Review of The Science of Transitioning

Last updated on August 5th, 2024 at 08:01 pm

The Science of Transitioning by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy is the successor of the popular hair care book, The Science of Black Hair. It’s written to make transitioning to natural hair an easier experience for those who choose to do so.

I received this book complimentary to review. The opinions I’m about to share are completely my own and I was not compensated for the review. I was really excited to read the book when I received it so that I could share my thoughts. Plus, I wanted to see if I’d learn anything 🙂

This is no ordinary book. It is a guide – the most comprehensive guide on caring for natural hair that I have ever read. Ever.

transitioning-guide-package

Not only does Audrey take you through the process of transitioning to natural hair and how to care for natural hair beyond the transition. She tackles the mindset shift that needs to take place when one decides to go natural. This is actually even more important than making the actual decision to transition or big chop.

In The Science of Transitioning, Audrey shares information in such a way that makes the technical aspect of it easy to understand. Then she breaks everything down to bite size bits of information that’s easy to digest and refer back to again and again. Her writing style had me wanting to continue reading even when I was so tired my eyes began to droop!

Because I’ve been natural for over 10 years, much of the information didn’t apply to my current lifestyle but I still learned a thing of two ;-). I began reading the book chapter by chapter but then skipped ahead and focused on the chapter, “Supernatural Maintenance Tips and Strategies.” Then, I skipped back to, “Special Transitioning Topics.” where Audrey shares a sample transitioning regimen, moisturizing tips and information on how to detangle your hair.

What I like most about this book is at the end of each chapter, Key Takeaways are thoroughly summarized. There are also TONS of illustrations. As a matter of fact, there are very few pages that don’t contain illustrations. I like that because I’m a visual learner. There’s even results of various surveys scattered throughout the book. For example, one survey shared the responses of current naturals and transitioners to how long they transitioned or planned to transition to natural.

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The Science of Transitioning is a wealth of information. it consists of 11 chapters which are broken down into 5 units. You can literally spend as much or little time as needed to absorb the content in a unit and still receive all the information you’re seeking. And while, some of this information can be found online, you’d have to probably search for it for weeks. Then, you’d need to put it all together. Audrey does it all for you and she tackles every topic imaginable from transitioning to natural hair and living the natural life. Here’s what you can expect to read about:

The read deal about chemical relaxers and how they affect the hair
Going through the natural hair journey in stages from pre-transitioning through maintenance in a manner that’s best for your hair
Addressing the topic of “good hair”
How manufacturers “greenwash” their products and what greenwashing even means! (I had never heard of it before so I learned something here!)
Healthy hair care 101 (detangling, moisturizing, stretching, length retention techniques and more)
Your hair’s porosity
Your hair’s elasticity
Your hair and pH balancing
Balancing moisture and protein
Methods for trimming hair that’s being transitioned and trimming hair that’s fully natural
Your mindset (this is a big one! Includes loving yourself, dealing with other naturals and the roller coaster of emotions one may experience)
Transitioning mistakes
Coloring natural hair
A sample hair care regimen
Scab hair
LCO vs. LOC method
The properties of hair (kinky, curly, oily AND straight)
Natural hair in the workplace
To big chop or transition and the benefits of each
Simple hairstyles for each stage of length after going natural
Styling hair while in its transitioning phase
DIY recipes for pre-pooing
An index of hair products and brands
Common product ingredients

Whew! I think I’ve about covered it but I’m sure I left some things out. Oh, Audrey also shares her own story of why she went natural and the mindset she had to deal with and is still dealing with. I can really appreciate her candidacy here because I think we all have certain thoughts and beliefs about ourselves that we’d rather not let the world in on.

What was not discussed was hair typing and the hair typing system. While, the hair typing system by Andre Walker may be helpful to some in identifying the curl pattern of naturals like them, it’s not very helpful in instructing one on how to care for the hair. The Science of Transitioning tells you how to do it mentally and systematically regardless to the tightness of your curl. The myth of one curl texture being better than another is vehemently dispelled.

If you are thinking of putting down the creamy crack and going natural or have started the journey, this is definitely the book for you. I spent quite a while reviewing and re-reviewing every written word in this book and it’s completely thorough. Get it here. It will answer every question you have or may arise while on your natural journey.