natural considering texturizing

[blue_flower]

Hi. I'm a long time lurker and a first time poster. For almost more than a year my hair has been a natural 3c/4a. I did the big chop and the styling was quite easy because my hair was finally one texture and it was short.

My hair has gotten much longer now. It grazes my shoulders and when I stretch it out it reaches the middle of my back. My problem is that since my hair has gotten longer, it has become quite difficult to do. My ends tangle and I constantly get knot(s) on individual hairs that i eventually have to cut off.

Not only is my hair long, but it's extremely thick. I jog 4-5 times a week and I always do conditioner rinses. Even on days I don't jog, the only way I can do my hair is by doing conditioner washes and combing it out in four sections. I wear braided styles, twists, and puffs but it's too time consuming doing it on long hair (except for the puffs).

I see myself as having two options: getting a decent haircut or texturizing. I'm trying to grow my hair out, so getting a haircut is X-ed out. I've thought about it and thought about it, and I'm going to texturize my hair this Friday- by myself. I did some searching around and came up with this step-by-step plan. Let me know if I should add or take anything away;I'm open to suggestions. Thanks.

1.One week prior: use a pre-hot oil treatment; use a moisture shampoo (crème of nature), then deep condition. Use a leave-in conditioner.

2.Do not irritate scalp for three days. Try to finger comb.

3.Prepare warm ACV rinse in advance (1/4 ACV and 1 ½ water).

4.Base scalp with Vaseline. Apply Vaseline to ears, neck, and forehead also.

5.Divide hair into four sections by using fingers.

6.Use a tint brush to apply relaxer to the crown and back doing an inch at a time. Then do the crown and front last.

7.Do hairline and all around last.

8.After applying the relaxer, smooth your hair lightly.

9.After recommended time (5-10 minutes) is up, then rinse out. Do it by piece by piece. Do not manipulate scalp. Rinse again with ACV.

10.Use Silk Protein Conditioner. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse out with water. Then rinse with ACV.

11.Use Cream Shampoo twice. Rinse out the first time. The second time let the shampoo sit for a few minutes. Rinse and use ACV.

12.Use Moisture Plus Conditioner and CPR underneath the dryer for ten minutes.

13.Rinse with regular water.

14.Add a leave-in.

15.After three days wash with a clarifying shampoo (pantene) and use a moisture deep conditioner (aphogee).


***After I texturize is it okay for me to presume jogging the day after and therefore having to rinse my hair? Or should I wait until after I use the clarifying shampoo? Thanks again.

 

[blue_flower]

BTW, I'll be using Motions Mild.

 

[sassygirl125]

Welcome!

I have never texturized my hair. But I imagine the timing has to be precise or else you'll end up with relaxer straight hair or no change at all.

Please do a strand test first!

 

[Peachtree]

Welcome

Do u have any pics u could share with us

 

[CurlyCrly]

Where did you get this info?

I did't see anything about using a neutralizing shampoo. Is that step 11? What's with all the acv rinsing?

The timing 5-10 is not necessarily true for everyone and may not be accurated for all of the hair on your head. Do a strand test to determine the correct strength and timing for each section of your head where the texture varies. The same applies when you're contemplating where to start relaxing first, second, last, etc.

 

[blue_flower]

Hi CurlyCrl,
I just went around different hairboards, looking at different techniques that people used. I took everything I learned and made up my plan. I think with Motions they have a neutralizing conditioner that you use after you rinse the relaxer out. After you do that, then you use the shampoo. I got the ACV rinse idea from sweetcocoa. I thought for the strand test I would use some hair from my brush, but from you and sassygirl's suggestion it looks as though I may have to snip some strands off my head.

oo:


Hi Peachtree,
I have pictures, but I haven't put any of them up on the internet yet.

Thanks everybody.

 

[sassygirl125]

I think using hair from your brush will be okay. But if you have different textures of hair on your head, know that you will have to tweak the timing.

 

[CurlyCrly]

I don't think using the brush is a good idea because you won't know WHERE on your head the strands come from.

I use acv after relaxing too, but not as much as you're using. I only do it once and not until after using the neutralizing shampoo. Hey, whatever works for you is the important thing.

 

[blue_flower]

CurlyCrly,
how do you do your strand test? Do you do it by snipping a few hairs?

