tips and tricks for 4b transition WITHOUT bc?

[blessedandlucky]

is this even possible? i've been doing a board search and haven't come across anything. i'm looking for women with 4b - not 4a/4b or 4a or anything but 4b hair - who have transitioned without doing the big chop.

can anyone help? i am attempting this and really need support.

 

[Foxglove]

It's definitely been done. I'm 4b and transitioned for almost 16 months before chopping but the same techniques and products that got me to 16 months will help you go that far and longer. I know there are others. You should check out a few of these threads. I learned everything about transitioning from them. I do want to say keep an open mind. Even though some transitioners aren't 4b their products and techniques could really help in your transition
First here is the transitioning without BCing thread
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=410134&highlight=transition

Here is the 2010 transitioners support thread
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=419744&highlight=transition

And here is the 2009 transitioners support thread
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=312457&highlight=2009+transition+support+thread

These threads are long but they have all the information you need. Feel free to start posting in the first 2 I listed. Everybody there will be happy to help

 

[melissa-bee]

yeah. I'm 9 months post.
I wash once every 2 weeks, airdry and then flat iron.

Keeping my roots straight helps me a lot.

 

[Ese88]

im 7.5 months post. i wash once a week & don't comb the roots until wash day
i have also started weaving my hair up to keep things easy & my last protective style was kinky twists.

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

Have you checked out maneandchic.com She has a great blog and she transitioned without doing a BC.

Tips I have is don't get discouraged, low manipulation styles are your best friend, and keep the line of demarcation moisturized so you don't have breakage in that area.

 

[Nonie]

I cheated coz I'm too lazy for daily styling.

I wore braids that I did myself and kept in for a year. But in the course of the year, I'd undo a braid to redo (one at a time) and snip off about a 1/4 inch at the end of my hair before putting back the extension hair.

I didn't redo all braids in one sitting but only as time allowed and I could tell those that had not been trimmed because they'd be way loose at the base from new growth.

I'd do this till all braids had been trimmed and redone. Then repeat the process after 6-8 weeks--but it did mean the braids stayed braided for a little longer because by the time I got to the last one, a few days (weeks?) would have passed since I did the first set.

And in a year of doing this, all my relaxed hair was gone and I had about 5-6 inches of 100% natural hair in braids.

 

[NIN4eva]

I did it for two years in braided styles and under wigs. Wigs suck, they're so uncomfortable. Next time I'm doing it with just braids.

I tried flat ironing, but that just thinned out my hair. I would say to keep your ng moisturized and use as little cones as possible. You want fresh moisture. That being said, Silicon Mix breaks all of my rules about cones. It's the one exception for me.

 

[lilsparkle825]

Have you checked out maneandchic.com She has a great blog and she transitioned without doing a BC.

Tips I have is don't get discouraged, low manipulation styles are your best friend, and keep the line of demarcation moisturized so you don't have breakage in that area.

Wrong on two counts -- she is not 4b and BC'd on the 4th of July in 2008.

I, too, don't see many 4b's that transition without the BC. My sister transitioned for a year with braids, but by the end of that transition, most of her relaxed ends had broken off.

 

[Foxglove]

I just wanted to add that unless you straighten you'll be working with something like this

This was me at 9 months post. After a while the difference between straight and curly just gets ridiculous lol
I think that's why many 4bs don't transition indefinitely without braids/weave or straightening

 

[RUBY]

I'm a 4b and I transitioned with braids for about 2 years. Personally, I couldn't have done it any other way.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

I cheated coz I'm too lazy for daily styling.

I wore braids that I did myself and kept in for a year. But in the course of the year, I'd undo a braid to redo (one at a time) and snip off about a 1/4 inch at the end of my hair before putting back the extension hair.

I didn't redo all braids in one sitting but only as time allowed and I could tell those that had not been trimmed because they'd be way loose at the base from new growth.

I'd do this till all braids had been trimmed and redone. Then repeat the process after 6-8 weeks--but it did mean the braids stayed braided for a little longer because by the time I got to the last one, a few days (weeks?) would have passed since I did the first set.

And in a year of doing this, all my relaxed hair was gone and I had about 5-6 inches of 100% natural hair in braids.

What a clever idea! You make me wish that I could braid. I would probably do something like this.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

Wrong on two counts -- she is not 4b and BC'd on the 4th of July in 2008.

