Lye Vs No-lye - My experience

[mamaore]

My hair is 4B, fine and very full.

I just relaxed my natural hair about 10 weeks ago. The stylist used Mizani BB lye. Although my hair wasn't bone straight relaxed, it still felt limp with no body whatsoever. In all my years of relaxing...my hair never felt this way. It felt like a rag and my pony tail was so thin, I couldn't believe it. The bouncy hairstyle fell flat within 4 hours... I could'nt believe it.

Now before I went Natural.. I had tried Dark and lovely, Creme of Nature and Revlon. They were all drying, but my hair felt thick and bouncy and help up curls very well for weeks at a time.

I am looking at touching up in a few weeks, but I don't want limp hair. Could it be that the butterblend is too moisturizing, should I try another lye brand. What do you ladies suggest?

I am thinking of trying the ORS no lye regular, what do y'all think?

Thanks a million.

 

[Minty]

mamore I've been having the same thought lately. I had a curly texlax look when I used Gentle Treatment regular, but using a lye relaxer I have to relax bone straight or else its just puffy. I don't mind the bone straight, but I also don't want to work at fighting against the elasticity I loose from it either.

I haven't decided if I'll go back to no-lye - but I am considering switching to Phytospecific.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

When I was relaxed, I primarily used Lye relaxers...simply because I found them to be more moisturizing, silky feeling, and gave my hair sheen and "bounce". True...there were times when they made my hair flat.

But I did use the ORS no-lye relaxer a few times, and although it was very drying and made my hair look dull, I did enjoy the fact that my hair looked and FELT thicker, fuller, and less "flat".

I don't know which is the lesser of the two evils though lol.

Maybe you should ask your stylist to switch you to the milder version of Mizani Butter Blends. I never tried the Butter Blends relaxer, but in the past when I was relaxed I did try Mizani like once or twice. After that, I said NEVER again! It was just way too harsh on my fine-textured 4b hair. People don't realize that you can have 4b hair that is fine textured and NOT coarse! They just see 4b hair and automatically "assume" that you need a regular (or even a Super! ) strength relaxer.

So....maybe try that and see how that feels? I know when I was using the Design Essentials Mild relaxer w/Shea butter, my hair NEVER felt flat. It was straight enough, had body, and never got too straight and flat. That could be an option too.

HTH!

 

[mamaore]

You know another thing now that I think about it is that maybe it was the styling that made it flat. After washing, she blowdried and then falt ironed it... so maybe all that heat made the hair limp. I hardly use heat on my hair anymore; I haven't flat ironed n 3 years. Any thots on this

 

[lana]

I really think it was the heat and styling from the flat iron that made your hair "flat"...because I have 4b texlaxed hair with Mizani Lye and it's the best thing I ever did for my hair. Mind you, my hair is thick as all get out. So...we may be talking about different heads of hair here. But I'm definitely a 4b and I texlax with Mizani to keep some texture in my hair on purpose.

Try washing your hair and then use a light protein conditioner followed by a moisturizing conditioner and then check to see how your hair feels. Mizani No-Lye relaxers left my hair dry and breaking after a few months....LYE on the other hand has worked wonders and it's silkier and shinier than ever.

I will always stick with Lye relaxers for my Texlax.

 

[jazzyto]

Well I recently switched from no-lye Affirm to Mizzani Butter blends lye mild and I know exactly the limp, thin looking hair you are talking about. I also had some breakage that I just had to have about 2-3 inches cut. The only thing Ive change was relaxers so Im blaming it on the MBB.

 

[Fhrizzball]

You can try rollersetting next time for more body as opposed to blowdrying. Or you can just wear the rollerset on it's own without flatironing it.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I recently switched from "Lye" back to "No-Lye". Not because of Limp Hair, but because of continuous underprocessed hair.

Also, the underprocessing was leaving me with severe Knots/Tangles/Loc'ing NG regardless of how much I detangled at the Roots and regardless of what L-I I used.

I was losing too much Hair due to the NG wrapping around previously relaxed hair from being severely underprocessed.

