DO…
Eliminate direct heat like flat irons, blow dryers, etc. as much as possible. Use hooded dryers on a medium setting (or lower) for as little time possible. (Read my guide on straightening transitioning hair).
I stopped using direct heat 2 months into my transition.
DO…
Embrace your texture.
It’s easy to get caught up in someone else’s head, but chances are, your hair isn’t like theirs.
Not everyone has super defined curls. Your hair may be more kinky and frizzy. Love what God gave you. Read my post about changing your hair texture here.
What’s the point of going natural if you are going to change what your hair naturally does?
DO…
Deep condition weekly with moisturizing conditioners. This will help strengthen and soften your new growth, relaxed hair and prevent breakage.
A lot of new transitioners complain about coarse and unmanageable new growth. Let me tell you that deep conditioning is key to dealing with this. After doing this consistently for 6-8 weeks (I used Organics Olive Oil Replenisher), I noticed a changed in my hair’s manageability and texture.
This is especially important if you’ve used a lot of direct heat (flat irons, blow dryers) on your hair. Even a minimal amount of heat damage can make your hair texture feel worse than it truly is.
And unless you carefully moisturize your new growth before flat ironing (and most people don’t) you probably have some heat damage. This can be misleading and it makes you think your hair is more coarse than it is. Your hair is probably just fried and starving for moisture.
DO…
Wear a lot of low-maintenance hairstyles. Rod sets, twist outs, braid outs, flat twists, buns, braids/extensions (not too tight), straw sets, etc. should become your go-to styles. See my posts on styling transitioning hair.
Here was one of my favorite styles to wear after YouTube taught me how to flat twist…
DO…
Find out if you have high or low porosity hair. If your hair is damaged and prone to frizzing (high porosity), you need to nurture your hair because it’s probably very delicate, dry and prone to breakage.
Plus, it will help explain why your hair reacts in such a way (or doesn’t respond) to moisturizing products.
DO…
Limit combing, pulling (tight ponytails) and manipulation. The above hairstyles do not require combing. The only time you should comb your hair is when you detangle on wash day.
Use sulfate-free shampoos. Sulfates strip your hair of its natural oils. Natural hair can be dry enough, you don’t need help from sulfates. The Giovanni line is my fave.
DO…
Trim your ends every 4-6 weeks. If you have split ends, they will travel up to your natural hair and cause breakage.
DO…
Give yourself a hot oil treatment at least once a month. You will be amazed at how this will strengthen your hair!
DO…
Try a transitioning kit. Man, I wish these had been around in my early days of transitioning when my hair was dry, brittle and I didn’t know what products to try.
I spent a bunch of money testing different products until I found a collection that worked for me.
Since so many people are going natural now, you can bet more and more companies will start creating products targeted toward transitioning to natural hair. It’s about time!
DO…
Read Thank God I’m Natural.
I bought this book right after I began transitioning. It was such a good read, I almost finished the entire book while on a plane.
The author squashes a lot of myths about going natural and I especially enjoyed the part where she discusses natural hair in the workplace.
A lot of women worry that going natural will prevent them from getting a job or cause discrimination in the workplace.
Chris-Tia used her own experiences to illustrate how having natural hair had no negative impact on her job. She continued to excel and even got promoted.
This is a good book if you struggle with the confidence to go natural and need inspiration.
DO…
Visit and join the Napturally Curly Transitioning and Natural Hair Forums and get support and questions answered from other transitioners and naturals.
It’s a growing, friendly community where you can come share your joys and woes about your natural hair journey.
If you don’t have the support of friends and family, this is a great place to commune with like-minded people who can relate to what you’re going through.
DO
Read my FAQ’s on transitioning. People often ask me the same questions about transitioning — from products, dryness, to hairstyling, breakage and more. So I’ve compiled all my answers on one page.
DON’T…
Make assumptions about your hair texture too early. It will likely change as you continue to transition. In my 2nd month of transitioning, my new growth felt dry, coarse and brittle.
My hair follicles were extremely damaged, so even after I stopped relaxing I was still growing scab hair. At first, I thought this was my hair’s texture, but it wasn’t. This is the very reason many people stop transitioning.
