How soon can I relax hair that has been highlighted? (pics)

B

blessedandlucky

Well-Known Member
I'm afraid I got the order wrong. I am 6 weeks post and highlighted today. I love it but usually relax between 9-10 weeks. What can I safely do? I don't want to lose my hair!!

More info- I self relax and am already up on my protein moisture balance. I got highlights in the fall with no problems but they were not this light.

Here are the pics: please do not quote.
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When I was relaxed my stylist always made me wait 8-10 weeks post and she did heavy protein/moisture and tons of DC. Best thing I can tell you is keep up what your doing and best of luck. Wish I could be of more help to you.
 
Gawgeous hair lady! I would wait two more weeks to see how my hair responded to the highlights and if there's no breakage and/or dryness I would do a protein treatment in preparation to relax in an additional 2 weeks. I hope this makes sense

So if all is well protein on may 15 and relax on may 29.

Looks like your hair is already healthy though. Great job.
 
Nothing substantial/helpful to add. I always got highlights after my relaxer... :ohwell:

Beautiful color! I love this look on you! :yep:
 
the saying goes you color a relaxer, you never relax a color, I would wait until I had at least two inches of new growth in order to minimize overlapping
 
Bumping

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Has anyone relaxed after coloring successfully? I usually highlight 3 weeks after I relax not 6. I had a good amount of new growth so I just know some of it was colored. I want to enjoy the highlights, but now I feel kinda sick or rather anxious about the situation.

Anyone? Bueller, bueller?


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I relaxed a week after coloring my hair with a semi-permanent color. As my stylist told me if you use a semi-permanent then you can relax 7 days later but if it is a permanent you must wait at least 2 weeks after that you should be fine. I say a month or 2-3 weeks is plenty time. Like everyone said do your protein treatments faithfully and you should be ok. My hair is healthy, no breakage, no split ends and I relaxed on saturday. good luck to you
 
Sexyred said:
I relaxed a week after coloring my hair with a semi-permanent color. As my stylist told me if you use a semi-permanent then you can relax 7 days later but if it is a permanent you must wait at least 2 weeks after that you should be fine. I say a month or 2-3 weeks is plenty time. Like everyone said do your protein treatments faithfully and you should be ok. My hair is healthy, no breakage, no split ends and I relaxed on saturday. good luck to you
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Y'alll make me wanna get a box of highlights...I'm using henna right now. Aren't highlights bleaching though?
 
You really should have done your relaxer first then wait no less than 3 wks for the color to prevent damage. Being a permanent color, I would wait at least 6 wks. You don't want your hair to melt off of your head. But, it is really pretty.
 
blessedandlucky said:
Bumping

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Has anyone relaxed after coloring successfully? I usually highlight 3 weeks after I relax not 6. I had a good amount of new growth so I just know some of it was colored. I want to enjoy the highlights, but now I feel kinda sick or rather anxious about the situation.

Anyone? Bueller, bueller?


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
Click to expand...

In that case, I would let a trusted stylist do it. Getting relaxer on colored hair has never turned out well. And from that point, I'd stick to your previous color schedule. Fab color, btw!
 
8-10 post for hi-lights then another 8-10 post for a relaxer to ensure that that the hair isn't being over processed so there won't be any breakage. BTW love the color and your looks great hair. I'm just sharing with you what my stylist did for me that allowed retain my length w/o breakage when I was relaxed with hi-lights.
 
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thanks for the responses. i already know :look: (as i stated in the first post) that i did it in the reverse order, which has been mentioned a few times. i didn't realize how far post i was until my stylist asked. at that point, the color had been applied. i'm sure i sound defensive, but it's just not helpful especially when i already recognize this. i feel bad enough about this as is.

i do plan to wait for at least 4 additional weeks, possibly 6 and will go back to my stylist for my next relaxer. in the interim, i will continue with protein treatments and deep conditioning. i will probably wash a little less because the longer i stretch, the more challenging detangling becomes.

what would be really helpful is to hear more tips and from someone who has been in this situation and survived. so i'm bumping just one more time. i'm very nervous. :sad::sad:
 
blessedandlucky said:
thanks for the responses. i already know :look: (as i stated in the first post) that i did it in the reverse order, which has been mentioned a few times. i didn't realize how far post i was until my stylist asked. at that point, the color had been applied. i'm sure i sound defensive, but it's just not helpful especially when i already recognize this. i feel bad enough about this as is.

i do plan to wait for at least 4 additional weeks, possibly 6 and will go back to my stylist for my next relaxer. in the interim, i will continue with protein treatments and deep conditioning. i will probably wash a little less because the longer i stretch, the more challenging detangling becomes.

what would be really helpful is to hear more tips and from someone who has been in this situation and survived. so i'm bumping just one more time. i'm very nervous. :sad::sad:
Click to expand...

You should ask your stylist what you should do to get a better opinion on this. Based on your posts, it seems like you two are working together on your hair, so he/she would have a better idea on how long to wait and when to incorporate protein and moisture in the meantime (like heavy protein at first, then moisture then protein, etc). Plus since you have color treated/lightened new growth you need to have a mild relaxer done and it needs to be timed appropriately so talking in detail with your stylist right now and beforehand is really your best bet.

