transitioning hair styles Archives

Rockin’ My Fluffy Fro

Posted on by Michelle

Early on in my natural hair journey I started trying styles that I could do at night. I was finally understanding that my hair would thrive if I could just stay away from the flat iron every morning. Little did I know that there would be a lot of trial and error. The braid-out style has always kept me guessing because I could never get it quite right. Either I chose the wrong products, separated the sections too much or it simply wasn’t dry in time.

I’ve come to realize that every braid-out I do is different depending on so many different factors. So instead of cringing at the first sign of poof, I’m learning to just go with it. In the end, the technique is altering my tight, curly fro and stretching my hair. This helps with tangles and those nasty little single strand knots. While I am pleased when the style results in lots of definition and curl, I’m also learning to accept the big fluffy look I sometimes

get. Most importantly, I rock it in public so that others can see that big hair is beautiful and it’s here to stay.

Braiding My Own Hair

Posted on by Michelle

When I was researching what styles would work best for my transition into Natural hair, I found that wearing braids would be a good choice. Here’s the thing…the last time I had my hair in braids was when I was 10 years old. My mother used to braid my hair 1 to 2 times each week. I had never gone to a stylist to have it braided.

I had heard all of the horror stories of people getting their braids done and it hurting so bad the first couple of days. Then there was the cost. I was not interested in spending tons of money to have someone else do them for me. I learned about the “Crown and Glory Technique” at Growafrohairlong.com. There were lots of women who were using this method to grow their hair by wearing it in braids a couple months at a time. Here’s the kicker, they were all braiding their own hair with professional results in most cases.

I found a twenty minute video on the site that explained how to do braid extensions yourself. I was amazed to see how easy it was (or at least in the video). It showed everything from how to select the hair to how to finish the ends. The tutorial took all of the mystery out of doing extensions. So, I watched the video a few times and headed to my local bss. I was so confident that I didn’t even ask for help from a salesperson.

When I got home, I started prepping the hair, carefully following the instructions in the video. Once the hair was ready I got started on my first few braids. Thank goodness I started in the back. I quickly found out that it would take a bit of practice but I finally got the hang of it. I probably worked for 5 hours that night and then another 3 the next morning (after taking my son to school with an Axel Rose scarf on my head..lol!). When I finished, I was so proud of my hair (and I did it for under $30 bucks!).

Thing is…after two months, I just couldn’t take those braids. It was the worst feeling not being able to see my hair. Also, since it was my first time, I was constantly having to re-braid sections after each wash. Sadly, I haven’t done them since. Now, when I want a braided style, I just work with my own natural hair which is a lot less work. I still use some of what I learned in the video. I get asked by my subscribers on YouTube how I manage to get them to look so neat in back. I just say, “It’s easier than you think,” and direct them to the site.

My Favorite Transitioning Style

Posted on by Michelle

Once I decided to go Natural, I considered how long I should go before doing the Big Chop. At only 3 months post relaxer, I was certain that I wanted to grow my natural texture out a lot more before this step. Normally I wore my hair straight but I was beginning to see how damaging all of the heat was. The next best thing was Rollersetting.

My Hood Dryer

I personally had never Rollerset my hair before. I had seen it done in the salon but that was about it. From what I could see on YouTube, there were a lot of ladies who did it each week instead of using flatirons and blowdryers. I also kept hearing about how handy it was to have a hooded dryer at home for this style and to do deep treatments. I figured I would give it a go.

I went to my local Sally’s beauty supply and purchased the Ion hooded dryer with multiple heat settings for about $40. When I got home, my husband thought I had gone mad. I explained that it was an investment and that I would get a lot of use out of it.

My Curly Fro

As for the rollersetting, I really didn’t know how it would turn out but it was worth a try. I watched plenty of videos before going for it. I used the small grey perm rods so that the two textures of my hair would blend together better. The end result was a cute and curly little afro. The style often lasted a whole week which meant less stress on my hair.

It’s almost 2 years later and I still rollerset my hair. I didn’t realize it then but it’s a technique that can also be used on Natural hair. I’m glad that I learned how to do it during my transitioning phase because now it’s one of my staple styles.