How to take care of the edges and the kitchen while transitioning

Keeping the edges and kitchen nice and smooth while you’re transitioning is quite the challenge and it may be one of the reasons for which many out there give up on transitioning in the first place.

What does “kitchen” mean in this case?

The term “kitchen” is used for naming the shorter hair placed on the back of your neck. why is it name like that? We don’t really know, but we can only assume it relates to the reality that most houses do have their kitchens placed in the back. As we need a special name for the hair on the back of the neck and we typically take care of the hair in the kitchen, the name kind of fits right.

What about the “edges”?

When it comes to the edges, it’s a bit easier to have an idea about what it means. Edges relate to the hair placed around your face or all along the edge of your hairline. If your grandma ever took care of your hair during your childhood, you may be quite familiar to both “kitchen” and “edges”, as they were fundamental for your hair styles. They need to be pressed so that the strands become straight and smooth like the rest of your hair.

How to take care of the edges and the kitchen while transitioning?

Maintaining the edges and kitchen nice and smooth is essential when transitioning, as you’re growing out the relaxer. At first, some may like to keep on relaxing the edges, but it’s only a matter of time until you start noticing that they’re going to remain smooth throughout the day if you use a leave-in conditioner and gel. Continue with wrapping them with a silk scarf throughout the night. You’re going to notice that they don’t lose the nice appearance, no matter how much you’re going to sweat. This method is going to give results for the “kitchen” as well. Make sure you don’t get cheap with your products as last thing you want is dealing with flakes from styling products.

Don’t forget that it’s essential to let your hair to dry entirely. You may want to speed up the process and spend some time under the dryer. If your hair is on the kinky side, this may be the best solution for you. If your product is still wet, you may notice a mini fro beginning to form.

What do you need to know before transitioning?

One of the things you have to do before start transitioning is to get all the info you need for getting best results. Knowing what to expect and how to take care of the results is going to ease up the whole process, helping you cope with the wait a lot better.

  • Make time for your hair

You may already know by now that natural hair is not quite the get-up-and-go thing. One of the best benefits of having the hair relaxed is that you no longer have to spend time styling it.

Your natural hair is going to need more of your attention and you should make time for the TLC. Make time for detangling, braiding, moisturizing, braiding and styling your roots.

  • Be patient

If you’ve been using a lot the flat iron or the chemical procedures for straightening your hair, it may take some time until your curls go back to their natural pattern. You’re going to experience some loss of length as natural curly hair is typically shorter. Don’t be alarmed if your hair is going to dry out as this is also a property of naturally curly hair.

  • Be willing to find the best natural hairstyle

Keep in mind that you need to start working with your hair, and not against it. Not all hair styles are going to look great on your hair. stick with the ones that bring the best out of your hair as the more you do it, the lower is going to be the risk to damage your hair while styling it. Crochet twists, braids, braids out, bantu knots, twist backs, crown braids are only some of the options for you to try on your hair.

Remember that mastering the sophisticated hair styles needs time and practice so don’t expect the best results from the very beginning. Don’t lose your faith and try it over and over again. Practice makes perfect, remember?

If you know you don’t really have the skills for it, it’s wiser to start off with simple styles. The topknots, braids out or the wash’n’gos are the better options in the beginning.

  • Don’t compare your hair with other women’s hair

Natural textures are impressively various and there are so many types of shapes, colors, forms and textures out there. You’re going to do your hair a lot of good if instead of comparing it, you try knowing everything about it, finding out what works best for its shape and texture.

  • Moisturize, moisturize

Curly hair is typically drier than the straight hair so it’s fundamental to moisturize it on a regular basis. Get the ingredients that hydrate your hair. Shea butter, glycerin, jojoba oil, aloe Vera and avocado oil are great for hydrating the curly and dry hair. you want a hair product that softens and moisturizes your curls, giving them a nice bounce.

  • Follow the skin care routine religiously

Washing and conditioning your curls every three days is fundamental. If you think it’s too often for your hair, you may use a curl revitalizing spray instead for rejuvenating a bit your curl pattern. Don’t forget about using a curl-defining cream and allowing your hair to air-dry. No matter the products you use, make sure you’re not using too many as you may end up with product buildup in your hair.

  • Pay attention when detangling

Simply brushing and combing with a wide-tooth comb is never an option for the curly hair. some recommend detangling the hair while wet, using a wide-tooth comb or a good paddle brush. You can also add a bit of moisturizing conditioner to the strands, working your way from the bottom to the roots.

  • Try to stay away from the heat as much as you can

Transitioning is a good time to put away the heat styling tools like the blow-dryer or the flat iron. You want to maintain the heat damage at minimum so let your hair air-dry as much as possible. Maintain your hair well moisturized and conditioned, but also trimmed and hydrated for repairing the previous damage from heat styling.

  • Trim your hair until you lose all the damaged ends

Truth be told, you need to let your natural curls to come out and be reborn. When you’re using too much heat on your hair, your hair is going to maintain a straighter line for a longer time. It’s better to trim it and lose the over-processed hair so that you help the natural and organic curl pattern get back.

  • Go gentle with your curls

Try not to comb your hair fast and careless, pulling the edges or braiding the curls too tightly. The line of demarcation, where the natural texture meets the straight hair, is really weak so you need to protect it. The curls are pretty fragile so do your best and care for them in a gentle way.

  • Open up your wallet big

Natural hair may involve a lot of trial and error so finding the best choices isn’t going to take you just time, but also a few bucks too. Even if you don’t really go for spending the extra buck for your shampoo, conditioner, oil, spray and conditioner, your hair is worth it and you shouldn’t compromise on the quality of your hair products. in addition, once you figure out the best combo for your hair, you shouldn’t hesitate anymore and pay the money for a healthy and luxurious appearance of your curls.

Post originally published on www.essence.com