But as I continued to deep condition weekly and lay off the direct heat, my hair softened up. I started seeing curl definition and my hair began retaining moisture better.
So don’t be fooled by your new growth’s texture while you are relaxing and when you start transitioning. You may be going through the scab hair period.
The good news is, most people stop growing scab hair 3-6 months after starting their transition.
DON’T…
Listen to ignorant peers, friends and family. Why should there be anything wrong with wanting to wear your hair the way you came into this world?
Unfortunately kinky hair is often seen as the ugliest/worst kind of hair to have, but that’s only because we are comparing it to the majority, which is straight, Euro-centric hair.
If everyone had kinky hair there would be no class system of hair and comparisons. We have been brainwashed to believe straighter hair is more beautiful because that’s what society feeds us (through magazines, TV, etc.)
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As long as you feel your hair is beautiful, why should anyone else’s opinion matter? Trust me, it may take some time to get to this level, but it will happen eventually.
Worried that men won’t find you as attractive, read this article on men and natural hair.
Also check out this article on how to handle naysayers of natural hair.
Are you a teen transitioning or considering it? Peep this motivational article I wrote in case you are struggling with your decision to go natural or worried about not fitting in.
DON’T…
Coat your hair with too many products. As your hair grows out, you may feel the need to “fix it” by using multiple products. Product overload can suffocate your strands, cause breakage and make your hair appear dull.
Your hair does not need to be “fixed.” Learn to embrace whatever grows out of your head.
Click here to get the above picture on a T-shirt and wear it with pride!
A light moisturizer 3-5 times a week should be enough for most people. You can seal in the moisture with a natural oil like olive, castor, coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, etc.
How often you need to moisturize will depend on your hair. Go by how it feels. When your hair is moisturized it feels soft and may even have a dull sheen/shine. If your hair starts feeling dry/rough, it’s time to re-apply.
DON’T…
Become a product junkie. This is sort of like the pot calling the kettle here. I’m a self-proclaimed product junkie. I have been for many years, even when I was relaxing.
It got worse when I started transitioning because I was obsessed with trying to achieve someone else’s hair by using the products they use. I talk about this very issue in this video.
The only products you need are a good shampoo, conditioner (leave-in and rinse out) and a few daily moisturizers (preferably natural oils.) See my favorite transitioning product page.
DON’T…
Get caught up in rules and judgments. There are a lot of naturals who have definitions of what wearing natural hair means. Some become anti weave, anti colored contacts, anti straight hair, and anything that is not “natural.”
Remember, this is your journey. Find out what being natural means to you. Don’t let other’s opinions shape your actions and beliefs about what you have to do and cannot do because you wear natural hair. Also be careful of criticizing others just because they don’t share your journey or opinions.
I think it’s great when going natural inspires people to live healthier lives. But it’s not cool when that turns into judging others for their choices and opinions.
DON’T…
Expect acceptance from everyone. Let’s just keep it real for a minute. A lot of people don’t like and will never like natural hair. Period. End of story. There’s nothing you can do to make everyone approve of your choice.
But your real friends and people who genuinely love and support you will respect your decision, even if they don’t embrace your choice of hairstyle.
Naysayers of natural hair are everywhere, but at some point you have to live life for yourself and not for other people’s acceptance.
I can tell you now. Going natural is not for people who are too concerned with other people’s opinions. You will quickly discover how confident you have to be to take this journey.
DON’T…
Become obsessed with the natural hair chart that classifies hair (4A, 4B, etc.) It can be incredibly misleading and it is flawed as I explain here.
Learn what YOUR hair likes and be careful with comparing potential product results based on someone else’s hair type.
I’m super confused on what to do because my mom has never relaxed my hair when I was younger I used to get something called straightning combs often and now my hair is naturally straight I’m not sure what to do because I want to “go natural” but my hair was never not natural it’s just straight and very thick but I don’t know how to “go natural” or if it works the same as transitioning because my hair isn’t relaxed
You don’t need to go natural your hair is all ready natural it’s just straight it you want your hair back curly just start by using products that can make out hair curly and see how it does it you see improvement the keep using it but you donot may I repeat do not need to cut it off if you do you are cutting unnecessary hair off it’s people who want hair but may not have it so don’t just cut it off because it’s straight that doesn’t mean anything at all .
i hv a perm currently and i seriously want to transition to natural hair.What can i really start doing cuz am soooo stuck and confused too.i even tried going to YOUTUBE but it just does not give me full clarity on what to do…
Do I have to trim the ends when transitioning?
