Giving up on self-relaxing

[RUBY]

I've decided to stop self relaxing. I'm tired of the stress, under processing, burning, breakage.

To put it simply since I started self relaxing my hair hasn't come out good. So once my tub of Affirm is finished I won't be buying a new one.

 

[baglady215]

Ruby, I feel the same way. I'm tired of being underprocessed. I don't know if it's the relaxer or me. I'm thinking it's the relaxer (Motions) because I've been self relaxing for YEARS and never had this problem. I may give it one more shot with a different kind of relaxer and if this doesn't work I QUIT!

 

[Dolapo]

ive tried motions three times and it gave me underprocessed hair....

 

[Kitkat]

I remember threads on this forum discussing how Motions relaxer did absolutely nothing for 4a/4b ladies. I can attest to this from experience. I self-relaxed using Motions once, and it made no impact on my hair at all.

Ruby, sorry that self-relaxing isn't working for you. Sounds like you're doing the right thing. Please be careful when picking a stylist, though! Make sure s/he knows your hair goals, knows that you're knowledgeable and informed about hair, and is willing to work with you to achieve your goals. Don't take no crap from the stylist, either!

 

[vikkisecret]

Well I think that it's the relaxer not you Ruby....it's the herbal relaxer by motions that your using isn't it?? If so, I haven't heard good things about it. I have been a faithful user of Soft n Beautiful no-lye regular for at least 8 years. If your looking for a lye relaxer than I say Mizani is your best bet.

I have gotten this one done on my hair everytime I went to a stylist. My hair was soft , bouncy, and silky smooth. Don't get discouraged..just hang in there and you'll find something that will work for you.

 

[amy1234]

have you tried using small elastic bands to section your hair? I find this helps me a lot. When I'm done I'll have about 30 sections ready for the relaxer application. The reason why it works is because you won't have to section your hair with the tail of the comb 30 times....this can consume a lot of time (double the amount) . when you use the elastics , relaxing the new growth only takes me less than 15min which gives me ample time to smooth and remove the elastics. When removing the elastics I just slide them out..and get ready to rinse the affirm out.
You should try this method before you decide to throw-in the towel.

 

[RUBY]

I never thought of using elastic bands. Sounds like a good idea. But do they not snag your hair when taking them out?

I've been using sectioning clips but have found that they don't really help.


I'm not sure what I'll do in the end. I'm not fond of stylists and going to salons. Maybe I should go natural.

 

[locabouthair]

I never thought of using elastic bands. Sounds like a good idea. But do they not snag your hair when taking them out?

I've been using sectioning clips but have found that they don't really help.


I'm not sure what I'll do in the end. I'm not fond of stylists and going to salons. Maybe I should go natural.

Some people only go to the salons to get their perms and wash their hair themselves. While I was relaxed I never did it myself I always went to the hairdresser. But that's not to say that it won't come out good if you do it yourself. I would just prefer not to. My roommate did her perm herself and I think it was underprocessed.

 

[RUBY]

I was thinking that I'd do the same but I remembered how I felt when I would go to the salon for a relaxer after having it in braids for 2/3 months and they would treat my head like some leper's, muttering about how its all tangled and stuff etc when they had to work a little harder to work the relaxer through.

Theres no way that I want to give up on braiding my hair, I gain and retain a lot of growth that way.

 

[locabouthair]

I was thinking that I'd do the same but I remembered how I felt when I would go to the salon for a relaxer after having it in braids for 2/3 months and they woyuld treat my head like some leper's, muttering about how its all tangled and stuff etc when they had to work a little harder to work the relaxer through.

Theres no way that I want to give up on braiding my hair, I gain and retain a lot of growth that way.

I don't know if you do this or maybe you might have heard this before but at the time I did not know this so I feel I should say it.
NEVER get a perm right after taking out braids. Wait about a week. I don't know why my hairdresser never told me that. I got a lot of growth from braiding as well but because I did not know better I would relax my hair the day after I took the braids out. After that everything went downhill from there. You can try pressing the roots or maybe flat ironing it. I know when you have a lot of new growth that you want to get a perm asap but if you wait a couple of days you'll end up saving yourself some hair.

 

[baglady215]

have you tried using small elastic bands to section your hair? I find this helps me a lot. When I'm done I'll have about 30 sections ready for the relaxer application. The reason why it works is because you won't have to section your hair with the tail of the comb 30 times....this can consume a lot of time (double the amount) . when you use the elastics , relaxing the new growth only takes me less than 15min which gives me ample time to smooth and remove the elastics. When removing the elastics I just slide them out..and get ready to rinse the affirm out.
You should try this method before you decide to throw-in the towel.

I did this once before... and I liked it! I don't know why I didn't do this again. I will try to self-relax next time (no Motions!) using this method. Now I have to find a relaxer... erplexed

 

[Stormy]

I don't know if you do this or maybe you might have heard this before but at the time I did not know this so I feel I should say it.
NEVER get a perm right after taking out braids. Wait about a week. I don't know why my hairdresser never told me that. I got a lot of growth from braiding as well but because I did not know better I would relax my hair the day after I took the braids out. After that everything went downhill from there. You can try pressing the roots or maybe flat ironing it. I know when you have a lot of new growth that you want to get a perm asap but if you wait a couple of days you'll end up saving yourself some hair.

Yes, you should try and wait. I have to wait at least a week or longer before relaxing my hair after wearing braids, otherwise my hair will be under processed in some areas.

 

[MJ]

ive tried motions three times and it gave me underprocessed hair....

Me too! Three times I tried, and each time my hair looked as if I did nothing. I won't be doing that again . I also gave up on self-trimming. I just don't do as good a job as my hairdresser and often ended up cutting alot more than I planned. What I have gotten better at, however, is braiding my hair with extensions I'll keep working at that.

 

[RUBY]

I don't know if you do this or maybe you might have heard this before but at the time I did not know this so I feel I should say it.
NEVER get a perm right after taking out braids. Wait about a week. I don't know why my hairdresser never told me that. I got a lot of growth from braiding as well but because I did not know better I would relax my hair the day after I took the braids out. After that everything went downhill from there. You can try pressing the roots or maybe flat ironing it. I know when you have a lot of new growth that you want to get a perm asap but if you wait a couple of days you'll end up saving yourself some hair.

I've always known and done this. But thanks for the advice as others might not know

 

[hOnii]

i'm done self relaxing as well! i was desperate for a perm and my stylist couldnt get me in on the day i didnt have to work...so i said F it, and got me a box perm and did it myself. results are never as good and i always have underprocessed parts. i cant get it dobe as quick, and my hair started shedding majorly after i washed it. i had to do a few protien treatments QUICK, and finally my hair stopped falling.

 

[Amarech]

have you tried using small elastic bands to section your hair? I find this helps me a lot. When I'm done I'll have about 30 sections ready for the relaxer application. The reason why it works is because you won't have to section your hair with the tail of the comb 30 times....this can consume a lot of time (double the amount) . when you use the elastics , relaxing the new growth only takes me less than 15min which gives me ample time to smooth and remove the elastics. When removing the elastics I just slide them out..and get ready to rinse the affirm out.
You should try this method before you decide to throw-in the towel

.
__________________
This is good....also....

Since I have only self relaxed twice I don't have much advice to give. However.....since my perm took so well last week, I wanted to share what helped. The day before I did a "practice run". I parted my hair and "applied"perm( no not the actual perm!) to my very visible new growth. I also sectioned according to curl pattern, not in four sections like they tell you. I processed the curliest parts first and the looser curl last.