2012 Relaxed Hair Buddy Thread

[KiWiStyle]

KiWiStyle
Your braid is beautiful! Do you flat iron before you braid?

Cattypus1,
No, I only air dry. With the right products, my fine hair air dries pretty straight. I use products like: Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment and Herbal Essences Touchably Smooth Split End Protector leave-in conditioner. On occasion I use CHI Silk Infusion or Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. I love air dried hair, the moisture retention is insane!

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[Cattypus1]

KiWiStyle
Your hair is so pretty. I too love air-dried hair but if you look at my pic, my hair is anything but fine. That is my "island" girl look...LOL...no products what so ever. I could air dry pretty straight with a fresh relaxer and some choice products but in a stretch I look like one of the hair bear bunch! (I know I'm dating myself now!). I could get the braid done and the back might turn out okay but the front would look like WOO!

 

[KiWiStyle]

KiWiStyle
Your hair is so pretty. I too love air-dried hair but if you look at my pic, my hair is anything but fine. That is my "island" girl look...LOL...no products what so ever. I could air dry pretty straight with a fresh relaxer and some choice products but in a stretch I look like one of the hair bear bunch! (I know I'm dating myself now!). I could get the braid done and the back might turn out okay but the front would look like WOO!

Cattypus1,

Thank you but girl my hair is a mess. I'm grateful for my recent growth and thickness, but I'm far from having admirable hair. Trust me, the front of my hair leaves a lot to be desired as well, but it is what it is...work in progress, lol. I also use silk and satin headbands to hide my new growth in the from sometimes, its something you may want to consider.

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[baddison]

can one of yall show me your hair style at 12+ weeks post? i swear I look scary at about 8 weeks. i don't know how yall do it.

Here is my bun at 12weeks post, and there's a shot of the part in the front, with the obvious new growth.

 

[baddison]

can one of yall show me your hair style at 12+ weeks post? i swear I look scary at about 8 weeks. i don't know how yall do it.

Here's that braidout again (about 11 or 12 weeks post)....and then a shot that clearly shows the new growth too. This ng is a bit more kinky because I braided hair wet and did nto get to tie it down after styling. When I tie down my bun, it makes the ng look a bit smoother.

 

[baddison]

Thanks @Cattypus1,
Congratulations on your longest stretch to date, its a great feeling! Also never say never;-). I know I will consider transitioning within the next five years. As for the gray hair; I just let it do it's thang, lol. I no longer care what people think of me because their idea of beautiful hair is over processed damaged hair.

This picture is my go-to protective style; early and deep in my stretch. I usually take it down mid-week to moisturize and seal then braid again.

View attachment 158375

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Absolutely LOVE that braid....!!!!

 

[Cattypus1]

Cattypus1,

Thank you but girl my hair is a mess. I'm grateful for my recent growth and thickness, but I'm far from having admirable hair. Trust me, the front of my hair leaves a lot to be desired as well, but it is what it is...work in progress, lol. I also use silk and satin headbands to hide my new growth in the from sometimes, its something you may want to consider.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

I need to get some Super Skinny...I used it before when I was always straight. I need to get with the program on the silk scarves too. Thanks for the info. What is your stretch goal?

 

[Cattypus1]

can one of yall show me your hair style at 12+ weeks post? i swear I look scary at about 8 weeks. i don't know how yall do it.

I'm right there with ya...scary indeed. I'm headed into my 14th week now and back to my old stand-by two-strand, flat twist, twist out. I've been kind of struggling with my styling products though because they discontinued my fav styling foam-Dove had the best styling foam. Everything else is either leaving my hair hard or greasy or frizzy.

 

[KiWiStyle]

Here is my bun at 12weeks post, and there's a shot of the part in the front, with the obvious new growth.

baddison,
Now if my bun was as full as yours I will happily wear one. My bun is so puny it's ridiculous, lol.

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[KiWiStyle]

Here's that braidout again (about 11 or 12 weeks post)....and then a shot that clearly shows the new growth too. This ng is a bit more kinky because I braided hair wet and did nto get to tie it down after styling. When I tie down my bun, it makes the ng look a bit smoother.

baddison,
Love the braid out! Your NG looks a lot like mine, what is your natural hair texture??

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[KiWiStyle]

Absolutely LOVE that braid....!!!!

Thanks!! It's the only protective style i have, I really like the simplicity of it.

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[KiWiStyle]

I need to get some Super Skinny...I used it before when I was always straight. I need to get with the program on the silk scarves too. Thanks for the info. What is your stretch goal?

cattypuss1,

Yes, my headbands are lifesavers and I can't live without my silk scarves.

I am 12 wks post today and plan to stretch until 16 wks post.

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[Hairroots]

beauti. Sounds like your on the same stretch as I am. You wanta be my buddy?

 

[afroette]

KiWiStyle, where do you get your hand bands from? I hope they make them for BIG heads.

 

[KiWiStyle]

KiWiStyle, where do you get your hand bands from? I hope they make them for BIG heads.