I made the Switch to MBB Sensitive-Scalp No-Lye. I was using MBB Lye (Regular).

I picked up Joico Chelating Shampoo to ward off any potential problems with Calicum Deposits and I've been so much more happier with my Hair since I made the Switch Back to No-Lye.

 

[BeautifulFlower]

I use Lye relaxers only. I think what helps me maintain thickness is my technique in relaxing. Of all the relaxers I've used I like Mizani (regular brand) and Hawaiian Silky the best. Of course HS wins now because its MUCH cheaper.

My technique:
I relax in halves. First bottom, then top. I only leave the relaxer on long enough to smooth the relaxer in a bit then rinse and neutralize. Repeat on top half.

Its not texlax but its not bone straight either. I mainly do it this way because I fear leaving the relaxer in too long so going in halves have yielded me flexibility of getting through all my hair without burning.

 

[shunemite]

It could just be the brand and not the lye. I use Mizani lye mild (regular). I've never used butter blends. Prior to that, I used Motions lye mild regular and my hair was so so. I also have 4b fine thin hair, not thick, not coarse, just really kinky so it APPEARS coarse when in reality it's really fine. But in the end, do what works for YOU!!! If no lye suits you better, use that.

 

[WorkInProgress88]

....interesting

 

[imaccami]

It could just be the brand and not the lye. I use Mizani lye mild (regular). I've never used butter blends. Prior to that, I used Motions lye mild regular and my hair was so so. I also have 4b fine thin hair, not thick, not coarse, just really kinky so it APPEARS coarse when in reality it's really fine. But in the end, do what works for YOU!!! If no lye suits you better, use that.

I agree. I used Creme of Nature lye once thinking that they were all the same and the result was terrible. That's one of the reasons I was so devasted when Elasta QP changed their formula. I haven't tried the new one yet because I went out and stocked up on the old one. I guess I'll find out if the new version works when I run out.

 

[bahamababe242]

Mizani Butter Blends always left me with flat, limp hair. I have never had that problem with Motions or my newest fave Linange. (all Lye)
I have never tried No-Lye so I can't give you a personal comparison. HTH

 

[NIN4eva]

I recently switched from "Lye" back to "No-Lye". Not because of Limp Hair, but because of continuous underprocessed hair.

Also, the underprocessing was leaving me with severe Knots/Tangles/Loc'ing NG regardless of how much I detangled at the Roots and regardless of what L-I I used.

I was losing too much Hair due to the NG wrapping around previously relaxed hair from being severely underprocessed.

I made the Switch to MBB Sensitive-Scalp No-Lye. I was using MBB Lye (Regular).

I picked up Joico Chelating Shampoo to ward off any potential problems with Calicum Deposits and I've been so much more happier with my Hair since I made the Switch Back to No-Lye.

Same here. I loved the shine and moisturized results from the lye relaxers (in my case Affirm moisture plus), but it always left at least one section extremely underprocessed and made styling a nightmare. I've switched to ORS No Lye and have been happy ever since.

 

[LoveisYou]

I have fine hair too OP, I just used Hawaiian Silky Lye relaxer in mild and my hair doesn't feel limp at all. Every other lye relaxer laves my hair limp. I would say give the HS a chance.

 

[Misseyl]

I use no-lye Phyto Index II and my hair comes out thin at first but it thickens up in week three or so.

 

[augiemoment]

i will not ever never, use a lye relaxer again. I'd been previously been using no lye but tried lye for a year and my hair has been wrecked.
I don't care the reviews but my hair hair broke off more with the lye relaxer because it would never relax fully. Though my hair was elastic, it shrunk so much and was looking like natural hair that I found myself using heat more than I should.
I have switched back to no-lye and I like the result so far. If I have to work extra hard at moisturizing, acv rinses and dc then I would but at least I am sure of retaining length.

 

[mamaore]

Thanks ladies for all your comments. I should be tocuhing in another week or two so we'll see.
I'll start with using another brand of relaxer - I have to find out if my stylist uses another brand other than MBB or whether I could bring my own relaxer to the salon.
I'll also use a rollerset instead of flat ironing.

I'll update after my touch up session.