My journey has just began…
Transitioning is hardddddd??
Even though the journey is going well
Hi…I’m 17 and just want to start transitioning…but my hair is thick at d end so do I still need to trim it off
I’m Asian and I use the argan oil relax on my hair thinking it was a hair dye. At first my hair looks so dry and there was a lot of breakage. Now it’s getting better, I heard the relaxer only last 6-8 weeks so if I cut the relaxed hair off and don’t apply any relaxer on my new growth, will it grow back natural?
Hi I just turned 15 two months ago and i wanted to go natural, i stopped getting relaxers months prior and have seen no result. I drink plenty of water and use protective styles and wrap my hair up, but my only problem is is that my mother just won’t listen when I say I need my ends trimmed. she doesn’t know how to cut my hair and won’t get anyone else to do it for me. I tried to talk her into letting me cut it myself because i had done my research and i knew what i was doing but she wasn’t having it. please i need help because i am ready to get rid of my relaxed hair.
Hi Keontaneice,
First of all, I admire you for being a young teen and want to show off your beautiful natural hair. Try explaining to your mom why this is important to you. I would show her some YouTube videos of transitioning (before/after) to show her what’s possible. Also explain to her the damage relaxer chemicals can cause over time. Relaxers are not good for your health and we as black women have no idea the long-term effects they might have on us. So maybe if you explain the pros and cons, she will be more likely to encourage you. Don’t give up OK?
Lisa
I just turned 14 I have mixed hair my mom is white and my dad is black I’ve had maybe 5 to 6 relaxes (i haven’t had a relaxer in about 3 or 4 months)but i wanna go natural my natural hair isn’t to curly and isn’t to straight it’s in between my hair is long in the middle and my edges are short and break offI don’t wanna do a big chop unless I have to i want to know what is the best products and techniques to use my hair used to be really long it was to my lower back but a hair stylist cut to much off when I was about 9 or so (my hair was natural at the time)and now it’s to my shoulders so I don’t wanna chop any more off besides trims please help me. Also which shampoo and conditioner is best to use and would the L.O.C or L.C.O work on my hair? Would box braids or senegalese twist be a good protective style if not what would be a good protective style
The reason my mom started putting relaxers in my hair is because my mom didn’t know how to handle my hair it’s really thick so someone told her that it would be good for it but it just damaged it *
I need help I’m trying to go natural and I’m maybe 4 inches… it’s hard because I love leaving my hair loose and my hair is becoming thicker and it’s drying out quicker and I deep condition every week and I come my hair out with a thicouple toothed comb and add coconut oil. I do the l.o.c in method but I don’t notice any changes in my hair and I just don’t know what to do. I tried to use eazy waves gel to keep my hair from becoming bushy so I can leave it loose. It doesn’t work very well but I dunno what to do.. I hope you can help me Im in need of some advice please help i just get really frustrated with my hair
Sorry about the spelling mistakes autocorrect ?
Comb**
Thin**
if that’s happening try different products going natural is all about finding whats best for your hair im 14 at the moment and im about a month post relaxer and bought the products today going see how they work for my hair but the best products out there for transitioning are tgin butter cream, catu shea moisture leave in and virgin coconut oil .
I’m trying to go natural it’s Been about 2 months now and I dont want to cut my perm out I want it go just grow out , I have a sewin but my hair is very dry after washing it. When I wash it its with the sewin is still in my hair. I need to know what kind of shampoo and conditioner I should use when I’m washing it? But I want the curly natural look to .
Your hair will be as curly as your natural texture will allow. Be careful about trying to achieve a look based on a product. Not everyone’s hair is curly or will stay curly when dry.
I made the mistake in my early days trying to achieve a wavy and curly look. My hair just isn’t curly naturally. I can get curls if I use gels and certain products but they don’t last. Don’t let that discourage you though. You’ll learn to love what your hair does naturally.
