is it really that uncommon seeing people stretching relaxers?

[jaszymeen]

im wearing a sew in for my ps until my challenge is over. one of my ex coworkers came into the store on friday and i was ringing her up and she goes "are you going natural" and im lookin at her like :-/ y would she ask me that? so then i remember i have about 2 in of ng sittin in the front of my head so i tell her no im stretching my relaxer and shes like "oh...whats that" so i tell her and she goes "well who does that? thats not healthy since you have a relaxer because if u dont put a relaxer right on there when u feel ng it'll all break off and then u wont have any hair at all." yea...ok...(insert exaggerated eyeroll here) have a nice day

 

[Chromia]

I remember some women I worked with who were really bothered that I had gone a whole 6 weeks without a relaxer touch-up. One of them proudly told me that she gets a relaxer every month. Whatever.

 

[skegeesmb]

A lot of people IRL will not go longer than 6-7 weeks without a relaxer. As soon as I was able to put my hair in a bun I started stretching my relaxers. My co-worker was like she didn't have the hair to stretch for a long time.

 

[pookaloo83]

I'm stretching too. I'm 9 wks post. I might relazx today actually, and she says 'Going back to natural huh?' I'm like Get out of my hair. Thanks! She says this to me everytime!

 

[sheedahp]

Im gonna say yes especially if you're a salon chic, I've had several stylist tell me its not good to go past 8 weeks without a relaxer because of breakage, none of them enlightened me on the benefits of stretching and how to manage my hair if I wanted to stretch. I didnt know anything about stretching until about a month ago from this site. I used to get relaxers every 4 or 5 weeks, the longest Ive stretched was 6 weeks. Im on a personal 2 month stretch now, this will be week 6 for me and Im struggling already. PRAY FOR ME

 

[soulie]

Im gonna say yes especially if you're a salon chic, I've had several stylist tell me its not good to go past 8 weeks without a relaxer because of breakage, none of them enlightened me on the benefits of stretching and how to manage my hair if I wanted to stretch. I didnt know anything about stretching until about a month ago from this site. I used to get relaxers every 4 or 5 weeks, the longest Ive stretched was 6 weeks. Im on a personal 2 month stretch now, this will be week 6 for me and Im struggling already. PRAY FOR ME

It's more like the stylist is concerning about BROKE-age because she's not getting paid as often.

 

[JenBenCal]

that is so annoying! It amazes me how folks don't mind putting in their two cents, even when you didn't ASK them to. IMO, it's different if you ask someone "hey, what do you think about stretching relaxers?". To have someone ask you if you're going natural (getting all up in your business) and THEN critique you after hearing what you had to say is ridiculous! Unfortunately, practices like getting a relaxer every month and improper haircare are the reasons why those women may never reach the lengths you will. I say when you do reach your length, give that girl a nice hairflip in her FACE and keep it moving!

 

[lilsparkle825]

once i went 8 weeks between relaxers and felt compelled to get one...not because my hair was breaking off or unmanageable (i could never get bone straight anyway), but because my aunt and cousins had pounded that crap into my head. IRL i don't think i know anyone who will go more than 6-8 weeks without getting a touchup.

i have two friends with short hair (one who intentionally keeps it that way, one whose hair "just won't grow") who relax faithfully every 3 weeks. it's good their hair can't hear, because they talk about their "nappy *** hair" till they are blue in the face.

 

[beans4reezy]

I had to talk to a friend of a friend about stretching. Her hair dresser was having her come in EVERY 4 WEEKs to relax!!!

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I used to get relaxers every 4 weeks. My mom would relax my entire head. I am so happy my hair is relaxer resistant. Now that I have transitioned a few times, I know I an stretch my relaxers for 6 months if I wanted to. For my hair to thrive the way I want, I would need to relax every 4 months. Any longer than that, I'd need to use heat too much to style. My family is hard core relaxers. If they see crinkle of NG, they rush to relax.My coworkers already tell me that I take stretching my relaxers too far. They just don't know that stretching can be done. It is not encouraged by the stylists or the person who knows nothing about stretching relaxers.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I Talked to a Friend of Mine this a.m., I am 13 weeks Post and she asked me if I was still Sportin' a "FRO".

And then she politely told me I need to give up this DIY Hair "Thing" I am on and get back to the Salon!

