Transitioner's Thursday: Perfect Style for Transitioners and Undefined Curls

A reader asked...

I'm 8 months into transitioning, I wanted to know what are the best styles to wear my hair in? I know when transitioning that your relaxed ends tend to break off, and I don't want to always blow dry and flat iron. I'm not very keen on wearing weave but I'll wear it if need to be. So I was just wondering what hair styles are safe? During the beginning of a transition are the curls in the front of your head a little more defined? My curls in the back sometimes don't even look like curls. I'm hoping that they grow more into curls.

A lot of women have issues with undefined curls. For me my trouble area is the crown of my head. That's just one of things that comes along with being natural that you need to be aware of. You can't know what you're dealing with until you get rid of all the relaxed ends. Then it could be heat damage in those areas. In either case, you can use the styling method I use below to blend that hair.

One of my favorite styles for transitioners is a braid-out/flexi rods set. This is something I wish I would have tried during my transition. I probably would have transitioned longer and kept my length. This style works for everybody from relaxed to transitioners to naturals. Now, I braid my hair 1/2 - 3/4 of the way down and spiral curl my ends with my red flexi rods.

Here a few photos: the 3/4 braid, adding the end paper and the spiraled flexi rod.

I typically use the red or light blue flexi rods.

On wet hair: I set with Kinky Curly Knot Today or Aussie Moist. I also use end papers. End papers (or end wraps — whatever you want to call them) are a must in my book. They keep the ends smooth on the roller which is especially good for those of us with uneven ends and curly hair. They make all the difference. You also want to make sure the hair is super smooth by smoothing it between your fingers before you start the braid and then again before you roll. Basically use your fingers like a flat iron and smooth them down the hair shaft... you may have to do this several times before it's smooth to your satisfaction... that's something you're going to have to experiment with to see what you prefer.

I do about 10-20 braids and sleep with a satin bonnet. I take the rollers out and undo do braids in the morning and go. At night, I moisturize with whatever leave-in I have on hand (Carol's Daughter Hair Milk), seal the ends with shea butter or oil and re-braid and set the hair. I try not to detangle or comb, just work with the braids (waves) and curls that were there the day before.

Repost, originally posted 6/25/09.