HELP! Those Who Self-Relax!!

[onepraying]

Back in the day, we(I) used to put the relaxer all over my entire length YIKES! No wonder it didn't retain length! Now, after years of not doing my own touch ups I was bold enough to give it a try again. I truly want to be salon free.

I touched up last night and my hair is STILL wavy, even curly in some spots.

I used the same relaxer and strength from the last touch up- Motions Lye Regular strength. I used LondonDiva's tips and applied with an applicator brush and smoothed working my way up. Now I know that didn't leave the top part on long enough because it started burning in the back.(for lots of reasons I understand) I can't understand why the back is still very wavy though. It was on atleast 12 minutes!

Maybe I didn't apply enough on each section. I don't know. I timed myself and everything.

This is what I want to do:
Cover my hair with a heavy oil or cholestrol and go back to old school, using my hands and not caring whether or not I overlap the relaxed ends.
(I won't apply to my entire length though!) This would be faster allowing more processing time.

What do you guys recommend I do?
Can I touch up again? If so, how soon?

I'm on the grow out challenge and want to stay on track.

Good news is, it relaxed enough that could see that I retained some length!
Glory!!!

Thanks alot!

~op~

 

[Falon]

I'm a self relaxer....I would advise keeping the nuetralizing poo close by. When I touched up on Saturday I had a spot where I accidentaly overlapped the relaxer. I wiped off as much as I could and then I put some nuetralizing poo on it. I suffered no breakage.

 

[Mochalolita]

OP, how do you smooth your relaxer through? If you're using your fingers, it probably won't come out super straight as if you were to use a comb...When I self relax, I use a fairly narrow tooth comb to work the relaxer through one time (not so skinny as a rat-tail comb, but not as wide as a regular Goody-type comb). That way, I get to keep most of my curl pattern with the right products, but it's easy to rollerset and straighten, too

Hugs,
Crys

 

[onepraying]

Thanks Mocha and Falon..

I was smoothing with tail of my rattail widetooth comb.

More suggestions and advice PLEASE.....


~op~

 

[Mochalolita]

I think that usually the way you smooth helps determine the extent to which your hair "relaxes" (along with how your hair and the actual relaxer "get along" and the amount of time you leave it on). When my hair was processed bone straight, the stylist would leave the regular strength relaxer on a little longer AND work it though twice by combing through the new growth with the rat-tail comb teeth. That just about guaranteed that my hair had nary a wave or curl left in it! But now that I do it myself, I work the relaxer through ONCE with a comb with larger teeth, a milder relaxer left on for a shorter period of time. And that gives me the texture that I'm looking for...versatile and manageable. What results are you looking for? Bone straight, your natural curl loosened? Or something inbetween?

 

[LadyChe]

You know - I've found as a self relaxer, smoothing is a tricky beast.

My tip to get the hair straight - apply in one direction and smooth in another.
So - If I parted my hair horizontally, ear to ear to apply the relaxer, when I begin to smooth, I smooth vertically, section by section (I part my head into 4 different sections) forehead to nape. I've found that this definitely exposes any parts of hair that didn't get the relaxer applied to it, and also reduces the chance of underprocessing. It's also a bit faster to do.

I don't use a comb to smooth - but I have fine hair strands, so I can't risk the additional pulling. I also recommend that you continue to focus on not getting much product on your previously relaxed hair - we all want you to keep all the beautiful hair you're growing!!

Lastly - if it's at all possible, try to wait 4 weeks before you attempt to correct your relaxer. With braidouts, twistouts and the almighty bun - especially in this cold season, I'm sure you can make it. Keep the underprocessed sections moist,strong and happy.
And don't beat yourself up. Imagine how upset you'd be if a SHS REALLY messed up your hair.

 

[SouthernGirl]

Hey OnePraying

I'm sorry I missed this post, but I am searching for some very detailed instructions I sent another member earlier this year. They were very detailed, so I'm hoping I can find them, as not to reinvent the wheel

I'd like to post them for everyone, but I've gotta find them first. I had to delete some messages recently so I could receive/send PMs again, and I tried to download them all so let me see if it worked.

I hate to shout anyone out, but if the person who I sent the instructions to still has them, PLEASE send them back to me and I'll edit if need be, then post. I'm thinking it was Bree, but my apologoies if I'm incorrect.

I'll get back soon...

 

[SouthernGirl]

Oh, I found them!!!

But the download format is awful!! Lemme tweak, and I'll sumit a new thread.

 

[SouthernGirl]

I just started a thread with the self-relax tips! Hope they help...

 

[onepraying]

Bumping for LadyR