Very pretty, btw. Good luck.
 
Nothing to add, except that your highlights look really pretty. I agree with consulting with your stylist. Good luck
 
Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate the kind words.

I spoke with my stylist shortly after posting the last time. She told me to wait a little over 2 weeks and have a mild relaxer done. I'm 2.5 hrs away from her since I moved for work 2 years ago, but I will traveling back up at that time to see her in 3-4 weeks. In the interim, protein treatments and deep conditioning abound!!

Thanks again!


Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
 
Gorgeous highlights! Would you be okay with stretching for a little while? I like to wait at LEAST 4 weeks post highlights/color services to relax again.
 
I dont know the answer to your question but just wanted to let you know when I looked at this pic I let out a loud *** DDAAAAMMMMNNNN, in the library too (finals week lol). Your hair looks so good!!! I love the color
 
blessedandlucky said:
what would be really helpful is to hear more tips and from someone who has been in this situation and survived. so i'm bumping just one more time. i'm very nervous. :sad::sad:
Click to expand...

I don' have a survival tip...sorry...but I sustained severe breakage due to relaxing over highlights and would not advise it at all (esp. if you have fine hair)....I agree with the other ladies and I think you should wait until you have more new growth and even consider coating the highlighted new growth in some type of oil barrier to reduce breakage...

side note: What color are your highlights? they're gorgeous!
 
Blessedandlucky, your hair color is marvelous just be careful when relaxing and make sure you have at least 2 inches of new growth.
 
blackpearl81 thank you! it's two different colors. kinda reddish copper and a dark blonde, i think. i got them done at aveda.

blackpearl81 said:
I don' have a survival tip...sorry...but I sustained severe breakage due to relaxing over highlights and would not advise it at all (esp. if you have fine hair)....I agree with the other ladies and I think you should wait until you have more new growth and even consider coating the highlighted new growth in some type of oil barrier to reduce breakage...

side note: What color are your highlights? they're gorgeous!
Click to expand...
 
I relaxed over color when I was in college and my hair did NOT survive. It literally fell out and I will never do that again. I would suggest that you wait as long as possible. Another 8-10 weeks should suffice.
 
Mai Tai said:
I relaxed over color when I was in college and my hair did NOT survive. It literally fell out and I will never do that again. I would suggest that you wait as long as possible. Another 8-10 weeks should suffice.
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MaiTai - yikes! Can you provide more detail? Were you doing protein and conditioning treatments? Did you apply either the color or relaxer yourself? Did your hair come out from the root? Was it immediately after you relaxed or over time? I am definitely stretching until I start to run into problems with that. My longest stretch is 12-13 weeks and that didn't work out to well. I'm willing to go into braids if I need too. Thanks!


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blessedandlucky said:
@MaiTai - yikes! Can you provide more detail? Were you doing protein and conditioning treatments? Did you apply either the color or relaxer yourself? Did your hair come out from the root? Was it immediately after you relaxed or over time? I am definitely stretching until I start to run into problems with that. My longest stretch is 12-13 weeks and that didn't work out to well. I'm willing to go into braids if I need too. Thanks!


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Click to expand...



Relaxed Hair + Lifting hair color/Bleach = All Bad

.....Double Processed hair is a EXTEREMELY difficult to maintain. Not saying people don't do it sucessfully but every black woman I know with Relaxed hair, myself included, that had used bleach has seen their hair eventually break off, and even gone as far as to see it melt off..(In my case I had a inch by inch patch melt completely off....the rest broke off over time...to the point the color didn't grow out..it broke off out)

I made the decision that if I wanted to use color and stay relaxed, I either had to go darker (deposit color) and not lighter (lifting color).

I'd do blonde again if I was natural....but I haven't seen a relaxed head successfully grow their hair long that had highlights or color that had to be lifted...I've seen short relaxed lighter styles...but nothing past SL.

Grow the color out for as long as you can and do your best not to get the relaxer on the parts that are colored. Honestly, you will probably incur some breakage after you finally do relax...the question is how much. I wouldn't relax until you had at least 2 inches of new growth so you will have enough new growth to minimize the overlapping that happens.

Your highlights look beautiful and all but I don't think the color is worth risking your progress...weave in color if you have to but leave the light colors alone if you're going to stay relaxed....
 
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People need to understand the difference between permanent color that is deposited vs lifted. To make your hair lighter, you have to lift your hair color with bleach.


I permanently dye my hair blue black with no ill effects, but I'm depositing and not lifting....bleach wreaks HAVOC on Relaxed hair......


I stand by this
 
TiffyNikki this is the lightest i've ever gone and i'm already kicking myself. i knew i was getting highlights but didn't decide how light i was going to go and then got in the chair and started feeling frisky, which is not me at all with my hair... i've had highlights 3 times in the past successfully and once i didn't like them and went back to get a corrective ,that didn't work out to well - some breakage, nothing major. my goal is to make mbl this year and i'd hate for that to slip through my fingers. i'm thinking about getting braids for the summer and letting it grow out. shame i wasted all that money. i'd rather keep my hair, though.

when you had color, was it professionally done and the relaxer too? or did you do one or both yourself? just curious.

my stylist keeps assuring me things will be okay, just that i need to wait. i'm super nervous though.
 
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