The Straight Styling Diva

Going From Relaxed to Natural

Tips You Can Use if You Are Transitioning and Preferred to Wear Your Hair Straighten

Hello Beautiful Ones,

In my circle, I am one of the few people that has transitioned and is now fully natural and prefer to wear my hair kinky curly 100% of the time. I understand. You don't want to do the big chop and cut all of your relaxed ends all at once. You prefer to transition into your natural hair style but maintain the smooth and sleek look a relaxer can provide.

Here are some tips to consider:

1. Establish a healthy hair regimen. Discipline yourself and maintain a weekly routine. Use the K.I.S.S. Method: Section and Detangle, Pre-poo, Cleanse, Deep Condition, Moisturize, and Protect. This will keep hair soft, manageable, and free of knots and tangles. When you get in the habit of caring for your hair, it makes transitioning much easier.
2. Get your hair trimmed regularly during the transition phase. I'm sure you are experiencing breakage. This is contributed to the length you carry past the line of demarcation (where your new growth meets your relaxed hair). The weight of the newly grown hair causes your hair to break faster; therefore, you must trim your ends regularly until the relaxed hair is fully grown out.
3. Less heat the better. Limit Flat Iron/ Curling Iron Use. Only press hair 1-2 per month.Only Invest in a good heat protectant/blow dry cream to allow straighten style to last longer. If your hair tends to "puff up", instead of grabbing a flat iron, try alternate styles like a Bantu Knot Out, Braid-Out, Flat Twist-out, Updo, a Bun, a Rod-set, or a Roller-set. Also, try Protective Styling to give hair a break from manipulation.
4. Plan ahead. Establish a wash day when it is convenient for you to take time to care for your hair and style your hair.

As I stated in a previous blog post, if you prefer it straight invest in good products: shampoo, deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner, moisturizer, heat protecting spray or serum, a blow dryer, and a  good ceramic flat iron. Hair can burn between 400-451 degrees, depending on the texture of your hair.  Please use the flat iron seldom. Blow dry and flat-iron hair on a low or medium heat setting. Choose styles (the ones mentioned above) where little heat can be applied in between flat iron use.


What transitioning challenges have you encountered? Please share.
 Stay encouraged on this journey!

 Luv,

Hair Kitty Kitty


Photo Credit:
lipstickalley.com

I Threw Away the Creamy Crack!!

 Tips for Transitioners

Be Fearless. Go Natural...

Transitioning is the process of growing your hair out in its natural textured state without chemical treatments.  The time since your last relaxer.


Hello Beautiful Ones,

One of the most liberating experiences for me was going natural. I appreciate the natural beauty God has blessed me with. I learned that this is the hair that I have and I have to learn to appreciate it and care for it. Nevertheless, it is not always easy to transition into your natural hair. Many of us had relaxers since we were small girls. It was like a rite of passage into young womanhood. We wore relaxers because it is convenient, thought it was easier to grow long hair, and many other reasons. Now, in recent years with the natural hair explosion, many women have thrown away their jar of relaxer and told their stylist to trim away the relaxer ends or did a big chop- cutting the entire relaxed strand.

You may still find it hard to commit to being natural. You don't know what products to use, how to style and maintain your hair, or how to feel confident with your new look. Every time you get frustrated with your natural hair, you just want back to the addiction- the creamy crack. Many of my associates who are newly natural say, "I don't know how you do it" and find excuses to convince themselves into getting a chemical treatment once again. Working with your natural hair requires discipline and patience. A relaxer is no longer an option for me. Once you are ready to commit, you most likely will feel the same.

Let me give you a few tips to help you along your natural hair journey:

Tip #1: Write Down a List Why You Went Natural

This encourages setting and achieving goals. Once your natural-hair vision gets blurred due to frustration, this list will motivate you to stick to your hair goals. You can also keep a hair journal with pictures to document your progress.

Tip #2: Build a Healthy Hair Regimen

Make your product selection (staple products) and hair technique simple and stick to it until it is second nature. If you establish a routine, you will be less likely to digress and go back to chemical treatments.

Tip #3: Visit or Join a Natural Hair Forum

These are great sites for motivation. You can communicate with hundreds of curly-haired women across the country and share experiences and learn about products and effective techniques. Look at pictures of others naturals and their journey. It reminds you that you are not alone in your journey.

