Want all of your Hair options?

Fact: You were born with hair. Opinion: You may or may not like the hair that you were born with.

Fact: You can learn to love the hair that you were born with. Opinion: Everyone may or may not like your natural hair.

So lately I have had a few newer clients who have come in thinking about transitioning out of the relaxer, but they do not like their natural curl pattern. So they ask me what are their options?

Honestly, I am out of options for some clientele. Either love your natural hair and learn to control it with cosmetic products OR use heat or a chemical to assist with reducing the curl pattern in order to control it.

I may suggest locks/Sisterlocks, but some feel that their spouse would not accept the "locked" look. I hate to suggest a "soft curl" because it is a chemical just like a relaxer. Depending on the tightness of the curl pattern, texturizers, keratin treatments, and smoothing treatments are all a waste of time.

I do recommend people to visit my "curl pattern review" article on this blog to really see where their curl pattern falls in the scope of the curly hair world. Some people think that they have kinky hair until they actually see just how kinky hair can be.

If people can learn to love their natural curl pattern whether in freeform or locks, then they may enjoy the following benefits: 1) Better sex with their spouse because they are not trying to hold on to a $40 hairdo. 2) Enjoying events in the rain without carrying an umbrella. 3) Enjoying swimmning, workouts, and exercising and not worrying about a hair being out of place.

How about wigs, sew-ins, braids, and other protective styling? These hair additions methods will give you style, but not necessarily freedom. After months of protective styling, you will still be forced to deal with your own natural curl pattern again. That curl pattern in hiding is not going to change unless there is a medical reason present.

Any other options to add?

DVD Review: Fire and Ice Volume 3 by Stars Weaving and Replacements

First of all, the model in this dvd has type 3c to type 4a hair. The model is overcurly, but her curl pattern reminds me of a texturized 4c curl pattern. So the model is kinky, but not overly kinky.

Now, that we have this information out of the way, "Fire and Ice: The Transformation of Natural Tresses Volume 3 featuring Tajuana A. Hughes" dvd was overall a good investment. However, it is not the answer for those trying to straighten virgin type 4c curl patterns.

It was a good refresh on using the hair steamer as well as pressing/silkening of the hair as a separate step from curling/styling of the hair.

I am no longer a fan of the flat irons so the use of the flat irons through the silkening phase as well as the styling phase was overkill for me.

As for as the blow-dry phase, it was a good instructional video on using the Denman brush.

So overall, "Fire and Ice Vol. 3" was a great video and worth my investment.

Going from Relaxed to Natural?

Transitioning from Relaxed hair to natural is a customized journey.

Depending on your head shape, body shape, personality, and lifestyle requirements, the options can be limited.

Blow-dry styles will work for the first 2 to 4 months depending on your length of your hair and the weather in your area. If you never needed a relaxer, then you are home free. Just use either Design Essentials Organic Cleanse and Moisture Retention shampoos or Pureology Nanoworks and SuperStraight shampoos plus your choice of conditioners that works for your hair type. Pureology shampoos are sulfate-free and around a $100 purchase. Design Essentials are within a $25 purchase price.

Glue-free quick weave can work for the first 2 to 3 months or all the time for those that never needed a relaxer.

Tree-braids or Interlocking can work starting at the third month and on into a year.

At six months, you can start twists or locks or wear your own curl pattern. Some curl patterns do not lock easily. Others only take a month.

You can wear individual braid extensions as well.

I recommend cutting the relaxed hair off when you are ready. Trim a little every other month or at a six month period, cut all the relaxed hair off.

If wearing your own curl pattern, try different curl creams, curl gels, curl pommades until you find a good fit for your scalp and hair type.

I personally texturized my natural hair after the one year mark, and I started wearing my natural afro. I adorn it with jeweled or floral hair accessories. Definitely lower maintenance for now. I will probably continue to texturize my hair so that I can have the option of blowdrying straight without the humidity reverting it so quickly.

Transitioning from relaxed to natural is a tough journey. Be careful of the press n curl, this process can be just as damaging as the relaxer that you are growing out of .

Have fun!