands.
Additionally, with protective styles, the ends of the hair obtain extra shielding as they get safely tucked under or inside the rest of the hair. During the transition to natural hair, you should experiment with styles that won’t require a restyle for at least a few days or more.
Protective and low-manipulation styles have the added bonus of camouflaging the two unique transition hair textures. This helps tremendously during the transition to natural hair from relaxed.
In protective styles like twists, braids, knots, flat twists, cornrows, faux locs, crochet braids, wigs, weaves, etc., the hair’s textures get masked by the style. Alternatively, in low-manipulation styles such as twist-outs, braid-outs, knot-outs, roller sets, and perm rod sets, the hair’s two textures more easily blend for a single-textured appearance.
Want more info on protective styling? Check out Let Protective Styling Natural Hair Work Its Unique Charm on You for more tips to victory in your protective styling regimen.
Transition to Natural Hair from Relaxed: Step 5 – Try New Products Well Suited to Your Natural Hair
When relaxed, we spend so much time worrying about getting hair wet. However, moisture, i.e. water, serves as the lifeblood to natural hair.
However, the hair’s natural oil, sebum which seals in moisture, has difficulty traversing all the curves and bends of natural hair textures. Consequently, natural hair has the potential for less moisture retention.
What to Look for in Natural Hair Products
The transition back to natural hair awards you the chance to find the natural hair products to best promote your healthiest hair. Start by looking for moisture-rich products listing water as one of the first three ingredients on the product label.
Moreover, avoid products with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), silicones, isopropanol (alcohol), mineral oil, parabens, polyethylene glycol (PEG), propylene glycol (PG), & amino alcohols (DEA, MEA, TEA). These can dry out the hair and/or coat strands and prevent moisture uptake.
Work natural and organic oils into your natural hair care routine. Shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, argan oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, castor oil, and Jamaican black castor oil exist as staples in the natural hair world. Nonetheless, don’t forget essential oils like rosemary, tea tree, ylang-ylang, peppermint, and lavender to promote hair growth.
Words of Wisdom
Now a word of caution . . . You may feel the temptation to buy many products at once in the excitement of experimenting. Use rational restraint when purchasing products. You don’t want to end up as a product junkie. Furthermore, you’ll soon run out of storage space and suffer from an empty pocketbook due to your unbridled spending.
Try purchasing a product and using it at least 3 times, unless your hair suffers adverse effects, before moving on to a new product. Put your focus into finding good staple products that produce tried and true excellent results. You cannot do that with the constant “product of the week” entry into your regimen.
As part of your research into natural hair products, you should check out The Black Hair Manual: A Pocket Guide for Choosing Your Best Hair Products by Breanna Butler. You can easily finish reading this pocket guide in one sitting. In addition, it can provide you with wonderful information to guide your selection and use of natural hair products.
Transition to Natural Hair from Relaxed: Step 6 – Believe in Yourself and Stay the Course
Second guessing yourself, having doubts, and feeling uneasy come with the territory when a big decision or change hangs in the balance. Yet, true growth requires change and a quieting of any negativity keeping you from achieving your goals.
In these times it helps to remind ourselves of the reason we embarked on the journey toward change. While individuals choose to transition to natural hair for many reasons, most want healthy, beautiful hair in the end.
You won’t get there by continuing to damage your hair. Moreover, natural hair brings with it a versatility that relaxed hair just can’t give you.
Transitioning back to natural hair also can provide you with a feeling of freedom and authenticity. It mirrors taking off a mask. What is more liberating and genuine than putting an end to hiding behind a relaxer and wearing your hair in the texture that naturally grows out of your scalp?
So, stay positive and affirm your choice to transition to natural hair from relaxed as a correct one daily. Stick to your plan and practice patience. Eventually, the small steps add up to miles, and you will attain many natural hair milestones along the way.
Remember, your life really happens in the time between big events. It’s much the same with natural hair. Everyday consistency comprises the real journey. Reaching your hair goals serves as the bonuses.
Other Articles To Support the Transition to Natural Hair That You May Enjoy
Let’s Wrap It Up
With a little research, planning, and effort, you can easily transition back to natural hair. The transition offers the opportunity to experiment, building your confidence to care for your post-transition fully natural hair. Implementing the steps in the post can provide you the boost needed to transition to natural hair from relaxed proudly.
I love hearing from all of you! So, join the discussion by liking, sharing, and commenting below. You can also reach out via the Contact Us page.
Also, don’t forget to follow Natural Hair Nysa on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube!
Need a tool to help organize your natural hair regimen? Subscribe to the Natural Hair Nysa Newsletter below to gain access to the Free Resources page. Once inside, you’ll find our Natural Hair Regimen Planner. Moreover, you get other exclusive freebies to help you along your natural hair journey.