Can we talk about relaxing bone straight and why people do this??

[shynessqueen]

I don't think LHCF is a good representation of hair care in black America. I mean, here you'd find people who deep fry their hair in monkey doo faithfully each night with tailbone length hair. Then the average josephine stumbles upon it and says, well if X can do it then obviously I can too. That's the only danger we have to look out for when we promote certain things. Macherie, and many others, are always good about posting disclaimers about practices that they do that they feel might not be "healthily accessible" to the average josephine (or goes against the traditional LHCF school of thought) but happen to work amazingly for them.

On LHCF, some of us get away with a lot things that aren't "healthily accessible" to the majority-- and that's because our regimens tend to be a lot more solid in other important areas. We can often afford to take those liberties, where the average lady on the street might not have the resources or state of hair to pull it off as successfully.

ITA: This is a category I fall in to. I leave braids in my hair for 5--7 months but I would never tell someone to do the same. I only told one person to do it because i believe her hair can handle it. Most don't realize what goes into leaving braids in that long. IMHO most can't handle doing what i do because it goes against almost everything they learn here. This is why I'm not so quick to tell people to do what i do.

 

[PinkPeony]

Southerngirl was relaxed about 80%, I believe. She had pictures of her hair with some texture left in it. She is 4A.

I just remember that she described her hair as bone straight in posts and her fotki
But maybe she thought she was bone straight and wasn't.IDK.To sad she took all her pics out of her fotki

I feel you too Pixel, but hell, I won't lie to ya, relaxing bonestraight IS easier.

When I was bone-straight I never had problems with detangling/knots/matts etc. My hair combed like butta! Ahh the good ole days. I have no problem with relaxing bonestraight but I do think relaxing bonestraight and anything over 9 weeks is just TOO much. I mean, atleast compensate some.

But whatever people want to do with their heads is on them. Not everyone enjoys texlaxed hair or even can handle it. When I first went texlaxed I tried numerous times to go back, now I just deal with it. Some people just don't have the time/knowledge/or skills and I can't blame them. It's a whole new head of hair.

ITA.I do think that bone straight hair can be easier and that texlaxing ain't for everybody.

I also agree with your other post tough.I'm not going straight yet because I'm afraid I won't be able to retain all the length I would like too because my ends might could not handle my touch-upserplexed

 

[1QTPie]

Why relax at all is my question?

 

[shynessqueen]

Why relax at all is my question?

Because I don't want to be natural.

 

[Cheleigh]

All 20 years I was relaxed bone straight, I think, if that means that with a fresh relaxer, I could comb straight through my hair. My stylist only retouched the new growth, so once a year, we'd do a corrective to normalize the textures. I tended to stretch my relaxers, getting a retouch every two months.

The main problem with relaxing bone straight was that my hair is thin, so my relaxed hair didn't always have lots of body. I don't think it would have occured to me nor my stylist to relax any other way than bone straight. If I'd found the hair boards before I started transitioning, maybe I would have become convinced to become texalaxed.

But I will say that generally I loved being being bone straight, and outside of the thinness of my hair, I didn't really notice any negative benefits.

This was my hair relaxed bone straight.

 

[HoneyDew]

I must disagree with you on this, based on my professional experience. Although MOST do not need super, there are a few who do. I have had a couple of clients on whom I used regular for their first touch up with me. After seeing how their hair laughed at that strength, I used super at their next touchup, with much better results (still not bone straight, although that is not my goal when I relax hair). So yes, there is sometimes a need for super strength relaxer.

I agree. I need super and it took me the longest time to come to grips with that. One reason I don't use Lye is because the Supers burn my scalp. I stick to No-Lye Super relaxers with conditioning ingredients and I am still texlaxed! But, again, I have used SOME regulars that have gotten my hair too straight too fast. I think it is all in the pH. I mean, is there some relaxer standard that is used to determine if a relaxer should be called super if it is over a certain pH? I have never heard of that.

I use Profectiv Super, but the same brands "touch up kit" in super was WAY stronger and worked too fast for me. I would have sticked with the regular for that one.

 

[Sistaslick]

And OT but, a relaxer is a realxer is a RELAXER...it doesn't matter if it is left on for 2 seconds or 2 hours you are STILL relaxed. I mean you can call it a texturizer, texlax or whatever - it is still a RELAXER (unless it really IS a texturizer but that is only a mild relaxer, too, right?).