@aftoette,
I found them on Etsy.com. I purchased from a young African lady based out of Chicago but I can't remember her site name. There are plenty of other vendors though to choose from.

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[sckri23]

10 days post

 

[Loving]

KhandiB I am going to T/U this Saturday. I am seeing a broken hair or 2 every time I comb my hair.

 

[xu93texas]

@xu93texas, @Raspberry, @baddison
12 weeks post today!! How are you ladies doing? I've finally gotten my shedding completely under control but i'm not sure if it was adding the Biotin back into my regimen or adding liquid garlic in my hair and vitamin regimen. Which ever one it was, i'm glad it worked!

I'm hanging in there ladies. It's getting rough though. I'm getting ready to do my weekly wash/DC. I'll be doing a black tea rinse as well. I've had some mild shedding. I'm almost done with my current batch of MN. I'm going to stop that for a while and go back to JBCO and something with sulfur.

My ng is insane!! I really do need to relax sooner than planned. I'll assess my hair at that time and hopefully the shedding will be under control. I'm going to hold out as long as possible, at least 16 weeks.

 

[xu93texas]

@xu93texas, @baddison , @KiWiStyle

I'm getting a TU in an hour. I am sooooo ready for the creamy crack, yall don't even knowww

What I learned this stretch:

1. I gotta fully detangle, preferably before and after a wash. Shed hair is a killer after week 8 if it's allowed to stick around too long. The Tangle Tamer is a surprising win, I will use it post week 4 in the future .

2. I've been pulling my hair too tight when I set it at night in twists/knots/buns, thus causing unnecessary breakage. I had a "duh" lightbulb moment about this about a week ago . Gentle manipulation is key.

12 weeks still seems to be my maximum stretch point but maybe improving my techniques in the ways stated above will help me stretch longer next time.. who knows.

Raspberry,
Good for you stretching for 12 weeks! How did your TU go? We would love to see pics!

 

[xu93texas]

@KiWiStyle: sitting here chugging along... Got my monthly henna treatment this weekend. So that sorta helps with the stretching for me, too. Did a co-wash on July 4th, cause it was soooo hot in New Jersey. I'm falling in love with some new natural products too. Just discovered the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibuscus Hair Milk....mmmmmmm...now THAT's some good stuff to have around when your stretching for 17/18 weeks at a time. It smells great, and it goes straight to work on detangling that bushy NG of mine. Its definitely a keeper.

Glad you got your shedding under control Kiwi. Oddly enough, I don't shed excessively when I'm stretching. Maybe its because I hardly ever touch my hair or my NG except when absolutely necessary....like for weekly washes and such. Even then, I do absolutly every single thing in sections.

I'm glad you're enjoying your new hair products. I have one of the Shea Moisture shampoos and I really like it.

 

[Mona123]

Hi girls!

I'm not a newbie to the forum but I might as well be - I'm starting from scratch on my healthy hair journey and really trying to figure out what works best for me. I've had some hair depression over the past year - it started with me having a nice APL following a long sew-in period, to me now being NL after some major setbacks. And even at this length, I'm seeing way more breakage than I should.

I've been doing a lot of research on this thread and others and I'm really gonna try to see what works for me. I just clarified for like the first time ever. I had been using a moisturizing shampoo that didn't really clean my hair, so I think that's been leading to a lot of my dryness and breakage. I'm sitting under the drying now deep conditioning and plan to continue to consistently moisturize my hair 2x/day. I'm hoping for some major retention and growth over the next year.

 

[Raspberry]

@Raspberry,
Good for you stretching for 12 weeks! How did your TU go? We would love to see pics!

Hey xu93texas .. I got your pics tomorrow! Got to, cause I'm fiendin for a wash tomorrow night.

As far as the TU, it went well but I'm underprocessed. It's totally my fault though cause I went overboard coating my hair with grease and Chi silk infusion the night before.. sometimes I need to leave well enough alone *sigh.* We'll see how my hair come out after washing tomorrow night, then I'll determine what to do about the under-processing. I don't mind having to work with it unless there's increased breakage.. may have to get a TU earlier than usual.. we'll see.

 

[KhandiB]

Im down Lovely - I am shedding crazy! and Ive seen some broken hairs too.. Lets do it!

KhandiB I am going to T/U this Saturday. I am seeing a broken hair or 2 every time I comb my hair.

 

[Stillsaddity]

10 days post

I'm 10 days post too. Gonna try to stretch 16 weeks this time.

 

[DominicanBrazilian82]

but that might be a lot of manipulation and heat to get the roots straight. plus the roller set if rolled under instead of over should help with smoothing and flattening the hair strands. if you roll over, you get more volume.

also she wouldn't have a need to use a brush. while her hair is damp, which could cause breakage.

