Lkaysgirl said:In past I tried dark and lovely and my hair wasnt even under processed it looked just like it had before applying the relaxer. I tried soft n beautiful it did a better job but still wasnt as straight as I can get it with revlon.
devin said:i want to go back to using Mizani again. do you suggest i use the moisturfuse and mizani's neutralizer or does it matter? b/c i was going to use cream of nature neutralizer and atone botanicals reconstructor. also did you use protein the week before your relaxer and do you use protein the week after also for strength? thanks!
simplycee said:I used Mizani's neutralizing shampoo and then the Moisturfuse right after. I did a stinky aphogee treatment the week before. I usually do Emergencee but I was out. I will use Emergencee on sat for my week after relaxer treament and maybe follow up with Moisturfuse for moisture.
Ladylynn said:What type of hair do you have?
Ladylynn said:I'm at my wits end with my underprocessed hair. I have been using Revlon regular lye for almost a year and a half now. I have about 4 inches or more of under processed hair. I'm looking for an inexpensive lye relaxer that will tame my 4b coarse, resistant hair. I don't want to try Revlon in the super strength because the regular is so... strong. Every time I relax with it I always end up with so much hair in the sink. In my no lye relaxer days, I would use Dark and Lovely regular and that would get my hair straight, but it would also make my hair dry. I'm looking for a lye relaxer that will straighten like my old Dark and Lovely. 4b's help me out. What are you all using that relaxes bone straight. I'm also not trying to break the bank- Affirm will be my last resort and that'll cost me a grip.
PrettyHaitian said:I am in the same boat as you. I use Revlon with Lye. I use the regular strength. I am 7 weeks post relaxer and am trying to stretch until the end of March. I feel like it is thinning my hair. I still have thick hair, but I still would like to try a new lye relaxer. Good luck!
sylver2 said:Optimum no lye gets my hair bone straight. I do leave it on a little longer though
cocoberry10 said:Sylver2, your hair always looks fabulous. You are one of my hair inspirations! Do you find that by getting it bone straight, it's easier to work with? Any other 4a/b's please chime in. I'm trying to decide if I should be trying to get my hair bone straight or not as a 4a/mostly 4b. Thanks.
cocoberry10 said:I am in a similar situation as you Ladylynn and PrettyHaitian. I don't use Revlon with Lye, but my hair is underprocessed, and it feels thinner now.
I was alternating between using Affirm mild with lye and regular, so as not to over or underprocess my hair. My hair was in good shape in terms of how "processed" it was. However, something about affirm didn't do well with my hair. Basically, my hair didn't feel as soft as it normally did with other relaxers. So after waiting 22 weeks, I got braids. I had the braids in for 10 weeks and waited 1 week to relax. So after 34 weeks post-relaxer, I tried Phytorelaxer. It didn't take as well as it should have (it almost didn't take at all). I figured, no biggie, it's been 34 weeks, so my hair "forgot" about relaxers.
I waited another 8 weeks and then attempted to do a corrective relaxer (my hairdresser, I don't do self-relaxing). Anyway, we put it on, watched it, sat there, and watched it do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!
I am at my wits end, and the only thing I can do is keep my hair in buns. I don't want to put heat on it, because it will damage my hair, but I'm frustrated. My hair is armpit in the back and below shoulder in the front, but since there's so much shrinkage, I only see that when it's wet now!!!
cocoberry10 said:Sylver2, your hair always looks fabulous. You are one of my hair inspirations! Do you find that by getting it bone straight, it's easier to work with? Any other 4a/b's please chime in. I'm trying to decide if I should be trying to get my hair bone straight or not as a 4a/mostly 4b. Thanks.
LiLi said:Just putting my .10 cents in. Please ladies, check the dates/date codes on your relaxers. If you are purchasing them from bss that don't require a license then I would check those date codes even more! That could be why the relaxers are not producing desirable results.
Also, I preach about this all the time, but you have to make sure that you don't have a lot of product/mineral buildup when you relax. Relaxers are chemicals but there are things that can block them from performing optimally. Three - Four days before relaxing use a chelating shampoo and deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner; then only use light moisturizing products for daily conditioning - like a light serum.
In addition, I feel that it is extremely important to use the steps the way in which the company directs you to use them; i.e. relaxer, rinse for specified amount of time, conditioning neutralizer, neutralizer, ...you get the point.