Look for shampoos and conditioners that say “moisturizing” and make sure your shampoos say “no sulfates”. I love the Giovanni brand. You can get it at Walmart and it’s relatively inexpensive.
OMG….this article has been a Godsend. I just took my braids out and it seems like I lost so much hair and the breakage was devastating. Nevertheless my hair still looks thick and I am transitioning from relaxed hair. I don’t want to cut my hair either but I’m afaid it will continue breaking because of the different textures. It’s a journey but I am truly committed. Suggestions for styling without having to do a big chop???
Hey, I’m currently transitoning from relaxed hair (2 months along) but my roots are extremely course and thick.. to the point where I can barely part it .. I’m currently Doing braids as protective styles but my hairdresser needs to use a hot comb or blow dryer to make it manageable for her to go through it and part it. Will this damage my hair ? What do u suggest? I’m trying to keep the braids in for 2-3 months so do u think that since I will only be using heat every 2 months or so it won’t be that bad?
hi thanks for the post I live in africa and recently I decided to go natural but the problem is I mo nothing about matural so I read some things on this post on the deep conditioning do you put in a leave in conditioner or any other conditioner and if leave in do you rinse it or you don’t. thanks in advance
I leave my leave ins in the hair – not washing it out. Hope your transition is going well! I’m 4 months in!
hi thanks for de post I want to ask that am transtioning now and in deep conditioning do I put in a leave_in_conditioner and after I rinse or any other conditioner thanks in advance
Hi,
My name is India Gilbert. I am beginning the natural transition and I’ve done away with the relaxers. its been about 6 months now and I haven’t done anything to my hair besides wash it and pull it up in a bun but i don’t see any type of growth. I would like advice on how to start the growing process and how to begin the curl process because it seems as if once the new growth originates from the scalp the curl pattern should begin to form .
Hi,
I am Ilse, I am from South Africa(Saldanha)…. I used to relaxed my hair, but I have not use any relaxer for more than a month now. I’m fresh in this thing and I really need someones help!! The thing is, I need you help every step of my natural way, lol, or maybe just till am in this deeply enough so I can go my own way…haha ha…..
Someone?! Anyone?! I’ve used perm rods for 3 weeks now, but my hair still breaks…… I really don’t know where to start or begin, I’ve search the internet for any help, but I don’t seem to find any until today when I saw your website… Can you perhaps give me a guide of what to do with my hair step by step? and each day? for example: Must I put conditioner on every day? or wet my hair every day, in order for it to get curls? lols, I really sound clueless now, because I really am at this stage….. And how often must I deep conditioner it? I use Shea butter for my hair, the unrefined one…..PLEASE HELP ME! 🙁
Hey! I’ve learned a bit over the last few months, and I’ll see if I can help a bit! Try co-washing Maybe every week and do a deep condition when you do a wash day! No need to condition everyday, just on wash days. Once or twice a month do a shampoo and condition and maybe (if needed) do a clarifying shampoo and condition. You may want to try and use coconut oil for a pre-poo (you can look up how to do those) before co-washing or shampooing. Don’t forget to use daily moisturizers and daily sealants! Try and change up your hair style as well! Changing can speed up the growth. Also, for growth, try different oils like castor oil or butters to see what’s best for your growth. I hope this helped a bit!
I Been relaxing my hair for at list 25 years. On
A visit to a new hair salon, I was told that I don’t need to relax it. Keep in my mind that I have ethic hair , I’am black Cuban. Hair dresser advise is to transition , and she will be taken care of the knew grow by applying cool air with hair dryer. Please coment on it.
Regard, Sylvia
Hi, I haven’t had a perm since August and I’ve been styling my hair in Bantu Knots ever since. I had not intentions of transitioning or going natural but I’ve been using a lot of natural hair products since my last perm. Just a few weeks ago I noticed that a small section of my hair broke off and it’s extremely shorter than the rest. I’m confused on how that has happened. I’ve been taking very good care of my hair and have no idea how it broke off.
