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LJ HairLab

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Transitioning to Natural Hair Calculator

Enter your last relaxer date, length and trims to see how long it takes to transition from relaxed to natural hair — month by month, or with a big chop.

Your last relaxer, touch-up or texturizer. A rough date is fine.

in

Stretched, from root to tip, at the longest part.

in

0.5 in (1.27 cm) is the usual average. Studies of Afro-textured hair measured slower growth — choose Slow if yours has always seemed slow.

in

Enter 0 for no trims.

weeks

2–52 weeks.

How to use the Transitioning to Natural Hair Calculator

  1. Enter the date of your last relaxer

    Pick the day of your last relaxer, touch-up or texturizer. A rough date is fine — everything that has grown since then is natural hair.

  2. Enter your current length

    Measure the longest part of your hair, stretched from root to tip, in inches or centimeters.

  3. Set your growth rate

    Keep the average of half an inch a month, tap Slow or Fast, or type a rate you have measured yourself.

  4. Add your trims

    Enter how much you plan to trim each time and how many weeks apart. Enter 0 if you do not plan to trim.

  5. Press “Show my transition timeline”

    You see your natural and relaxed length today, the date the last relaxed ends are gone, big chop lengths and a month-by-month table. Add the trims to your calendar if you like.

How to use the Transitioning to Natural Hair Calculator (62 s)

How long to transition from relaxed to natural: the math

Relaxed hair does not revert. Everything that grows after your last relaxer is natural, and everything below it stays relaxed until it is cut. So a transition is two numbers moving in opposite directions: natural hair getting longer from the root, and relaxed hair getting shorter from the ends. The calculator tracks both. 

natural today  = months since last relaxer × growth per month
relaxed today  = total length − natural today
trims needed   = relaxed today ÷ trim amount (rounded up)
relaxed gone   = today + trims needed × weeks between trims
big chop today = natural today   (+ growth per month for every month you wait)

Your growth rate is the big assumption

The default is 0.5 inches a month, the figure most charts use. It is an average, not a promise. One study that measured Afro-textured hair found about 256 micrometers a day, which is closer to 0.3 inches a month. That is why there is a Slow preset of 0.35 inches as well as a Fast one of 0.6. The most reliable number is your own: measure your new growth, divide by the months since your relaxer, and type it in.

Gradual trims versus a big chop

With gradual trims the calculator counts how many trims it takes to remove the relaxed length and puts a date on the last one. If each trim removes more than you grow between trims, your total length gets shorter along the way, and the result tells you so. The big chop numbers show the alternative: the natural length you would be left with today, in 6 months and in a year.

Reading the table

Each row is one month. Natural length rises steadily, relaxed length drops in steps at each trim, and the total is the two added together. All lengths are stretched lengths; coily hair can shrink to half of that or less when it dries.

What the calculator cannot tell you

It does not know about breakage. Relaxed hair is weaker toward the ends, and transitioning hair often breaks where the two textures meet, so some relaxed length usually leaves on its own. It also assumes even growth all over your head. Treat the date as a plan to adjust, not a deadline. To see when your natural hair will reach a goal length, use the hair growth calculator; if you decide to keep relaxing after all, the relaxer stretch planner spaces out your touch-ups.

Transition timeline charts

Natural new growth since your last relaxer (inches, stretched)

Months since relaxer Slow (0.35 in/month) Average (0.5 in/month) Fast (0.6 in/month)
3 1.0 in 1.5 in 1.8 in
6 2.1 in 3.0 in 3.6 in
9 3.2 in 4.5 in 5.4 in
12 4.2 in 6.0 in 7.2 in
18 6.3 in 9.0 in 10.8 in
24 8.4 in 12.0 in 14.4 in
36 12.6 in 18.0 in 21.6 in

Time to trim off the relaxed ends gradually

Relaxed length left 0.5 in every 8 weeks1 in every 8 weeks1 in every 12 weeks
2 in 7 months4 months6 months
4 in 15 months7 months11 months
6 in 22 months11 months17 months
8 in 29 months15 months22 months
10 in 37 months18 months28 months
12 in 44 months22 months33 months

Estimates. 1 inch = 2.54 cm. The calculator above uses your own dates, length and trims.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to transition from relaxed to natural hair?
It depends on how much relaxed hair you have and how fast you trim it off. With 6 inches of relaxed hair and a half-inch trim every 8 weeks, a gradual transition takes about 22 months. Trimming an inch every 8 weeks halves that. A big chop makes you fully natural the same day, at whatever natural length has grown in.

Does relaxed hair turn back to natural over time?
No. A relaxer permanently changes the hair it touches, so relaxed hair stays straight until it is cut off. Transitioning means growing new, natural hair from the roots and removing the relaxed lengths, either gradually or all at once.

How much natural hair will I have after 6 months or a year?
At the average rate of 0.5 inches a month, about 3 inches after 6 months and 6 inches after a year, measured stretched. At a slower 0.35 inches a month that is about 2 and 4 inches. Tightly coiled hair shrinks, so it will look shorter than it measures.

Should I big chop or transition slowly?
Both end in the same place. A big chop removes all relaxed hair at once, so you only have one texture to care for, but it leaves you with short hair. A long transition keeps your length while you grow, but you have to manage two textures and be gentle where they meet. Many people transition for 6 to 12 months and then chop.

How often should I trim while transitioning?
Every 6 to 12 weeks is common. Half an inch to an inch at a time removes the relaxed ends steadily without a dramatic loss of length. Once you are fully natural, the trim schedule calculator can set your regular interval.

Why is my hair breaking where the two textures meet?
The point where curly new growth meets straight relaxed hair, often called the line of demarcation, is a weak spot, and relaxed hair is more fragile toward the ends. Detangle from the ends up with plenty of conditioner, keep the hair moisturized, and choose low-tension styles. If you see sudden shedding or bald patches, see a board-certified dermatologist.

How accurate is the transition date?
It is an estimate. Growth rates differ from person to person and through the year, breakage removes length the calculator cannot see, and few people trim on an exact schedule. Measure your new growth every couple of months and re-run the numbers with your own rate.

Sources

Last data update:

  1. Loussouarn G. African hair growth parameters. Br J Dermatol. 2001;145(2):294-297. Afro-textured hair grew about 256 µm/day in the study sample — slower than Asian and Caucasian samples.
  2. Khumalo NP, Stone J, Gumedze F, et al. 'Relaxers' damage hair: evidence from amino acid analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010;62(3):402-408. Relaxed hair shows reduced cystine and structural damage that increases toward the ends.

How we research and update pages: editorial policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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Part of our relaxed hair guide · All free hair tools