SETBACK!!!! Long w/Pics

[charmtreese]

Was your relaxer rinsed out properly and was it left in for the right amount of time? That's a lot of length lost in just 4 weeks...It's hard to imagine the things you named as the culprit doing that much damage in such a short amount of time!

 

[MummysGirl]

So sorry to see this but you will be fine

This reminds me of a setback I had in December last year. I relaxed and result was - past APL in some areas, APL in others and SL in the rest. I didn't put the pictures up in my fotki because I was so disappointed in myself. I only took pictures AFTER I got a trim/cut to SL. I expected to be full APL or a little longer!

I was shocked, upset and confused. After being depressed for a couple of days, I went through everything I did during since my last relaxer in August (where I was touching APL). I came up with:

1. I moved home and was very busy - I didn't wash or DC my hair for 2 weeks, I work out 5 days a week. I was manipulating my sweaty hair by combing and trying to style it for these 2 weeks and I wasn't cleaning it!!!
2. I wasn't coating my already relaxed hair with conditioner or oil on relaxer days so during my last relaxer, my already weak, uncared for strands just couldn't handle relaxer being rinsed through them. <--- Could this have been a cause for you as well?

Left pic: August 2008 Relaxer (before a 19 week stretch during which I got a considerable amount of growth and was so sure of full APL ), Right: December 2008 cut to SL



I am aware that cowashing doesn't work for everyone BUT I have fine strands and I only started cowashing this year and my hair has gained so much from it! I know, for a fact, I have retained length and I am amazed by how thick my hair is now. I finger comb when I'm rinsing out my con and detangle in sections after applying my leave in. I make sure I don't over moisturise my hair. My leave in conditioner is a light protein and so is my DC, that definitely helps. I sometimes use Aphogee 2min reconstructor (light protein)

Just wanted to say you're not alone, it's happened to a lot of us. We all learn from our mistakes and I'm sure by the end of the year, you'll have nice progress pictures to share

 

[*fabulosity*]

Your hair still looks good. Just a little advice for the saran treatment; I always put a bit of KBB super silky or whatever light moisturizer/light oil in my hair when I do a silk wrap.

 

[ceebee3]

Was your relaxer rinsed out properly and was it left in for the right amount of time? That's a lot of length lost in just 4 weeks...It's hard to imagine the things you named as the culprit doing that much damage in such a short amount of time!

Wow, I didn't even consider this. I've never had damage from a relaxer before and the last time I didn't notice anything different than usual. She did all the usual steps and my hair felt fine afterwards.

 

[MontegoBayBaby]

Curious, what do you normally use to prepoo?

 

[jreagins]

awwww im sorry this happened to you! but im glad youve learned to LISTEN to ur hair, at least you know exactly what went wrong and how to fix it. good luck itll grow back!

 

[brownelovely]

Glad you noticed what wasn't working for you! Now you can get back to doing what works for you...every routine doesn't work for every person.

 

[hairmaster]

Your hair still looks good. Just a little advice for the saran treatment; I always put a bit of KBB super silky or whatever light moisturizer/light oil in my hair when I do a silk wrap.

This process is what I use except that I use BIOSILK .

 

[nomoweavesfome]

yep - hair still looks good but I feel your pain- I've been there actually a couple times. In fact I give up the fight. I am now transitioning. My 3 year anniversary was a few days ago and I'm not the mid back length I strived to be. It is a hellafied struggle to maintain my 4a/b fine fragile hair that is chemically relaxed and colred jet black. It's also such a risk to try new things and they just don't freakin work! what is your hair type?

 

[Shadiyah]

Well my set back came aloing after I didn't pay too much attention to the post on this site in the very beginning. I put a dry curl in my hair after being all natrual for 6 yrs. I thought if I pulled my curls out it was grow faster, knowing my hair for yrs it don't like chemicals. Now once I got it in there I started getting on the forum more and more and wanted to try this and that which should have been when I was all natural. Now on my chemical weak hair I decided to try mega tek and then the dry shampoo, now by the time I decided all this I was starting to have the breakage with the chemical and I was not having any probrlem with the mega tek and the carmel I was doing and I was showing signs of lenght. what went wrong is when I added that dry abrasive powder to my weak hair and that is when I got bald. So I decided to cry later and do my bc in dec 08.
Second picture is what it is looking like 8 months after bc and the last one is me being able to put plaits in there now and started with the mega tek again but this time just not every night and only on the scalp. So I am getting growth but not sure how many inches I have at this time. As long as my arms will allow me with out pain I will plait it up at night and co wash in the morning.