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Relaxed Hair Thread

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Y'all, while I was installing these mini twists, I had DH pull my loose hair down and poke me in the back so I can feel on my body where my hair ends now. I'm almost at my bottom rib bone!! That's MBL on me and that's my hair goal this year!

I should be relaxing in the next 4-5 weeks. I'll be so happy to get that heavy hair feeling again. So hopefully, my Relaxer anniversary photos in Oct will be exciting!! Until then, I'll keep chugging along with my PSing. My mini twists are a couple of inches below APL too! :grin:
 
I think i need to be more aggressive with my roots next touch up. trying to not change formulas too much. I noticed the roots have much stronger curls after i did a Nutree botox a few weeks ago. I think i will stick to the Botox for now because i know the hair bounces back after a few washes. but now im looking for something that still wont revert as much.

sorry @IDareT'sHair for your loss
 
Returning to washing 2x in the week this week has helped so much with my tangled roots. I think I did 2 weeks before washing when I wasn’t feeling good / life felt busy and that’s why I was taking so long to detangle.

I gave myself a small trim on blown out hair and I have to say I’m finally thickening up my hemline again. No idea how it looks from the back but my pigtails were annoying to braid because the ends were more blunt than normal. I’m sure it’s super uneven when straight ‍♀️


I’m also seeing good progress on both the small bald spot (sewin damage) I discovered a couple years ago which prompted me to stop getting sewins. I can still feel the indent the damage left in my scalp but hairs are growing there.
 
Y'all, I done got caught in the darn YT rabbit hole! Someone come save me!!

So, y'all know I don't try new stuff. I also don't usually click on vids with outrageous clickbaity titles but I had time today so I decided to look at this darn video and...

Did... did I just find a way to stretch my perm???!!! **clutches pearls**



Now, I know some of you ladies are more adventurous than I am and stay on top of the trends and whatnot but forgive an old lady bc I had no idea that this was a thing!! It's made with all natural ingredients so I'm hoping it's not something that will affect the effectiveness of my perm if I were to use it to stretch. Off to do some research now bc I might be going back to perming once a year!

ETA: I'm coming back to say that I didn't expect that this would lead to straight hair for me. I expect that it's an alternative to the baking soda and amino acid tx for me in that I can use it when I have a lot of new growth and it will make my new growth blow out straighter. That will make it easier to use heat to stretch my relaxers. And I expect that my flat irons will be silkier as well.
 
Last edited:
That video just made me hungry :hungry:.

There’s a few products that help with straightening but I’ve only tried the chi infra treatment and that has been great when I want a super sleek flat iron but I wouldn’t use it too often.

I am curious as to what a salon quality keratin/ amino acid treatment would do for relaxed hair that is several months post. I think I tried many years ago ago with a cheapie product from Sally’s and a decent amount of hair broke off but I was transitioning so it wasn’t that noticeable
 
Hello... I hope you can help me.
I am trying to relax my 3b hair, but so far I was unsuccessful. It just won't take the relaxer.

I tried many different products for 15 years now (always with many months/years in between so the hair won't get processed twice), but nothing works.
It tried japanese straightenging like yuko, liscio or chi, I tried brazilian blowout, I tried keratin complex, and mostly, I tried many different relaxers from different brands and with normal and super strength. I had it done in saloons, I even had it done by professionals which do the schoolings for international saloons, I also tried it myself, following all the instructions closely.
I tried leaving the relaxers on for 15, for 20, even for 30 or 45 minutes, even for one hour! Zero effect.
The hair won't get straight at all. It also does not get damaged... it is if I had not put on any relaxer at all.

But the thing is - I KNOW it works, even on my hair!
Because the first time ever I tried straightening my hair, the shop where I had it done used a relaxer, and it worked like a charm. It was gorgeous!
It lasted for several months before reverting, and I had the best hair time of my life!

Unfortunately, the shop where I had it done closed down, so I never could ask what product they used.

