Here we go again....underprocessing

[beana3]

I'm at week 4 of my relaxer and I feel like i need to relax again. I have .5-.75 inches of new growth (depending on the area). Its not so much the new growth thats causing problems, but this horrid underprocessed hair. I cant even roler set because about 2inches down my strands its frizzy and poofy. I'm thinking a pull through may be in order, but how would i avoid overprocessing/overlapping the correctly relaxed hair which is stuck in the middle???

I've been trying to get out of this hair hell for 4 months and every time i encounter a whole new set of problems.. I dont think i can make it to week 8

Armyqt, if you read this whaty are you planning to do seeing as you are underprocessed AGAIN as well?

 

[honeycomb719]

. I sick of it for you hairtwin. I know exactly what you mean. I'm in the mist of this same dillemma and it's driving me nuts trying to find a way out.
It's either go to a salon and hope and pray you get a get stylist who will LISTEN and give you what you ask for, or continue to do it yourself at home w/ the possibility you will underprocess it again.
You can't win for losing w/ this

. Because you might get the same results at the salon. Only advice is follow your best judgement.
Keep me posted

 

[Armyqt]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
beana3 said:
I'm at week 4 of my relaxer and I feel like i need to relax again. I have .5-.75 inches of new growth (depending on the area). Its not so much the new growth thats causing problems, but this horrid underprocessed hair. I cant even roler set because about 2inches down my strands its frizzy and poofy. I'm thinking a pull through may be in order, but how would i avoid overprocessing/overlapping the correctly relaxed hair which is stuck in the middle???

I've been trying to get out of this hair hell for 4 months and every time i encounter a whole new set of problems.. I dont think i can make it to week 8

Armyqt, if you read this whaty are you planning to do seeing as you are underprocessed AGAIN as well?

[/ QUOTE ]

Girl, I FEEL your pain. I've been inthis vicious cycle for about 8 months now. Last week my frustration got the better of me and I had decided to go back at week 6 for a stronger relaxer (I think this is the problem for me). I mean after wearing protective styles constantly for months on end, you want to be able to wear your hair out sometimes or better yet, see what kind of growth progress you're making. This is not possible since the hair isn't getting straight, you seem to be stuc at the same length..AAARRGG...frustrating. Summer is here and I'm getting out a a lot more, but my hair is still in this ponytail. HOWEVER, I have realized that it is very important, no, critical, that I wait the proper length of time before relaxing again. I do not want to overprocess the hair and end up cutting it all off. Then everything I've endured thus far would have been in vain. I plan to purchase a nice wig (for going out), and rock the ponytail sometimes. I'll keep moisturising and taking care of the hair until it's time to relax again. Even though I really don't want to do this, I feel it's the best decision. I said all that to say this....If your hair is not breaking, wait on the relaxer. I understand exactly how frustrating this is, but in the long run, your hair will thank you for it. I suggest scouting your area for a good professional stylist (with recommendations), and get it done professionally. Please keep us updated. When you get discouraged, send me a PM...we can get through this together

 

[beana3]

thanks for the encouragement armyqt! I'm sure i'll be sending you a PM soon, this is really getting on my nerves

I have a date

in two weeks and i think i'll just slap on a ponytail because I will not even ATTEMPT to straighten my hair for this, i'll probably be disappointed once again. I'm thinking of cutting 1 or 2inches of hair my next relaxer anyway (May 2-16th??) to give my hair fresh ends and help it grow in a healthier environment..maybe this will give me a pick up. I feel like puttin in extensions or something because i'm really feeling down about my hair

 

[Leshia]

Beana, why don't you go ahead and braid for a few weeks to give yourself a break from it? That way, you're not always staring at it and tempted to relax again. It's a nice break and you can forget about it for a while...

 

[beana3]

Leshia, I think i'll get some stylish cornrows or something. Just so my hair can chill for 1 or 2 weeks. BTW i Love the quote in your signature!

 

[nita4]

Hi beana

,

I would suggest finding a professional as mentioned above and just waiting until your next relaxer. Everytime I do my own hair - I underprocess it. So, I totally understand the underprocessed hair hell, but I've gotten use to it and just rollerset and/or wear curly or braided out. Which seems to work well for me. I don't know if I would do braids...at least not small ones and if you do please make sure you moisturize to prevent dryness. I would just condition, condition and condition some more and wear in a protective style or braided out to blend the textures and go on with your bad self

In other words, work with it and not against it girl!!

