Question for those whose hair didn't agree with stretching too long

[Hairsnob]

I've never been able to stretch as long as most of you ladies here. The longest I stretched was 11-12wks and my hair was much thinner after that . So now I just go as long as I can and pay attention to my hair and usually relax around 8wks or as soon as I notice breakage. Right now I'm 9wks post and my hair is doing great and I wanna go at least another week.

But.....I'm sooooo afraid of a setback so here are my questions. For those who have had setbacks from stretching too long:

1) Did you see the extra shedding and breakage and ignore it before you finally relaxed?

2) Did you chalk it up to shrinkage?

3) Or did you only notice the damage after you relaxed to find out your hair didn't tolerate the stretch?

I think this time around is going better because I'm bunning and moisturizing more often and not manipulating it as much. I hardly see any hair in the comb or my hands. The only reason I'm in a rush to relax is because I have an event next week and I also want to hurry and start back using my sulfur mix. I always stop sulfur 2wks before I plan to relax and you never know how long it will be so I stop applying it at 4-5wks post.

My point in asking this is I'm praying I don't get any surprises when I relax. It's not worth trying to stretch longer just to say I went so and so weeks. I'm contemplating relaxing this weekend. Or I may just wash it and pray I don't lose any hair afterwards.

T.I.A.

 

[hothair]

Yeah I want to know too. I'm not sure how long post I am but not less than 10 weeks, but my hair is not looking as lush as a few weeks ago (I'm not really doing anything different) so I don't want to tempt fate. I've got a lot of new growth already so once I can rouse my lazy self I'll relax today.

I don't see breakage but something is telling me the time is now. Also next time I'll incorporate the BKT a few weeks later to help (I didn't this time trying to juggle colour on relaxer timing etc)

 

[Hairsnob]

Yeah I want to know too. I'm not sure how long post I am but not less than 10 weeks, but my hair is not looking as lush as a few weeks ago (I'm not really doing anything different) so I don't want to tempt fate. I've got a lot of new growth already so once I can rouse my lazy self I'll relax today.

I don't see breakage but something is telling me the time is now. Also next time I'll incorporate the BKT a few weeks later to help (I didn't this time trying to juggle colour on relaxer timing etc)

So you're in the same boat, huh. My hair looks bad of course but not in a breakage kind of way. Just puffy and not looking cute in the bun anymore.

I'm feeling the same way, afraid of seeing breakage and want to relax just in case. I have a feeling I'm gonna end up relaxing before this weekend is over though.

Hopefully others will chime in about their symptoms also.

Thanks for responding.

 

[Britt]

I typically relax about every 8-9 wks.. I've been using no-lye relaxers and I think relaxing frequently and using a no-lye has taken a toll on my hair and as a result it's thinner than usual. This has prompted me to start stretching a bit. I do not see myself going 5+ months stretching simply b/c the back of my hair is a kinda coarse and hard to manage. I will only stretch up until what I feel is manageable for me. Tomorrow will make 11 weeks, and I'm quite proud of myself.

The only way I figured that I could stretch is to use heat so straighten my roots some. On my 9th and 10th week I got a dominican blowout. This will not work if you work out heavily or sweat though lol. I exercised this Tuesday and by Wed my hair just didn't feel right so I took it upon myself to wash it and figured i'd blowdry it. I parted my hair in four sections and blowdried each section. My roots aren't as straight as when I'd get a dominican blowout, but it's straight enough that I can comb it with ease which was my aim. This Sunday, I will wash and rollerset myself and then blow dry my roots some. So long as I don't do any exercise that causes my head to sweat too much, i'm ok... For me I realize the key for my stretching will be heat, my new growth will have to be stretched out some using heat. I really want to stretch b/c I know overtime it makes a difference in the health of your hair. I plan to take it week, by week... 16 wks is my ultimate goal. If I can reach there, I'll be proud of myself.

 

[StarScream35]

I used to try stretching and figured it just wasn't for me. I would relax somewhere between 8 to 10 weeks. Any longer and I had major breakage and the stylists were often tearing through my new growth which defeated the purpose.

 

[lana]

I usually stretch to 12 weeks. After week 10 it's up in a moisturized and sealed bun.

I was natural for years, so dealing with new growth is not a problem. I just remember not to manipulate my hair much after week 10. By then I usually have at least a full inch of new growth, perhaps a bit more. I hope this helps. Deep conditioning while stretching your relaxers is the key!

