LadyRae

Hello curly/transitioning world!!! I'm currently long term transitioning and with the new growth I have now, I think I may be 3c/4a. I just want some tips to help me along with my transition. I've been getting a lot of breakage lately when I co-wash...
Any tips, tricks and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Lady Rae

mariag002

Hey Lady Rae, love the bun in the avatar!

What is your regimen right now? When I began transitioning I had my ex-stylist cut about 2 inches of hair just to get rid of the split ends and that helped with breakage. I also would do Aphogee protein treatments every 6 weeks or so to avoid breakage. When was your last relaxer?

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- Maria

Big Chop: 9/23/07
Relaxer free for almost 5 years!

RMichelleM

low manipulation was the key for my transition.

bunning
rod sets
braids

any style that will last a while

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fOtKi



i am officially the Kettle; call me Black. thanks.

I'm better than people who think they are better than others; even though that's hypocritical in itself, im a better kind of hypocrite than others.

Midnight curls

I agree with the other responces.....trims, protein treatments and low manipulation were key factors in stopping and preventing breakage in my hair. Be consistant because nothing works over night. Congrats on your transition

LadyRae

At Mariage:
I'm not really sure about when my last relaxer was... If it wasn't December 08 or January 09, it might've been b4... I was hit by a car in early November of 08 (I was walking my dog across an intersection) and that kinda ended my relaxers 4 a while... so if it wasn't before that, it was sometime between December 08 and January 09... February 09 at the LATEST... Idk... I have Aphogee protein treatment, and I used it 1c very early in my transition... it kinda burned... and made my hair REALLY hard and it was VERY sticky and hard 2 deal with... I should've paid attention 2 the results... I also have the keratin reconstructor... Still haven't used. I emailed curly nikki about my prob (I have her reply in 1 of my other posts if u wanna c). I also have my regimen n another post

LadyRae

Midnight and RMichelle:

I'm not really what you'd call, "light handed" lol! Im trying 2 become gentler and have more patience. Thanks!

Suburbanbushbabe

Sorry to hear about your car accident. Best advice I can give is condition and deep condition a lot. Deep condition at least 2x a month. Don't be stingy with the condish.

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My blog - http://suburbanbushbabe.wordpress.com/
My FOTKI - http://whatsnew.fotki.com/suburbanbushbabe/


Playing with my hair is a hobby. Fluffy, fine natural 4a. Goal= Healthy, beautiful hair that retains its length.

LadyRae

Thx suburban! You guys r really helpful!

Midnight curls

Im assuming that when you say 'light handed' you're refernig to the amount of product you use...if so im not light handed either. Just make sure it's not a product that has too much protien (causes breakage in some hair types) or too much alcohol (causes dryness).

If you meant you manipulate your hair alot...then u might want to work on that...
For me daily cowashing and hair-handling caused breakage and knots.

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Hair type: 3c with 4a at the sides
Current lenght: (Unstretched): Shoulder length (Streteched): between armpit and brastrap length
Hair goals: healthy, Mid-back length curls
Staples: Unrefined shea butter, pure olive oil, herbal essences hello hydration...
Favorite Hairstyles: Twist and curls (even before they had a name), braid outs, bantu knot outs (on dry hair)
Twists and braids (I dont wear these often though) Trying to make buns look good on me...

LadyRae

I meant I'm not the gentlest person when it comes to my hair. And how do I know if my condish(or any other product) has a lot of alcohol or protein in it??? Whenever I look on labels, alcohol is usually the second and third listing. and proteins come not too far behind. Does the order that the ingredients are listed matter???

LadyRae

Part of me kinda believes that the breakage may be coming from where my relaxed and natural hair meet... B/c my relaxed hair looks so stringy and thin. and the natural hair is sooo thick["packed" as my mom and gramma say] (when it's dry). And it's hard to work product through all the thickness when I'm co-washing/detangling. It was a little easier when I tried it in sections, though... a LITTLE easier

BekkaPoo

You might wanna go to the newbie section to get some basics down: Getting Your Curl On: a step-by-step guide

Or go to the main nc.com site.. there's tons of articles there on ingredients.

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Niquesastar

Hey,

Just wanted to add my two cents. I am a hairstylist - when it comes to protein treatments you have to be a bit careful. Although protein is healthy for the hair... too much can cause breakage and damage. When getting a protein treatment the hair will harden. This is the protein working to add strength to the cuticle layer. If you do this too often the cuticle layer will continue to harden and start to break because theres no flexibility/elasticity, the hair will also become dry and brittle.

I see that ppl are giving themselves protein treatments every 2 months. That is a bit much, unless the hair itself is severely damaged and even then you should consult with a stylist. Maybe a protein treatment isnt need but an alternative like a deep conditioning will help. Protein treatments shouldn't be done no more than 3 times a year (unless the hair is severly damaged).

Hope this helps