Hey beautiful people,

So today I was chatting with my pal Sara and she wants to go natural..yeee!!!..but was concerned about doing the Big Chop as she's never ever cut her hair off.So this is for all you lovlies that want to go natural without the BC you need to Transition...
Transitioning

This process involves stopping the use of relaxers on your hair and allowing the hair to grow in naturally whilst trimming off the relaxed ends gradually. This method is preferred as it allows the transitioner to gain a sufficient length of hair that they are comfortable with and get to know their hair and how to care for it before taking the plunge. 

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One must learn how to manage both hair types. This will lead to healthy growth and minimal breakage. It is important to be mindful of the moisture/ protein balance - as is the case with natural hair. The key to balancing on this tight rope is sticking to a hair care regimen that caters for both;

Proper moisture is an integral part of caring for your natural hair. Because of the kinks in natural hair, it is very difficult for the natural oils of the hair to travel down the hair shaft and keep it pliable and moisturized. Thus, as a natural, it is important that you moisturize your hair and often. Here are some easy things that you can do to keep your hair moisturized: 

• Relaxed hair loses moisture faster than curly hair due to its porous nature. Co-washing (washing with conditioner) is a great habit to adopt right away, wash your hair with a hydrating or moisturizing conditioner as often as possible (2 - 3 a week if you please) take your co-wash sessions as the perfect opportunity to detangle your hair (when saturated in conditioner), detangle from tip to root using a wide toothed comb. Always follow up your shampoo sessions, protein and henna treatments with a conditioning session; this restores some of the lost moisture. Keep your hair moisturized every-other day with a leave-in conditioner and seal it with your natural oil of choice. Water/ aloe vera mix spritz is a great way to add that extra bit of moisture to your regimen.

•  Deep Conditioning. Your hair needs two things...protein...and moisture. You need both. Protein helps strengthen your hair. Protein deposits into your hair what chemicals take away. Although protein treatments are very much needed. They must be done the correct way and should be done every 6 weeks or so when transitioning. You MUST follow up a protein treatment with a moisturizing treatment. While protein is good for strength...it can also hurt you by making your hair hard like straw. Moisturizing treatments are needed to keep your hair strong and moisturized. Not only is poorly moisturized hair HARD but it is also frizzy. It has been my experience that the more moisturized my hair is the less frizz I have. Typically protein treatments should be done once every 6 weeks and moisturizing deep treatments should be done weekly. 

• - Cleansing -Some people wash their hair as often as once a week where others stick to their once a month rule. Whatever your preference, make sure you use a sulphate free shampoo. Alternatively, water-down your regular shampoo to minimize the drying effect. Pre-shampooing is essential in preventing extreme moisture loss (saturate your hair with a natural oil of choice- coconut or olive oil - let the oil sit for no less than an hour, proceed to shampoo). Be sure to rinse out ALL traces of the shampoo. Be sure to follow up a with a conditioning session.

• - Trimming -As you transition, the relaxed ends and the new growth can be irritating so you need to trim often. You can start trimming off the relaxed ends slowly as your new growth comes in. Some people think that just because your hair is natural there is no need to trim.. this is a myth! The ends of your hair can get knots and split ends no matter how well you take care of your hair, this means you have to trim your ends every 6 weeks if possible.

So here is the quick guide for smooth transitioning:

• Use sulfate-free shampoos when shampooing
• Detangle from ends to roots with a big toothed comb.
• Minimal styling to prevent breakage.
• Do not flat iron or press the hair to match textures.
• Deep condition every other week especially right after a shampoo.
• Keep the hair moisturized with a water based product.
• Do not use products with petroleum or mineral oil as the first ingredient.

Hope this helps ya'll out there that want to go natural without cutting it all off.

Be blessed