 

[kittenz]

Yeah I want to know too. I'm not sure how long post I am but not less than 10 weeks, but my hair is not looking as lush as a few weeks ago (I'm not really doing anything different) so I don't want to tempt fate. I've got a lot of new growth already so once I can rouse my lazy self I'll relax today.

I don't see breakage but something is telling me the time is now. Also next time I'll incorporate the BKT a few weeks later to help (I didn't this time trying to juggle colour on relaxer timing etc)

That maybe the problem. They further you are into your stretch you have to adjust your regime to give the NG what it needs as well as the relaxed hair. You have to increase the moisture of your hair more and maybe do a protein treatment for strength. Don't relax because you see breakage. You have to address the breakage before you relax.

I'm 31 wks into my transition and haven't had any breakage. Shea butter is working for me but that may be too heavy if you're doing straight styles. If you're just bunning and PSing shea butter can soften your NG wonderfully. Also oil rinsing helps and just being gentle. I know when I was strecthing (usually for 16 weeks) it came a point when I couldn't manipulate my hair anymore, meaning I had to stop wrapping, stop combing , and embrace the bigger hair towards the end.

If you're wrapping your hair at night later into your strecth please stop. It's puts too much stress on the NG. I did flat pin curls and flexies often. HTH

 

[Hairsnob]

I typically relax about every 8-9 wks.. I've been using no-lye relaxers and I think relaxing frequently and using a no-lye has taken a toll on my hair and as a result it's thinner than usual. This has prompted me to start stretching a bit. I do not see myself going 5+ months stretching simply b/c the back of my hair is a kinda coarse and hard to manage. I will only stretch up until what I feel is manageable for me. Tomorrow will make 11 weeks, and I'm quite proud of myself.

The only way I figured that I could stretch is to use heat so straighten my roots some. On my 9th and 10th week I got a dominican blowout. This will not work if you work out heavily or sweat though lol. I exercised this Tuesday and by Wed my hair just didn't feel right so I took it upon myself to wash it and figured i'd blowdry it. I parted my hair in four sections and blowdried each section. My roots aren't as straight as when I'd get a dominican blowout, but it's straight enough that I can comb it with ease which was my aim. This Sunday, I will wash and rollerset myself and then blow dry my roots some. So long as I don't do any exercise that causes my head to sweat too much, i'm ok... For me I realize the key for my stretching will be heat, my new growth will have to be stretched out some using heat. I really want to stretch b/c I know overtime it makes a difference in the health of your hair. I plan to take it week, by week... 16 wks is my ultimate goal. If I can reach there, I'll be proud of myself.

So you went from 8-9 weeks and you're on 11 with no problems? That's good. Just going an extra week or two makes me happy too. I'm doing just like you, taking it week by week. I just know that once I bought that box of relaxer and knowing that it's home now I will end up using it soon. erplexed

I used to try stretching and figured it just wasn't for me. I would relax somewhere between 8 to 10 weeks. Any longer and I had major breakage and the stylists were often tearing through my new growth which defeated the purpose.

That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid before I get there. Right now it's only okay because I didn't even comb it this morning, just pulled it into the bun. I don't like doing that because I'd rather see the hair come out now than wait till I wash and see it all at once. You can't win.

I usually stretch to 12 weeks. After week 10 it's up in a moisturized and sealed bun.

I was natural for years, so dealing with new growth is not a problem. I just remember not to manipulate my hair much after week 10. By then I usually have at least a full inch of new growth, perhaps a bit more. I hope this helps. Deep conditioning while stretching your relaxers is the key!

If I don't relax this weekend I will definitely wash it and that will at least take me a few extra days. I always DC each wash so it does help a lot. I'm not planning on going out this weekend so I may not relax.

That maybe the problem. They further you are into your stretch you have to adjust your regime to give the NG what it needs as well as the relaxed hair. You have to increase the moisture of your hair more and maybe do a protein treatment for strength. Don't relax because you see breakage. You have to address the breakage before you relax.

I'm 31 wks into my transition and haven't had any breakage. Shea butter is working for me but that may be too heavy if you're doing straight styles. If you're just bunning and PSing shea butter can soften your NG wonderfully. Also oil rinsing helps and just being gentle. I know when I was strecthing (usually for 16 weeks) it came a point when I couldn't manipulate my hair anymore, meaning I had to stop wrapping, stop combing , and embrace the bigger hair towards the end.

