For the Long Haul: HairCrush

For the Long Haul: HairCrush

Ok, here's a natural whose wonderful head of hair helped me to finally say, "Yep, I'm transitioning long-term!"
She has been amazing at keeping her fotki page updated with tons of hair pics to keep us hoping and she now has a youtube channel: HairCrush

Here she is: ManeChick (Haircrush). Her fotki is here (for more pics)

Beautiful hair!

Are you natural or transitioning?
I am 100% na-tu-ral!

What is your hair type?
 4a and 4b.

What made you decide to transition and why long-term?
Something just clicked! I realized as an African American woman my hair was never meant to be straight; I would never fit theEuropean standard of beauty. I was killing my hair with chemical relaxers and decided to leave my hair in its natural state the way God intended it to be.

I transitioned long term because I didn't want to go through a phase of wanting to hide my hair because it was too short and I wanted to give my hair time to grow to a length where I would be comfortable. And I have a big head....lol! A TWA (teeny weeny afro) would not have been hot on me, lol!

How long did you transition for?
I transitioned for 2 years and 3 1/2 months.

Did you have a goal length for ending your transition?
I wanted the hair around the nape of my neck to be at least past my collar bone.

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Any naturals who inspired you during your transition? 
There were so many women on fotki. SexyHair is the only name I can think of right now but there were tons of women on fotki and YouTube that inspired me.

What was your signature transitioning style?
Braidouts! It's easy to do and it blends the two textures well.

What are your top three hair products and why?

1. Giovanni's Leave-In Conditioner is the best moisturizer.
   
2. Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner is great! It's the best for co-washes.
3. Jason's Biotin Shampoo is the best shampoo I've found. It doesn't strip my hair at all. 

Any techniques you’ve found invaluable during your transition? Do share!
I started conditioner washing during my transition. This really cut down on breakage and I didn't comb my hair when it was dry.  I also started using a leave-in conditioner and deep conditioning my hair every time I washed. Start caring for your hair as if it is already natural now and your hair will thank you for it when you do the big chop!

How did your family/friends react to your transitioning?

 My friends loved it. I was transitioning at the same time as 2 of my friends so I had support.

Any words or wisdom for ladies, who are currently transitioning or thinking of taking that step?
I know things can get hard during your transition but stay positive! It will all pay off in the end! And educate yourself  on natural hair. Do your research and you will be prepared for what's to come!

Well, there you have it, ladies and gents! A great head of hair can be achieved with a long-transition. Others have done it before and so can you! Here are some more pictures. Do check out her Fotki and youtube!

Twisted hair

All that hair!

Her fierce new style! Love it!