Relaxing just the edges...?

[LivingDol1]

I wanted to get an opinion from you guys on this. I told my mom i got a relaxer touch up recently and how terrible my stylist was ("my scalp is burning!" she goes, "wait 2 minutes!".). my mother suggested that i just get the edges touched up and that i leave the center of my hair alone. she said that you just need to keep the edges nice b/c that's the only thing everyone sees.

I'm not sure if I'm too keen on that idea? I'd be worried about breakage where the NG is. I got my touch up 10 weeks after my full relaxer. I know I can wait it out a little longer...

When you get touch ups, do you ever get just "the edges"?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BlackMarilyn]

i've always regretting just doing the edges in the past (i dont do that anymore) because for me, by the time my edges grew out to be relaxed, the inside of my hair was really puffy. (this is before i came to LHCF).

who knows now though, with all the stretching threads out, it may be possible to handle the insides. but also think about the fact that as ur edges are on show, it is susceptible to more environmental damage and relaxing it more often compared to the rest of ur hair may cause it to get even more damaged over time.

hth

 

[PGirl]

I wanted to get an opinion from you guys on this. I told my mom i got a relaxer touch up recently and how terrible my stylist was ("my scalp is burning!" she goes, "wait 2 minutes!".). my mother suggested that i just get the edges touched up and that i leave the center of my hair alone. she said that you just need to keep the edges nice b/c that's the only thing everyone sees.

I'm not sure if I'm too keen on that idea? I'd be worried about breakage where the NG is. I got my touch up 10 weeks after my full relaxer. I know I can wait it out a little longer...

When you get touch ups, do you ever get just "the edges"?

Thanks in advance.

For me, I am trying to stretch my relaxers and retouching the edges early would really defeat the purpose. Instead there are so many techniques you can use to smooth them down.

Here is what I do nightly:

NTM Leave in (about a couple drops to get edges wet)
IC Fantasia Gel
Elasta QP Glaze

Yes I use all 3 of these products and then I tie my hair with a scarf making sure the edges are under the edge of the scarf....

When I wake up in the morning my edges are flat and moisturized without caking, or getting hard. You don't want to use anything that will make your edges hard because they can break off so make sure you moisturize.

This is what works for me. I'm satisfied. And I have some naps right now at 7 weeks post.

 

[~Hair~Fetish~]

Don't do it... Don't do it.... Don't do it!!

For years I would "touch-up" my edges every 3-4 weeks, and yeah it would make my hair look smooth and polished. I didn't realize that my edges were over processed and couldn't figure out for the life of me why the front of my hair was always so much shorter than the rest. Now I know!

Spray some leave-in to wet them, put some moisturizer on them, brush them down, then tie with a scarf. Works even if you only leave it tied down for 5-10 minutes while doing makeup or brushing your teeth.

 

[LongCurlz]

Don't do it... Don't do it.... Don't do it!!

For years I would "touch-up" my edges every 3-4 weeks, and yeah it would make my hair look smooth and polished. I didn't realize that my edges were over processed and couldn't figure out for the life of me why the front of my hair was always so much shorter than the rest. Now I know!

Spray some leave-in to wet them, put some moisturizer on them, brush them down, then tie with a scarf. Works even if you only leave it tied down for 5-10 minutes while doing makeup or brushing your teeth.

Yes tie the edges down with scarf does make my edges straight and flat, its a good method

 

[LivingDol1]

Good to know! thanks for the confirmation and the tips, ladies.

 

[Lanea87]

IC Gel and QP Glaze are the bomb, sometimes I still use my JAM.

 

[MizzBrown]

I remember the girls in college used to do this. They called it a "halo" relaxer.

So long as their edges looked good, they could hold out on their relaxer for a few more weeks.

Edges and nape are the most sensitive parts of your scalp. I would NOT do this. That's why we as black women have a problem keeping our edges.

 

[Lava27]

Did it before and regret it to this day! I say don't do it, jsut wait for whole head touch up

 

[KBA]

I've done it and had no problems, but when I relax the "inside" my stylist has to pin back the recently relaxed edges so they are not overprocessed. This ends up being about an inch in front and the back pinned back. I relax my edges every 5-6 weeks, and the "inside" every 10-12weeks. I couldn't smooth it, no matter the tie downs after 8 weeks, its just a different texture than the inside of my hair.

 

[Thann]

I've been considering doing this for a while and I'm going to give it a try. My plan is to only relax the very fron edges along my hairline. I won't part my hair or anything, just apply it and not past my hairline. I know from previous threads that others do it with no problem, I think its just all about how u do it.

I hope to start stretching my entire head for 6months and my hairline for 3months.