For those who relax every 10-12 weeks...

Kamilla16

New Member
How do you keep your new growth manageable? /images/graemlins/confused.gif I usually get my hair touched up every 6-8 weeks, but I want to wait atleast 10 weeks. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif What products or regimens do you have to keep the new growth under control?

Thanks, Karima /images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Hi kamilla, I try to go about 12 weeks btwn each relaxer. here are a few things that will help you maintain the new growth and keep the breakage at bay.

1) pre-shampoo hot-oil w/every wash
2) shampoo with a veeeerrrry moisturizing conditioner (creme of nature with green and yellow is very good for this)
3) Deep condition w/heat using a very moisturizng conditioner, followed by a good detangling leave-in for comb out
4) I would do a mild protein 1x per wk to keep the strands strong (ORS Hair Mayo)
5) Protective styling only. My favorite is the ponytail right out of the shower moisturized with curl activator.

This is what works for me after around week 8. I almost never wear my hair down for the last 30 days before a relaxer. This is the time to pull out all the heavy duty products that are great at softening hair. The key is to keep the hair moisturized and strong at the same time. I also rinse my hair every other day or so to keep the moisture levels way up. HTH
 
I think conditioners that offer lots of slip are a huge help for me.

* Pantene Smooth & Sleek Conditioner
* Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner

Also frequent shampooing/conditioning.
 
Thanks for the advice you guys!! /images/graemlins/grin.gif I sure will try to get some of that Pantene Smooth & Sleek Conditioner. Hopefully, I can make it /images/graemlins/smirk.gif


Karima /images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
kamilla, i go about 16 weeks without a retouch. i normally wear it up much of the time anyway. and curl activator is a great product for softening new growth.

adrienne
 
Use the world of curls activator gel for your edges o keep them soft and smooth and then scurl at your roots to keep them soft and combeable. ORS hair mayonnaise as a deep conditioner is also excellent for softening p the whole hair and keeping it strong. evening primrose oil at 1000mg per day has done wonders at softening my new growth as they come in /images/graemlins/laugh.gif!! this stuff is simply great. you may want to try that as well.

there are mayn thing you can do to manage your new growth btu remember that not every body can go that long without a touch up. after following these advice if your hair keeps breaking after 6 weeks you are one of those who cannot go far and you will need a touch up anyways.
 
Kamilla

Is your new growth very coarse and sometimes wuite dry as well? How fine do you get your hair relaxed?

I tried to strecth mine out till April (Lord knows how I was going to manage that) but for me no curl acivator or profectiv product worked for me. I couldn't even comb through my new growth in the shower where it's the easiest to do so. It got so bad (LOL) that if I tokk down my ponytail I would have to re wet the whole head just to put it back.

For me personally who has very thick 4b more like 4Z hair I've given up trying to go past 8 weeks because I put more stress on my hair trying to tame it, I know it's not a protein issue because once it's relaxed I don't have any breakage of any sort. But I guess something has to give if I'm taking supplement to speed up my growth. The faster it grows the shorter the times between touch up time. If you manage 10-12 weeks girl good for you. I really do wish that I could. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Good Luck
 
I go 12 weeks and oils (WGO, EVOO & coconut) help keep the new growth under control. I also deep condition after every wash.

Coconut oil will actually straighten out your newgrowth, so if you're going to buy it, try not to use it the week before your touchup.
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Crysdon said:
Coconut oil will actually straighten out your newgrowth, so if you're going to buy it, try not to use it the week before your touchup.

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG does it really Cysdon /images/graemlins/shocked.gif Please tell me you are a 4b hair type and this works wonders for you. /images/graemlins/look.gif I bought some coconut oil from the indian shop yesterday. It's all solidified in the bottle so I'm going to have to put the bottle in some warm water.
 
Hi LondonDiva /images/graemlins/grin.gif,

I'm actually a 3b-3c, but I got the idea from a 4b person off another message board.

I kid you not, the coconut oil will actually straighten the new growth at least 30 to 40%. I am at week 7 and my hair looks like I'm at week 2 or 3. I'm wearing a bun today and I did not have to apply any gel on my edges, just a dollop of the oil on the edges and very little throughout the length.
 
**GASPS with hand on heart** Oh you are an angel /images/graemlins/littleangel2.gif . I will try this out in about 5 weeks time. Thanks for the tip. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Kamilla,

I agree with LD if your hairtype cannot sustain an extended waiting period between relaxers do not try to stretch it out just to say you waited XY number of weeks. Because it might cause more damage than good and lead to a lot of breakage.
HTH /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
coconut oil straightens? hmmm, the only thing will be trying to apply oil to my roots. i prefer spray like scurl.

i think that is why carolyn grays new oil is coconut based and also containing a lot of the essential oils 'proven to stimulae hair growth' (the old thread). that woman is on to something!

i have read that cocnut oil is good for the hair but dries out the scalp??
 
Kamilla, all the advice given was good. Like the ladies said, keep the hair moist, with very little manipulation. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

You will have to find your limit. I would suggest extending by the week, if you go eight, wait until nine...see what happens at nine weeks, if no breakage and you feel that you can continue safely then do so. Not everyone can extend their relaxers.

I go 13 weeks, but this is my absolute limit. I'm at 4 a/b medimum strand, my hair can't go beyond 13 weeks without me having major issues. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
Hi Pandora,

I think the coconut oil drying the scalp may be linked to refined coconut oil that is RBD (Refined, Bleached &amp; Deodorized).

True virgin, unrefined coconut oil will not dry out your scalp. I haven't gotten dandruff or dry scalp since I've been using it. I also use it on my feet, which are super dry in the winter and I see a noticable difference in the look &amp; feel since I've been using the oil.

Try it out.
 
LondonDiva,

Go to the health food store and specifically ask for virgin/unrefined. When I got my first jar, I made the mistake of getting the refined one. It didn't state on the jar that it was refined, so I called the company and got the plant manager to call me back with the ingredients and of course he told me that my oil was RBD /images/graemlins/frown.gif.

So, I went to another health food store and I grilled the manager and he actually called the company for me to make sure it was virgin.

I now use the refined oil on my lips and other parts of my body.
 
/images/graemlins/grin.gif Crysdon! No! pure is not the company. i mean my jar of cocnut oil says that it is 'pure coconut oil' I guess that means they have refined it or it wouldnt be pure right?
 
Oh silly me /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif!. I assumed when you capitalized PURE, that you were saying it's the name of the company.

Now back to your question. Just because it says pure doesn't mean it is. The first jar I bought said it was pure and from the Philippines, but when I called, I found out it wasn't.

You've got the right stuff if it says organic, virgin or unrefined.
 
Crysdon,

That's wonderful news about the coconut oil. Do you use it daily on dry hair (around the edges and throughout the length as you described) or just when needed? Do you also apply it to wet hair when you wash it? And if so, do you just put it on the roots/new growth or all over your hair? I'm afraid of using oil on my hair too often when it's dry because it usually makes my hair too oily and seems to capture dirt/dandruff. I'm hoping that the coconut oil works just as well when you only use it on your hair when wet. Please let me know. Thanks.
 
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