So what can I do?


I think the only thing I have NOT tried so far are lye-relaxers (I only used no-lye).
Could this do the trick?


BTW, my hair seems to have low porosity, according to the water glass and water spraying tests...
 
GJay said:
Hello... I hope you can help me.
I am trying to relax my 3b hair, but so far I was unsuccessful. It just won't take the relaxer.

I tried many different products for 15 years now (always with many months/years in between so the hair won't get processed twice), but nothing works.
It tried japanese straightenging like yuko, liscio or chi, I tried brazilian blowout, I tried keratin complex, and mostly, I tried many different relaxers from different brands and with normal and super strength. I had it done in saloons, I even had it done by professionals which do the schoolings for international saloons, I also tried it myself, following all the instructions closely.
I tried leaving the relaxers on for 15, for 20, even for 30 or 45 minutes, even for one hour! Zero effect.
The hair won't get straight at all. It also does not get damaged... it is if I had not put on any relaxer at all.

But the thing is - I KNOW it works, even on my hair!
Because the first time ever I tried straightening my hair, the shop where I had it done used a relaxer, and it worked like a charm. It was gorgeous!
It lasted for several months before reverting, and I had the best hair time of my life!

Unfortunately, the shop where I had it done closed down, so I never could ask what product they used.

So what can I do?


I think the only thing I have NOT tried so far are lye-relaxers (I only used no-lye).
Could this do the trick?


BTW, my hair seems to have low porosity, according to the water glass and water spraying tests...
Click to expand...
How are you applying/ sectioning your hair? Are you looking for bone straight hair?
I have used lye and no lye and both get the hair pretty straight with technique.
 
ScorpioLove said:
How are you applying/ sectioning your hair? Are you looking for bone straight hair?
I have used lye and no lye and both get the hair pretty straight with technique.
Click to expand...

Yes I'm looking for bone straight hair... but I would welcome ANY improvement. Only, it does not do a thing.

Do you have any recommendations for applying/sectioning, what is your technique? :)
 
GJay said:
Hello... I hope you can help me.
I am trying to relax my 3b hair, but so far I was unsuccessful. It just won't take the relaxer.

I tried many different products for 15 years now (always with many months/years in between so the hair won't get processed twice), but nothing works.
It tried japanese straightenging like yuko, liscio or chi, I tried brazilian blowout, I tried keratin complex, and mostly, I tried many different relaxers from different brands and with normal and super strength. I had it done in saloons, I even had it done by professionals which do the schoolings for international saloons, I also tried it myself, following all the instructions closely.
I tried leaving the relaxers on for 15, for 20, even for 30 or 45 minutes, even for one hour! Zero effect.
The hair won't get straight at all. It also does not get damaged... it is if I had not put on any relaxer at all.

But the thing is - I KNOW it works, even on my hair!
Because the first time ever I tried straightening my hair, the shop where I had it done used a relaxer, and it worked like a charm. It was gorgeous!
It lasted for several months before reverting, and I had the best hair time of my life!

Unfortunately, the shop where I had it done closed down, so I never could ask what product they used.

So what can I do?


I think the only thing I have NOT tried so far are lye-relaxers (I only used no-lye).
Could this do the trick?


BTW, my hair seems to have low porosity, according to the water glass and water spraying tests...
Click to expand...


Are you sure you got a relaxer? A relaxer is permanent. It doesn't revert after several months.
 
abioni said:
Are you sure you got a relaxer? A relaxer is permanent. It doesn't revert after several months.
Click to expand...

Yes it was a relaxer, only I don't know what brand.

Theoretically, it should not revert... but yet it did after a few months.

This does not seem to be an uncommon problem, though.
After reading many threads (like this one: https://longhaircareforums.com/threads/any-3b-c-ladies-have-issues-w-their-relaxer-lasting.299419/ )
it seems this happens more often than one would think...