You are so so right; however, considering that we are have different hair, our hair will take to different techniques...well...differently. Some people can achieve straighter roots with a small round brush and a concentrated nozzle than they can with a flat iron. Plus, some people may need to put that flat iron at its highest heat just to achieve any result at all. With a blow dryer I find that I can put it on the lowest heat setting and achieve the results I seek. Plus... it mimics the body of the rest of the hair when blow-dried over flat ironed. If you decide to roller set your hair, you have already committed to manipulation. Granted no one wants to overdo the manipulation; conversely, depending on how you care for your hair, this technique may work well for you

... she wouldnt need to use a brush until after her hair has dried. What she would do is take it row by row and slightly pull the brush as far as her new growth is. She would apply the low-setting heat onto the pulled new growth and joila! It works beautifully when at the salon. At home results vary; however, be sure to use a good blow dryer where the concentrated nozzle has a small opening. *that is all*

 

[Loving]

Im down @Lovely - I am shedding crazy! and Ive seen some broken hairs too.. Lets do it!

KhandiB I can't wait!

 

[KiWiStyle]

I'm hanging in there ladies. It's getting rough though. I'm getting ready to do my weekly wash/DC. I'll be doing a black tea rinse as well. I've had some mild shedding. I'm almost done with my current batch of MN. I'm going to stop that for a while and go back to JBCO and something with sulfur.

My ng is insane!! I really do need to relax sooner than planned. I'll assess my hair at that time and hopefully the shedding will be under control. I'm going to hold out as long as possible, at least 16 weeks.

xu93texas,


I hope you findvthe source of your shedding, it could be very nerve wrecking, in turn, causing more shedding. I did a black tea rinse at my last wash session and the shedding didn't stop, I even let it sit for ten minutes. One minute I think I have it under control and then it starts again. I don't know if you read my post in the MN thread but I'm temporarily giving up MN until I can pinpoint the source of my shedding. Strangely enough, I hope it's the MN, at least I'll know what's causing it.


16 weeks is manageable for me too. I tried something a little different with my last wash; I moisturized my scalp and NG with Qhemet Biologics Amla & Olive Heavy cream. I also Moisturized my length with this but used it very sparingly and sealed generously with Organix coconut milk anti-breakage serum. OMG! My hair is soo soft and thick! you know castor oil is the main ingredient in QG AOHC. I was in a serious quest to keep dd's twists moisturized because she's in day camp everyday and out in the high heat and sun. I for the first time added this QB AOHC before the QB athiopika and the difference was overwhelming!! Her twists were shiny, thick and stayed moisturized for days so I said why not try this on my NG. I'm glad I did because not only will I not have to moisturize my NG until wash day, it's also stretched, My NG isn't nearly as packed as before.


I think you can hold out to 16 weeks, it's just 3.5 weeks away. Shampooing and DC once a week and doing my single braid has really helped me not concentrate on my hair too much, I get anxious when I do watch the pot boil.


I'm having my hair trimmed next month so reaching APL anytime soon would be a miracle.


I plan to flat iron again for my Wedding Anniversary 7/21 so I just bought the ultimate in heat pretectants. Kerastase Ciment Thermique. I still have to pick up the Kerastase Fibre Architect. I love hanging out with dh, he like to window shop/browse. I window shopped right into Nordstroms Rack for my Kerastase, lol. He flinched at the price tag but wouldn't dare say no.

 

[KiWiStyle]

Hey @xu93texas .. I got your pics tomorrow! Got to, cause I'm fiendin for a wash tomorrow night.

As far as the TU, it went well but I'm underprocessed. It's totally my fault though cause I went overboard coating my hair with grease and Chi silk infusion the night before.. sometimes I need to leave well enough alone *sigh.* We'll see how my hair come out after washing tomorrow night, then I'll determine what to do about the under-processing. I don't mind having to work with it unless there's increased breakage.. may have to get a TU earlier than usual.. we'll see.

Raspberry,


Hopefully its not as bad as you think. I can't wait to see pictures!


That's what happened to my last relaxer. I coated my hair with Roux Porosity Control Conditioner and CHI silk infusion and had several under processed areas. I kinda like it though. You just have to be sure to be very careful in those areas and heavily M&S. My stylist told me to come in and relaxer sooner this time because of it but I didn't want to. I felt I can manage the three textures and I hope come relaxer day that I don't regret not coming in sooner as directed. Although I love the thickness it gave me, the jury is still out if it was beneficial or detrimental. I can thicken my hair other ways by using JBCO and cassia.

 

[KiWiStyle]

Hey @xu93texas .. I got your pics tomorrow! Got to, cause I'm fiendin for a wash tomorrow night.

As far as the TU, it went well but I'm underprocessed. It's totally my fault though cause I went overboard coating my hair with grease and Chi silk infusion the night before.. sometimes I need to leave well enough alone *sigh.* We'll see how my hair come out after washing tomorrow night, then I'll determine what to do about the under-processing. I don't mind having to work with it unless there's increased breakage.. may have to get a TU earlier than usual.. we'll see.

@Raspberry,
So does this mean we're not relaxer buddies anymore?:-(?


@xu93texas, @baddison

 

[sckri23]

I'm 10 days post too. Gonna try to stretch 16 weeks this time.

Im trying to make 12 weeks my norm for now but I still have to get up to that. My next pit stop is 9 weeks.