How long did you stretch your RELAXERS this year?

[hiza]

I stretched to 4 months , I have had 3 relaxers this year.
I am going to try to extend to 6 months.

hiza...

 

[LiLi]

^^^Oh my goodness, are you trying to go natural or what. That's a long time. Tell me girl, how did you maintain?

^^^Kind of Off-topic...but how do you maintain your hair and keep the two textures from breaking?

I'm not going natural but I haven't have any problems with excessive tangling between the two textures so I've just been lazy (I self-relax). Usually I relaxed twice a year but I tried something different the last time I relaxed and, so far, it is working very well:

I keep all of my hair braided except the crown. I don't mean cornrows or any fancy braiding. I keep my hair in six big plaits underneath the crown. I wash my hair everyday and this makes it easier for me to comb my hair without severe tangling and breakage. I don't comb the braided parts everyday but I do comb the part that is out at the crown everday. You can't tell that I have my hair braided underneath because the hair at the crown covers it and I put it all in a ponytail. I have been doing this for since the summer and it is working so well that I don't see the need to relax the back at all. I will be relaxing the crown because I have alot of "truly" underprocessed parts from previous relaxers and I will be correcting it soon (I did a test section with a lye relaxer last week it totally corrected the problem of the frizzy, dry section).

Also the products that I have used that make the combout even easier are Neutrogena TM Shampoo & Condition, Salerm Wheat Mask, Paul Mitchell Super Skinny line, Nacidit Olive Oil Rinse, Queen Helene Garlic Shampoo, Redken Cleansing Shampoo, too name a few.

 

[JenniferMD]

This year I've been getting relaxers every four months. I'm currently in a stretch competition with Vanessa22 so I'll see if I can out stretch her...I'm currently at 4 months and I'm getting cornrows (with extensions) in two weeks.

 

[frankie]

I made it 19 weeks 5 days (~4.5 months) between relaxers...longest stretch ever!!!

Three relaxers this year: Feb. 10&12, 2004(half&half); June 8, 2004; Oct. 24, 2004

 

[Nyambura]

My longest was 7 months, spilled over from 2003 to April of this year. No reason, just couldn't get excited about going to another inept "stylist," lol.

 

[Tene]

3 months but thinking about stretching longer.

 

[SexyC]

my last relaxer was sep 13 and I plan on stretching it out til Feb. I'm a 4a/b

 

[BobbieDoll]

Off-topic but... HEY! February 15th is my birthday!

OT again that's my boyfriend's birthday.

The longest I stretched so far has been 8 weeks. I'm working on going longer.

 

[JOI]

Every 3 months for me, I am tryin to go 4 months my last relaxer was in october so I will be due for a relaxer in the new year in january

 

[WhipEffectz1]

Its great to see so many people having success stretching their relaxers. I feel inspired more now than ever.

 

[lthomas1]

The longest I stretched this year was 6 months. Next year I plan on relaxing only 3 times. My last relaxer was 11/29 and I do not plan on relaxing until the end of March 2005, July2005, and November 2005. I am trying to reach waist length by the end of 2005.

 

[ballet_bun]

I'm at 25 weeks today.

 

[pink_flower]

Only 8 weeks. The longest I have gone was 9 weeks but my goal is 12 weeks.

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

Type 4s out there -- how are you able to stretch out relaxers without breakage and still have your hair looking presentable? I am rolling up on 12 weeks right now and, because I am also not using heat (no flatironing, no blow drying the roots, etc). I have been putting my hair in buns, but my new growth is getting superhard to manage.

 

[Wildflower]

I stretch mine to every 4 months. I tried 6 months but didn't like the amount of breakage and how I couldn't handle the relaxer and got it underprocessed in one part.

 

[Wildflower]

Type 4s out there -- how are you able to stretch out relaxers without breakage and still have your hair looking presentable? I am rolling up on 12 weeks right now and, because I am also not using heat (no flatironing, no blow drying the roots, etc). I have been putting my hair in buns, but my new growth is getting superhard to manage.

After the 12th week I start using the baggie technique and wearing a drawstring ponytail, so that there's hardly any manipulation thus less breakage.

 

[Healthb4Length]

right now I'm at my 15th week mark! So far so Good!

 

[Nyambura]

Type 4s out there -- how are you able to stretch out relaxers without breakage and still have your hair looking presentable? I am rolling up on 12 weeks right now and, because I am also not using heat (no flatironing, no blow drying the roots, etc). I have been putting my hair in buns, but my new growth is getting superhard to manage.

Moisture, moisture, and mo' moisture! Plus, *super* gentle handling, as if it's the most delicate, fragile piece of antique piece of lace by making sure that I:

(1) NEVER comb my hair *unless* it's damp, moisturized, and w/a wide-tooth, seamless combs (seams, like those found b/t the teeth of many plastic combs can tear our ultra-delicate hair)
(2) NEVER choose to untangle/style my hair when I'm rushing to get somewhere, trying to squeeze a 10-minute job into a minute-and-a-half
(3) concentrate moisturizing and slip conditioners on my *roots* *first* and then my ends, and then the rest of the hair - this applies to leave-ins too
(4) wear styles that, imo, don't require poker-straight hair (like buns )

It's important for me to concentrate on the roots as much as the ends b/c if I get into a battle-of-the-comb with the two textures, guess which one's gonna win? and there goes all the hard-earned length accumulation. I find that when the roots, and then the ends, are happy, the whole unit stays together (lol). I quit using heat regularly about 10 years ago. It's not necessary to make my hair look presentable (and I work in a pretty conservative field). HTH

ETA: The longest I've gone, w/o transitioning, is 7 months! And it wasn't a problem - the ensuing incompetence of my then-stylist was, lol.

 

[Sha76]

Since I became pregnant this year. I have been going 12 weeks. I beleive I will stick to this if not longer once the baby gets here.

 

[WaterChylde]

The longest was 13 weeks. I can't seem to go beyond 12 weeka or so before I begin shedding a lot. Maybe next year I'll try braids so I can stretch it out some more.

 

[ballet_bun]

I'm at 25 weeks today.

I gave myself a touchup yesterday. That put me at 6 Months + 1Week + 5Days if I have to be exact wow.

 

[Cincysweetie]

I went 7 months also stretched over from last year, then 3, then 13 weeks. My goal is 16 weeks and then eventually to go natural.

 

[greenidlady1]

My record this year was 14 weeks.

 

[MonaLisa]

14 weeks without weave.
20 weeks with weave assistance.