Relaxer Stretch
- Thread starter MomofThreeBoys
- Start date
pinkcar2222
New Member
I used to get a touch-up every weeks and what has resulted is really over processed thin hair. I just started stretching in July and so far can only make it to about 7-8 weeks. Right now I am on week 7 and my hair is breaking and shedding now already. ( 4b relaxed ) I did a protein condish w/ mayo and egg and a moisturizing condish and it's still breaking and shedding. I have hair all over the place and it seems to be getting thinner.
To work w/ some of the breakage and new growth, I sectioned my hair in 4 parts, sprayed the new growth w/ s-curl and sealed w/ wgo oil.
Since I don't know how to braid is it ok that I put my 4 way parted hair in scrunchies? I don't have them in tight just enough to keep in held together and parted.
Is this ok?
To work w/ some of the breakage and new growth, I sectioned my hair in 4 parts, sprayed the new growth w/ s-curl and sealed w/ wgo oil.
Since I don't know how to braid is it ok that I put my 4 way parted hair in scrunchies? I don't have them in tight just enough to keep in held together and parted.
Is this ok?
almondjoi85
New Member
I had never heard of a relaxer stretch until I found this forum. I would always relax my hair every 6 weeks or so when I had a major KITCHEN! I can't take having a kitchen .... i'm self conscious about the naps :-(
cocoaluv
Well-Known Member
Someone please help this lady out!!! I dont know what to tell you to do but if my hair was breaking off and thinning I'd be going crazy.
Do you deep condition?
vivEz daNs lamouR
Well-Known Member
The last time I got a perm was August 7th, so right now I'm almost 12 weeks post, trying to stretch until December 7th to make an even 16 weeks.
I've NEVER done this before.. usually I habitually get a perm every 8 weeks. God help me!
I've NEVER done this before.. usually I habitually get a perm every 8 weeks. God help me!
SouthernTease
New Member
I'm not stretching... transitioning... 40 weeks (10 months)
into my transition.
Low Manipulation is KEY!!!
I can't stress that enough.
Biggest lesson I ever learned on LHCF.
into my transition.
Low Manipulation is KEY!!!
I can't stress that enough.
Biggest lesson I ever learned on LHCF.
Tiffanyantt
New Member
10-12 weeks is the max for me
bbdgirl
New Member
Right now I am at week 11 and I my hair is okay. I am really enjoying the texture, just not enjoying trying to comb it. It is a litte fuzzy in the front but I will slick i;t down with coconut oil tomorrow hopefully that will help. I am not sure when I will get a touch up. I thought January 1st but now I am not so sure I will just wait and see. B/c going natural is calling me again. My hair was just so strong when it was natural.
snugglez41685
Well-Known Member
Right Now is the longest stretch I've done so far. My Last touch up was sometime in September 07. So I don't know exactly how many weeks that is but I'm proud of myself for controlling my breakage. Usually I couldn't go this far!
miami74
New Member
Good luck! I am attempting to stretch to 14 weeks. I'm hanging in there so far.
I longer my hair gets, to longer I will stretch. This last week was my longest in a while. 
It was 12 weeks. So my next perm is not due until June 15th. I will hold in there. I may have to wait even longer, because my beautician overlapped the perm. So my ends are shot.
So text time I relax, I will get a trim. 12 weeks is for me!
It was 12 weeks. So my next perm is not due until June 15th. I will hold in there. I may have to wait even longer, because my beautician overlapped the perm. So my ends are shot.So text time I relax, I will get a trim. 12 weeks is for me!
SimpleKomplexity
New Member
More power to ya. Anything beyond 8 weeks and I've got a major fight on my hands.
YUP! I thought all my hair was going to fall out!
Ummalhadiqah
New Member
I strech to about 14 to 16 weeks. I cant go longer than that without looking really "toeup". lol
filthyfresh
New Member
I'm 23 weeks post, I only have one more week to go for my 6 month stretch. I didn't think I could do it, honestly. But I've managed to do it. I was actually transitioning in the beginning, but I miss my relaxed hair. If I do decide to go natural, I'm going to wear a wig until I'm ready to BC. Because I hate having two textures. I'd rather just go big or go home.
Sorry to report that I had to do a touchup in March "08 because I couldn't go any longer. I gained about 5 inches of new growth but I didn't relax everybit because I was afraid of overprocessing so I used my faithful Profectiv Healthy Ends and apply it to areas that I did not want relaxed, well after neutralizing I realized I might have used too much profectiv because I have about a 2 inch section in the middle that haven't been relaxed. So I plan to do a corrective in the next 16/18 weeks during my next retouch...Ok, now it's Jan. 2008 and I've stretched up to 11 months.. I've been wearing braids for the last 8 months and intend to take them down the last week of May which would make it 15 months...Can't wait...
I'll post pictures in another couple of weeks to show my progress.
.
MD_Lady
Well-Known Member
I’m a 4a (mostly) and I get my hair relaxed every 6 weeks. I used to wait 8 weeks, but it didn’t work out so well.
I’d really like to stretch to 8 weeks, but I’m afraid I’ll have quite a bit of breakage (especially near my nape where the hair is coarsest and driest). I’d like to think that co-washing and careful conditioning and moisturizing will help me, but I’m just not sure.
Can anyone share any advice or thoughts?