Tip #5: Inform Yourself

Like the old saying goes, "Knowledge is power"! Become your a expert when it comes to your hair. Read, research, and learn what it takes for your hair to thrive on your personal journey. There are many natural hair blogs, YouTube channels, and books that offer great information and advice. Remember, do what works for you and not everyone else.

Tip #6: Stop obsessing over pictures of you with relaxed hair

This will distract and discourage you from your going of becoming natural. Don't get emotional about how you used to look. Look toward the future and take pictures of your transition into a new you.There is a reason you are transitioning.

Tip #7: Try Different Styles
It is not a one fits all style for natural hair. Wearing your natural hair is fun. Try different styles: Bantu knot-out, braid out, twist-out, updo, buns, roller set, etc. to switch up your style. Every day was not a good hair day when relaxed, so everyday may not be a good hair day when natural. Experiment with a new look every other month for starters.

Tip #8: Patience is the Key

You have to be gentle and patient to see positive results. Anything worth having requires patience. I wish I could say otherwise, but nothing happens over night.

Tip #9: Exude Confidence and Love Your Hair

You are not your hair, but take pride in the decision you have made to become natural. If you love others, will love it. Feel comfortable that this is the hair you have. It is exciting to come out of your comfort zone, and undergo new, rewarding experiences. It is now your hair, it is your attitude towards your hair.

Tip #10: Reward Yourself

Hard work yields positive results. Since you decided to stick with your goal to become natural, reward yourself.  You can buy a new pair of gorgeous earrings to compliment your natural-hair, or take professional photos of with you with your natural hair and share it with others. In other words, do something to clebrate your accomplishments.

So ladies, I hope these tips were useful. I just want you all to stay encouraged and with each gain in your progress, do something to reward yourself. Don’t stress or obsess over your hair. Set your hair goals & make this process fun and you should be just fine.

How do you stay motivated during your transition?

Good luck on setting your hair goals & transitioning!

Luv,

Hair Kitty Kitty

Ask Hair Kitty Kitty

Brazilian Keratin Treatments

I am all about learning as much as I can about new hair care processes. I like to use a common sense approach when I try a new product, get my hair professionally styled, or when I try new techniques at home.

I want to encourage my readers to do the same. Do your research! I cannot stress that enough. If you want to try something and it doesn’t feel like the right thing to do based on your personal research, then you may want to strongly reconsider trying it out. To answer the questions of my readers, I like to use a pro vs. con analysis.

So, one of my college buddies texted me this question:

Q:     Speaking of hair, have you heard anything about Keratin hair treatments, good or bad? I want to lay off relaxers, but I’m not ready to go completely natural. I want to know some good alternatives.

Here’s my take on the Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatments:

Keratin is a strong protein made of amino acids. Our hair, teeth, nails, and skin are naturally made of keratin. The amino acids that form keratin have their own unique properties and can be hard like our teeth or soft like our skin.

               

Brazilian Keratin Treatments are also known as Brazilian blowouts, Brazilian smoothing treatments, Brazilian hair straightening, and Keratin hair treatments. Brazilian Keratin Treatments are one the latest trends in hair straightening, even for black hair. Some black women are using this method in addition to relaxers or to replace relaxers to tame frizz and straighten curly, coiled, or wavy textures. If used correctly, the Brazilian Keratin Treatment effectively fills in the gaps and weak points of the hair.

The method will temporarily straighten and smooth the hair by applying a liquid form of keratin and various levels of formaldehyde (a colorless, pungent, strong smelling gas used in many building materials and to form household products). The solution is dried onto the hair and sealed with a flat iron. The formaldehyde is used to hold the keratin molecules together, thus keeping your hair straight. In others words, it is provides a protective layer of protein around the hair shaft.

The process:

1. The hair is first shampooed, usually with a clarifying shampoo
2. The hair is then conditioned
3. After conditioning the hair, it is  towel-dried or blow dried and divided into sections
4. The Brazilian Keratin Treatment is applied and combed through the hair; it is not placed on the scalp, similar to the application of a relaxer
5. The hair is then dried with the treatment on it. Next, the hair is “blown out” with a hand held blow dryer
6. Then the hair is flat-iron using an extremely hot professional straightening iron. It passes through one section of hair about 6-10 times depending on the thickness of the hair.

