Paging Boadicea + Others Who Extend Their Relaxers

[ballet_bun]

Hey there Boadicea (and others) ...

I think that I remember reading that you extend your relaxers to 5 months ...was that you? If so, how do you prevent breakage, when waiting so long. I would like to extend mine to December 22nd!

ANY advice from anyone would be appreciated. I don't know if I can really hold out for 5 months, but I'm going to try.

Ballet Bun ...

 

[inthepink]

I'm transitioning so I'm preventing breakage my keeping my new growth moisturized. I think people do this in different ways...maybe a leave-in is enough for some or some oils. I prefer using healthy hair butter.

 

[adrienne0914]

i relax my hair every 4 months. i moisturize and wear it up most of the time, especially the longer i go. leaving it alone cuts down on the breakage and shedding (which is a bigger issue for me).

 

[jrw]

I also relaxed about every four to five months. When I have a lot of new growth I wear my hair in a bun most of the time. Also I deep condition often and use protein conditioners every six weeks or so.

 

[CICI24]

I'm still trying to figure out how long I can go.
I just put a virgin relaxer in my hair on June 20th
and so far I'm 3 and a half months into my relaxer. I originally wanted to wait to do my touch ups every 6 months, twice a year. But what has been working for me is moisturizing my new growth and detangling after every wash I wash my hair once a week. I try to stretch my new growth with bantu knots while it air dries this makes the new growth straighter. I will be doing a hennalucent treatment soon so that should help me to make it to 6 months, Dec. 20th.

 

[Allandra]

Like Adrienne, moisturizing, keeping it up and not bothering it too much works for me.

 

[Britt]

Allandra what hair type do u have and how often do u relax?

 

[Allandra]

My hair is naturally wavy (not relaxed bone straight). I get a relaxer touch up every four months.

 

[CrownnGlori]

Allandra, Adrienne, Anybody? What is the point of stretching out the relaxer so long? 8 - 10 weeks is tops for me even with oils and washing. I make sure the stylist only relaxes new growth. Everything elses is protected. Manipilating wet hair is not good for me. I think I am being relaxed to straight.....

 

[jrw]

[ QUOTE ]
CrownnGlori said:
Allandra, Adrienne, Anybody? What is the point of stretching out the relaxer so long? 8 - 10 weeks is tops for me even with oils and washing. I make sure the stylist only relaxes new growth. Everything elses is protected. Manipilating wet hair is not good for me. I think I am being relaxed to straight.....

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't feel the need to relax my hair often. I prefer to wait until I have several inches of new growth. Plus, this has been the way I have always done it.

 

[CrownnGlori]

OK. By week 10 you need to send an expedition out to find my scalp.

. Even wearing my hair up is rough. Maybe it depends on how thick your hair is and how fast it grows? I've never had a problem with growing just keeping. My ends get dry.

 

[Dutchess]

I've was able to extend my relaxer from 8 weeks to 14 weeks for the first time ever, since I started taking MSM. There is something about MSM that makes my hair grow in so soft, shiny and managable. I don't have breakage or those "bad hair days" because of the new growth. I much prefer extending my re-touches, I'll be re-touching every 4 months now, which will be only 3 times a year. MSM was recommended to me by my physician, so I would ask that people talk to their pharmacist or research MSM before taking it.

 

[Karonica]

I am 3 months post relaxer which is the longest I've ever gone that I can remember. What is helping me is finding styles that don't require me to fuss alot in my hair. Doing things like that helps time go by much faster.

 

[CrownnGlori]

Ladies, Do you blow dry or airdry? I also am taking msm to help the joints. Hope the sulfer is a good side effect.

 

[karezone]

The MSM is really making a difference for me. Right now I can't tell a difference between my new growth and my relaxed. Maybe I can make it to January with out a relaxer

 

[Boadicea]

Hi

I usually wait 6 months between each relaxer (therefore, I relax my hair twice a year) and in the meantime, I get my hair done in salons (fall/winter) or I do it myself via wash and ponytail method until dry when I put it in a bun.

Be extra gentle with your hair and ALWAYS detangle in very small sections. It'll make you tired, it'll make your arms hurt, but it's worth it if you want to decrease breakage between the two textures. Use your biggest comb first (shower detangling comb) and work in some Creme of Nature to detangle. Next, after you rinse, put in a leave-in that also allows you to detangle (I like Salerm 21 leave-in) and use your next biggest comb, etc.

Another key is to not do your hair when you're in a hurry. Pick a time or day of the week when you can relax and not be bothered. Also pick styles based on simplicity and see how long you can go with that style between washings. For instance, keeping your hair in cornrows and re-doing them once every week or once every two weeks, limits manipulation and breakage.

