Relaxed Hair Thread

Theresamonet said:
My scalp has been irritated and itchy. Any tips, tricks, recommendations? I already clarify regularly, there’s no flakes or dandruff. All of my hairstyles have no tension. Just seemingly out of the blue, my scalp just feels inflamed.
Click to expand...

Nuh uh. Nope! No inflamed scalp for you!!

Let's get to the bottom of this bc we KNOW it didn't just happen out of nowhere.

Let's start internally...
Any new stressors in your life? Heck, prolonged stressors?
Have you been sleeping properly?
Have you tried a new food or drink lately?
How's your water intake?
I dunno where you live but the season is trying to change where I am, is the air getting more moist where you are?
Could you be responding to the increased pollen in the air?
(I say that as someone who has never had allergies IN MY LIFE and suddenly, pollen is kicking my butt)
Pet allergy?
Could you be pregnant?

Externally...
Ok, you'd know if you tried a new product lately but really think if you introduced anything new, no matter how small.
New comb or brush? New oil? New condish or poo? New moisturizer?
What about headscarf or pillowcase?
New laundry detergent?
New air freshener in the house or car?
Have you stopped or started wearing hats or covering your head due to seasonal change?
Have you tried on anything at a store?
Did you visit someone and rest your head in their car/house?



For treatment:

As you know, the best go-to is tea tree essential oil. I'd use your regular oil and then put maybe 20 or so drops of tea tree in it and oil your scalp with it. Or find a shampoo with tea tree oil in it. OR add tea tree to your shampoo and use it on your scalp only.

Also, many swear by ACV. I'm not really a fan of it, but it works for many!

A lemon juice and water scalp rub could be helpful!

I regularly use Neem powder as my cleanser and it is known for antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. I use it with Shikakai which is also known to reduce scalp irritation. And I add lemon essential oil which is also good for the scalp. Those 3 ingredients together seem to keep me on the straight and narrow. I use them with Castile soap (usually lavender and peppermint) and my scalp is in heaven. lol

ETA: OH! Maybe it would also be helpful to do a style which would expose your scalp a bit more to air? My hair stays in braids so my scalp is almost always exposed. But I do notice a difference whenever I wear my hair loose. My scalp feels more smothered.
 
ScorpioLove said:
For anyone who did their own virgin relaxer/texlax, how much product did you need in ounces? Most of my hair is about bsl for now except my broken leave out hair in the front/middle (~7 inches) I’ve seen some wide ranges on YouTube.

this Saturday is the big day and I can officially rejoin you ladies
Click to expand...

My first virgin texlax, I was WL natural with APL-BSL layers. I bought two standard jars of Motions lye relaxer. I used one jar, undiluted, and maybe a few scrapes from the second jar just to be sure. But I kept texture in my hair. If you want your hair straighter, get 2 jars or the big tub if you can find it.

One of these 15 oz ones:
1713706398393.png




My second texlax a couple of years ago, my hair was much shorter, only SL but I bought a big 4 lb tub of Affirm Fiberguard lye relaxer bc I couldn't get my hands on Motions at the time. I bought the tub so that I didn't have to worry about not having enough. Also, bc it was lye and required no mixing, I could easily store the remainder away for my next texlax.

1713706602284.png
 
@MzSwift Thank you! Sounds like 16 ounce volume should be plenty for my hair. I’m going with a chi silk conditioning lye relaxer because I can get it from a reputable source. I remember using just for me, silk elements, ors, and mizani in the past and not loving each for different reasons. Always wanted to try affirm but I can’t trust Amazon for that kind of purchase and I don’t have a license. Ingredients wise- chi seems “better” but affirm has so many good reviews. I definitely want to do a mid protein / bond building step and follow the affirm process with different products.

As long as hair still is attached to my head and I don’t burn I’ll call it a success .
 
ScorpioLove said:
As long as hair still is attached to my head and I don’t burn I’ll call it a success .
Click to expand...

AMEN!! That's what's important. Anything else (under processing or over processing) can be fixed!

After a few relaxers with the Affirm, I ditched it and went back to my trusty Motions. My hair responds better to that one.

I'm weird bc I really didn't care which relaxer I used for my virgin. I guess I believe that I have access to enough hair knowledge tools to fix anything that went wrong. :eek: Lol. I learned from my first virgin NOT to leave too much texture in bc I was still dealing with SSKs. But I didn't want it bone straight either bc I have fine strands.

