Hair Love | Transitioning No More

Hello loves! Today’s post is dedicated to my crown (I like the way that sounds 😉 )…also known as…my hair. For my new loves and old ones who have wondered what’s happened, let’s catch up shall we? I officially started my transition to natural hair in March. My initial plan was to transition for a year. I salute all you naturalistas that were able to big chop from the door but I was not ready for all of that! So I thought a year would give me enough time to grow my hair to what I thought would be a comfortable length. My transition was…”rocky” to say the least. You can read allll about my trials  and recent triumphs here. But I was determined and I’m not the kinda girl who gives up so I was going to do this. Around the six month mark (September) I started getting antsy. I mean not only was I thoroughly over the transition, I felt myself really straddling the fence on the whole thing altogether. Either I was going to DO this or I wasn’t. After weeks of failing twist outs, major breakage, and sad scraggly ends, I made my decision. I couldn’t do this anymore. While standing in front of mirror this past Saturday night. I did it. I big chopped.  I had finally returned to natural.

The first question I was asked was “So, how do you feel?” How DID I feel. I mean, I just chopped my hair off. All of it. I have maybe 3 solid inches of hair on my head. How do I feel?? Crazy. But liberated. It is gone. Those last strands of hair signified so much. Holding on to my previous images and thoughts of beauty. Holding on to the last part of security I really had when it came to my hair. This whole thing is way bigger than one simple little post. I have a million thoughts and feelings post big chop that I can’t wait to share with you all. From my thoughts on hair typing to my husbands overwhelming support of this all. I’ll be visiting those topics later and also adding more natural hair posts in general featuring my updated regimen, styles, new products, and more. For now, I’ll get it to it and let you guys get a sneak peek (and the very first introduction ever) of my baby fro. I like her <3.

I’m a natural girl now…what does that even mean? Am I part of #sheabutter Twitter? LOL you see where my priorities lie.

Peace, Love, & Blessings

~

**Stay Connected! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram**

My Curly Transition: 3 Months In!

As promised here is my complete update on my transition. I gave you guys my  quick 10 random things about my journey so far. If you haven’t read it make sure you check it out here. So now let’s get down to the nitty gritty. What’s life been like for THIS brown queen now that I’m transitioning. Let’s sum it in one word and say: Tough. Because Queens…it ain’t easy. But I’m getting there. With the summer upon us and the first heat wave in full effect here I’ve been keeping it simple, straight forward, and to the point.

What I’m Doing: I co wash weekly. That’s a given. Every other week I use shampoo. I needs shampoo. My hair just doesn’t act right without a cleanse. When I shampoo I make certain to prepoo for an hour and deep condition for at least an hour. Once a month or as needed I do a protein treatment. I don’t use ANY heat. At all. I stretch using my bun method and allow my hair a full 24 hours to dry. I’ve been rocking twist outs daily. Because I’m a rookie, I retwist every night. My hair just does not cooperate if it’s not retwisted each night. It’s fine though. I’ve gotten really quick with it. I moisturize EVERY DAY. This is a requirement. I’ve also been doing a personal castor oil challenge where I seal and apply castor oil to my edges every other day.

What I’m Using: If it weren’t for the fact that I’m on a strict budget I’d be a product junkie. And it would be bad. But I am, so I’m not. Thank God. So I’m pretty much using the same products I started off with. I use Tresemme Naturals Vibrantly Smooth Conditioner for co-washes and to detangle. For my deep condition I use Pantene Truly Natural Deep Conditioner. When I wash I use Tresemme Naturals Vibrantly Smooth (low sulfate) Shampoo, or depending on the state of my hair Pantene Truly Natural Clarifying Shampoo. I use ORS replenishing pack for my protein treatment. As for stylers…eh I could use some help. They just don’t seem to do it for me. So I don’t really use anything except the Motions Define My Curl Creme. It does the job and helps my edges smooth down. Win win. Prepoos are a simple honey and coconut oil mixture. My moisturizer is WATER. I seal with JBCO or EVOO. Dassit!

