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Doing your own relaxer?
- Thread starter belleza
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Healthb4Length
New Member
You and me both...I'll be doing mine pretty soon and I'm very anxious, but I've done a practice relaxer as suggested. I parted my hair in 4 sections, put grease on the ends of my hair and used a conditioner (heavy cholesterol) and "smoothed" through the NG, I even timed myself. I did okay, hopefully I'll be successful on the big day.
Lady_Lioness
New Member
One day I would like to do this..but like you...i'm a bit nervous...i'm afraid of overlapping and not getting the back of my hair properly relaxed.
Practice makes perfect, right? At least that's what my mama used to tell me when I was growing up 
Try practice applying the relaxer, but use conditioner instead, like Alli77 mentioned earlier. My sister will be self-relaxing for the first time in June, so she has started practicing with conditioner to get a feel for it and to work on not overlapping. Besides, with the conditioner, you can make a mistake and it won't affect your hair.
Try practice applying the relaxer, but use conditioner instead, like Alli77 mentioned earlier. My sister will be self-relaxing for the first time in June, so she has started practicing with conditioner to get a feel for it and to work on not overlapping. Besides, with the conditioner, you can make a mistake and it won't affect your hair.
Last edited:
Arcadian
New Member
I don't consider it hard, but it does take some practice. Eventaully you get to the point of wondering why you thought it was hard in the first place!
I use a 4 mirror method, so I can see all sides of my big head As my hair gets longer and thicker I'm going to have to find a different way to relax my hair, but this works for now.
There's some ladies here who've done folki's showing their process which is also very helpful
-A
I use a 4 mirror method, so I can see all sides of my big head
As my hair gets longer and thicker I'm going to have to find a different way to relax my hair, but this works for now.There's some ladies here who've done folki's showing their process which is also very helpful
-A
Healthb4Length
New Member
I was supposed to do mine today but my order didn't come yet!
I called the company and they said that the product was back ordered and I won't be getting it until Wednesday! I'll have to do my relaxer next weekend, I'll post my results then. I'm disappointed.
I called the company and they said that the product was back ordered and I won't be getting it until Wednesday! I'll have to do my relaxer next weekend, I'll post my results then. I'm disappointed.
Synthia
New Member
I first started applying my own relaxers in college after trying to make do with new growth for months due to being cheap and miles away from my stylist . (I was like the girl in Sinbad's joke: miles of afro w/ one inch of perm!, tryin' to act like I had a perm.)
I just said, F-it , I'm doin' it.
Now, for a decade I've done both my mother's and my hair.
I have had breakage in the past because I didn't know some things:
* I had to learn to focus the shampoo on more than the scalp/new growth area, but the entire length of the hair. Yeah, in the past I pooed the whole hair but I'm talkin' workin' it!, massaging it through the entire length and kitchen, making sure the creme really got out. When I learned to really work the ends and the nape, l stopped a lot of damage.
* Also, I've learned to use Vitale Positive Conditioner before neutralizing shampoo. That corrects my pH and porosity and cuts down on shampoo time. Also, from this board, I've learned to leave the first shampoo lather on for a few minutes so it can really get into the hair and stop the effects of seeped-in relaxer. That really helps!
Some other things I had to learn thru trial and error:
* I apply Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner to the entire length of my hair, even new growth, before relaxing. This helps protect my hair, but the bonus is it also conditions and gets my new growth really straight. It's better than greases and protectors that can't get on the new growth because they block relaxers. This doesn't block the relaxer but still protects.
* I learned I don't have to make a bunch of parts to apply the relaxer. I part every half inch or so, sort of smoothing quickly along the way. That gets me done fast, and the relaxer still gets everwhere.
I used to part every 1/4 or even 1/8th inch...I ran out of relaxer ...used two kits and took too long. I can apply to my whole head (the 4 sections) in six minutes flat. Then I just smooth for another six minutes and I'm out. The relaxer is out of my hair in 15/16 minutes.
*BIG LESSON...as my hair grew longer, I found it was difficult to separate the hair when parting and smoothing...I would try to pull the entire length of the hair apart. Since relaxxer had worked it's way down, the hair would stretch and break. This is what caused the most damage during relaxing. I could breeze through smoothing shorter hair...but the length, I pulled, tangled, and broke.
Remedy: Now, I don't try to separate the full length of my tresses when I smooth the relaxer. First, I smooch my fingers through all four sections without parting for early smoothing. Then I part my hair and separate just the first few inches from the root to smooth. If the rest of the length doesn't pull away, I don't force it. I just stick my fingers in the opening and smooth. I hope this makes sense. Because, now I don't have any breakage with my relaxer -- oh and I do a Duo-Tex protein conditioner on my hair RIGHT after relaxing, and I get strength with no reversion.
