Whether you’ve just started your journey to natural hair or have been growing your hair for a while, finding hairstyles for transitioning hair can be a fun journey in itself. It’s easy to stay fashionable without getting bored with your hairstyle, especially when there are so many options to choose from.
Some styles can help your hair stay healthy as they keep you looking great. Others are simple to do and are a breeze to maintain. Here are some suggestions and tips to help you find hairstyles while transitioning your hair.
Protective Styles for Short Transitioning Hair
Protective styles for short transitioning hair prevent your previously relaxed or permed hair from sustaining further damage as new hair grows. It is a type of hairstyle where the ends of the hair are hidden, thereby protecting them. French twists and halo braids are examples of protective styles.
A sewn in weave is by some, also considered to be a protective style. Because the ends of the hair are woven into the weave, they stay protected as new hair remains healthy.
Transitioning Hairstyles for Medium Hair
If your natural hair has been growing for a while, there is a wider selection of transitioning hairstyles for medium hair. The longer length allows for larger and fuller hairstyles that might not be possible with shorter hair.
Because there is a distinct difference between the relaxed hair and the new growth, styles that blend the two textures can have wonderful results. A drawstring ponytail with a two-twist bun is a lovely example of a transitioning hairstyle that works for medium length hair.
Another option is a chunky halo braid. These are also protective hairstyles which makes them not only beautiful, but functional as well.
Transitioning Hairstyles for Beginners
If this is your first time transitioning to natural hair, you may be looking for transitioning hairstyles for beginners. While some styles require a lot of manipulation and preparation, your hair regime doesn’t need to be complicated nor difficult at all.
In fact, it can be simple and quick to do. A drawstring ponytail with a bun, whether smooth, braided, or twisted takes minutes to do and requires very little upkeep.
The look can easily be varied depending how high it’s worn or by adding twist-out curls. When worn on the back of the head, the look is a little more casual.
When worn high on the head, an elegant look will be achieved. This versatile style can easily take you from day to night and is suitable for beginners.
Transitioning Hair Tips
Because transitioning hair has slightly different needs, here are a few important transitioning hair care tips to make your journey easier.
The first and most important is to always keep your hair properly moisturized. Pre-pooing hair before washing prevents shampoo from stripping necessary moisture from the cuticle.
After washing, condition your hair thoroughly then seal the moisture with an oil. This not only keeps moisture in the hair, but it adds elasticity which lessens the chance of breakage.
Another way to keep your hair healthy when transitioning to natural is to avoid styling with heat when possible. Heated styling tools are very damaging and would be counterproductive to growing healthy hair.
If you must use heated styling tools be sure to protect your hair with a heat protectant. There are also several ways to style hair without using heat that produce beautiful results.
Over manipulation is yet another way to keep your hair healthy while transitioning to natural hair.Doing so adds unnecessary stress to the line of demarcation, the point of the hair where the natural hair meets the chemically processed hair.
That point is delicate, and daily styling can cause the hair to break at that point. By selecting hairstyles that can be worn for up to a week, manipulating the hair is kept to minimum.
Transitioning from Relaxed to Natural Hair
Transitioning from relaxed to natural hair takes a little patience. However, seeing the progress your natural hair makes as time goes by is motivating and exciting.
Keep in mind that as your hair grows, the contrast between your natural hair and the relaxed hair may appear more pronounced but hang in there. There are a lot of hairstyles that can hide this contrast and still look beautiful.
It’s recommended that you trim your hair regularly and over time, the relaxed hair will be phased out, leaving you with your beautiful and healthy natural hair.
Transitioning from Perm to Natural Hair
When transitioning from perm to natural hair, the line of demarcation may not be quite as visible. The same amount of care, however, should be taken when caring for your hair as when transitioning from relaxed to natural hair.
Adequate moisture, conditioning and gentle care are still needed to ensure your natural hair transition goes smoothly. There are also a few more styling options available, especially if the permed curl was tighter.
A hairstyle such as a braid out may hold the curl a bit better as opposed to hair that’s been chemically straightened. But that doesn’t mean the permed hair isn’t damaged. It just means it may be more difficult to see.
Transitioning Hairstyles for Growing Out Short Hair
If your hair is short, there are also transition hairstyles for growing out short hair. Bobs and fades are options that add style and a fresh look to your hair while it’s growing out.
They’re also a great way to get rid of large amounts of severely damaged hair at one time. These styles are easy to maintain and quick to style every day.
They’re ideal transition haircuts for the lady who doesn’t have a lot of time to spend styling her hair but can’t quite commit to a big chop.
Transitioning Hair Products
When going natural, it’s important to use the best transitioning hair products for your hair. Select products specifically designed for the unique needs of your transitioning hair.
Because you’ll be caring for two different textures of hair, transitioning hair products help in keeping both your chemically treated hair and your natural hair as healthy as possible. Many of these products come in kits formulated to work with each other and are available to suit nearly any budget.
Professional Transitioning Hairstyles
For the lady who works in the office, there are plenty of professional transitioning hairstyles available. French twists and buns produce a sleek and chic look.
At the same time, they are easy to style and offer protection for hair that’s transitioning to natural. But professional hairstyles aren’t only for the office.
With the right accessories, they can help create an elegant look for those special occasions or night on the town. When it comes to finding hairstyles for transitioning hair the options are nearly limitless.
These styles offer versatility and beauty while allowing your natural hair to grow. Many are easy to style and maintain. With a little creativity and proper maintenance, you’ll enjoy being stylish as your hair transitions to its beautiful and natural state
Hey Curl Friend, I’m Patrina Haupt the creator and author of Natural Hair Queen. I hope you find my healthy hair care tips helpful in your hair journey. Healthy hair care practices are definitely, what helped me to achieve waist length hair.
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A friend of mine is currently transitioning from perm to natural hair after a formal event she had to attend a week ago. This article has been helpful for me in giving her advice on how to have a good hairstyle during this time. I wonder if we can find a hair salon that can give her a nice conditioning treatment.
You could also do a conditioning treatment at home if you have the proper ingredients. I list a few of them in my new Ebook check it out: https://shop.naturalhairqueen.net/products/natural-hair-care-made-easy-ebook