Do you think low porosity might be the reason why nothing happens to my hair at all?
 
GJay said:
Yes I'm looking for bone straight hair... but I would welcome ANY improvement. Only, it does not do a thing.

Do you have any recommendations for applying/sectioning, what is your technique? :)
Click to expand...
The wash day before you relax matters in that you want to only use lighter weight leave ins/ oils to minimize interference. Silicones are a very effective barrier so may be just use argan oil in the days leading up to the relaxer.

For the relaxer process:
Essentially I prepart very thin, see through wide sections and lightly twist/ clip them with small clips (my hair sucks at staying twisted in this state but you only need them through your first round of smoothing). I don’t go for bone straight so I deliberately add conditioner and oil (although I don’t think a little oil slows it down much).

The thin, see through sections accomplish several things, the speed at which you can apply the relaxers and the speed at which you can go through and smooth your hair. I do it to get a consistent texture but it would definitely be needed to get the hair bone straight. I start with my crown section first and work my way either up or down depending on how my hair feels and to switch up the direction. Apply relaxer on both sides of the section as you go. The new growth should be fully saturated with product for every section. Be generous.
If I were to go for bone straight I would still add my olaplex no.1 but the main difference is smoothing and probably making sure I do the half and half method (relaxing half your head at a time - necessary if you stretch for long times/ 3+ inches of ng imo). Apply the relaxer to the targeted half of your hair in about 6 minutes (if you have your thin sections done you should be able to meet this timeline). Then the most important part is smoothing. Wherever you started, start to smooth those thin sections with a back of a comb or your gloved fingers. Smooth the sections you applied relaxer to in about 4 minutes. You should be able to smooth two more times for a total of 18 minutes which is the max time for most relaxers. If the one you like has a bigger number, just add another smoothing round.

Highly recommend using bond building products and protein to some extent if you are going for bone straight because I can foresee a lot of breakage if you are overlapping the relaxer on previously relaxed hair in an effort to get it that straight.

I use affirm lye- I like not having to mix relaxer and no lye is calcium build up prone and tended to make my hair feel drier( a lot more products these days focused on calcium build up though so this probably wouldn’t be a big deal now)

TLDR: prepart very thin see through sections, be generous with the amount of relaxer used and apply & smooth 3+ times within the relaxer window
 
ScorpioLove said:
The wash day before you relax matters in that you want to only use lighter weight leave ins/ oils to minimize interference. Silicones are a very effective barrier so may be just use argan oil in the days leading up to the relaxer.

For the relaxer process:
Essentially I prepart very thin, see through wide sections and lightly twist/ clip them with small clips (my hair sucks at staying twisted in this state but you only need them through your first round of smoothing). I don’t go for bone straight so I deliberately add conditioner and oil (although I don’t think a little oil slows it down much).

The thin, see through sections accomplish several things, the speed at which you can apply the relaxers and the speed at which you can go through and smooth your hair. I do it to get a consistent texture but it would definitely be needed to get the hair bone straight. I start with my crown section first and work my way either up or down depending on how my hair feels and to switch up the direction. Apply relaxer on both sides of the section as you go. The new growth should be fully saturated with product for every section. Be generous.
If I were to go for bone straight I would still add my olaplex no.1 but the main difference is smoothing and probably making sure I do the half and half method (relaxing half your head at a time - necessary if you stretch for long times/ 3+ inches of ng imo). Apply the relaxer to the targeted half of your hair in about 6 minutes (if you have your thin sections done you should be able to meet this timeline). Then the most important part is smoothing. Wherever you started, start to smooth those thin sections with a back of a comb or your gloved fingers. Smooth the sections you applied relaxer to in about 4 minutes. You should be able to smooth two more times for a total of 18 minutes which is the max time for most relaxers. If the one you like has a bigger number, just add another smoothing round.