 

[Karonica]

I am going through the exact same thing, and I can't take it!!!!!!!!! I've got 2-3 inches of underprocessed hair all over my head and I want to wear my hair straight. It feels like it's making my entire head of hair act strange! My last touch-up was about 3 weeks ago that I did with a no-lye. Has anyone permed their hair within this time period? My mother leaves her perms on for like 45 minutes, and if she doesn't like how the perm came out, she's not afraid to put another in the next week.

I seriously need a professional touch-up and I am losing patience. I've suffered enough hair breakage because of the 2 different textures, and I can't bear not being able to comb my hair!

 

[Islandgirl]

Design Essentials makes a product to prevent overlapping. Probably you can purchase that and take it with you to the hairdresser for your pull through. (put it on the hair that you don't want overlapped during the pull through process, that way the relaxer will only process the underprocess hair that doesn't have the design essentials stuff on it). HTH

 

[Karonica]

Okay, I gave in. I am getting another touch-up this Saturday.

I just couldn't take it, I tell you the truth.

Whatever happens will happen. I'm not worried about breakage, though. The hairdresser said she'll be sure to give me a good conditioning treatment afterwards (whatever that is).

 

[Armyqt]

Hey Karonica, I just went through the EXACT same thing last month. I had just realxed and had about 3-4 inches of different textured hair on my head that looked fuzzy. I tried real hard to hold out, but I broke down after just 3 weeks and did another relaxer. I'm glad I did it, because I feel better about my hair. My hair is still not completely straight cause I only left it on for about 18 min, but it's a heck of a lot better than before. Nect time I'm gonna leave the relaxer on for about 25 min. Cami posted that she left her last relaxer on for 35 min. Good luck and please let us know how everything turns out.

 

[Karonica]

No prob!

 

[beana3]

Armyqt: Did you re-relax all 3-4 inches again your last time?? Also, did you apply the relaxer in a way that you retouched like your hair had 3-4 inches of newgrowth or did you touch up the roots and THEN apply it to underprocessed hair??
I've charted EXACTLY what needs a pull through, how many inches and how long i will leave it in... i'm aimingfor 20-25 mins.
Thanks ahead of time. I had my weeks mixed up

, and I'm really at week 7

( i thought this sat would be 6)

 

[Karonica]

Okay, I got the touch-up today!

I went to someone I never went to before, but the perm turned out fine and that's all that matters. She did tell me that I had a quite a bit of shedding going on, but I thought to myself, "Hello! Why do you think I need to get my hair permed again? Underprocessing can cause breakage!"

I hate when hairdressers are ignorant. And, I think she meant breakage, rather than shedding. Even so, I didn't care. She gave me a conditioning treatment and said that should calm down the shedding. I also got a trim.

I gave her a nice long lecture before she laid the scissors to my head, you better believe that. She told me not to worry. I don't think she cut a lot though. My hair is in a curly pin-up, so the moment of truth will be when I wash my hair and see it straight. But I'm not worried because I know she didn't trim it too much.

Gosh, I'm glad this is over with! No more combing nightmares (hopefully). I'll know how well the perm took once I wash my hair. *crossing fingers*

 

[aprilbiz]

I'm so glad everything worked out for you Karonica!

I've been experiencing the same problem... I think. I'm not sure if I have under processed hair, over processed hair, or if all the puffiness in my hair is from my daily hair washing (which I would find hard to believe, but I'm just wondering.) I have this Z wave pattern in my hair and I"m thinking I may have over-processed it by over-lapping. I am going to follow your lead and go to a professional for my next re-touch to get some advice.

 

[ms_kenesha]

Bumping for Karonica.

How has your hair been these past two months? I'm thinking that I'm going to have to go to a professional soon to correct my underprocessing nightmare because I am experiencing breakage!

 

[Karonica]

Actually, I thought it went well, and come to find out, NOPE!

I washed my hair after that and the curlies returned!

I've completely given up, and now I'm going back to natural. And surprisingly enough, I think my hair is thanking me. My only problem is that my hair is growing alot this summer, and the new growth is starting to look furious. But it's nothing new to me since I had the same problem with the perm.

Kenesha, that was the one thing that irked me. Here I was getting perms every 6-8 weeks, only to still have curly hair and excessive shedding. The shedding was the worst for me. And now that I am 7 weeks post my last relaxer, I am experiencing serious shedding. But my hair isn't looking any thinner, so that is a good sign. I just have to be sure not to wear hairstyles that require me to comb my hair everyday. I save a ton of hair this way. I'm also going to start back sporting a weave as a way to keep outta my hair, and I may do my own braids again sometime this year. There are so many things that can be done to hair, it is extremely hard to ever run out of ideas.

But yep, I'm just through with perms altogether.