My Thoughts: JBCO works. I’m serious. If you haven’t tried it you should. My edges fell out something serious after I gave birth to my prince and the JBCO brought them back to life! I love it.

For ME, less is more. I can’t tell you how many YouTube videos I’ve watched with like a hundred million steps and their hair comes out looking flawless and then I try it and my hair comes out looking…messed up. Less steps, less products, less doing equals better results for me.

I’m having an increasingly difficult time dealing with my new, new, and more new growth and the difference it is between my relaxed ends. I’m determined to go at least a year transitioning but it is NO. JOKE.

So that’s where I’m at now. I’m about to get my Poetic Justice on and get box braids for a few weeks to give me and her a much needed break. I’ll post pics when they’re done (yes I’m doing them myself duh…you can everything with YouTube 😉 )

So that’s 3 down, 9 to go! I hope ya’ll enjoying my journey so. As always PLEASE don’t be anti social and let me know if you have any tips, tricks, or advice! It’s much appreciated!

Peace, Love, & Blessings

~

Tyshia Shante
Founder & Editor of This Brown Queen

**Stay Connected! Follow me on Twitter @thisbrownqueen & Instagram @tyshia_shante**

Curly Transition: 10 Things!

So I’m into my 3rd month on my transition to natural hair. It’s probably one of the hardest, liberating, refreshing, dramatic, and frustrating things I have ever attempted. I’m learning. I’m failing. I’m learning some more. I’m failing again. Repeat. I’m going to post my official regimen and current products soon but since it’s been a minute since I’ve updated you guys on my crown I decided to give you guys this quick update on THIS curly queens transition. Ready, set, GO.

1. My edges stand alone. They are independent. They don’t care what the rest of the team is doing. They gonna do them.

2. She likes water for moisture. Dassit. Mixing with anything else serves no purpose. Don’t add any oil. Leave the conditioner out. Plain old water is what she likes.

3. I don’t have a hair type. I have hair TYPES. The middle is reckless. I’d say 4B. The sides and front on some days can legit qualify as 3C. The rest 4A. So yea. That’s at least 3. And I’m sure there are some more I didn’t come across yet.

4. I have YET to find THE ONE. You know the product I can’t live without, swear by, staple, whatever you wanna call it. I have not found it.

5. My ends will be the END of me.

6. I’m literally going on at least 10 weeks heat free! If nothing else this is a HUGE accomplishment for me.

7. I think other people like my hair more than I do some days. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE my hair but I get those awkward moments where I’m just like…O_O but then someone is like GURRRLLL your hair and then I’m like 😀

8. If I don’t prep my hair at night, there is NO hope, absolutely NO HOPE for the next day. Don’t even try. Wear a hat, turban, or just stay in the house. Don’t do it.

9. I must not be detangling right. It doesn’t take me long at all. So I must be missing something…right?

10. I don’t know how to “save” my twistouts. Yup I retwist every night. Bad news: I retwist every night. We covered that. Good news: I can do it fast now. Like REAL fast.

That’s all I got for now. Regimen, products, and more coming soon.

Peace, Love, & Blessings,

~

This Brown Queen

Curly Queen Transition: 1 Month Recap

I’m officially into my second month on my natural hair journey and I am in L.O.V.E. Not only or exactly with my hair but with my decision to go natural. Or, should I say as I have seen, to RETURN to natural. This journey isn’t just about your hairstyle. It’s about so so so much more. I feel like the movement resonates so wonderfully with what This Brown Queen stands for. I’m only a month in and although I am still learning and growing tremendously I am in awe of all the knowledge I’ve gained thus far. AND I’ve discovered so many beautiful natural bloggers and vloggers along the way. All so truly inspiring and beautiful in their own ways and I can only hope to meet some of these Queens one day or connect across this blogosphere :). Ok so before I get any more emotional than I already did, let’s move along to the recap!