I, too, don't see many 4b's that transition without the BC. My sister transitioned for a year with braids, but by the end of that transition, most of her relaxed ends had broken off.

I experienced demarcation breakage with even just trying to go from straight to texlaxed. And I straight up baby my hair. It isn't as simple for the ladies with courser hair.

 

[NIN4eva]

What a clever idea! You make me wish that I could braid. I would probably do something like this.

That's pretty much what I did. The wigs were too much in the summer. I learned to do braids on Youtube.

 

[LovelyNaps26]

I did the bc after 10 months but that was because i was anxious to see my natural hair. i had great retention and very little breakage due to three letter: CPR.

Motion CPR was a life saver and I believe the protein prevented breakage at the point of demarcation. Also, constant moisture of the new growth and deep conditioning to keep the hair from getting dry. Having 3 or 4 good transition styles will keep you sane. If i had to do it all over again I would have transitioned for 2 years knowing what i know now.

 

[blessedandlucky]

thanks - the visual is priceless.that's kinda what it looks like when i stretch but not as much new growth, of course.

thanks sooooooooooo much to everyone who has replied. i really appreciate it.

I just wanted to add that unless you straighten you'll be working with something like this

This was me at 9 months post. After a while the difference between straight and curly just gets ridiculous lol
I think that's why many 4bs don't transition indefinitely without braids/weave or straightening

 

[beautyaddict1913]

My hair is 4b...check out my album in my profile...I have been transitioning 18 months...for the first 15 months I wore full sew ins...none of my hair was out. I dont suggest microbraids becuz your hair is long and thats not a good way for people with long hair to retain length. If I were you I would probably bun for the first 3 months...check out a type 4 buns thread that we have on here...you can also rollerset to blend your two textures and minimize your hair manipulation, be sure to keep your hair moisturized and sealed, thats the key to making our hair manageable, you can also cornrow sometimes since your hair is long; they will look really neat on you. After 3 months you may want to look into playing with all sorts of weaves...try to invest in quality weaves that you can wear 3 months at a time(remy hair, you dont have to order online, a lot of girls make it work with bss remy brands like velvet, goddess, saga, indyremy, etc, just opt for straight hair and seal your wefts to make it last longer)...then let your hair breathe 1 month and repeat the 3 month cycle....thats honestly the easiest way to long-term transition. You will be protective styling and learning how to work with your new hair texture at the same time. Find a wig you love as well, because some days your hair just wont do what you thought it would and you will be glad to have that wig as a lifesaver. Buns and wigs are my back up styles. I have never worn a wig in all my life prior to this year. I found one that has big curly hair and everyone thinks its my hair! Research is also the key...learning about hair ingredients, etc.

Good luck with your transition!
Hope this helps!

 

[CurlTalk]

I'm not 4b, but my mom is; she transitioned for about a year using individual braid extensions, and twist and curls on the weeks in between braids. Keeping her hair moistuized was super key, as it tends to be dry.

 

[mrsjohnson75]

Keeping the hair moisurized and curly styles help me..I'm still transitioning. Braidouts, Bantu knots, and most recently buns are my go to styles. I have no plans to BC.

 

[soulie]

I just wanted to add that unless you straighten you'll be working with something like this

This was me at 9 months post. After a while the difference between straight and curly just gets ridiculous lol
I think that's why many 4bs don't transition indefinitely without braids/weave or straightening

That is EXACTLY what I see in my mirror - which is why I'm getting crochet braids this weeks.

 

[Uniqzoe]

I am 9 months post and I don't plan to b.c. until my natural hair is 8 to 10 inches long. I am enjoying my transition. Although I often wear protective styles I enjoy wearing my hair out much more than the p.s. My regimen is as follows.

1) wear a protective styles (kinky twist, braids, etc.) for 6 to 8 weeks, longer if possible

2) spritz hair daily with a mixture of water and olive oil

3) wash weekly or bi-weekly (depending on mood)

4) wear hair out with twist outs, bantu knot outs, buns, and pinups.

5) wash and deep condition weekly

This works great for me. Since deciding to transition I have never flat ironed my hair and I use a blow dryer sparingly. I am a youtube and natural hair blog addict, I love finding and trying new styles. The most important thing is finding what works best for you. I hope this helps.