You can do that mid-step protein with any relaxer you choose, using just about any protein you want. I used to do mine religiously w Joico K-pak bc I was trying to use that up. Took me almost 2 years to use it up! lol. I tried using this Aveeno plant protein this past time and it sucked! My hair felt horrible. I bought ORS Replenishing Condish and used that for my last mid-step protein. I might stick with that one but I have one more protein to try before I decide which one I want to use for that step. I follow up all of my relaxers with an Amino Acid + baking soda tx after neutralizing, so my hair gets some protein restored at the end of the process. It also helps get rid of any residual chemical smell for me.
 
MzSwift said:
Nuh uh. Nope! No inflamed scalp for you!!

Let's get to the bottom of this bc we KNOW it didn't just happen out of nowhere.

Let's start internally...
Any new stressors in your life? Heck, prolonged stressors?
Have you been sleeping properly?
Have you tried a new food or drink lately?
How's your water intake?
I dunno where you live but the season is trying to change where I am, is the air getting more moist where you are?
Could you be responding to the increased pollen in the air?
(I say that as someone who has never had allergies IN MY LIFE and suddenly, pollen is kicking my butt)
Pet allergy?
Could you be pregnant?

Externally...
Ok, you'd know if you tried a new product lately but really think if you introduced anything new, no matter how small.
New comb or brush? New oil? New condish or poo? New moisturizer?
What about headscarf or pillowcase?
New laundry detergent?
New air freshener in the house or car?
Have you stopped or started wearing hats or covering your head due to seasonal change?
Have you tried on anything at a store?
Did you visit someone and rest your head in their car/house?



For treatment:

As you know, the best go-to is tea tree essential oil. I'd use your regular oil and then put maybe 20 or so drops of tea tree in it and oil your scalp with it. Or find a shampoo with tea tree oil in it. OR add tea tree to your shampoo and use it on your scalp only.

Also, many swear by ACV. I'm not really a fan of it, but it works for many!

A lemon juice and water scalp rub could be helpful!

I regularly use Neem powder as my cleanser and it is known for antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. I use it with Shikakai which is also known to reduce scalp irritation. And I add lemon essential oil which is also good for the scalp. Those 3 ingredients together seem to keep me on the straight and narrow. I use them with Castile soap (usually lavender and peppermint) and my scalp is in heaven. lol

ETA: OH! Maybe it would also be helpful to do a style which would expose your scalp a bit more to air? My hair stays in braids so my scalp is almost always exposed. But I do notice a difference whenever I wear my hair loose. My scalp feels more smothered.
Click to expand...

@MzSwift Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. A number of things you listed could be the cause, so I’ll have to narrow it down. For solutions, I’ve already tried tea tree oil with little relief, but I had completely forgotten about ACV. Thanks for reminding me. I’m going to do a rinse tonight.
 
sweetpeadst said:
OK with all the Natural emphasis going on where are all my Relaxed ladies at??? What are you doing products, regimen, vitamins, etc?
Click to expand...
I relax every 7 weeks. I use Eden peppermint oil shampoo and conditioner. For styling I use Isoplus 24-7 leave-in conditioner with Eden peppermint oil hairspray.

I cycle 5 days on 2 days off a multivitamin and a 500 mg L-Arginine capsule.
 
I had a major setback last month. My whole head got badly matted after taking down cornrows that I had for two months under a weave and I didn't detangle properly before shampooing it. It took me over three weeks to get rid of the matted hair. I was super busy and I couldn't detangle the matted hair every day. Also I did it small sections. In the process of detangling, I had to cut several parts, so now I have lots of shorter hair mixed in. It's not too obvious but my hair is definitely thinner. Especially on the left side.

The only good thing is, I made it to bra strap length with the 6 months stretch. But I will have to cut my ends little by little over the next few years to get rid of the thinner ends. I plan to stretch again for 5 months but will be more diligent this time about detangling before washing my hair after the braid take down.
 
Finally got my relaxer in the mail and did a strand test; one with a third of my favorite moisture conditioner and another without any additives. This relaxer is meant to be very gentle and I left each solution on for about 17 minutes total. Im debating which side I like better, but leaning towards a little less conditioner to get something in between. Also added a pic of my ridiculous shrinkage to compare. Part of me wants to relax now because I can’t wait for the shrinkage to die lol
Edit: looks like the before was not posting correctly IMG_4477.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4478.jpeg
    IMG_4478.jpeg
    593.8 KB · Views: 41
Last edited:
ScorpioLove said:
For anyone who did their own virgin relaxer/texlax, how much product did you need in ounces? Most of my hair is about bsl for now except my broken leave out hair in the front/middle (~7 inches) I’ve seen some wide ranges on YouTube.

this Saturday is the big day and I can officially rejoin you ladies
Click to expand...
I used a box relaxer- ORS. I used the whole tub. If my hair was your length I would have gotten two boxes. I started at the ends, to the middle, then the roots. I wanted bone-straight results. I was not about to play the under-processed game. I will be going to the salon for touch ups and I believe my stylist uses Affirm. I like Nairobi too..
 