If you're wrapping your hair at night later into your strecth please stop. It's puts too much stress on the NG. I did flat pin curls and flexies often. HTH

Wow! congrats on 31 wks. How long do you think before you're fully natural? I couldn't imagine that. Well, I did go 8 months before but that was before LHCF and I ended up chopping it all off after that and relaxing. So it sounds like I'm just gonna have to look a hot mess this week if I do plan to keep going.

 

[kittenz]

Hopefully I'll be comfortable with my length somewhere between 12-18 months and then I'll BC. I'm too big to not have any length, I don't play that.

 

[NIN4eva]

- Did you see the extra shedding and breakage and ignore it before you finally relaxed? I never ignore shedding and/or breakage. That usually means my regimen is out of wack and I need to do some babying... or ahem, I need to get a trim. (Been putting that off for over a year)

- Or did you only notice the damage after you relaxed to find out your hair didn't tolerate the stretch? The one time I tried a long, long failed stretch I didn't notice my hair being thinner or anything after relaxing, but I knew it was NOT happy before I relaxed. Maybe I caught it in time?


I'm an 8-12 week stretcher depending on what my hair tells me. 12 weeks gives me the best results although I've only been able to do that twice. When I get to about week 7-8 I change my regimen so that it's closer to the regimen I had when I was natural - intense moisture (Roux products, KKCC, AO HSR cowashes and olive oil) and an Aphogee 2-step treatment. I'll be at week 8 on Sunday so I'll be doing the aphogee 2 step, DC'ing, etc...

 

[Britt]

So you went from 8-9 weeks and you're on 11 with no problems? That's good. Just going an extra week or two makes me happy too. I'm doing just like you, taking it week by week. I just know that once I bought that box of relaxer and knowing that it's home now I will end up using it soon. erplexed

Hairsnob, yes i'm on 11 wks with no problems as yet...but that is b/c my new growth is semi straightened. There is no way I'd be able to get past week 9 or so w/o having my new growth straightened somehow. I can't do like I usually do and airdry b/c the back of my head is coarser and harder to deal with. Right now, my hair is not blow dried bone straight, but the roots are def more manageable then if I airdry as usual. If my hair texture where more uniform or softer in certain areas, I wouldn't resort to having to to use heat to make things easier for me lol. I know that's taboo to admit on this board.
I ordered a tub of Silk Elements, it's still sitting her at work .. I will bring it home some time next week... I really would like to hang on until another 3 wks at least.

 

[Hairsnob]

@Hairsnob, yes i'm on 11 wks with no problems as yet...but that is b/c my new growth is semi straightened. There is no way I'd be able to get past week 9 or so w/o having my new growth straightened somehow. I can't do like I usually do and airdry b/c the back of my head is coarser and harder to deal with. Right now, my hair is not blow dried bone straight, but the roots are def more manageable then if I airdry as usual. If my hair texture where more uniform or softer in certain areas, I wouldn't resort to having to to use heat to make things easier for me lol. I know that's taboo to admit on this board.
I ordered a tub of Silk Elements, it's still sitting her at work .. I will bring it home some time next week... I really would like to hang on until another 3 wks at least.

Good luck and I'll be rooting for you... most likely from the sidelines LOL. Your back sounds like my crown area where it's hard to deal with so I know what you mean. I honestly think I could go natural in the back of my hair because that area always feels softer no matter how much NGI have.

 

[Hairsnob]

- Did you see the extra shedding and breakage and ignore it before you finally relaxed? I never ignore shedding and/or breakage. That usually means my regimen is out of wack and I need to do some babying... or ahem, I need to get a trim. (Been putting that off for over a year)

- Or did you only notice the damage after you relaxed to find out your hair didn't tolerate the stretch? The one time I tried a long, long failed stretch I didn't notice my hair being thinner or anything after relaxing, but I knew it was NOT happy before I relaxed. Maybe I caught it in time?


I'm an 8-12 week stretcher depending on what my hair tells me. 12 weeks gives me the best results although I've only been able to do that twice. When I get to about week 7-8 I change my regimen so that it's closer to the regimen I had when I was natural - intense moisture (Roux products, KKCC, AO HSR cowashes and olive oil) and an Aphogee 2-step treatment. I'll be at week 8 on Sunday so I'll be doing the aphogee 2 step, DC'ing, etc...

