Real reason you stretch your relaxer

[tenjoy]

To challenge myself, lack of money, overall hair health....

My hair grows pretty fast, so by Week 6 it is he!! to style, but I was able to stretch 8 weeks last time...This time I'm shooting for 10 weeks until I reach my goal of 12. Braidouts and twistouts help me survive!

6 week is too short a period. You do not get enough growth to relax after 6 weeks. Im happy to see that your changing that and going longer periods. I relax every 12 weeks and honestly i dont consider that as strectching, I think it should be the mininum.

I dyed my hair lighter for YEARS so i could see the exactly how much ng i get a month. i get about 1/4 inch a month...like most. In fact i think folks should bleach a tiny patch at the root to measure the amount of ng they get and THEN time when they should touch up. save a lot of setbacks

 

[beana]

I dont stretch my relaxers out very long (i relax my hair every 12 weeks). Now that i;ve learned to take care of my hair (moisturizing, protein tx's etc) ive learned to manage the "breakage" that was once a sign that i "needed" a relaxer. Before lhcf every 6-8 weeks my hair started to pop and break because i didn't know much about taking care of my hair at home. Now, i'm able to get to 10-12 weeks easily.



I also started stretching because i HATED going to salons to get touch-ups. Now i do everything at home and i'm much happier.

 

[30something]

Hair health originally, but also I can't stand getting the actual relaxer. First off my I'm not currently living two blocks away from my stylist anymore and don't feel like taking the trip so often. 2nd, I really hate the burning feeling3rd I don't like how thin my hair looks, I like how hair is 2-3 weeks after perm. And lastly I having little to no problem with stretching even after 10 week.

I forgot to add as someone has said.. we really shouldnt be relaxing every 6 weeks in the first place

 

[MizAvalon]

Mostly because I'm lazy. I used to relax my hair every 6-8 weeks and never had a problem.

I am 7 months post and my hair is equally as healthy.

 

[shandaw]

The first time I stretched was for four months. It was just because I did't have any money for a touch-up. Then, when I found about taking care of my hair I stretch now for overall health. Currently I'm 12 weeks post but I do plan on going on week 13 though.

 

[LushLox]

I've known about stretching long before frequenting this board, I just didn't realise there was a term for it. I religiously stretched for three months during the early days of my newly relaxed hair. Then I started following friends who were doing it every 8 weeks, so that's what I did for years.

I've now gone back to stretching because I realise it's the very best thing for fine hair, well for me anyway.

 

[Leesh]

I started doing it searching for some magic bullet for healthier hair. But nowadays that I can take care of my hair pretty well in between relaxers, it is often just out of lack of time. I don't always have time to relax when I need it.

Off Topic, Your Bun in Your Siggy is the Truth!

 

[Barbie83]

ummm, I'm influenced by other stretchers

before LHCF, I was relaxing every 5-6 weeks....now I see how beneficial it is to the health of my hair, but if I hadn't seen other ladies' progress, I wouldn't have started.

 

[longhairlover]

I have done stretches before it was popular and before online hair boards were popular, I do them because I get tired of relaxing my hair all the time, and I really don't have to relax just programmed lol!!!

there's no hidden reason why I do it personally, it's fun I get to see all the growth vs relaxing as soon as I have newgrowth, alot of times my hair ends up in better condition too from giving the hair a break from relaxers.

 

[aquajoyice]

For the health of my hair overlapping was making it thin all these years and I did not know it. Now my hair is so healthy and full.

Same here, I did it to give my hair a break from the constant chemicals. And now realized that my hair has gotten a lot fuller as a result of it and it feels healtheir.

 

[DarkHair]

I stretch for hair health and because salon trips were/are costly.

 

[prospurr4]

I stretch my touchups to 13 weeks or 4 times a year (March, June, Sept. and Dec.) for thicker, longer, healthier hair.

 

[Your Cheeziness]

Besides it being easier on the budget, I've learned that my new growth is not the enemy.

 

[back2relaxed]

The pp poster said it all...

I used to feel like my new growth was assaulting me!! Once I went natural and decided to relax again, I know its not bad at all. I look forward to feeling my coilys under my straightened hair! I just finished up 11 wks, and my next relaxer won't be until 12 wks or 16 wks. I'll play it by ear.

 

[Stella B.]

