Relaxing...I need some answers..

[Zakina]

Make me understand..relaxers and relaxing

Warning: You'll have to excuse my ignorance and bare with me cus I don't know much about relaxers at all due to many reasons...one of them being I don't know anyone that has relaxed their hair except for myself. I live in a not so racially diverse country in Europe...

anyway...

So I was twelve when I got my first relaxer. Basically after my first wash my hair went back to it's old state. This must be what is referred to as reverting, right?

(But what is the difference for someone that has been relaxed properly...How does the hair look of someone relaxed bone straight after say 1 yr? Is it not bone straight anymore? And as I've read on this board many people refrain from taking showers more than once a week...is this because the relaxed hair gets less straight with every shower?)

Ok. So...now 8 yrs later....my hair is 3b/c. How can I determine if my hair is still chemically altered...I'm not interested in this so I can claim natural as that is irrelevant..I'm interested in it because I want to know if I am putting my hair in danger if I decide to relax it all over again...

 

[lollyoo]

hi zakina,

So I was twelve when I got my first relaxer. Just around the time I got my first period. And I remember dreading the fact that I had to take a shower when my period ended and that my hair therefore wouldn't be as straight as before. And that was exactly what happened, my hair gradually went back to it's old state. This must be what is referred to as reverting, right?
So I was twelve when I got my first relaxer. Just around the time I got my first period. And I remember dreading the fact that I had to take a shower when my period ended and that my hair therefore wouldn't be as straight as before. And that was exactly what happened, my hair gradually went back to it's old state. This must be what is referred to as reverting, right?

(But what is the difference for someone that has been relaxed properly...How does the hair look of someone relaxed bone straight after say 1 yr? Is it not bone straight anymore? And as I've read on this board many people refrain from taking showers more than once a week...is this because the relaxed hair gets less straight with every shower?)

I think either you hair is not well relaxed, or just the nature of your hair, I can never get my hair bone straight, no matter what it still retain some curl pattern. but its still slightly straight. The advantage is that in summer when I condition wash daily or every other day I can wear my hair curly (although curl pattern not as tight as natural hair).

Reason for not washing daily- for me shampoo can be very drying so only wash twice a week, also it takes long to dry in winter,spring,autumn.
also washing often may lead to much manipulation i.e excessive detangling and all, like i said above i usually break this rule in summer by co-washing.


Ok. So...now 8 yrs later....my hair is 3b/c. How can I determine if my hair is still chemically alterned...I'm not interested in this so I can claim being natural as that is irrelevant..I'm interested in it because I want to know if I am putting my hair in danger if I decide to relax it all over again...

I think in 8yrs you are most likely all natural.


And also has anyone relaxed their entire head at waistlength? I'm not planning on doing it on my own...but does it cause any problems? CANT HELP MY HAIR IS MUCH SHORTER

And I just remembered another thing from when I got my relaxer...Once when it was rainy outside I remember a strange smell coming from my hair ..it was the smell of relaxer...now this is NOT normal right?

It sounds like your hair was not washed properly, this may have contributed to the breakage.

My advice,is to think fully about it before making decision, the protein structure in relaxed hair is altered and hair is more fragile and prone to breakage. It needs cared for properly.
I have you looked into other ways of loosening your curl pattern- e.g milk,yoghurt,lime etc.

 

[Zakina]

thanx for the reply


bumping