What I’m Doing:

My Regimen is simple. I’ve learned years ago that with my hair, low manipulation is key. It doesn’t really like too much going on all day everyday so I don’t do too much. I wash with a low sulfate shampoo once a week. I also condition, detangle, and deep condition once a week as well. Once a month I do a protein treatment. I don’t use any heat. At all at all. To dry my hair I generally use the bun method and allow a full 24 hours to completely dry before styling. To maintain moisture during the week, I simply use water and an oil. Sometimes I’ll use a leave in depending upon the style and state.

What I’m Using:

Tresemme Naturals Vibrantly Smooth with Coconut Oil and Jojoba Extracts Shampoo and Conditioner. Use theses once a week as my low sulfate shampoo and regular conditioner. Also if I need to do a mid week cowash I use this conditioner as well. Pantene Truly Natural Deep Conditioner as my weekly deep conditioner mixed with EVOO. Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Repairing Conditioner as my leave in. African Royale Hot Six Oil as my sealant. Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream and Eco Styler gel as my stylers. Cantu Shea Butter Daily Oil Moisturizer as a moisturizer if/when needed. EVOO & Honey as a prepoo.

My Styles:

Two strand twist is still my go to. I just love the way these look. A very pretty natural style that I feel works very well for transitioning hair. I do have a love/hate relationship with them lately as all this good hair business has my edges (that haul azzed outta here after I had King Jr) growing back and sometimes they can get out of of control. I LOVE twist outs, but I don’t always get them perfect. When they’re right, they’re right. And when they’re wrong -_-…….I would love to start experimenting more with styles but until I get these ends under control, I’m limited :(. And of course there is always my signature bun. Which is looking much fuller and healthier. Go me!

My husband has finally seen it in person. Still in love with it! However, explaining to him the upkeep has been…difficult. He doesn’t get it!

~

This Brown Queen

Twist Out Success!

Finally Queens! I did it! I am too hype. It’s crazy. I have done twist out after twist out. Flat twist, two strand twist, chunky twist ALL to no avail! I was getting frustrated. Like for real. Wth was I doing wrong?!? Then I figured it out. If it is one thing I am learning on this natural hair journey is: what works for her…might not work for you. You can watch one hundred thousand billion Youtube videos, but that doesn’t mean what they are doing will work for you. They are a guide. Not a must do manual. I get that now.

Ok so let me explain natural queens what was happening to my twist outs… They just weren’t. I know. That sentence don’t make any type of sense but I’m for real. They just weren’t twist outs. I mean, yea, my hair was in some type of twist…overnight…then the next morning taken out. But it wasn’t no twist out. I think a combination of things were occurring.

One, my ends were HORRIFIC. I mean like for real. They were all over the place. I browsed tons of blogs…and videos…and google images (have you ever google imaged a split end? Creepy pictures…I don’t like them) on how to spot split ends. And even still, I don’t really know how to spot them, I don’t know if I have them, but I will tell you this…my ends just weren’t right. They ain’t look right, feel right, and they damn sure ain’t act right! Two, my hair is thin, straight, and super relaxed. So…if you combine these things you have incredibly resistant hair trying to hold a curl. It just was NOT happening. My fake twist outs were coming out like some half hearted excuse of a loose wave. There was just no curl. To make matters worse my hair was so thin and ends so raggedy you could just “see through” the fake curls. A Mess.

I don’t know what made me do it but while attempting my thousandth (okay not literally but that’s how I feel) twist out, I decided to trim my ends. And not those little baby trims I’ve been doing. I mean really trim them. Each section that I twisted, I cut them. Where the hair got raggedy, I cut it off! I could have done even more than I did but baby steps queens. Baby steps. I also decided that the two curl creams I had tried just weren’t it. I love the way my Cantu Coconut Curling Cream smells and feels. I mean its heavenly, but it just is not working for me yet…I say yet because I have hope that it will. I needed something more. I decided to use my eco styler gel in addition to the cream. Lastly, I used those pink perm/wave rods on the ends of each twist.

I DID IT. #Boom I love mahhhh twist outttt :-*

~
This Brown Queen