I have been stretching for 10 months. I started stretching because I wanted healthier hair without chemicals or heat. I wanted to give my hair a break. When I originally started, my goal was 17 weeks. Very difficult at first, but around the third month, it began to get a little easier because my roots were not packed around my scalp, I was beginning to gain a few inches of new growth which I could stretch out a little better into a style that minimized the puffiness at the crown. Around month 6, I fell in love with my real hair texture, and that motivated me to keep going. I will continue to stretch until the end of the year. At that time, I will make a decision about where to go from there.

 

[HoneyA]

Hair health. My hair is a lot thicker and healthier from stretching relaxers.

 

[fattyfatfat]

Next week will be 12wks for me. I agree with a lot of the reasons posted in this thread. I'm at the salon now and I just got the "Mami you need a relaxer" speech .

 

[wheezy807]

My number one reason is for the overall health of my hair. But i can't lie it's been rather nice to keep those extra dollars in my pocket.

 

[exoticmommie]

Health, thickness, and no overlapping problems.

 

[ellehair]

Since joining the forum I started stretching after realizing the benefits of stronger healthier hair. So I picked health and other stretchers influence.

 

[LaToya28]

I chose "Influenced by other stretchers" and "For hair heath." I also want to challenge myself to stretch longer each time, which helps me to learn how to manage and care for my hair.

 

[Highly Favored8]

Before LHCF when I first started relaxing 8 years ago- I would relax every 6 weeks or sometimes go for long periods without relaxing. Since LHCF I have learned that stretching has helped me. The overall health of my hair. So now for the past 2 years on this forum I have been able to stretch my relaxers from 12-26 weeks at a time.

As of today I am going back to get my touch ups 2010 (March, June, Sept. and Dec.) unless other wise.

 

[brucebettye]

I stretch for healthy thick hair. I only touch up when I really really need to which is about every six months or so. That is when I can tell the difference between my new growth and my texlaxed hair. Also because I wanted to learn all the steps needed to take care of my hair. And I did not want to pay anyone to take care of my hair anymore.

 

[LatterGlory]

______________________

 

[beans4reezy]

Besides it being easier on the budget, I've learned that my new growth is not the enemy.

Cheeziness, YOUR hair looks Fab!! It is growing in so thick and healthy!

Next week will be 12wks for me. I agree with a lot of the reasons posted in this thread. I'm at the salon now and I just got the "Mami you need a relaxer" speech .

Yup, I used to be in the Domincan salon faithfully for my wash n sets, but since I am so far into my stretch - I don't bother. I don't want to hear the , "ooooh mami, you need perm" and I don't want to see the eye rolling after I say no.

 

[Prudent1]

1. I always liked the look of texlaxing but didn't know that it was called until coming here.
2. I have never like the bone straight European look.
3. My hair does not like chemicals and never has.
4. I got tired of scissor happy stylists who didn't listen well.
5. I put that touch up money to good use somewhere else!

 

[bestblackgirl]

I stretch because My hair is healthier and thicker. I love to play with my new growth, and I love the surprise and wow factor I get whenever i relax after a good stretch

 

[fattyfatfat]

it pains me to hear "oo mami you need a relaxer". I want to tell them to STFU!!! Ive learned to tune them out, but after my horrible salon experience today, Im going to try and do my hair myself next weekend.

week 12 here I come!

Yup, I used to be in the Domincan salon faithfully for my wash n sets, but since I am so far into my stretch - I don't bother. I don't want to hear the , "ooooh mami, you need perm" and I don't want to see the eye rolling after I say no.

 

[Anna9764]

Thicker, Longer, Healthier hair! Also waiting longer results are so straight and beautiful, definitely a lot less damage.

 

[Anna9764]

I Began Stretching My Relaxer after a Horrible "Salon" Mishap. I needed time to first to 'digest' losing over 90% of my hair, how/if I could recover from it, and then make the decision to become a DIY'r and Care for my Own Hair going forth.

So during that time, I let my hair rest. Just Rest. And I just washed and DC'd weekly. And Began researching healthy hair practices, reading everything I could about what had just happened to me and how to correct/reverse it.

And Joined this Forum.

Hey IDare, I too had a horrible mishap and lost a lot of my hair in my nape, it was the longest my hair had ever been in the back almost I too researched and educated myself reading up on healthy hair practices, finding this incredible site as a result kind of bitter sweet. Thanks to LHCF definitely more on the sweet side, i've learned so much!! Now i'm armed and dangerous Best of luck on your journey Anna