ScorpioLove said:
Finally got my relaxer in the mail and did a strand test; one with a third of my favorite moisture conditioner and another without any additives. This relaxer is meant to be very gentle and I left each solution on for about 17 minutes total. Im debating which side I like better, but leaning towards a little less conditioner to get something in between. Also added a pic of my ridiculous shrinkage to compare. Part of me wants to relax now because I can’t wait for the shrinkage to die lol
Click to expand...
The one without the conditioner looks good.
 
ScorpioLove said:
Finally got my relaxer in the mail and did a strand test; one with a third of my favorite moisture conditioner and another without any additives. This relaxer is meant to be very gentle and I left each solution on for about 17 minutes total. Im debating which side I like better, but leaning towards a little less conditioner to get something in between. Also added a pic of my ridiculous shrinkage to compare. Part of me wants to relax now because I can’t wait for the shrinkage to die lol
Click to expand...

This is exactly why I texlax, I am not embracing my full shrinkage. lol I'm happy to see more of the product of my hard work. Shrinkage was almost demoralizing for me. lol. And the SSKs..smh

I like both results! I'm interested to see how it turns out!
Which type of results are you interested in? Do you have any photos of your hair inspo for you results?

Have you watched a any virgin relax videos?

I watched them but didn't do anything like what I watched. :lachen: I did my virgin just like I do my touch ups. Big sections, slathered on and then squeeze it in. Takes me less than 5 minutes to apply and then the rest of my time is any smoothing I want to do. If I wanted it straighter, I'd leave it on longer.

BTW, it doesn't look like you have fine strands in those photos. That will likely make a difference in how much relaxer you'll need.
 
It’s really hard to find results similar to what I want, but the best example on YouTube is

I definitely don’t have the same density as her, but I really like how she still has curl in her strands, but it’s stretched. My two inches of shrunken hair was actually over a foot long! But yeah, definitely been binge watching YouTube virgin relaxer videos for days Im getting some side eyes at home lol. The conditioner I added gives me a ton of definition when I just use it as normal and I figure the relaxer/ neutralizer will commit that definition to memory.

I’ve come really far from my wispy ends- the only reason I ever went natural was because my hair was so fine, likely from all the over processing at the salons. But hoping now with all the strengthening, bond building technology and just starting from a decently healthy state it will be a completely different story. I think I’ll be able to retain better without constant ssks, excessive tangling, not having to use heat to stretch my ends as much and shorter wash days.
 
ScorpioLove said:
It’s really hard to find results similar to what I want, but the best example on YouTube is

I definitely don’t have the same density as her, but I really like how she still has curl in her strands, but it’s stretched. My two inches of shrunken hair was actually over a foot long! But yeah, definitely been binge watching YouTube virgin relaxer videos for days Im getting some side eyes at home lol. The conditioner I added gives me a ton of definition when I just use it as normal and I figure the relaxer/ neutralizer will commit that definition to memory.

I’ve come really far from my wispy ends- the only reason I ever went natural was because my hair was so fine, likely from all the over processing at the salons. But hoping now with all the strengthening, bond building technology and just starting from a decently healthy state it will be a completely different story. I think I’ll be able to retain better without constant ssks, excessive tangling, not having to use heat to stretch my ends as much and shorter wash days.
Click to expand...


Ooohh, I love her texture (and color) too!! By not relaxing her coils completely, she was left with thicker hair. Your hair appears to be long like hers too so the length of your hair will help elongate some of your curls. And your texlaxed hair will have a different texture as it grows longer too!