Highly recommend using bond building products and protein to some extent if you are going for bone straight because I can foresee a lot of breakage if you are overlapping the relaxer on previously relaxed hair in an effort to get it that straight.

I use affirm lye- I like not having to mix relaxer and no lye is calcium build up prone and tended to make my hair feel drier( a lot more products these days focused on calcium build up though so this probably wouldn’t be a big deal now)

TLDR: prepart very thin see through sections, be generous with the amount of relaxer used and apply & smooth 3+ times within the relaxer window
Click to expand...

Wow thanks, you put a lot of effort into this reply, very well explained! :)

Yes I was trying to prepare my hair for a few years now. No relaxing experiments for several years, and for several years I did not use any buildup-products as well. I even managed to go completely without heat styling, so I hope I'm prepared for a new try...
I will definitely try what you say and use very thin and small sections. I also found it interesting to apply the relaxer from both sides... gonna try that!

Can you recommend affirm relaxers?
I thought about using the lye relaxer (in resistant strength) too, since I can order it inside of Europe where I live.
That would be the one: https://www.lumibeauty.com/140-large_default/affirm-fiberguard-resistant-creme-relaxer.jpg


So my process would be:

- cleansing or chelating shampoo a few days beforehand (give the scalp a few days to rest)
- section hair
- put on Vaseline to protect forehead, ears and neck
- Do the relaxing process as you described
- Smoothing
- Rinse
- Use 2 or 3 times the neutralizing shampoo afterwards (thought about getting the one from Affirm too)
- Conditioner

Correct?


BTW, you said:
"Highly recommend using bond building products and protein to some extent if you are going for bone straight"

Any products you can recommend for this?
 
I was considering either changing my times or changing my relaxer. I might just change my relaxer. I'm trying to see if im underprocessing my hair or if im really getting new growth this fast. Also I want to "look" more relaxed at the roots without using heat. Still wanna stick with lye. My local bss sells little tubs of Affirm, but im not sure what flavor it is.

Guess I have to look more closely lol
 
ItsMeLilLucky said:
I was considering either changing my times or changing my relaxer. I might just change my relaxer. I'm trying to see if im underprocessing my hair or if im really getting new growth this fast. Also I want to "look" more relaxed at the roots without using heat. Still wanna stick with lye. My local bss sells little tubs of Affirm, but im not sure what flavor it is.

Guess I have to look more closely lol
Click to expand...
Okay so I chickened out :lachen:

I did not try a new relaxer. I did however change the strength to Regular from Mild. Those little tubs that I thought were Affirm were actually Design Essentials sensitive scalp and Nairobi Conditioning Relaxer. They did have giant tubs of Affirm, but it was $43+ and I wasn't ready to commit lol. Everything else was no-lye and I wasnt interested. They did have revlon realistic in 3 different strengths but I didn't know anything about that nor have seen anyone talk about it in a bit so I passed on it. Maybe if I go to another bss with more of a selection I might try a different relaxer lol
 
GJay said:
Wow thanks, you put a lot of effort into this reply, very well explained! :)

Yes I was trying to prepare my hair for a few years now. No relaxing experiments for several years, and for several years I did not use any buildup-products as well. I even managed to go completely without heat styling, so I hope I'm prepared for a new try...
I will definitely try what you say and use very thin and small sections. I also found it interesting to apply the relaxer from both sides... gonna try that!

Can you recommend affirm relaxers?
I thought about using the lye relaxer (in resistant strength) too, since I can order it inside of Europe where I live.
That would be the one: https://www.lumibeauty.com/140-large_default/affirm-fiberguard-resistant-creme-relaxer.jpg


So my process would be:

- cleansing or chelating shampoo a few days beforehand (give the scalp a few days to rest)
- section hair
- put on Vaseline to protect forehead, ears and neck
- Do the relaxing process as you described
- Smoothing
- Rinse
- Use 2 or 3 times the neutralizing shampoo afterwards (thought about getting the one from Affirm too)
- Conditioner

Correct?