Pls I’m new and all that is happening here is like magic to me pls help me I newly transitioning I dont even know where to start from. Pls
try by finding yourself :
a deep conditioner
a sulphate free conditioner
a sulphate free shampoo
an oil i.e. coconut oil, argan oil, castor oil etc just MAKE sure it is 100% pure ( cold pressed to be exact)
a daily moisturizer
wide tooth comb
spray bottle
**OR** you can buy yourself a transitioning kit i.e. Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Transitioning Kit
Or the curls line
I hope this helps
oh and lastly find a go to style i.e. braid outs, twist outs, bantu knot out
I haven’t had a perm since January and I just left the beach where I wore it wet and with conditioner but now i have work in the morning and can’t get to stylist until late on in the week I’m not sure what to do with my hair at this point it feels really dry and brittle
I want to do the monthly hot oil treatments. Just wanna know what conditioners to use ever week and should it be a leave in conditioners. I also wanna know what shampoos to use. I wanna do rod set hairstyles, and what products should I used for those hairstyles (I’m transitioning) I just want these questions answered PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!
hi my name is Aminat depending on your hair will determine what products you use I can’t really tell you this line of product will work for you because every body hair is different but a lot of people like Shea moisture’s line so you can give it a try (you can also use this for your rod sets). Shea moisture’s line has great shampoos’ conditioner/ deep conditioner and leave in conditioner hopefully I help in any way and have a wonderful hair journey
bye,
aminat
What type of conditioner should I use every week , and should this be a leave in conditioner
hi my name is Aminat depending on your hair will determine what products you use I can’t really tell you this line of product will work for you because every body hair is different but a lot of people like Shea moisture’s line so you can give it a try (you can also use this for your rod sets). Shea moisture’s line has great shampoos’ conditioner/ deep conditioner and leave in conditioner hopefully I help in any way and have a wonderful hair journey
bye,
aminat
Hey there
I have about 6 1/2 months transitioning and at this point I’m not sure what to do with my hair in terms of hair styles and the fact that I suffer from dandruff and I have to wash my hair 2 times a week in order to keep my scalp clean
Any tips for transitioning hair with sensitive scalps?
Hi i really need help!I just started transitioning from relaxed to natural i cut my split ends and now i dont know where to begin with starting my journey i am so lost and confused please help! right now i just have my hair in two braids and i dont know what products to use how often to wash my hair, how to get curls and keep them while transitioning,im just really confused.
Hi Jasmin
When I was at your stage, I learned how to do rod sets. That really helped because the styles last a long time. I have an article on how to here. https://napturallycurly.com/2010/09/rod-set-with-pompadour-video-tutorial/ and if you search the site you will see a lot of rod set posts and videos.
Also join the forum at https://napturallycurly.com/forums to get help from your peers. You can get great advice and community support from other transitioners.
Do u have any advice on how many times a day two wash and deep condition and wen to co-wash?
I I’m from South Africa and I have been clean from blow drying and relaxers for 4 months now. Yeaaaaah. at first my hair was super brittle and the maintenance was horrible. Then I was advised to use this SA product Curl Chemistry it soften your hair and enhance your curl. So what I do is I was my hair with the sulfate free shampoo deep condition it then I make bantu knots with my curl activating cream all these products is from Curl Chemistry. This is a single product that contains Coconut oil, Shea butter,Olive oil,Castor oil and Argan oil what more can you ask for.
Bonus this has a amazing smell
These are some wonderful tips, but I’m still left with some questions due to my personal issues. I haven’t had a relaxer in over 2 months and before I was about to get another one it was noticed that the pores on the crown of my head were shrinking and causing my hair in that area to break off. So I’ve decided to go natural so I can have healthy hair, but I can’t get protective styles to let my hair grow out due to the loss of hair on my crown. How should I go about styling my hair so that it can grow without the hair loss on my crown being noticeable?
hi my name is Aminat first thing first every time you are combing your hair you are getting some type breakage (very little or a lot) depending on your curl pattern can determine how prone to breakage your hair can get. you could try wigs for protective styles and try not to not mess around with your hair to much. also try the black castor oil where your hair is sheading (the crown). finger detangling can cause less breakage on your wash day well that’s all the tips I have for you now hopefully I helped in some kind of way bye and have a wonderful hair journey.