I’d really like to stretch to 8 weeks, but I’m afraid I’ll have quite a bit of breakage (especially near my nape where the hair is coarsest and driest). I’d like to think that co-washing and careful conditioning and moisturizing will help me, but I’m just not sure. Can anyone share any advice or thoughts?
MD_Lady
Well-Known Member
Could your hair look thinner because of the contrast between the texture of your new growth and relaxed hair? The texture of my new growth is coiled much tighter than my relaxed hair. As a result, my relaxed hair doesn’t lay as flat (if that makes any sense) when I have quite a bit of new growth. My ends wind up looking pretty thin and scraggly, even though I haven't really lost all that much hair to shedding.
You should also make sure to keep your hair hydrated. I’d been having some major breakage in the back of my hair for quite some time. It finally dawned on me that, while I could oil other parts of my scalp every other day, that part of my hair needed daily attention. You might find that you need to oil the driest areas of your scalp before your roots in that area feel dry. I’ve tried doing this and it’s helped me quite a bit.
Good luck!
filthyfresh
New Member
I’m a 4a (mostly) and I get my hair relaxed every 6 weeks. I used to wait 8 weeks, but it didn’t work out so well.
You've got the right idea so far. I'm mostly 4A as well, which I didn't know until I started stretching. If you wash your hair weekly, co-wash when necessary and keep it well moisturized, then you should be able to stretch to 8 weeks. Do you use heat a lot? I noticed when I limited my direct heat (blowdrying, flat ironing) to once a week, it made a real difference in my hair. I've stretched for 23 weeks now, when I've never stretched longer than 8-12 weeks before. So my advice would be:
1. Cut down on heat usage, if you can.
2. Implement some protein in your regimen if you haven't.
3. Moisturize 2x a day. I usually do it before I go to bed and before I leave in the morning.
HTH.
MD_Lady
Well-Known Member
You've got the right idea so far. I'm mostly 4A as well, which I didn't know until I started stretching. If you wash your hair weekly, co-wash when necessary and keep it well moisturized, then you should be able to stretch to 8 weeks. Do you use heat a lot? I noticed when I limited my direct heat (blowdrying, flat ironing) to once a week, it made a real difference in my hair. I've stretched for 23 weeks now, when I've never stretched longer than 8-12 weeks before. So my advice would be:
1. Cut down on heat usage, if you can.
2. Implement some protein in your regimen if you haven't.
3. Moisturize 2x a day. I usually do it before I go to bed and before I leave in the morning.
HTH.
Thanks for the suggestions!
I do a light protein (ORS hair mayo qualifies as a 'light protein', right?) weekly. I use a more intense protein treatment (with a Paul Mitchell product) as it gets closer to my relaxer because that's when the shedding picks up. I DC with Phyto hair masque (I don't recall the exact name) after the intense treatment.
I use a hair drier after I wash or co-wash. I haven't quite figured out how to pull off styling without using a hair drier after I co-wash.
I moisturize/oil my scalp nightly and spot treat as needed in the morning. Whatever I put on my hair doesn't absorb right away, so I'm kind of worried about have oily hair when I leave for work in the morning. That's another trick that I haven't mastered, but I'm working on it.
filthyfresh
New Member
Thanks for the suggestions!
I do a light protein (ORS hair mayo qualifies as a 'light protein', right?) weekly. I use a more intense protein treatment (with a Paul Mitchell product) as it gets closer to my relaxer because that's when the shedding picks up. I DC with Phyto hair masque (I don't recall the exact name) after the intense treatment.
I use a hair drier after I wash or co-wash. I haven't quite figured out how to pull off styling without using a hair drier after I co-wash.
I moisturize/oil my scalp nightly and spot treat as needed in the morning. Whatever I put on my hair doesn't absorb right away, so I'm kind of worried about have oily hair when I leave for work in the morning. That's another trick that I haven't mastered, but I'm working on it.
Everything sounds good, seems like you need to moisturize your ends and seal with oil. I used to oil my scalp too, but like you said I'd have oily hair in the morning. I moisturize my ends with Elasta QP Mango Butter & seal with an oil (like Kemi Oyl, EVOO, Castor Oil, Grapeseed Oil, etc. whatever I have lying around). I think that might work better for you, IMO. Once I started just focusing on my ends, I didn't need to oil my scalp. Unless you're using a growth aid, you shouldn't have to do too much to your scalp. HTH.
miami74
New Member
I’m a 4a (mostly) and I get my hair relaxed every 6 weeks. I used to wait 8 weeks, but it didn’t work out so well.
I pretty much do what filthyfresh stated. I'm currently 13 weeks post and will be relaxing this weekend at 14 weeks. I used to relax every 5-6 weeks. Another thing that helped me is prepooing on dry hair with conditioner and coconut milk each time I washed/CW (2xs a week). It helped to soften up my NG tremendously. I did have to start doing a mild to moderate protein treatment weekly by 10 weeks. I use ORS Hair Mayo and Capilo Miel y Leche (dominican product) mixed with coconut milk and honey, as a prepoo. I follow with a DC 2xs a week as well with moisturizing conditioners. Since then my breakage has stopped tremendously. I only comb my hair on wash days as well. Daily protective styling helped reduce my manipulation as well. Good luck to you.
Last edited:
filthyfresh
New Member
I do that too! LOL. I forgot to mention the coconut milk.
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