Thursday, March 15, 2012

Transitioning Teenager Hairstlyes For School

WHAT HAIRSTYLES CAN I DO WHILE TRANSITIONING AND GOING TO SCHOOL?


Flat Ironed Transitioning Hair
 Hey Beautiful. I get lots of questions from teenage girls about what in the world to do with their transitioning hair. This post is dedicated to you. T is a teenager who transitioned while in middle school, I believe from 7th grade. I know hair is REALLY important at that time (and lets face it...it's pretty important to all of us at any time). So without further ado, I share with you some of the styles she did while transitioning:

The flat iron. That's right. You can transition and still use heat. But please use it sparingly, cautiously, and sensibly. Based on the thickness, health, and other factors, you must decide the best heat setting that will avoid damage. Remembering that you have 2 textures of hair going on. The natural hair will request a bit more heat to straighten than the relaxed hair (which is already straight, but in need of heat to flatten down). More info on this to come in a different post.

 With the flat ironed transitioning hair, you can then style on that straight texture. In this picture, she opted to braid the front for a different look. The front braids are also great for when the flat ironed hair (especially the hairline) starts to frizz, revert at the roots, etc. 

Keeping transitioned hair trimmed helps with styling. It helps to avoid tangles (frazzled ends will tangle easily). If you have a lot of relaxed ends (long lengths of it), it will be beneficial to trim off any thinning, lanky ends--usually about 1/4'' if they are tackled before they get out of hand.

On the style below, she decided to give her hair a break from detangling by braiding it all up. She wore this braided style for 1 day before taking it down for a wavy braidout look. Yes, her hair was flat ironed first. Once she was done wearing it straight, she had it braided up. As you can see, this transitioning teen opted to wear her hair flat ironed for most of her transition. Is that okay? Please be advised that not everyone's hair has the same requirements or tolerance to heat. She applied heat to her hair exactly 2 times a month. No "bumping" or "touching up" allowed.


 The braids allow for great protective styling. For those of you who are transitioning with the expectations of enjoying your curls once fully natural, braidouts (minus the heat) is a great choice. It will eliminate the possible risk of heat damage. Especially if you are unsure how to safely flat iron your own hair. Professional hair dressers can't always be guaranteed to be safe either. At the end of the day, the decision is definitely something to research.


FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TRANSITIONING, PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING INFO:

IF YOU WORE YOUR RELAXED HAIR STRAIGHT MOST OF THE TIME: During your transition, you can opt to continue to do so. Just understand that your natural hair is curly, and you may want to eventually embrace that. It's understandable if you are frustrated by the 2 different textures during your transition. Just know, it will be wise to decide on a weekly style plan for your transitioning hair. For instance:

WEEK 1: (Pre Poo-Optional), Wash, Condition, Deep Condition, Detangle, Put Heat Protectant of Your Choice, Section,  Air Dry/Blow Dry, Flat Iron. Keep for at Least 7 Days        while moisturizing and wrapping.


Week 2: (Pre Poo-Optional), Wash, Condition, Deep Condition, Detangle, Moisturize, Seal, Section, Braid Natural Hair, Curl Relaxed hair with Perm Rod Rollers. Keep for 7 Days while maintaining with a loose ponytail or pineapple and moisturizing as needed.

Week 3: Flat Iron (same regimen). 

Week4: Braid Out (same regimen)

During this time, you can do some buns as protective styling. Ponytails go well with either texture.





Laying Down The Hairline During Transitioning From Relaxed to Natural

Transitioning Hair and 2 Different Textures












5 comments:

  1. Hi Tia! Thanks very much for doing this post! Im a teenager so i was kinda confuse on what hairstyle to do for school,and my family and friends are telling me to relaxe my hair but im convinced that going natural is the best for my hair,so im not giving up,i know that someday i'll find the best regimen for me. Thanks again!

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    1. @Naomi You're very welcome. AND very "ahead of the game" to be transitioning as a teenager LOL I wish I would have done that! I didn't even think of it! You'll be fine. Just search transitioning hairstyles on Youtube, and you should see a bunch of options. See what works best to "keep your style". Thanks for the message Love!

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  2. Thanks so much for the post i'm also a teen and was in great need for hairstyles, I hope my hair turns out like your daughters :)

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  3. Hi Tia! I am going to show these to my daughter. She is becoming SO bored with a bun all of the time. We have it braided into a bun since I told her that she could not wear it "straight". I thought the would damage her hair. However, after reading this, I may give it a try. Thanks again!

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