Relaxed heads: Is getting a "good" relaxer the foundation for your hair health??

[beana]

I notice that when i get a bad relaxer (under/over processing, uneven application, etc) I'm battling with my hair until the next relaxer application. I'm starting to believe that having a properly done relaxer is the key to hair growth for ME. My hair practices are healthy, but it doens't matter what i do if my relaxer was terrible.

Just a random thought

 

[LadyChe]

*reads this thread*

*looks at my single box of Phyto... wonders if cheating is worth it...*

I've had bad relaxers before... it's always a battle against breakage and dryness.

 

[macherieamour]

I totally agree with this statement!!! When I started getting good relaxers a lot of my hair problems disappeared

 

[rdm]

My stylist can "lay" a good touch-up (these are her words). Ever since I started going to her, a lot of my problems disappeared too!!!

 

[Sistaslick]

I definitely think so. Any bad chemical job, be it relaxer or color, can take a perfectly good, healthy head of hair to a damaged, uncontrollable nightmare overnight. That's why it's always best to have a professional do those services if you know you can't pull them off on your own.

 

[sareca]

I think overprocessing is a killer. Everything else you can work with.

 

[Serenity_Peace]

I can't tell you how much I agree with this. I relaxed last night (pics coming soon) with ORS Lye and my experience was fantastic!! Never again will I ever go back to No Lye. The relaxer was very easy to apply. (By the way, before relaxing, I based my hairline and around my ears, nape.) What is more, I didn't struggle to rinse the relaxer out. My hair turned out beautifully. Not ONE lost/shedded/broken hair. NOT ONE! The relaxer left my hair silky, shiny and long. I am now 1" or so from APL and I'm THRILLED.

As for the relaxer being the foundation, I think it's critical to have a good one. I relaxed with No Lye in April, and have always used No Lye, which eventually left me with dry, dull-looking hair. Well, the April relaxer left me severely underprocessed, and as a result, I could not stretch for longer than 9 weeks because I began to experience some breakage.

Good relaxers allow me to stretch with little or no problems. This time, I got four months to go before I relax again before my birthday and I'm excited because I know that I'll be able to make it with healthy hair.

 

[shynessqueen]

Yes, Yes, Yes, This is so ture. That's why i use Just for me Tex. I don't have to worry if it's too strong for my hair.

 

[SvelteVelvet]

I totally agree! I think both over processing and under processing can determine lack of hair health in different ways.

 

[MonaLisa]

I totally agree with this statement!!! When I started getting good relaxers a lot of my hair problems disappeared

Also agreeing. I feel this way about Phytorelaxer and I observe at how many balk at the price of it. But for me, it's worth it because in my opinion, if you are a relaxed head -- the relaxer is the foundation for everything else one is doing with their tresses-- the conditioners, the poos, the treatments....that's just "hair" bricklaying.

But if your "hair" foundation is shaky....all the "bricklaying" will most likely be shaky as well.

*JMO.. *

 

[Precious_1]

I notice that when i get a bad relaxer (under/over processing, uneven application, etc) I'm battling with my hair until the next relaxer application. I'm starting to believe that having a properly done relaxer is the key to hair growth for ME. My hair practices are healthy, but it doens't matter what i do if my relaxer was terrible.

Just a random thought

I totally agree with what you said...When i was self relaxing, i was trying really hard not to overlap but i left other areas underprocessed, and it was a battle until the next time i got a relaxer, now i just leave that to my hairdresser and do the other things at home. i can work with it so much better.

 

[Optimus_Prime]

bumping...

 

[Aireen]

Yes and also the relaxer type. Right now I use Optimum and it has been the best one I've ever had on my strands — really gentle.

 

[divachyk]

Also agreeing. I feel this way about Phytorelaxer and I observe at how many balk at the price of it. But for me, it's worth it because in my opinion, if you are a relaxed head -- the relaxer is the foundation for everything else one is doing with their tresses-- the conditioners, the poos, the treatments....that's just "hair" bricklaying.

But if your "hair" foundation is shaky....all the "bricklaying" will most likely be shaky as well.

*JMO.. *

OT: I am in the market for new stylist and the one I am considering uses Phyto. So no issues of dryness, etc with Phyto? It is very pricey! But if good quality, I am willing to pay.

Sent from my DROIDX using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[divachyk]

I agree. My hair was flourishing well but my recent bad chemical experiences, profesionally done I might add, has delivered a setback. A good relaxer is definitely important for my hair's health.

Sent from my DROIDX using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[Kimiche]

Yes and also the relaxer type. Right now I use Optimum and it has been the best one I've ever had on my strands — really gentle.

I feel you. I recently switched to Optimum from Revlon and my experience has been so much better. My hair even came out looking better after my touch up and I didn't burn.