True. I really think most folks know this girl I've never heard anyone say:

Is your hair relaxed?

Nah girl, I'm texlaxed.

Or maybe I just didn't catch 'em. It's a lightly textured relaxed style, and texlaxed just tells people that it's relaxed with a certain degree of texture intentionally left. Nobody is denying their relaxers.

 

[Southernbella.]

I just remember that she described her hair as bone straight in posts and her fotki
But maybe she thought she was bone straight and wasn't.IDK.To sad she took all her pics out of her fotki

I know! I loved her album so much. I only remember that because she's the reason I switched to Vitale Lye. She said it didn't get her hair all the way straight, and she had a pic of it almost dry and it had a little wave, and I thought, I want that!!!

 

[Britt]

I agree with macherieamour! It is up to the individual.

I do what I do and that's it. I prefer bone straight hair and no it does not alter the state of my natural curl pattern. My tightly kinky coils always manage to find their way home. But this also affects us differently.


And nor will I tell someone they are wrong just because I don't agree. To me that's like saying it's my way or no way! Do what you do ladies...

at the bolded...

Nothing to add really but this is an interesting topic.
I think it's a preference too. If your hair is healthy, you can relax bone straight and keep it well conditioned.

 

[Serenity_Peace]

I wonder if one could get away with relaxer bone straight if that person is stretching for a long period of time. Sylver2's post got me to thinking about this. She relaxes bone straight twice a year. That way she is able to stretch for longer periods in between.

So, it's seems to me to be some kind of trade-off.

Are the ladies who texlax still able to stretch for long periods without the aid of braids or wigs?

Are the ladies who relax bone straight able to stretch their relaxers longer as well?

Just curious about this.

 

[Southernbella.]

All 20 years I was relaxed bone straight, I think, if that means that with a fresh relaxer, I could comb straight through my hair. My stylist only retouched the new growth, so once a year, we'd do a corrective to normalize the textures. I tended to stretch my relaxers, getting a retouch every two months.

The main problem with relaxing bone straight was that my hair is thin, so my relaxed hair didn't always have lots of body. I don't think it would have occured to me nor my stylist to relax any other way than bone straight. If I'd found the hair boards before I started transitioning, maybe I would have become convinced to become texalaxed.

But I will say that generally I loved being being bone straight, and outside of the thinness of my hair, I didn't really notice any negative benefits.

This was my hair relaxed bone straight.

See, your hair doesn't look thin to me. But you know your hair, so you can tell. This is my hair bone straight:

It was thin to me, but people would always comment on the thickness. Maybe it's all relative...

 

[PinkPeony]

I know! I loved her album so much. I only remember that because she's the reason I switched to Vitale Lye. She said it didn't get her hair all the way straight, and she had a pic of it almost dry and it had a little wave, and I thought, I want that!!!

So she was texlaxed...mhhhhhhhh

Ummmm Lauren that is NOT thin at all chica

 

[la flaca]

I wonder if one could get away with relaxer bone straight if that person is stretching for a long period of time. Sylver2's post got me to thinking about this. She relaxes bone straight twice a year. That way she is able to stretch for longer periods in between.

So, it's seems to me to be some kind of trade-off.

Are the ladies who texlax still able to stretch for long periods without the aid of braids or wigs?

Are the ladies who relax bone straight able to stretch their relaxers longer as well?

Just curious about this.

SP: I'm bone straight and I've streached for 8,6,4 months. After 6 months my hair starts to complain but I could relax twice a year without any problem.

 

[locabouthair]

So she was texlaxed...mhhhhhhhh

Ummmm Lauren that is NOT thin at all chica

i agree. i remember seeing that pic in your album and I thought wow she must have always had thick hair.

 

[beana]

See, your hair doesn't look thin to me. But you know your hair, so you can tell. This is my hair bone straight:

It was thin to me, but people would always comment on the thickness. Maybe it's all relative...

Lauren you and your daughter are beautiful and your hair looks absolutely gorgeous in this pic!!!

 

[tatiana]

I don't want to date myself. But for those who remember in the dark ages of relaxing it was look upon as the thing to do. There is a saying "hair fried, dyed, and laid to the side" The straighter your relaxer is the better. Before Motions, Affirm, and Silk Elements, there was only Optimum, Dark and Loverly and TCB.In fact TCB had a relaxer called "Bone Straight" with matching shampoo and conditioner. Around the same time lye was looked as the evil and no-lye was all good. those relaxers were marketed to us as obtaining the "bone straight" look not like nowadays which boast the "health benefits" of the relaxer. Here on the board and in real life there will always be a school of thought that hair needs to be straight as possible perferably bone straight. It is just the way it is.

