How do you wear your hair when stretching?

[Kinky4Agirl]

Hi guys... I am thinking about stretching my relaxer. It has been 8 weeks now. I have a lot of new growth and my hair looks pretty bad in a ponytail. My length is shot due to the new growth. So ladies, when you stretch, how are you wearing your hair? We talk a lot about stretching but no one really explains what they do with their hair while they stretch. Or atleast I haven't seen the thread yet.. Thanks ladies.

 

[closertomydreams]

I am about to end a 20 week stretch. I have been wearing buns, braidouts and updos to get by. This has actually been the easiest stretch so far. If I can get my camera working I will upload a pic of the style I'm wearing today.

 

[Britt]

In the past, when I started stretching during week 12 - 16 I'd let the Dominican's blow out my roots b/c it made life much easier to comb my hair when dry. Or I'd do a mid week wash and then I'd pull my hair back in a ponytail and slick down the front in the morning. Not sure of your hair length, but Traycee on KISS has plenty Youtube videos on how she wears her hair while stretching. She does a lot of twist outs, braid outs and buns. Her hair is so long and thick that those styles look beautiful on her.

When I reach week 10 - 12 depending on how my new growth is behaving I'm going to get a sew in for about 8 weeks to help me stretch.

 

[LaToya28]

I typically wear the same styles as I do when I'm freshly relaxed--french braids, flexirod sets, and braidouts. The key is to find products/techniques that allow you to manage the new growth so that it lays down. Right now I'm about 11 weeks post and I'm wearing a curly bang with a french braid going up the back. My only issue is getting my edges to lay down, but a good moisturizer and tying my scarf on for a couple hours takes care of that. A good tip that I got from naijahaircangrow.blogspot.com is to spray the new growth daily with a moisturizer/leave-in to keep it soft, but only comb through it on wash days. Scurl (or any other curl juice) is really good for this.

This is an old pic, but I'm 23 weeks post here, style was done with flexirods

17 weeks post

 

[Britt]

LaToya28 I'm loving your flexi rod set. How many rods did you use? When you wore your hair like that did you re do it nightly to keep the style in the morning?

 

[LaToya28]

I can't remember, but knowing me probably not. I probably just tied a scarf around the front, put a bonnet on, then fluffed it out in the morning. I don't remember how many rods I used...probably about 8-10.

 

[Kinky4Agirl]

Thanks ladies for your responses. So basically don't wear my hair out when stretching. I was wondering what you all were doing to keep your hair from breaking.Thanks..

 

[koolkittychick]

Now that my hair has ventured into APL territory, I'm finding it a lot easier to style it during stretches by putting it into a loose bun held by a bun cage-type hair ornament (Scunci makes an accordion-style one for very cheap, which is my go-to hair accessory, or you can find fancier ones with a pin/stick to hold it in place) so that I don't have to use bobby pins, which tend to pull on the hair in the middle of my bun and cause breakage and thinness in that area. I don't worry about my edges, since they don't cause "peas" or anything and I don't mind a little puffiness to the updo. If I really need it smooth, I just make the bun. tie a scarf around my hairline and sleep on it overnight,and that takes care of it. I find this style to be a lifesaver, especially after 7 weeks post, for minimizing breakage from too much manipulation, since that's where my biggest setbacks happen--at the demarcation line between new growth and relaxed hair, as well as at the ends where my hair is brushing against my clothing and getting snagged on seat belts, shoulder straps, car doors, etc.

 

[Solitude]

Thanks ladies for your responses. So basically don't wear my hair out when stretching. I was wondering what you all were doing to keep your hair from breaking.Thanks..

I wear my hair out while stretching, but not every day. I get really frustrated with my hair around the 6/7 month mark.

I do rollersets and flat iron the roots or wet buns. I used to do braidouts, but not lately.

 

[Angelicus]

After week 8, I section my hair before wetting it (shampooing and conditioning). For me, I wear roller sets because it keeps my hair from tangling and matting. After I roller set and dry under a hooded dryer, I flat iron the new growth so that my hair strands have a uniformed look.

 

[4EverDetermined]

I use half wigs but for a real long stretch, I put my hair in braids w/ extensions or rope twists

 

[pre_medicalrulz]

Wigs...
Sometimes I put it up in a high bun and put a tight headband on so it can stretch out the NG.

 

[LexiDior]

I wear wigs and weaves, since my hair shrinks so much, it looks like i have an afro so i get the 'are you natural' questions so i just hide it.

 

[Angel of the North]

After 12 weeks I bun and wear wigs with twists or rows underneath