 

[danysedai]

In my opinion, yes it is, when I started on the forum I was using no lye relaxers and I didn't see a positive change until I switched to Affirm Mild. In fact, in my city there's only one place that sells it and last year they decided to only sell to licensed beauticians and I was dreading having to switch. Fortunately it was all resolved, but I love the results I get with it. It's the main chemical change in my hair so it better be good.

 

[nappystorm]

I don't think so. My mom and I used that Ultrasoft or Utlrasheen 2 for 1 relaxer and our hair was always somewhere around full APL and BSL. My mother still uses it and she's full BSL, heading towards MBL

 

[Angelicus]

It only takes one time for one bad relaxer to harm you. I had a bad relaxer and ended up paying for it.

It took well over two years to grow out the pain.

 

[BoaterGirlKim]

Optimum recently changed its formula to "Salon Collection" and it wreaked dry havoc on my hair. No matter what I did moisture wise during these winter months (conditioner, leave-in condish, moisturizer) my hair felt like sandpaper. I wet bun 99% of the time and even the wet hair tucked in the bun, which normally is still damp by the end of the day, dried to crispy bacon texture a couple of hours after my morning cowash-n-bun!! Thank goodness I didn't suffer devastating breakage during this period.

I found a bunch of old formula Optimum Super at a local CVS and bought all 10 boxes (on sale BOGO with additional $2 off coupons, yaay!). Touching up with this was the only thing that has finally restored my hair to normalcy. I figured out it must have been the perm because I when I use Optimum Regular, I get bad dryness that is only corrected once I go back to super. Fortunately, my regular/super experience clued me in that the new formula relaxer was probably the culprit. It took a few weeks but after relaxing with the old formula super, my hair started responding to my staples again, thank goodness! So yes, the relaxer IS the foundation for anything else from my experience!

 

[AlliCat]

Optimum recently changed its formula to "Salon Collection" and it wreaked dry havoc on my hair. No matter what I did moisture wise during these winter months (conditioner, leave-in condish, moisturizer) my hair felt like sandpaper. I wet bun 99% of the time and even the wet hair tucked in the bun, which normally is still damp by the end of the day, dried to crispy bacon texture a couple of hours after my morning cowash-n-bun!! Thank goodness I didn't suffer devastating breakage during this period.

I found a bunch of old formula Optimum Super at a local CVS and bought all 10 boxes (on sale BOGO with additional $2 off coupons, yaay!). Touching up with this was the only thing that has finally restored my hair to normalcy. I figured out it must have been the perm because I when I use Optimum Regular, I get bad dryness that is only corrected once I go back to super. Fortunately, my regular/super experience clued me in that the new formula relaxer was probably the culprit. It took a few weeks but after relaxing with the old formula super, my hair started responding to my staples again, thank goodness! So yes, the relaxer IS the foundation for anything else from my experience!

Optimum was my absolute staple!! I was looking forward to trying the new "salon collection" but not anymore thanks for the review

 

[s1b000]

A bad relaxer may not impact your growth, but you'll live with the breakage from it for a good long while so to me it is key to your retention.

 

[Renee29]

I most definately agree with you ladies. I just switched to Phyto and began learning/forcing myself to stetch to avoid overlap that I have previously experienced from a "professional" HA! I'll do it myself cause no one cares as much as I do. They always are rushing or overbooking or taking their sweet time while I wait and suffer with the damage months following...not anymore

 

[Eiano]

YES!!!

My hair was doing so well when I went to one stylist... when I started moving around, (or should I say when she went back to NY and I HAD to move around) my hair started suffering! Goodness! I had amazing progress with Mizani.. when I went to JCP. Then once I moved around, all of the products that USED to work STOPPED working and my hair is a breaking nightmare... Now I go to the Dominican Salons and don't know what they use, its a secret cause they take the little container to a back room and come back with the relaxer in it.


I think I'm gonna start becoming a DIY'er....

 

[halee_J]

Definitely Speaking from experience, it's hard work to balance hair that has had a bad process; especially over-processed hair.

 

[morehairplease]

Definitely Speaking from experience, it's hard work to balance hair that has had a bad process; especially over-processed hair.

co-signing. This is the problem that I am currently faced with now. I plan to relax my hair in April after a 12 month stretch and have yet to decide if whether or not I will get it professionally done or self relax by my dh.

 

[MsSanz92]

I think this is true along with the kind of relaxer being used. When I was relaxed, I started off with ORS lye and it left my hair very healthy and then I switched to Hawaiian Silky which straightened my hair better but eventually lead to me having major breakage(overprocessing) which lead to my transition. If I was ever to relax my hair again, I would probably go back to ORS.

 

[divachyk]

*raises hand* Under processed here! It's been a long battle and it's so exhausting.

 

[sunnieb]

I think this is true. This is one of the main reasons I decided to self-relax.

 

[Toy]

Yes a Good relaxer is the key..