Curly/coily Queens assemble! We are blessed, let no one convince you otherwise. Our crowns are worth gushing over and I only just realized this in my adult years.
Let’s have a quick back story y’all
TSJ’s hair and transition story
As far back as I can remember, I never had a clean shave of my head. I however remember the first day I had a perm (relaxer) put into my hair. I was about 6 years old and it was done at a saloon down the street of my house. Those memories certainly do not give joy.
I do remember the experience faintly; nothing super clear, but I would never forget my intense urge to itch my hair and get the relaxer off. You see, the thing is that my mum had decided it was the right time to get a perm for reasons best known to her. For the sake of context, my mum is the very best in the mothering business, she is absolutely amazing.
However just like many other mamas in my younger years, straightening a baby girl’s coily crown , as opposed to managing it properly was usually more appealing. It takes the stress off them. When you ask them, they would tell you that getting relaxers in make weaves last longer and stay kempt compared to the weaves made with natural coils.
They weren’t really far from the truth, most times the coily edges give way and look unapologetically rough after only a few days of getting weaves in, especially if the hairstyle is not intentionally groomed. Then, there is the hurdle of drowning them edges in edge control to make the unkempt weave look even more presentable.
With that being said, this mindset has changed considerably. Many African mothers especially, have started to key into the beauty of natural coils. There is a whole lot more effort put into understanding their children’s hair behavior and products required for proper management of the coils. This I must say is highly commendable.
Now as can be noted from my story, I have lived a huge part of my life as a relaxed babe, until recently when I transitioned back to my 4c natural coils, September 2021 to be precise.
Let me give you a load down on how I transitioned successfully.
Transitioning (overview)
So for anyone that still doesn’t know, Black Queens are born with natural coily hair which range from the 3b to 4c coils.
Now these coils form as a result of strong protein bonds and I must say that they are Uber gorgeous! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
In the past however, a lot of coily hair Queens failed to recognize their special hair gift. As opposed to managing said curls/coils, they instead got chemicals popularly known as relaxers to break the protein bonds and make their strands straight. This was usually done for easier manageability. This action is referred to as hair perming/ relaxing and it is irreversible.
However, things have fast changed, curly/coily girls are now more informed. There is a current change in trend with most of the coily girls yearning to returnto their curls/coils.
Now to achieve this, these Queens have two options
- Do a big chop immediately I.e start from scratch
- Slowly transition by growing out the coils for a while before letting go of the relaxed ends. This is what we refer to as transitioning back to natural coils.
Option 2 is the main focus of this post
The first step in transitioning from straight hair to natural curls/ coils, is making a firm decision about it. If you have doubts, then I advise you to take some more time to rethink it as it is no walk in the park. I would however say that the outcome is rewarding when done right.
Identify your goals for transitioning so that when it gets tough, you have reasons to stay afloat. My major reason for example was the burning desire for a new and insightful hair adventure. I had no idea of what it felt like to have coily hair. I was pretty much young when that privilege was taken from me. Another important reason was the incessant advice from almost every hair dresser. They all encouraged me to go natural each time they laid hands on my then straight hair.
You see my hair texture is one that is super soft and easy to manage as opposed to those that would literally break combs. The day I decided to go natural really was the day I searched far and wide for a good hairstylist to help relax my coily hair undergrowth and I was left stranded.
It is no secret that many hairstylists especially where I am from have poor knowledge when it comes to perming hair strands. Some of them would put the chemical relaxers on your already straight ends as opposed to the coily undergrowths alone. Let’s not even talk about the scalp damage that most times comes with improperly relaxed hair. It is a big horror.
I felt the strong desire for Hair independence after I was left stranded. I mean, I could do just about anything with my hair on my own except relax it. That was my light bulb moment y’all.
So let me quickly highlight my dos and don’t based on my experience while transitioning. Y’all must know me already, I usually start with the don’ts
Don’t of Hair transitioning
- Never follow the crowd to transition just to fit in, it would only end in premium frustration and tears. Have valid reasons instead.
- Never compare your hair progress with anybody else’s it would only bring on the pressure, we all have unique crowns.
- Never speak Negatively over your crown! There is power in the tongue.
- Never prioritize your relaxed ends over your growing coils. The goal is to have a healthy natural coily hair. The relaxed ends are only there to get you comfortable with your coily hair length at the beginning. They would eventually be forfeited.
- Never give in to pressure to cut off your relaxed ends. Take your time guys. Don’t give into the myth that your relaxed ends would hinder your coily hair growth. This is an absolute lie!
Do’s of transitioning
- Start to familiarize with the natural hair lingo. You need to know more about your intended journey. My post on the natural hair lingo could assist for starters. Introduction to type 4 hair (determining your curl type and understanding the fro lingo)
- Key into products that would cater to both your natural and relaxed ends or better still, you could key into products best for your natural coils instead, and never the other way round.
- Note styles that would give you comfort during the the transition phase to avoid frustration. Remember you would have two different hair textures on your head and it might be far from sightly.
- Always speak positivity to your crown loves. I believe your hair actually listens
- Decide how you would like to do your big chop. I did mine in the comfort of my bedrooom. You can do the same or better still, get it done by a professional.
In conclusion, transitioning is no easy feat but it is definitely something that can be done with the right information and guidiance. Patience and perseverance are very important virtues during this phase. Good luck on your transition journey Queens.
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