Hello,
I have just done the big chop about two weeks ago and I’ve been deep conditioning every Wednesday since then. In this post you said to do a hot oil treatment once a month, my question is would you recommend I do a hot oil treatment before I deep condition this Wednesday or after? Thanks for your help!
it depends on results you want if you decide to do the hot oil treatment before you deep condition you hair will feel less oily then if you did the hot oil treatment after you deep condition it is really up to you what you do. but keep in mind that if you did the hot oil treatment after deep conditioning less of the oils you use will end up being on your hair good luck miss natural on your hair journey.
by,
Aminat
i wanted to know what to do for those who just started the transition process. the last perm i got were just around my edges due to me having perm and i wanted weave installed. so my hairstylist only did around the edges so they could lay down. i wanted to know what products to use for those who get weaves and want them to lay down, and sorta blend in with weave. Also is getting weave a bad thing for transitioning to natural. As well as getting braids put in like ( Senegalese Twist, box braids,etc).
Hi Kennedy
I wore braids once during my transition but I will say that my hair/edges broke off badly. First of all your hair is going to be weak because of the transition (demarcation line where natural/relaxed hair meet) so any stress is not good. If you do get weave or extensions, get them LOOSELY done and don’t leave them in long. Also give your hair a break and condition it while it’s in the weave/extensions. Lots of people transition with weaves/extensions but I think it’s a must you take care of your hair while it’s sewn/bounded up.
Its been almost six months since i last permed my hair. I’ve beev trying the braid out. It’s been a challenge trying to find the right products. My hair is very soft and fine. My hair looks very dry. To the touch, u feel the oil in it, but i want a shine. Any suggestions?
So i am thinking about going back to my natural hair, but i have a perm. Was there a way for you to remove the perm?
No you have to grow it out.
I wanted to thank you for the advice,
I was one who permed my daughters hair young, now she doesn’t want the perm any more.
She has not had a perm since last year in Oct.
She has had a lot of breakage sine then I’m trying to get her hair in a more healthy place.
she now gets her hair braided once a month what else can you advise me to do.
I’m not good at braiding hair and I’m on a strict budget so paying someone is not an option.
I feel stuck. what kind of styles could I do for an 11 year old?
I don’t want her to look grown but something cute and I don’t have to braid.
I am transitioning & i would like to know what shampoos & conditioners sould i use on my hair my hair stay dry befor i started transitioning i would love to know what sould i get i live in louisville i am on a budget is there some out there that i can get thank you
try to use sulfate free shampoos also try the shea moister products or mix chicks products
Wonderful, helpful information! Thank you for taking the time to share-found your site when I needed it most!!!
I was wondering why my is curling up at the roots.I’ve been transitioning for almost 4 months now.
Hair*
Hi Brandy,
Natural hair is usually curly/wavy/kinky. Are you surprised at the curls or were you expecting a different result?
helpful tips.. my last relax was October 25 2014 and after isaw my hair texture I decided enough is enough I want my natural hair back..so these tips will surely help:-)
Thank you so much. Your information is very helpful I am transitioning and I’m just having trouble. My youngest went natural she dis good but was a product junkie. I like Pantene so far for shampoo and conditioner haven’t found a moisturizer yet. I decided to go natural to see if it would help with my dandruff it’s is so bad. The last perm I had was November 2014 and not having those toddlers in my had makes a difference. I don’t know if I was getting too many or what but there is an improvement in my scalp less itching and flaking.
maybe you could use head and shoulders instead of Pantene shampoo
Great tips!! What’s helps me as well has been Hair Journal App. Helps with scheduling of me hair routine and hair progress.
Thanks again for the tips.
This article helped me realize it’s time for a change. I had locs for 6 years which I loved… I’ve never had issues with perms..but..I’ve come to realize that it’s my hair needs a break from all chemicals. I’m going to try the natural for 1 year and see how it goes. Thanks for the great info.
Ok I am so torn about what to do with my hair. I see how fast peoples hair grow when they do the big chop, and I also see some benefits of transitioning. The thing is I don’t think I even have an inch of new growth and I’m scared of cutting it. But on the other hand not knkwing how long transitioning will take to cut some is KILLING me. What should I do.? Any advice
don’t be worried about length that much but if you really want to go long hair your hair has to be healthy and if your stuck between the BC and transitioning you should way out the pros and cons hopefully I helped you