When you’re knee-deep in “transitional” hair (ie, you’re rocking two hair textures: natural on top, and relaxed at the bottom), styling your hair can seem impossible. According to Nedjetti, the relaxed portion of transitional hair is very weak, so the less actual styling you do, the better. Tuck your tresses away for a couple of months with hair extensions. “Have your stylist cornrow your hair and then add kinky hair extensions,” she says. “Kinky hair is fun to play with, because it’ll get you visually prepared for your new texture.”
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn’s Khamit Kinks Salon.
Transitional hair can be such a headache—if you want to wear a sleek style, the natural hair on top never gets straight enough; but if you want to go curly, the relaxed section never holds enough texture. Nedjetti recommends avoiding these issues altogether with an adorable straw set. “For these gorgeous ringlets, we wrap pieces of wet hair around tiny straws and sit the client under the dryer,” she says. “The texture is so pretty, and the set holds forever.”
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn’s Khamit Kinks Salon.
Solve the duo-texture problem with a head full of chic gypsy twists. Have your stylist create individual double-strand twists all over, adding some extensions for volume. The style can last up to two months without shampooing, but Nedjetti suggests cleansing the scalp daily with a cotton cloth soaked in witch hazel.
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn’s Khamit Kinks Salon
Individual braids are a great way to sport a cute look while protecting transitional hair. “With braids, you can pin them up, tie them back in a ponytail, or create a pretty bun,” says Nedjetti. “The look is so versatile.”
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn’s Khamit Kinks Salon.
Once you’ve grown-in about an inch of natural hair, why not chop off your relaxed locks and go for this super-cute, short comb coil style? “To do this style, you create a horizontal part, add a clear, alcohol-free gel, and twist with a tiny comb to make ringlets,” says Nedjetti.
Photo courtesy of Hair by Nedjetti Salon in Bloomfield, NJ.
Comb coils look just as cute on longer natural hair. According to Nedjetti, the best part is that after you’ve rocked the look for a couple weeks, you can separate the coils to create a funky, full afro (see the “fabulous ’fro” slide).
Photo courtesy of Hair by Nedjetti Salon in Bloomfield, NJ.
You’ve just snipped off your relaxed ends, and now you have about five inches of natural hair. Congratulations, you’re a perfect candidate for double strand twists! “I create horizontal parts, section out a quarter inch of hair, separate two strands and twist them together,” says Nedjetti. “You don’t need to fasten the twists at the ends; curly hair snugs together naturally.”
Photo courtesy of Hair by Nedjetti Salon in Bloomfield, NJ.
Easy braids are a great option for just-snipped natural hair about four inches or longer. “This style is so easy,” says Nedjetti. “Just braid random pieces, and then set on rods for a curly look. Very work friendly!”
Photo courtesy of Hair by Nedjetti Salon in Bloomfield, NJ.
The afro twist out is a sexy, seriously low-maintenance style for newly natural locks. To do, Nedjetti says to separate either the comb-coils or double-strand twist styles after wearing them for two to three weeks.
Photo courtesy of Hair by Nedjetti Salon in Bloomfield, NJ.
Once your entire length of hair is all-natural, Nedjetti suggests rocking this gorgeous ‘combination style.’ “After blowdrying, I cornrow each side of the head in a diagonal angle,” she says. “With the remaining hair, I create double-strand twists by overlapping two pieces of hair. You can leave the twists out, or pin them up in an elegant updo, like I did here.”
Photo courtesy of Hair by Nedjetti Salon in Bloomfield, NJ.