Embrace Your Natural Texture while Transitioning Your Hair

Transitioning is a big step in a woman’s hair journey. It means giving your hair a break from all of the chemicals and relaxers and embrace your natural texture. Many women also tend to stay away from heat as it can damage the curl pattern. This process is all about restoring your hair’s natural texture by cutting off any dead ends and replenishing the hair’s moisture and nutrients to achieve healthy hair.

So be sure to stock up on deep conditioners, diy hair masks (or store bought, it doesn't matter!) and hydrating products.

Create a Game Plan and Stick with It.

Although transitioning is a beautiful process, it can also be filled with quite a few “awkward stages” that can make it hard to stick with. There’s a lot to consider when transitioning, such as if you’ll be cutting your hair and how you will style it during each phase. If you reach a phase that makes you uncomfortable with your hair, there is a solution! It’s important to practice patience when transitioning, but for those who need a little extra boost, natural hair extensions are here to help. Put the relaxer down, skip your awkward stage, and go straight to a naturally flawless look with extensions that match your texture.

Natural Steam Permed Textures

In order to help women embrace their natural texture, we created three extra textures using our PermaSteam™ technology to perfectly mimic natural hair. Our steam permed textures can be found in relaxed straight, for those who need a coarser texture, rather than silky straight; tight curly, which will perfectly match those curls that have a slightly tighter curl pattern than our regular curly texture; and kinky curly, which effortlessly mimics type 4 kinky hair. These textures can be found in our steam permed weaves, clip-ins and tape-ins.

Choosing the RIght Hair Extensions

The type of extensions you may be interested in will depend on where you are on your natural hair journey and how far you’ve transitioned. If you’re considering taking the plunge and doing the “big chop” but aren’t completely ready to let go of your hair, a weave is the best option! You can still embrace your texture, while protecting your hair and letting it grow by getting a weave with one of our steam permed textures. Enjoy natural, curly hair while protecting your own! A weave is also great for those of you who have growth but still have visible damage or breakage. Protective styles such as these are great for transitioning hair!

If you have a moderate hair length with little to no damage but you’d like additional length or volume, try our clip-ins or tape-ins! Our steam permed tape-ins work best for thinner hair as they are lightweight and allow for customizable volume depending on how many packs you choose to install. Tape-ins do not damage the hair and typically last between 4-6 weeks. Clip-ins are a great alternative for those who have grown their hair out but are looking to have their ideal length. Clip-ins can completely transform your look in a matter of minutes! Unlike tape-ins, the wefts are thicker, allowing for more hair to be attached to the weft; this is why the clip-in set comes with 7 easy-to-place pieces.

Regardless of the installation method you choose, be sure to take care of your hair during and in between installs. Keeping it healthy is vital during the transitioning process, as this will give you the best results possible. Thinking about transitioning? Which product will you use to help you embrace your natural texture?

Using Extensions During Your Natural Hair Transition

The transition period - when you're growing out chemically relaxed hair and dealing with two different textures at once - is one of the most challenging phases in a hair journey. Extensions can make it significantly more manageable.

"The transition period is where a lot of women give up on going natural because they can't deal with the two-texture situation. Extensions are a fantastic bridge. They give you a polished look while your natural texture grows in, and they protect your hair from the constant manipulation that happens when you're trying to style transitioning hair every day."

- Priyanka Swamy, Founder of Perfect Locks

The Best Extension Methods for Transitioning Hair

Clip-in extensions: The most flexible option for transitioning because you can choose the texture based on how you want to wear your hair that day. On days you straighten your transitioning hair, straight clip-ins blend seamlessly. On wash days when you let your natural texture out, curly or wavy clip-ins match your emerging curl pattern. Clip-ins also come out every night, keeping your transition hair free from constant tension.

Protective styles with extensions: Sew-ins, box braids, and crochet styles using extension hair keep your two-texture situation completely hidden while protecting the delicate line of demarcation - the point where your natural texture meets the relaxed ends. This is one of the most effective transition strategies because the protected hair can grow undisturbed for 6-8 weeks at a time.

Caring for Transitioning Hair

Moisturize the line of demarcation: The point where natural meets relaxed is the weakest part of the hair shaft and most prone to breakage. Apply a leave-in conditioner and seal with a lightweight oil to this area specifically. Handle it as gently as possible.

Deep condition weekly: Transitioning hair needs consistent intensive moisture. Both your new growth and your relaxed ends need conditioning, but they respond differently - natural hair needs more moisture, relaxed hair needs protein balance. A moisturizing mask weekly keeps both in better condition.

Detangle carefully: The two textures tangle against each other at the demarcation line. Always detangle in sections, saturated with conditioner, starting from the ends. Never rip through tangles at the line of demarcation.

Trim regularly: Progressive trimming of the relaxed ends is part of transitioning. Regular small trims every 8-10 weeks remove the processed hair gradually while maintaining length, rather than doing a dramatic big chop all at once.

The Big Chop Decision

Some women choose to cut off all the relaxed hair at once - the big chop - rather than transitioning gradually. Both approaches are valid. The big chop is faster and eliminates the two-texture management challenge immediately. The gradual transition preserves more length. Extensions support both routes: they add length and volume after a big chop, and they cover the two-texture situation during a longer transition.