My hair is a mixture of 3c and 4a. The back,front, and sides (a ring) are 3c and the rest is 4a. I guess I would start with the 4a first, but I'll defintely do a strand test just to make sure. CurlyCrly, do you have any other tips? Thanks a million.

 

[CurlyCrly]

I take a coil, separate several strands from it so that the strands are still clumped together. I cut that as close to the scalp as I can. I take samples from the top, one side, and the back....plus sometimes the nape as well. The reason I take a coil and separate it is because it will show me how the curl wil form once it is texturized. I tape and/or staple the samples securely to separate pieces of cardboard or card stock paper and write down which section of my head it came from and when I started applying the cream to it. I then relax it using the time/strength and smoothing that I intend to use to relax that particular section. I rinse and condition (for about a minute), then rinse again and let it air dry. This all takes less than a half hour. You can apply the cream to all of your strand test samples at one time and alternate your smoothing. Sometimes, I pile the cardboard pieces on top of each other so that I'm smoothing them all at the same time. I have to be careful when I do it that way because they can tangle.

My sides need less time than the rest of my head. The nape is more resistant than the top and back. The curls on the top are larger/looser, but they can take a longer time to break down as well. The back is also resistant, but the curls are tighter and smaller.

I think that you should start in the section of your hair that shows the most resistance to relaxing, which you'll find out by doing your strand test. When you do your strand test, record how long you smooth that section too. Also, if it is not as texturized as you'd like, do it again on that same sample to see how much more time you'll need to get the results you want.

If I were you, I might consider doing a section at a time if your hair is long. That's what I did when I texturized after being natural. I was concerned about the timing. I plaited the top section and put a plastic cap secured with bobby pins on it, then did the back/sides because that was all that was showing at that point. I started in the back, then did the sides last. I rinsed in the shower and towel dried. After doing that, I removed the plastic bag and did the top. I rinsed the top in the tub, but also re-shampooed and rinsed the back/sides to get any residue that may have run down from the top.

I hope this helps.

 

[blue_flower]

Thank you very much, CurlyCrl. Your hair is pretty thick and I was wondering when you first texturized your hair did you use one jar of whatever you used or did you use two? Also, how did your skin react after you rinsed the relaxer out in the shower? That's not something I plan to do, but I was just curious. Thanks again.

 

[CurlyCrly]

You're welcome.

I don't remember how much I used, but it was probably close to the entire jar. My hair was probably between 6"-8" long. The kits have less relaxer in them than the relaxer cream sold separately and I used the kit that time. I now usually use the separate jar and shampoo.

I don't have a problem with it getting on my skin in the shower. I tilt my head backwards so that the water runs down away from my body.

 

[blue_flower]

I appreciate all help, CurlyCrly. I was going to do it this Friday, but I've pushed it to Sunday. I'll let you know how everything goes.

 

[CurlyCrly]

You're welcome. Good luck.

 

[sweetcocoa]

[ QUOTE ]
Where did you get this info?

I did't see anything about using a neutralizing shampoo. Is that step 11? What's with all the acv rinsing?


[/ QUOTE ]
Curlycrly, I do the acv rinses because I have EXTREMELY hard water that is also highly chlorinated(my brother works for the water company...so he filled me in). Apparently that was one of the reasons my hair was coming out when I relaxed 2 years ago....the nuetralizng shampoo coulnd't do it thing properly.
I wanted to be sure the relaxer was ALL out....not a spec of it left. The rinses gave ne piece of mind. That was my 'personal' preference.

 

[CurlyCrly]

Do you do them several times during the relaxing process like she's indicated? I only do it once, after neutralizing.

 

[sweetcocoa]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you do them several times during the relaxing process like she's indicated? I only do it once, after neutralizing.

[/ QUOTE ]
I only do them when I'm shampooing out the relaxer(not before). I do 3-4(but I think just 3 will work the next time) the last one before I used the CPR. I also do them when I do my niece's hair. They help bring down the PH balance from the relaxer. I notice how much lather I got when I rinse with ACV before applying the shampoo.
Also I read somewhere a while ago that ACV helps nuetralize the relaxer.

 

[CurlyCrly]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Also I read somewhere a while ago that ACV helps nuetralize the relaxer.

[/ QUOTE ]

I read that too. That's why I do it.