I'd love to make it to 12 wks but right now 9-10wkss like winning a championship to me. That's so true how you have to change your regi but I could never get into the co-washes. It helped me only once to co-wash. The other times my hair seemed like it hated it, maybe it was the type of conditioner I used though. Everybody raves of the AO so I'm thinking about giving it a try. I need something really moisturizing that's not cone laden so I don't have to worry about how often I use it.

 

[Nix08]

I just discovered AO conditioners and WOW is an understatement

 

[Skyfall]

Hey, I stretched for six months and the breakage was average, but when I relaxed the shedding was out of this world!!!
So I couldn't take it anymore and decided to do a deep condition over night with Aphogee TWO MINUTE protein treatment, yes I know your only supposed to leave it in your hair for two minutes but that wasn't working and Silicon Mix. Well let me tell you, the shedding has stopped!!! it just stopped it right in it's tracks!!!!!
I did my hair on Monday and now its Friday........still no shedding!!!!!
So now the longest I plan on stretching is 3 months.

I wasn't ready to go natural but still wanted to transition, but because I wasn't ready I was straightening my hair too often and so that set me back had to get like almost 2 inches trimmed

 

[koolkittychick]

I was like you in that I couldn't go more than 6 to 8 weeks without major breakage and setbacks, but then I discovered the foundations for a regimen that seems to be working for me:

1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! I apply my water-based moisturizer to my ends every day (especially if I wear it out) and especially to the roots (gently getting all up in there with the balls of my fingertips) late in my stretch. That keeps my hair supple, and my scalp soft and stimulated for maximum growth.
2. Wash at least once a week with the best shampoo you can afford. No sulfide formulations work best for me. Late in my stretch, I carefully section the hair into braids and wash it like that; since I have been doing this, I have lost almost no hairs to breakage in the shower (as opposed to a quarter-sized ball every time when I washed my hair loose).
3. Deep condition (with heat or baggy overnight) at least once a week! I cannot tell you enough how much this has changed my hair for me. Before I thought that regular conditioner was good enough, so I didn't bother. Now I know how wrong I was.
4. No tension protective styling. Once my hair got long enough (just shy of APL), I found the best way to keep it protected was to avoid tight ponytails or buns, and since I don't do weaves, extensions or braidouts, twisting it up loosely and securing it with an ouchless plastic barrette has done wonders for me. I also stopped wrapping my hair, as it was wrecking havoc with my edges, and found that if I was careful about how I arranged my updo or did a loose crosswrap, I would tie a satin scarf around it at night and still come out with nice smooth hair in the morning.
5. No. Heat. Ever. The only time my hair sees heat styling is during a roller set, which I do once a week, even late in a stretch, increasing the tension just slightly over time to help stretch the roots.

With this regime, I was able to complete my first 12-week stretch with minimal breakage, and recover a significant portion of the setbacks I had suffered over the last year. I am now going for my first 16-week stretch, wihich will hopefully take me back to below APL by Christmas.

 

[hothair]

That maybe the problem. They further you are into your stretch you have to adjust your regime to give the NG what it needs as well as the relaxed hair. You have to increase the moisture of your hair more and maybe do a protein treatment for strength. Don't relax because you see breakage. You have to address the breakage before you relax.


If you're wrapping your hair at night later into your strecth please stop . It's puts too much stress on the NG. I did flat pin curls and flexies often. HTH

Ahhhh well I relaxed with Phyto1 today. This is only my second relaxer after being natural almost 4 years, so I basically stuck to the same regimen (more protein cause I have colour too) I just adjusted the amount of product I use- more with new growth, less with fresh relaxer seemed to be working but...

I think the highlighted also had something to do with it. I wet wrap weekly and as the newgrowth came in my hair didn't look as "good". I think I'll just relax between 10-11 weeks. My hair feels great I covered the ends with the restructurising balm that comes with it and the protective cream so didn't get any relaxer on the previously proccessed hair

 

[divachyk]

I attempted a 16 week stretch and experienced breakage. I now stretch between 10-12 weeks. I can make it to 10 weeks without issues. Weeks 11-12 are 50/50; sometimes good, sometimes not. Therefore, I typically end my stretch at 10 weeks so that I don't end up in the weeks 11 and 12 50/50 gamble.

 

[mieshashair]

6 to 8 wks for me any thing longer n my hair breaks off