I can't wait to see your results!
GL to you! And plz let us know if you have any questions :)
 
I decided to relax early since I have an engagement today and I didn’t want to rework all my preparted twists. I did have one mishap- one of the twists I just re detangled, tangled again during the relaxer process. I ended up cutting the ends about 2 inches in that section and about an inch overall as I flat ironed. I probably need 3-4 inches chopped but I didn’t really see much split ends so I’d just be cutting for the sake of even hair. The real test will be attempting to wear my hair curly/ wash and go bun and see if I can get better retention. My hair does feel dryer than normal and I think the neutralizing shampoo that comes with the relaxer is basically like a hard protein treatment. I’ll enjoy my straight hair a few more days and then do a clarifying shampoo and deep conditioning treatment to try and reset.
Ending my 120+ month stretch!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4522.jpeg
    IMG_4522.jpeg
    657.1 KB · Views: 29
  • IMG_4523.jpeg
    IMG_4523.jpeg
    680.7 KB · Views: 38
Ooh, pretty!! :love: By how much would you say your shrinkage has been reduced?

Welcome @ScorpioLove !!

I hope you're able to find your solution for the dryness. I found that it was better for me to just rock WNGs (which I could never do natural) or wet buns for the weeks following my virgin relaxer in order to help boost my moisture. Also, GHEing overnight does wonders!
 
MzSwift said:
Ooh, pretty!! :love: By how much would you say your shrinkage has been reduced?

Welcome @ScorpioLove !!

I hope you're able to find your solution for the dryness. I found that it was better for me to just rock WNGs (which I could never do natural) or wet buns for the weeks following my virgin relaxer in order to help boost my moisture. Also, GHEing overnight does wonders!
Click to expand...
I’d say 50% on average. I started with my crown because that’s the most difficult to detangle area for me and very course. My front was next because I feel like that’s what I would worry about styling on a day to day basis. And lastly the back of my hair is the easiest to manage so it got processed for the least amount of time and likely only had a little bit of shrinkage reduction. I applied it all about an inch away from my scalp and eventually the relaxer got to my roots through smoothing.

definitely will try to damp bun next time, I was just very excited to be able to easily part my hair. I used to wet bun a lot when I was relaxed so I will be definitely going back to that. What do you use for WNGs?

attaching my hair style for today- I love claw clips
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4540.jpeg
    IMG_4540.jpeg
    1,008.2 KB · Views: 29
IDareT'sHair said:
@ScorpioLove
Great Results!:up:

So, did you end up using/mixing the Olaplex into your Relaxer?
Click to expand...
I did! I added 1/8 ounces of olaplex to 13 ounces of relaxer and about 3.5 ounces of a moisturizing conditioner- didn’t get any breakage after relaxing so I take that as a good sign. My hair doesn’t feel frail but again that could be from just starting at a stronger place. The pro directions for olaplex say to add 1/16 per 4-5 oz of relaxer. I will keep adding it per instructions.

After a couple of washes to get my moisture back and normal, I’ll do a professional k18 treatment to refortify. I won’t relax until probably 12-16 weeks so I’m thinking something like

week 1: clarify/ moisture deep conditioning
Week 2: medium protein deep conditioner / moisture dc
Week 3: k18 professional treatment
Week 4/5: moisture dc (including k18 mask before adding conditioner)
Week 6: olaplex no.3 /light protein deep conditioner/ moisture dc
Week 7: moisture dc
Week 8: henna or medium protein
Week 9-11: moisture dc
week 12: clarify/ medium protein/ moisture dc
Week 13: relax if hair is in good shape

I’m not married to this schedule but it helps having a plan. I’ll add the k18 mask on some of the pure moisture days if I feel I need it. I also might add a second wash day just to add in more moisture during the week especially with summer approaching. I work out a lot so being able to wash my hair frequently (1-2x a week) is my preference. I try to keep a very clean scalp now( got a scalp microscope on Amazon a few months back and was horrified by how clogged my scalp pores were ) and that has made my actual growth rate much better. Nothing goes on my scalp unless I will be washing it out that day. With quicker wash days, I’ll have less of a reason to skip a wash which I have done a lot in the past.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Traycee
******* My HairIdols here are Naturals/Where My Relaxed Ladie At??********
Replies
20
Views
2K
bella gee
bella gee
havilland
Naturally Flexible Support Thread
43 44 45
Replies
1K
Views
167K
Daina
D
Nice & Wavy
Ok...now, how about a R U Relaxed 4 Life Thread!
2
Replies
46
Views
6K
Nice & Wavy
Nice & Wavy
Mandy4610
LHCF, CAN WE FIGURE THIS ONE OUT?!! **Regimens**
Replies
12
Views
2K
Mandy4610
Mandy4610
janeemat
Dominican Hair Products
Replies
11
Views
3K
honeybadgirl
honeybadgirl
Back
Top