DMarie
New Member
Well ladies, Let me say that I really appreciate this website and all of you wonderful intelligent women. Now let me begin by telling you that I need your help in the worst way. It seems, my edges are not well and I need advice on what to do about them.
It all began almost 6 years ago when I got married. My hair was healthy, I was using two different salons to keep up my hair. One for my curled styles and wraps and the other for my weaves, ponytails, and french rolls. Both salons gave me relaxer touchups and I'm almost certain that the later one mentioned above used lye cause a few times I had scalp burns and I do remember her using design essentials and designers touch. I did not do my own relaxers at any time and went to the salon every two weeks. At this point, I did have a small circle of hair missing from my right temple area which was discovered by salon #1 mentioned above but I didn't see it as a problem cause almost I couldn't tell it was there and it wasn't getting any bigger. I got married, moved to RI for 6 months and had no salon cause the area I lived in did not have one near by and I didn't venture out to find one and began to do my own box no lye relaxers without any problems. I had done many box relaxers before on my hair in the past prior to going to the two salons. I then moved to VA, found a stylist and eventually noticed after she wrapped my hair that the side with the small spot of hair missing looked thin. At this time I was also getting micro braids in the summers. I then decided to go natural. I always wanted to know what my hair was like without chemicals and this gave me the perfect opportunity to and I could see if I really had a problem. Cause I thought if I stop the chemicals, my hair would get thicker as I have thick hair naturally. I grew out my relaxer for several months using individual braids put in my myself untill I got 4 inches of hair then I cut my relaxed hair off myself. I then continued to wear individual braids and at this time I noticed that the chemicals had not done anything bad to my hair as my thick hair returned and I didn't notice I was missing the small spot of hair. It was missing but unnoticable but it had not gotten bigger which was the concern. I then moved to CA and continued to care for my natural hair myself as there are no salons near me specializing in natural hair and only one black salon that I knew of that did relaxers. There aren't many black people in the city that I live in, there are mostly mexicans. Eventually my natural hair was waaaaay more work than I thought cause I couldn't find a style that I could do easily so I decided to go back to relaxers. The salon that did relaxers near me did not use affirm so I decided to do my own. I started with affirm fiberguard regular lye which reverted due to me using protein, then I switched to phyto index2 which I applied to all of my hair eventhough I knew I should not have, then I moved onto affirm regular lye cause the phyto dried out my hair only to have the regular sometimes burn my scalp eventhough I applied the scalp assurance, then I switched to affirm mild lye and began to notice that my small spot of missing hair had gotten bigger. During this time while using the chemicals I was also sleeping in rollers which I attribute some of the missing hair.
And now I'm here for help. What to do, what to do?? THAT is the question.
I'm now thinking about using no lye cause I hear it's easier on the scalp. Or going natural again but to be honest, I don't really want to cause my natural hair is oprah thick and it gives me a headache just to comb it. And I do comb it from ends to root. If I had an easier time styling my hair I'd be natural now. That was the main reason I went back to the chemicals. Also, I have to tell you that my hormones are going bananas lately and that could possibly be why the chemicals are bothering me now as I am getting older. Perhaps my hair is changing and can't take them anymore. I do know for a fact that I am having hormonal issues now as I've been trying to get pregnant for a couple years with no success. I love my natural hair. I just wish I could have it and smooth rollersets and swingable hair. I'd be set.
Whatcha think of all this.
DMarie
It all began almost 6 years ago when I got married. My hair was healthy, I was using two different salons to keep up my hair. One for my curled styles and wraps and the other for my weaves, ponytails, and french rolls. Both salons gave me relaxer touchups and I'm almost certain that the later one mentioned above used lye cause a few times I had scalp burns and I do remember her using design essentials and designers touch. I did not do my own relaxers at any time and went to the salon every two weeks. At this point, I did have a small circle of hair missing from my right temple area which was discovered by salon #1 mentioned above but I didn't see it as a problem cause almost I couldn't tell it was there and it wasn't getting any bigger. I got married, moved to RI for 6 months and had no salon cause the area I lived in did not have one near by and I didn't venture out to find one and began to do my own box no lye relaxers without any problems. I had done many box relaxers before on my hair in the past prior to going to the two salons. I then moved to VA, found a stylist and eventually noticed after she wrapped my hair that the side with the small spot of hair missing looked thin. At this time I was also getting micro braids in the summers. I then decided to go natural. I always wanted to know what my hair was like without chemicals and this gave me the perfect opportunity to and I could see if I really had a problem. Cause I thought if I stop the chemicals, my hair would get thicker as I have thick hair naturally. I grew out my relaxer for several months using individual braids put in my myself untill I got 4 inches of hair then I cut my relaxed hair off myself. I then continued to wear individual braids and at this time I noticed that the chemicals had not done anything bad to my hair as my thick hair returned and I didn't notice I was missing the small spot of hair. It was missing but unnoticable but it had not gotten bigger which was the concern. I then moved to CA and continued to care for my natural hair myself as there are no salons near me specializing in natural hair and only one black salon that I knew of that did relaxers. There aren't many black people in the city that I live in, there are mostly mexicans. Eventually my natural hair was waaaaay more work than I thought cause I couldn't find a style that I could do easily so I decided to go back to relaxers. The salon that did relaxers near me did not use affirm so I decided to do my own. I started with affirm fiberguard regular lye which reverted due to me using protein, then I switched to phyto index2 which I applied to all of my hair eventhough I knew I should not have, then I moved onto affirm regular lye cause the phyto dried out my hair only to have the regular sometimes burn my scalp eventhough I applied the scalp assurance, then I switched to affirm mild lye and began to notice that my small spot of missing hair had gotten bigger. During this time while using the chemicals I was also sleeping in rollers which I attribute some of the missing hair.
And now I'm here for help. What to do, what to do?? THAT is the question.
I'm now thinking about using no lye cause I hear it's easier on the scalp. Or going natural again but to be honest, I don't really want to cause my natural hair is oprah thick and it gives me a headache just to comb it. And I do comb it from ends to root. If I had an easier time styling my hair I'd be natural now. That was the main reason I went back to the chemicals. Also, I have to tell you that my hormones are going bananas lately and that could possibly be why the chemicals are bothering me now as I am getting older. Perhaps my hair is changing and can't take them anymore. I do know for a fact that I am having hormonal issues now as I've been trying to get pregnant for a couple years with no success. I love my natural hair. I just wish I could have it and smooth rollersets and swingable hair. I'd be set.
Whatcha think of all this.
DMarie