You may want to try AO White Camillia Jasmine shampoo to help strengthen the hair. Or give yourself weekly hot oil treatments with Amla or Vatika oils (leave it on for at least an hour, with heat. Without heat, leave on all night and rinse in the morning or leave on for at least 2 hours.)

 

[adrienne0914]

i've always done it this way, even before being on the hair boards. i've never had a problem with breakage because of the two textures. as i said, my issue since it's grown is shedding. keeping it up helps to minimize that.

you can get your hair relaxed more often without overlapping. it all depends on the stylist, and i have a good one when it comes to that. waiting longer is a personal preference for me...

 

[CrownnGlori]

Thank you ALL! I get it.

 

[adrienne0914]

crownnglori, i forgot to say that my hair is also pretty thick. the products that i use help to soften the new growth and make it cooperate. i also get it tamed while it's wet so that adding the products and bun are just a formality.

 

[cardinalfire]

Roller sets! Then touching up frizzy crown area with curling iron.

 

[soslychic]

I'm new to this texturizer thing and this is my first time that I'm going to have to worry about a touch up. I was planning on waiting this out 3 months, but now I'm thinking about 4. My new growth is not coarse, it's actually soft and I'm not taking msm

I was concerned at first that I was doing a lot and my hair was not growing, but just recently I took a good look at my hair when it was wet and saw the line of demarcation. That's when I realized just how much my hair had grown in only 1 1/2 months!

The point: My hair is growing fast and even still, I'm not planning on (keep in mind, I could cave) texturizing for another 2 1/2 months so as long as you keep your new growth soft and moisturized you shouldn't have a problem. And since my hair is texturized and not relaxed, the texture is not DRAMATICALLY different.

My only concern has been the fact that I now love to air dry my hair and wear it curly and for that, it's getting difficult because the new growth is a different texture, but I'm planning on dealing with that with keeping my hair in spiral roller sets after month 2. Those curls would be kind of similiar to my natural ones anyway and I like the look. And by rollersetting, new growth is tamed. And my hair goes up in protective styles during the week anyway so it's not a huge problem. Now stretching to 5 months....that would be a challenge...........

WOW! I GOT LONG WINDED! I APOLOGIZE.

 

[Karonica]

So, you indeed had your new growth texturized recently? I remember you talking about it.

 

[Cami]

I'm currently 11 wks post relaxer and plan to wait until 15 or 16 wks (4 months). Starting next week I plan to use flexi rods to style my hair to give the illusion that my hair is one texture all over. I think that would be the best way to deal with the two textures because it appears fuller as opposed to keep trying to wear it straight with your roots looking really thick. I've never used flexi rods before, but I always do braid outs when my hair gets too thick also.

 

[lunalight7]

I am also 11.5 weeks post relaxer and this is the longest Ive ever waited. Im proud of myself for stretching it out this long while still retaining the hair on my head. A rollerset seems to be the only manageable and presentable style I can wear w/this much newgrowth but it gets more and more difficult to comb thru while rolling. I felt that I was manipulating and damaging my hair too much when I set it on Sunday so from now on, 12 weeks is the most I will wait before a touch up...4 times a year aint bad...a big improvement for me.

 

[MoezThunder]

Boadicea can you expound on your pony tail drying method? I dont think that my hair is very thick; but whenever i try to dry with ponytails, my hair is still wet the next morning. I'm even trying 4 ponys now instead of one. <font color="purple"> </font>

 

[Boadicea]

You may have to squeeze more water out when you towel dry your hair just after washing.

What I do is:

1. Apply Creme of Nature, comb hair straight back w/ wide tooth comb, rinse
2. I then place the towel on my head and gently pat the top of my head a few times and then squeeze the hair that will go into the ponytail a few times (3-4)
3. I then apply Salerm 21 leave in, comb my hair back again and put it in a ponytail

Sometimes I pat the ends dry again with the towel if they're dripping. After an hour or two, the ponytail and the hair not in the ponytail are either completely dry or almost dry. Only the hair on the inside of the ponytail is damp. I then take my hair out of the ponytail, fluff, and let it airdry whichever way it falls. I leave it like that until I'm ready to style it.

You may want to do this in the morning so you won't have to sleep with wet hair. If it still doesn't work for you, you can try using a blowdryer but hold it as far away from your head as possible and wave it up and down the ponytail for a minute to get rid of excess water and then go about air drying.

If you would like to dry without using the blow dryer, you can try a TurbiTwist. It's a smaller towel with a loop at the top where, after putting it on your head and twisting, you put the excess material through the loop and wear the towel on your head to absorb the water.