The transition , a period rich in emotions! Between enthusiasm, discouragement and renewed confidence, this is a change that has its share of upheavals. At Colorful Black, we are convinced that going natural is an important step in our lives and must be supported by valuable advice. Unlike the big chop, which involves cutting your hair short to go completely natural, the transition can take several weeks or even months . Indeed, if you want to have a minimum length before cutting, it takes at least 5 months of growth. How to adapt your routine? What are the actions to avoid? How can two different textures coexist? Let's discover through a typical routine, the best way to understand a successful transition.
Use a shampoo suitable for your transitioning hair
We will not stop repeating it: the scalp is to be pampered to have healthy hair! Hair straighteners are extremely aggressive for the scalp. Many “naturals” have noticed a disappearance of their scalp problems (dandruff, itching, plaques) after their return to natural.
Now that you've decided to ditch the hair straighteners, you need to focus on this part of your head in order to prepare the ground as well as possible. Your scalp is the epidermis that covers your skull. The hair that grows there will be more or less vigorous depending on the care you give it.
For your first transition routine, opt for a clarifying shampoo to detoxify your scalp. Do not hesitate to use a small brush with soft bristles to offer a relaxing and exfoliating massage to your scalp.
Thereafter, consider alternating protein shampoo and mild moisturizing shampoo , while including a clarifying shampoo per month.
If you like to apply oils on your scalp, prefer the “pre-poo” or oil bath technique. Applied before shampooing, the oil brings nutrients to the scalp before being cleaned by shampoo. Your hair follicles thus remain unobstructed to promote better growth .
Become a hair mask addict for a successful transition
The mask is the central care of your routine even if your hair is 100% natural. In transition, the mask is even more important. Concentrated in nourishing and repairing active ingredients, the hair mask must be part of your weekly routine during this period.
The biggest challenge of the transition is managing to manage two textures in a single treatment. Fortunately, your straightened lengths and your natural new growth have some needs in common:
- Nutrition with a protein-rich treatment
- Hydration thanks to products rich in water and moisturizing agents
The first hair routine of your hair transition should focus on providing protein because your hair is still under the effects of chemical treatments. For this, a shock protein treatment like Aphogee's Two Step Protein Treatment is ideal. Very powerful, this treatment has immediate effects on breakage and should only be used once every 6 weeks. For your next treatment, we recommend including Aphogee Keratin 2 min Reconstructor in your routine, alternating with a moisturizing mask. Keratin is the main component of hair. It is attacked and literally dissolved by chemical treatments. With a keratin-based treatment, you fill in the fragile parts of your hair to strengthen them.
Repairing treatments based on protein and keratin are therefore essential to prevent your lengths from breaking too quickly. But hydration is not to be neglected! Just as essential as nutrition, hydration must be ensured throughout the hair transition. A moisturizing mask should be used once a week after your shampoo or even conditioner, so that your hair remains perfectly capable of absorbing water and retaining it as well as possible.
The after-shampoo treatment is also an opportunity to detangle your hair. In transition, we recommend detangling your hair when it is wet, using a brush specially created for detangling our Flexible Detangling Brush . We designed this brush to minimize breakage while providing fast and effective detangling.
Adopt protective styles during your transition
When the first centimeters of natural growth appear, you will quickly realize that a wash n' go with two different textures is not the best of styles! Protective styles will save your hair because they will allow you to:
- Unify the texture of your hair
- To protect the lengths and ends
Bantu knots and twist-outs will become your allies! By giving the hair an “artificial” curl, these styles will even out your texture and camouflage that famous demarcation between natural growth and relaxed lengths. For a successful bantu knot or twist-out, apply a rich treatment such as Magic Twist from Les Secrets de Loly or Twist and Braid from Flora & Curl to your hair.
To protect the lengths and ends, flat twists, braids or simple twists and buns are the easiest styles to achieve. A successful protective style should allow you not to have to touch your hair for several days. Your ends are ideally protected in a high or low bun. This will give you a better chance of maintaining your length until you're ready to take the leap of cutting! Always be careful to gently treat the line of demarcation between the two textures, it is the most fragile area of your hair and it must be handled with care to avoid a significant box.
To maintain your lengths, remember to regularly cut the damaged ends . This will prevent the forks from progressing towards the roots, creating breakages and knots in their path.
Our practical advice boils down to purifying your scalp, nourishing and moisturizing your hair with a mask, adopting gentle gestures and using protective styles.
But to maintain your morale, it is essential to surround yourself with positive images. You may be discovering your natural texture for the first time in years! This meeting can be apprehended with joy or frustration. This is why we offer individual coaching workshops. Benefit from tailor-made advice with Anna and go through the hair transition with complete peace of mind.