 

[Empress Yahudah]

Has it been said what the difference of straight and bone straight is?? Did I miss that???

 

[Dee-Licious]

Because I don't want to be natural.

same here.

 

[Whimsy]

I've never relaxed bone straight and wouldn't want to. I like the versatility of being curly or straight at my whim.
Texlaxing worked well for me. It wasn't hard to detangle or manage. Neither was natural hair.

 

[PinkPeony]

I've never relaxed bone straight and wouldn't want to. I like the versatility of being curly or straight at my whim.
Texlaxing worked well for me. It wasn't hard to detangle or manage. Neither was natural hair.

Is this a braidout in your siggy?
It looks beautiful

 

[SleekandBouncy]

How do I tell if my hair is relaxed bone straight or straight?? I is confused!

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Yeh, it's MUCH easier... I read about all of this detangling from texlaxed heads and I think to myself well they might as well be natural if they have to go through those problems.

I have a relaxer for the ease of it, so why would I add in extra problems if I'm already using chemicals??

I think about that a lot MsD. I can't even answer your question.

 

[HoneyDew]

I think about that a lot MsD. I can't even answer your question.

me too.

Honestly, I would relax bone straight if I weren't so nervous about it.

Self texlaxing give me a sense of security that I am not going too far.

I always get nervous at the end and don't want to leave it in too long.

So for me, it is part emotional security.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

me too.

Honestly, I would relax bone straight if I weren't so nervous about it.

Self texlaxing give me a sense of security that I am not going too far.

I always get nervous at the end and don't want to leave it in too long.

So for me, it is part emotional security.

Me too.
If I could, and I *KNEW* I could reach WSL with bone straight hair I would go for it. I really would. But I know that isn't feasible (knowing the science behind it) so I am not gonna take the chance.

I do yearn for the days when I was bonestraight and the combing process was so easy. Lauren's pic took me back too. I was bonestraight, shoulder length and happy as hell. Aww shucks, now I need to revaluate why I am here again, because some times I lose it.

 

[lisana]

i think after being on this board that bone straight is the absence of any wave, any body without the aid of some tool/product. So for instance if you were to wet the hair, you would not see ANY wave at all. Any type of wave is not bone straight. so when people tell me they are bone straight but have wave when the hair is wet, then they aren't bone straight. To me it's not about what your hair looks like after you have dried, blow-dryed, airdried, flat-iron. leave-ined, tied down with the scarf, etc. I think this is why there's so much confusion because some people say their hair is bone straight. Well then does that mean you can wash, condition and let it drip dry and it will be straight and silky without any heat, etc? If not then you aren't bone straight, IMO. So I really think there are very few women who are bone straight with healthy, long hair because TRUE bone straight takes all elasticity out of the hair and the strength that goes with it.

 

[sunshinebeautiful]

do you have fine, medium, or thick strands?

Chile, I don't know. I think I have medium strands. No, seriously, how do you tell?

 

[ShiShiPooPoo]

I can stretch to unbelievable lengths with bone straight hair. That's my preference and I've never had damage because of that. If anything it was because of the heat that I used.

 

[Nightingale]

Relaxing bone straight is bad for the hair because it lacks elasticity, so it would break easier. I was reading on one site (I think Jazma) that its best to relax 80%.

 

[thegirltolove]

Well, for me, I just thought that was the way it was supposed to be. My mother started relaxing my hair when I was young because she got tired of pressing my hair (and I had a lot of long, thick hair). She started relaxing it bone straight for the ease and I just continued with the routine once I got old enough to do my own hair. I didn't even know about texlaxing until this board.

I think a lot of it is social pressure too. Little girls get teased at school at the first sign of "nappiness", so it is something that is learned also. I remember a girl that I went to high school with that had these beautiful dreds down to her thighs, but kids always made fun of her hair. Then one day, she showed up to school with extra-short, bone straight hair slicked to her scalp. I was like !!!
But this is the kind of social pressure that a lot of black women face.

Nappy is no good, super slick is what's up!

 

[thegirltolove]

Chile, I don't know. I think I have medium strands. No, seriously, how do you tell?

Yeah, I want to know this too!!!!