 

[Bun Mistress]

I'll chime in. I'm mostly 4B with some 4a (only in the very back). Here is what has gotten me through the last year plus

1. washing in braids. if I don't then its all tangles
2. doing this method of DC regularlly (I use aloe instead of eggs fyi) http://www.youtube.com/user/patchouli85#p/u
3. streachting out my har at first I could do this with wet sets now I have to blow dry but I use the tension method and I have seen no damage or draw backs thus far
4. protein as needed
5. no mani
6. oils, I seal with a mix of coconut, wheat germ, and camelia oil
7. sulfate free shampoo (the wash and go or curly girl is not for me)

 

[beautyaddict1913]

I am 9 months post and I don't plan to b.c. until my natural hair is 8 to 10 inches long. I am enjoying my transition. Although I often wear protective styles I enjoy wearing my hair out much more than the p.s. My regimen is as follows.

1) wear a protective styles (kinky twist, braids, etc.) for 6 to 8 weeks, longer if possible

2) spritz hair daily with a mixture of water and olive oil

3) wash weekly or bi-weekly (depending on mood)

4) wear hair out with twist outs, bantu knot outs, buns, and pinups.

5) wash and deep condition weekly

This works great for me. Since deciding to transition I have never flat ironed my hair and I use a blow dryer sparingly. I am a youtube and natural hair blog addict, I love finding and trying new styles. The most important thing is finding what works best for you. I hope this helps.

i luv the pic of u in the yellow blouse! How is ur hair styled in the back, or better yet how did u achieve this style?

 

[SimpleKomplexity]

Wrong on two counts -- she is not 4b and BC'd on the 4th of July in 2008.

I, too, don't see many 4b's that transition without the BC. My sister transitioned for a year with braids, but by the end of that transition, most of her relaxed ends had broken off.

She BCed true enough but her natural hair was fairly long before she actually did the chop. She kept her relaxed ends throughout her journey so she's a good model to look at and know that you CAN transition without doing the big BC.

 

[determined_to_grow]

I wish I had patience!!! Good tips...

 

[Uniqzoe]

i luv the pic of u in the yellow blouse! How is ur hair styled in the back, or better yet how did u achieve this style?

Thanks! Below are pics of the side & back. I just twisted it down both sides, left a little hair up front for a pump and put it in a pony in the back.

 

[Foxglove]

She BCed true enough but her natural hair was fairly long before she actually did the chop. She kept her relaxed ends throughout her journey so she's a good model to look at and know that you CAN transition without doing the big BC.

True but as a tighter coiled person although I appreciate and learned a lot from the looser curled people some things just don't work the same (especially when it comes to styling and manipulation)

Transitioning with this

is a little different than transitioning with this

Not saying that transitioning with type 3 hair is easier. Just saying tightly coiled hair has its own challenges and it helps to see what other people with similarly small coils are doing as far as manipulation and styling. As far as products I notice thick/thin strands are more important than curl diameter

 

[sylver2]

I just wanted to add that unless you straighten you'll be working with something like this

This was me at 9 months post. After a while the difference between straight and curly just gets ridiculous lol
I think that's why many 4bs don't transition indefinitely without braids/weave or straightening

lol thats how my hair looked when i did my 1 year stretch. just a lil more puffier though. it started looking like that around 8 months. Half head was afro and other was straight. it was extremely difficult to deal with these two compltely different textures on my head. You have to have a whoooole lot of patience. took me up to an hour in shower detangling. i never wore braids or protective styles either so u can imagine. i think it would be easier for 1 to do braids after a certain amount of time if don't want to big chop.

 

[ycj1]

True but as a tighter coiled person although I appreciate and learned a lot from the looser curled people some things just don't work the same (especially when it comes to styling and manipulation)

Transitioning with this

is a little different than transitioning with this

Not saying that transitioning with type 3 hair is easier. Just saying tightly coiled hair has its own challenges and it helps to see what other people with similarly small coils are doing as far as manipulation and styling. As far as products I notice thick/thin strands are more important than curl diameter

Does anyone knows how long the first picture Lady transitioned for?

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

I think somewhere between 18-20 months. Her site is maneandchic.com. It says on there

 

[Foxglove]

Does anyone knows how long the first picture Lady transitioned for?

She transitioned for 18 months