I can't stress enough how important freshness of the product is in relation to the results of your relaxer. When you buy a tub of relaxer, put it in a cool place (like in a closet) when it's not in use. Affirm relaxers have a code on them and the first number is the year that it was manufactured. If it has a 3 or lower for the first number ...DO NOT USE IT!! Their shelf life is only 3 years (I just recently found this out ).
OH ... and please please please, if you have a lot of new growth and you are a self-relaxer, do it in sections. A lot of the underprocessing is due to time constraints.
Lastly, make sure you are putting a decent amount of the product on the hair strands; go through it after applying and smooth, smooth, smooth; put more on if you need to -- the hair should be completely covered with the product. When I was using no-lye relaxers I had to use 2 boxes of the relaxer; once I skimped and only used 1 box, that is when I got underprocessed hair. It's better to have too much, than not enough.
I say all of this from years of experience. I have experienced it all and am currently dealing with a lot of underprocessed hair due to all of these reasons. I did one section of my hair the "right" way (as well as corrected the frizzy sections) and have been monitoring it for almost a year and it is healthy, full of moisture and growing.
IMHO it's much better to do a small section of your hair (strand test doing all of the steps) to see what your results will be, before doing your whole head and not being happy with the results.
LiLi said:Just putting my .10 cents in. Please ladies, check the dates/date codes on your relaxers. If you are purchasing them from bss that don't require a license then I would check those date codes even more! That could be why the relaxers are not producing desirable results.
Also, I preach about this all the time, but you have to make sure that you don't have a lot of product/mineral buildup when you relax. Relaxers are chemicals but there are things that can block them from performing optimally. Three - Four days before relaxing use a chelating shampoo and deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner; then only use light moisturizing products for daily conditioning - like a light serum.
In addition, I feel that it is extremely important to use the steps the way in which the company directs you to use them; i.e. relaxer, rinse for specified amount of time, conditioning neutralizer, neutralizer, ...you get the point.
I can't stress enough how important freshness of the product is in relation to the results of your relaxer. When you buy a tub of relaxer, put it in a cool place (like in a closet) when it's not in use. Affirm relaxers have a code on them and the first number is the year that it was manufactured. If it has a 3 or lower for the first number ...DO NOT USE IT!! Their shelf life is only 3 years (I just recently found this out ).
OH ... and please please please, if you have a lot of new growth and you are a self-relaxer, do it in sections. A lot of the underprocessing is due to time constraints.
Lastly, make sure you are putting a decent amount of the product on the hair strands; go through it after applying and smooth, smooth, smooth; put more on if you need to -- the hair should be completely covered with the product. When I was using no-lye relaxers I had to use 2 boxes of the relaxer; once I skimped and only used 1 box, that is when I got underprocessed hair. It's better to have too much, than not enough.
I say all of this from years of experience. I have experienced it all and am currently dealing with a lot of underprocessed hair due to all of these reasons. I did one section of my hair the "right" way (as well as corrected the frizzy sections) and have been monitoring it for almost a year and it is healthy, full of moisture and growing.
IMHO it's much better to do a small section of your hair (strand test doing all of the steps) to see what your results will be, before doing your whole head and not being happy with the results.
LiLi said:Lastly, make sure you are putting a decent amount of the product on the hair strands; go through it after applying and smooth, smooth, smooth; put more on if you need to -- the hair should be completely covered with the product. When I was using no-lye relaxers I had to use 2 boxes of the relaxer; once I skimped and only used 1 box, that is when I got underprocessed hair. It's better to have too much, than not enough.
I say all of this from years of experience. I have experienced it all and am currently dealing with a lot of underprocessed hair due to all of these reasons. I did one section of my hair the "right" way (as well as corrected the frizzy sections) and have been monitoring it for almost a year and it is healthy, full of moisture and growing.
IMHO it's much better to do a small section of your hair (strand test doing all of the steps) to see what your results will be, before doing your whole head and not being happy with the results.
blackhair said:How come no one mention Profectiv??? Isn't a good one? That is what I would like to try next time.
SweetCaramel1 said:i totally agree! if you have thicker hair you have to use more! my hair eats up so much product! relaxing in sections is new to me though. i'll be relaxing in a few weeks and i need to learn how to do this
sylver2 said:Thanks cocoberry
For me..my styles seem to last much longer when I get it bone straight, also I like my hair to be flat, smooth and bone straight the majority of the time. A lot of people don't care for the flat thin look, but it looks just right on me since my hair is thick and yup much easier to manage.
Although lately I have been lazy and been wearing braidouts for the past couple of months.