thesweetone
New Member
After reading all the rave reviews about Phytorelaxer, I decided that I had to try it for my next touchup. I don't self-relax, so I searched the forum for a stylist in my area that does it and found a few posts about Ivy Rector at Salon Cielo in the Pentagon City Mall (Arlington, Virginia).
Yesterday I went to see her for my touchup. I was 12 weeks post and when she looked at my hair, she commented on how healthy it was afer such a long stretch (I don't think 12 weeks is a really long stretch compared to some of the other ladies on the board!) She was surprised that there were no broken off sections, holes (bald spots?), and my ends were healthy.
She says she is contemplating joining the board because she has had quite a few people come to her to get their hair done and say that they were referred to her by longhaircareforum members and she wanted to say thanks for the referrals. Plus she was impressed when I was shared with her the tips and techniques I learned here to keep my hair healthy during the stretch. There is so much good information on this board and I am addicted!!!! Thank you so much ladies for all your help and advice. My main challenge is to thicken up my hair. I shed horribly so my hair is very thin, but I think that may be due to my iron deficiency anemia and I am going to start taking supplements and see if that helps. I also am going to try Qhemet's herbs and sulfur pomade as a grease for my scalp because I had some good results with Sulfur 8 when I was in college some years ago.
Anyhow, the things I loved about the Phytorelaxer and Ivy:
1. She did an excellent job not overlapping!
2. I did not burn at all!!! I never even felt any tingling!!! This has never happened to me before with any other relaxer! Even when I wouldn't get burned, my scalp would still be on fire for like two or three days after my relaxer. The Phyto was so gentle and my scalp was loving it!
3. After I was rinsed (she used just water for like ten minutes), conditioned (she explained to me that she conditions before neutralizing because the conditioner penetrates better), then neutralized, I was surprised at how much body my fine, thin hair had! My hair is straight, but it still has life! That is one of the things I hate most about getting a relaxer, the thin, limp, pasted-to-my-scalp hair that I am left with for the first 2 or 3 weeks post. Not this time with the Phyto! I am amazed at how full my hair is!
4. Ivy is not scissor-happy, something she assured me of as soon as I got in the chair. Due to the good condition of my hair, she took off next to nothing for my trim.
5. The $135 price tag includes everything, relaxer, deep condition, trim, etc. I know that sounds like a lot, but I don't think it's bad for ensuring that my hair is correctly processed and since I will be doing 12 week stretches from now on, I only have to get it done 4 times a year.
6. Ivy was extremely professional and knowledgeable (sp?) and I highly recommend her, and I highly recommend Phytorelaxer. The Salon's number is 703-415-0406. Ivy's hours are M 9:30-7, Tu 12-9, Th 11-7, F 11-7, Sa 9-4:30 (she only works every other Saturday).
I pincurled my hair last night and it looks great today! Pincurling is working so well for me that I would like to get rid of my Carusos, which I've only used once and had for less than a month. I bought them at Sally's for $29.99 and will give them up for $20. I'll even pay for the shipping. PM me if you want 'em.
I will try to update the pic in my avatar (that's a random pic of my hair 10 weeks post) and maybe put some random pics in my siggy this weekend.
Yesterday I went to see her for my touchup. I was 12 weeks post and when she looked at my hair, she commented on how healthy it was afer such a long stretch (I don't think 12 weeks is a really long stretch compared to some of the other ladies on the board!) She was surprised that there were no broken off sections, holes (bald spots?), and my ends were healthy.
She says she is contemplating joining the board because she has had quite a few people come to her to get their hair done and say that they were referred to her by longhaircareforum members and she wanted to say thanks for the referrals. Plus she was impressed when I was shared with her the tips and techniques I learned here to keep my hair healthy during the stretch. There is so much good information on this board and I am addicted!!!! Thank you so much ladies for all your help and advice. My main challenge is to thicken up my hair. I shed horribly so my hair is very thin, but I think that may be due to my iron deficiency anemia and I am going to start taking supplements and see if that helps. I also am going to try Qhemet's herbs and sulfur pomade as a grease for my scalp because I had some good results with Sulfur 8 when I was in college some years ago.
Anyhow, the things I loved about the Phytorelaxer and Ivy:
1. She did an excellent job not overlapping!
2. I did not burn at all!!! I never even felt any tingling!!! This has never happened to me before with any other relaxer! Even when I wouldn't get burned, my scalp would still be on fire for like two or three days after my relaxer. The Phyto was so gentle and my scalp was loving it!
3. After I was rinsed (she used just water for like ten minutes), conditioned (she explained to me that she conditions before neutralizing because the conditioner penetrates better), then neutralized, I was surprised at how much body my fine, thin hair had! My hair is straight, but it still has life! That is one of the things I hate most about getting a relaxer, the thin, limp, pasted-to-my-scalp hair that I am left with for the first 2 or 3 weeks post. Not this time with the Phyto! I am amazed at how full my hair is!
4. Ivy is not scissor-happy, something she assured me of as soon as I got in the chair. Due to the good condition of my hair, she took off next to nothing for my trim.
5. The $135 price tag includes everything, relaxer, deep condition, trim, etc. I know that sounds like a lot, but I don't think it's bad for ensuring that my hair is correctly processed and since I will be doing 12 week stretches from now on, I only have to get it done 4 times a year.
6. Ivy was extremely professional and knowledgeable (sp?) and I highly recommend her, and I highly recommend Phytorelaxer. The Salon's number is 703-415-0406. Ivy's hours are M 9:30-7, Tu 12-9, Th 11-7, F 11-7, Sa 9-4:30 (she only works every other Saturday).
I pincurled my hair last night and it looks great today! Pincurling is working so well for me that I would like to get rid of my Carusos, which I've only used once and had for less than a month. I bought them at Sally's for $29.99 and will give them up for $20. I'll even pay for the shipping. PM me if you want 'em.
I will try to update the pic in my avatar (that's a random pic of my hair 10 weeks post) and maybe put some random pics in my siggy this weekend.
for that! I just tell them I have sensitive scalp and they use whatever! I believe that my last relaxer (before Phyto, Ivy) was an Affirm Lye. I think it's okay to go straight from the Lye to the Phyto, just make sure you have enough new growth to help the stylist not overlap. Also, when Ivy first looked at my hair she said that she thought I was a good candidate for Phyto because my hair is fine/thin. She said that sometimes it doesn't take really well in thicker, coarse hair. That's not a rule. She just said "sometimes".
My hair was long a healthier back then. I just hated that and don't want that to happen again!
......but I apologized and we're straight now.