BTW, you said:
"Highly recommend using bond building products and protein to some extent if you are going for bone straight"

Any products you can recommend for this?
Click to expand...
With lye relaxers I base my whole scalp carefully ( try not to get your base on your hair). I have a sensitive scalp and Affirm will definitely make you feel like you are burning imo. Practice with a conditioner that’s cheap and similar in viscosity.
I do shampoo at least 3 times after a solid 5 minutes of rinsing to remove the relaxer. I also follow up with the affirm protein step and k18 after my shampoo before regular conditioning for added strength.

I do a few extra steps to keep my hair healthy but only relax a few times a year so it’s not so exhausting.
 
ScorpioLove said:
With lye relaxers I base my whole scalp carefully ( try not to get your base on your hair). I have a sensitive scalp and Affirm will definitely make you feel like you are burning imo. Practice with a conditioner that’s cheap and similar in viscosity.
I do shampoo at least 3 times after a solid 5 minutes of rinsing to remove the relaxer. I also follow up with the affirm protein step and k18 after my shampoo before regular conditioning for added strength.

I do a few extra steps to keep my hair healthy but only relax a few times a year so it’s not so exhausting.
Click to expand...

What would be the right relaxer?
This one?
https://www.sabinahaircosmetics.com...de-9675-5f8d7ac65b2d_480x580.jpg?v=1697450885
Or this one?
https://www.lumibeauty.com/140-large_default/affirm-fiberguard-resistant-creme-relaxer.jpg

Both use Sodium Hydroxide... I don't understand what the difference between those two is...
 
Last edited:
GJay said:
What would be the right relaxer?
This one?
https://www.sabinahaircosmetics.com...de-9675-5f8d7ac65b2d_480x580.jpg?v=1697450885
Or this one?
https://www.lumibeauty.com/140-large_default/affirm-fiberguard-resistant-creme-relaxer.jpg

Both use Sodium Hydroxide... I don't understand what the difference between those two is...
Click to expand...
I’ve heard the fibergaurd doesn’t get the hair as straight but retains more strength. I use the first one- not sure if anyone here uses fiber guard and can chime in.
 
GJay said:
Wow thanks, you put a lot of effort into this reply, very well explained! :)

Yes I was trying to prepare my hair for a few years now. No relaxing experiments for several years, and for several years I did not use any buildup-products as well. I even managed to go completely without heat styling, so I hope I'm prepared for a new try...
I will definitely try what you say and use very thin and small sections. I also found it interesting to apply the relaxer from both sides... gonna try that!

Can you recommend affirm relaxers?
I thought about using the lye relaxer (in resistant strength) too, since I can order it inside of Europe where I live.
That would be the one: https://www.lumibeauty.com/140-large_default/affirm-fiberguard-resistant-creme-relaxer.jpg


So my process would be:

- cleansing or chelating shampoo a few days beforehand (give the scalp a few days to rest)
- section hair
- put on Vaseline to protect forehead, ears and neck
- Do the relaxing process as you described
- Smoothing
- Rinse
- Use 2 or 3 times the neutralizing shampoo afterwards (thought about getting the one from Affirm too)
- Conditioner

Correct?


BTW, you said:
"Highly recommend using bond building products and protein to some extent if you are going for bone straight"

Any products you can recommend for this?
Click to expand...
I'm low porosity (especially after using henna on my hair for nearly 10 years). I can attest to Affirm lye. I used ORS no-lye for years, but noticed my hair stayed dry/was rarely balanced and I had alot of breakage even with healthy hair practices I learned on here. I switched to ORS lye, but later switched to Affirm after realizing ORS likely changed their formula.

With Affirm lye, my hair is actually straighter than I'd like but is in great condition.

I don't have much info on products because I mainly use henna, Olaplex, and Aphogee Green Tea Restructurizer sometimes.

Good luck to you!
 
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