I was a weekly Salon Go'er and a 4-5 (never 6) Week Relaxer. Who By The Way, just suffered Severe Salon Overprocessing.

 

[imaccami]

I had never heard of stretching until I came to this site. I've relaxed every 4 weeks and whenever I got around to it every few months or so. I think that the term stretching is unique to this site. People may go more than 8 weeks without getting a relaxer, but they probably don't call it stretching and don't think much about it.

 

[Ronnieaj]

When I was relaxed, I went every 4 weeks until I was 18 (10 years). I went to a salon every week from 8-13, then our beautician got sick and my mom did them every 4 weeks. I was apl-bsl the entire time until I decided to cut it to el (mom was HOT!!). I started doing what I considered a stretch in college, going 6-8 weeks between touchups. It wasn't until law school, when I started losing my hair at the temples, that I went 10-12 weeks between touchups. I lost whatever hair I'd regrown though, every time I went back in. At some point I got tired of it and just went natural, which was best for me.

I do think it's very odd to see women stretching as long as most ladies on here do, because it's not what they know. It goes against everything most of us were raised to believe. We are not used to seeing new growth; it's considered the enemy and something that has to be "handled" immediately. People speak about new growth so derogatorily, as though it's unmanageable and the antithesis of what is considered acceptable. So it's really no surprise to me that someone would approach you and say something like that; for them, it's probably the reality. You just know better now! Rock on wit your bad selves ladies!!

 

[dachsies_rule!]

I remember some women I worked with who were really bothered that I had gone a whole 6 weeks without a relaxer touch-up. One of them proudly told me that she gets a relaxer every month. Whatever.

I'll bet she was proudly bald-headed!

 

[sheedahp]

It's more like the stylist is concerning about BROKE-age because she's not getting paid as often.

Exactly!!!

 

[beana]

I think most people IRL are on a strict 6-8 week schedule. I know i was before joing LHCF. I now relax between 10-14 weeks, and if i can i go longer.. I not on a "schedule" with my relaxer from either POV meaning, i dont routinely do a short 6-8 relaxer just to keep an appointment, and i dont relax every 5-6 months just to say i completed a long stretch.

I "listen" to my hair, because i do believe that breakage suffered for the sake of a longer stretch can do more harm than good. Having a good technique that minimizes breakage, matting and tangles is the key to a good stretch IMO.

 

[Bluetopia]

I had never heard of stretching until I came to this site. I've relaxed every 4 weeks and whenever I got around to it every few months or so. I think that the term stretching is unique to this site. People may go more than 8 weeks without getting a relaxer, but they probably don't call it stretching and don't think much about it.

The term stretching isn't unique to this site. I've heard it used widely IRL way before finding out about LHCF.

You probably dont hear it much because people tend to either be transitioning or faithful relaxers. And those who are stretching often do it for convenience (i.e "I'll wait a couple extra weeks to get my perm so it can be fresh for my bday) and dont even realize that constitutes a stretch.

even the act of stretching itself is relative. For someone who usually gets their hair relaxed every 12 weeks a stretch is if they waited four months or more.

While people who's NG has them running to the salon every 6 weeks think half that time is "pushing it" and therefore a "stretch".

The fluidity of the term makes it hard to pin down...but trust....it's not just a LHCF "thing".

 

[Nayeli]

I don't think it's that uncommon. I remember when I used to relax every four weeks, a friend of mine used to tell me that was way too soon (she relaxed about every 3 mths). And she knew absolutely nothing about hair boards.

Now what IS uncommon is seeing people stretch well ie. mastering a protein/moisture balance, low-manipulation etc.

 

[ladylibra]

The term stretching isn't unique to this site. I've heard it used widely IRL way before finding out about LHCF.

You probably dont hear it much because people tend to either be transitioning or faithful relaxers. And those who are stretching often do it for convenience (i.e "I'll wait a couple extra weeks to get my perm so it can be fresh for my bday) and dont even realize that constitutes a stretch.

even the act of stretching itself is relative. For someone who usually gets their hair relaxed every 12 weeks a stretch is if they waited four months or more.

While people who's NG has them running to the salon every 6 weeks think half that time is "pushing it" and therefore a "stretch".

The fluidity of the term makes it hard to pin down...but trust....it's not just a LHCF "thing".