Here's my regime:
1. part hair in four sections.
2. Apply The Conditioner all over.
3. But vaseline around hairline.
4. Mix relaxer, apply, starting in back section making big .5 inch parts. Try to do each section in 2 to 3 minutes ...but no tugging or stressing hair allowed. Smooth using any and all natural separations, don't force and pull hair to separate for smoothing.
5. Rinse out under a really hot, high pressure shower.
6. Apply Positive Conditioner for 5 minutes (this also neutralizes residue).
7. Apply Neutralizing shampoo, leaving in first lather for five minutes. Then doing a second, perhaps a third subsequent quick lather, if needed (after step 6, I don't really have a need to shampoo that much)
8. Apply Duo Tex protein for 3 to 5 minutes. Follow that with a really creamy reconstructor for moisture and strength for 10 to 20 minutes-- I used Aphogree intensive keratin reconstructor. (I know folks don't like protein after relaxers, but my hair loves it.)
9. Then I do a quick humectress application (3 minutes).
10. Towel, air and sling dry.
. (I was like the girl in Sinbad's joke: miles of afro w/ one inch of perm!, tryin' to act like I had a perm.)I just said, F-it , I'm doin' it.
Now, for a decade I've done both my mother's and my hair.
I have had breakage in the past because I didn't know some things:
* I had to learn to focus the shampoo on more than the scalp/new growth area, but the entire length of the hair. Yeah, in the past I pooed the whole hair but I'm talkin' workin' it!, massaging it through the entire length and kitchen, making sure the creme really got out. When I learned to really work the ends and the nape, l stopped a lot of damage.
* Also, I've learned to use Vitale Positive Conditioner before neutralizing shampoo. That corrects my pH and porosity and cuts down on shampoo time. Also, from this board, I've learned to leave the first shampoo lather on for a few minutes so it can really get into the hair and stop the effects of seeped-in relaxer. That really helps!
Some other things I had to learn thru trial and error:
* I apply Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner to the entire length of my hair, even new growth, before relaxing. This helps protect my hair, but the bonus is it also conditions and gets my new growth really straight. It's better than greases and protectors that can't get on the new growth because they block relaxers. This doesn't block the relaxer but still protects.
* I learned I don't have to make a bunch of parts to apply the relaxer. I part every half inch or so, sort of smoothing quickly along the way. That gets me done fast, and the relaxer still gets everwhere.
I used to part every 1/4 or even 1/8th inch...I ran out of relaxer ...used two kits and took too long. I can apply to my whole head (the 4 sections) in six minutes flat. Then I just smooth for another six minutes and I'm out. The relaxer is out of my hair in 15/16 minutes.
*BIG LESSON...as my hair grew longer, I found it was difficult to separate the hair when parting and smoothing...I would try to pull the entire length of the hair apart. Since relaxxer had worked it's way down, the hair would stretch and break. This is what caused the most damage during relaxing. I could breeze through smoothing shorter hair...but the length, I pulled, tangled, and broke.
Remedy: Now, I don't try to separate the full length of my tresses when I smooth the relaxer. First, I smooch my fingers through all four sections without parting for early smoothing. Then I part my hair and separate just the first few inches from the root to smooth. If the rest of the length doesn't pull away, I don't force it. I just stick my fingers in the opening and smooth. I hope this makes sense. Because, now I don't have any breakage with my relaxer -- oh and I do a Duo-Tex protein conditioner on my hair RIGHT after relaxing, and I get strength with no reversion.
Here's my regime:
1. part hair in four sections.
2. Apply The Conditioner all over.
3. But vaseline around hairline.
4. Mix relaxer, apply, starting in back section making big .5 inch parts. Try to do each section in 2 to 3 minutes ...but no tugging or stressing hair allowed. Smooth using any and all natural separations, don't force and pull hair to separate for smoothing.
5. Rinse out under a really hot, high pressure shower.
6. Apply Positive Conditioner for 5 minutes (this also neutralizes residue).
7. Apply Neutralizing shampoo, leaving in first lather for five minutes. Then doing a second, perhaps a third subsequent quick lather, if needed (after step 6, I don't really have a need to shampoo that much)
8. Apply Duo Tex protein for 3 to 5 minutes. Follow that with a really creamy reconstructor for moisture and strength for 10 to 20 minutes-- I used Aphogree intensive keratin reconstructor. (I know folks don't like protein after relaxers, but my hair loves it.)
9. Then I do a quick humectress application (3 minutes).
10. Towel, air and sling dry.
Last edited:
Undefeated Queen
New Member
I've been doing my own relaxer since I was 18. Every once in a while I'll go to the salon.
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