On average the results of the Brazilian Keratin Treatments last about 2-3 months. The cost ranges from $150 per professional treatment to $600 per professional treatment, depending on the stylist and the length of your hair. The process takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours. There are at-home Keratin straightening systems, but it is advised that you allow the treatment to be performed by a licensed hair care professional.

It is best for the stylist and the client to wear a mask during the application process because of the strong chemicals that are used. There are formaldehyde-free versions, but they contain a chemical with similar properties as formaldehyde. It is also recommended that you do not wash your hair until about 3-4 days after the treatment, because it takes time for it to settle in your hair. When you decided to wash your hair, it is best to use sulfate-free shampoos, so you do not strip the treatment from your hair. Before getting one, consult with your stylist and a health care professional to discuss the potential risks.

Now, the Analysis Pros vs. Cons

Positives                                                                                              Negatives

Gives hair a silky straight appearance and it lasts for 2-3 months	Excessive Heat Used
Smooths cuticles & Reduces frizz	Formaldehyde can cause cancer
Contains less chemicals than a relaxer	Lots of tugging  & pulling on the hair during the blow dry and flatiron phase
Claims that it will not break hair bonds and alter the structure of the hair as a relaxer does.	During treatment, you may experience symptoms such as watery eyes, burning throat, and a terrible cough
	Strong, unpleasant odor
	Expensive
	Can loosen curl pattern over time because hair becomes heat trained

 

Watch this video to see a Brazilian Keratin treatment performed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsWV0m6WXpI&context=C48d2395ADvjVQa1PpcFPg0Nn_HDdXMlM_4GJYNtfyE2Jom-vXypE=

The Breakdown (My analysis)

Should you try this?

Like a wise man once told me, if the negatives outweigh the positives, use with caution.

First, I question the use of formaldehyde. With prolonged exposure, formaldehyde is associated with certain types of cancer. Also, the short term effects of some individuals are watery eyes, burning throat, and coughing/wheezing which can be extremely uncomfortable. Who wants their eyes to water and throat to burn just to get a hairstyle. Ask yourself, “Is a temporary beauty treatment really worth you risking  your health”?

Moreover, I would not try it because I feel that our hair is too delicate to undergo excessive combing and tugging, and excessive heat styling (blowdryer, hooded dryer, then flat iron). If your goal is to have healthy-looking hair then the long term effects of this treatment can put a roadblock in your process. It is not worth the risk of damaging your hair. My advice would be to develop a solid and consistent hair regimen and alternate between thermal styling and protective styling (protective styles are great to retain length).

I would say a good alternative to a relaxer is to simply go natural. Do not be afraid. You do not have to do the big chop. You can successfully transition into your natural texture without wearing your hair in a kinky style.  If you prefer it straight invest in good products: shampoo, deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner, moisturizer, heat protecting spray or serum, a blow dryer, and a  good ceramic flat iron. Hair can burn between 400-451 degrees, depending on the texture of your hair.  Please use the flat iron seldom. Flat-iron hair on a low or medium heat setting. Other suggested styles are roller setting or rod sets, where little heat can be applied in between flat iron use, pin-curling your hair, twist & dry styles, and braid outs using the tension method (will discuss in future post).

Have you tried the Brazilian Keratin Treatment? What were your results?

If you are considering a Brazilian Keratin Treatment, I hope this information was useful.

Luv,

Hair Kitty Kitty

***Disclaimer***

I am not a medical doctor, dermatologist, cosmetologist, nor a licensed professional. I conduct my own research and give my opinion based on my analysis. I do not receive compensation for my opinion on any product or procedure. Please exercise caution when starting any new hair regimen or chemical procedures. If you have questions about how a particular product or treatment will effect or interact with your medicine, your scalp or your skin, please contact a health care professional. The reader will assume the responsibility of using the process discussed.

Photo Credit: http://sn3akrfr3akr.blogspot.com/2010/09/brazilian-keratin-treatment-on-my-hair.html

Reference: www.webmd.com/braziliankeratintreatment; http://www.cancer.gov/