Thank you! I never got relaxers every 6 weeks. Ever. I knew people who did, but not in my household. My mom always stretched hers for like 6 months at a time (because her natural hair doesn't have much texture anyway) and my sis and I always went 3 months between touch-ups. There was the August "first day of school" touch-up... then one right around Thanksgiving Break... one around Valentine's Day... and one before the end of school.

Lots of people I knew did it actually... until they were old enough to get jobs and pay for their own salon services. I guess like color, it depends on how desperate people are to keep their roots from showing. Some care more than others, and it's usually those who go farthest away from their natural hair.

 

[imaccami]

The term stretching isn't unique to this site. I've heard it used widely IRL way before finding out about LHCF.

You probably dont hear it much because people tend to either be transitioning or faithful relaxers. And those who are stretching often do it for convenience (i.e "I'll wait a couple extra weeks to get my perm so it can be fresh for my bday) and dont even realize that constitutes a stretch.

even the act of stretching itself is relative. For someone who usually gets their hair relaxed every 12 weeks a stretch is if they waited four months or more.

While people who's NG has them running to the salon every 6 weeks think half that time is "pushing it" and therefore a "stretch".

The fluidity of the term makes it hard to pin down...but trust....it's not just a LHCF "thing".

Oh I know that it happens, I mentioned that I did it myself before coming to this site. I just don't think that the term stretching is common IRL to refer to going longer than 6-8 weeks to relax.

 

[LushLox]

I've always known it was a good idea to stretch relaxers, even as a teen and I used to do it religiously; subsequently my hair was healthy then. Unfortunately I fell off the bandwagon and started relaxing every 8 weeks which wasn't really helping my hair.

The beauty with stretching is seeing how much length you've obtained/retained after a long period. I like the thought of giving my hair a good break in between chemical services, and my hair is really thanking me for it.

 

[Jewell]

I don't think its really that uncommon. I do think that many have been conditioned by other women and stylists to believe that its mandatory to TU every 8 weeks and not a minute longer. Looking back, most of my life my relaxers were stretched until I began doing them myself. My mom always did my TU's or a stylist (special occasion) and when mom's did it...it was when she felt like it. Whether I was 14 weeks post or 20 weeks!

When I started doing it myself, I found myself touching-up every 5 weeks at times, with healthy BSL hair. I backed it off to 8 weeks, then progressively longer. That happened when I started lurking before joining LHCF. Before my transition began it was up to 6 months. My aunt and grandma only found themselves getting a TU once a year, but they have 2b/3b hair. (Grandma has an ever so slight wave pattern that its almost straight in some areas). They are both women of color, but we all have a little something mixed in there, for posterity's sake. I also use permanent hair color, and though I used to TU years ago every 8-10 weeks, now I go an easy 3 mos before I break out the dye.

 

[toinette]

ugh its so damn annoying. Someone has been telling me for weeks that I need a touch up or else the hair will break off at the NG. Mind you that I am just now 9 or so weeks post so they have been telling me this since I was only 5 or 6 weeks post. WTF? Leave me alone

 

[SoAnxious12]

my co-worker stretches, but not for very long though, just like ten weeks.

 

[poookie]

stretching is fairly uncommon in my family. my mother relaxes faithfully every 5 weeks, & her best friend is a scissor happy stylist. she was SL last year, now she's at neck length

 

[Nice Lady]

Even without starting my hair journey, I remember that I was told by someone with WL hair to relax every 3 months. I always stretched my relaxers unknowingly. Also, I noticed when I was in school that the black girls that stretched their relaxers had very long and thick hair. So no you are not the only one. We tend to think that a lot especially when we have others who are used to unhealthy hair dressed nicely telling us what to do.

 

[glamazon386]

Yes... unless they're just broke and don't have $$ and/or the time to get their hair done at the moment. Most BWs relax at 6 weeks. Some at 4 and some at 8 but it's usually 6.

 

[gorgeoushair]

Yes it's very uncommon unless you're on the hairboards........

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

i don't think it is uncommon at all. a lot of women depend on stylists to take care of their hair, but don't have the money to go every month. i know i didn't so i only went a few times a year.​

 

[brucebettye]

Stretching relaxers in not a common thing to do. I only had one beautician that did not want to relax my hair every 4 weeks. She wanted to do it every two months and she had clients that only relaxed their hair twice a year. I texlax my hair every six months and it has done wonders on my hair thickness and growth. I love LHCF!!!!!!!!!!!