Self-Relaxing Ladies, offer your wisdom.

[lana]

I think build up on the scalp will help with not burning from relaxing. I base my scalp anyways, but I always try to wait at least 3 days after washing so that I don't have burning (a week is better).

My first texlax went great. I had silky beautiful hair that could air dry or blow out easily. I was in love and hooked! My hair has continued to grow and flourish with my own hands doing all the styling.

I follow most of the steps listed here, one thing that made a difference for me was that I use a reconstructor prior to neutralizing. That really helped strengthen my hair. Oh and I texlax, but I tend to rotate how long I will let the relaxer sit on my hair so that I don't overprocess.

 

[twinkletoes17]

BASE BASE BASE!
I can never get relaxer on new growth only *sigh* One day maybe lol.

Also, I condition before I neutralize. I've had better results that way.

 

[Aggie]

My first attempt about a year ago came out a little underprocessed because I didn't want to overprocess it so I had to do a corrective on it less than 3 weeks later and it came out much much better. Now I do a pretty darn good job on relaxing my own hair now.

 

[locabouthair]

I'm gonan try this again next weekend. Pray for me ya'll. I'm at my wits end right now with this hair.

I self relaxed the first time and my hair came out really underprocessed but I didnt use enough relaxer and I didnt make the parts small enough.

 

[Anna9764]

I also self relax, I found that using a Mild no-lye (I prefer) allows me more time without burning to apply evenly. My hair still nice and straight, maybe miss a few spots in the top or back. I can live with that When it grows totally out of hand again will probably seek assistance from a girlfriend, I can handle it myself for now.

 

[*Muffin*]

I can self relax (and I did last time I relaxed), but I really don't like doing it. I self-relaxed two months ago to test and see if I could do it, and I can, it's just that it came out under processed in some places and I had to touch up a few spots a couple of days later. My advice is to know which areas for you take a longer time to process and apply the relaxer there first and know what areas process quickly and be sure to do them last.

 

[VettaVetta]

will try that next month

 

[soulie]

I just did my touchup tonight. What really helped me was this: I washed my hair 3 days ago and let it air dry. I did absolutely NOTHING to smooth my new growth or to make it flatter. Tonight I put Phyto Nectar pre-shampoo oil treatment on the length of my hair below the NG and based my scalp with the stuff that came in the kit. I swear I could have done that touchup in the dark - the NG was just "ridge-y"; it was really, really easy to feel it, even through the plastic gloves. I think the only overlap I got was from parting my hair with my gloved fingers because my gloves already had relaxer on them.

 

[cookie1]

Two steps that I found very beneficial the last time I self relaxed. I used the Ultra Sheen Duo Tex after rinsing out the relaxer and before nuetralizing, I also used Porosity Control after I nuetralized and before conditioning. My hair came out very silky and it did not have that "just permed feeling".

I actually taught my boyfriend how to relax my hair

it started a few months ago when I had NG and I just couldnt cough up the 60-80 dollars for a touch up. It seemed like a waste of money because I had all the tools I needed here at home and I knew how. So I told my bf the situation and he agreed to do it saving me some $$ and time.

He is pretty good with it and he doesnt overlap.

My fiancee relax my hair also...I thought i was the only one...sometimes he moves too slow though but, it's always so straight when he does it.

 

[Angelicus]

What really helped me was relaxing the front part of my hair first, then relaxing the back part of my hair 3-4 days later. This really minimized my underprocessing that I had in the past.

 

[Anna9764]

I recommend a MILD of whatever king of relaxer you choose. Better safe than sorry Anna

 

[Anna9764]

kind of relaxer. Sorry typo.

 

[newflowers]

I started relaxing my own hair 30 years ago when I waas 15, but what I remember is the crown was underprocessed, and the rest was fine. Sometimes, it was perfect, but I would always get breakage. Over the years I still self-relaxed with the occasional trip to the salon. The stylist was better than I was and goodness knows I love having someone wash my hair for me, but I would get burns like crazy that way - so no more salons for many years now.

I discovered Phytospecific about five or six years ago - this was it for me. Everytime I got cheap (or was broke) and tried something else, it was never good, so I finally decided to stick with what works, and, for me, Phyto is it. After joining this board, I received such great tips, that I am now a pro with perfect self-relaxing techniques and results everytime.

One of my major errors in the past was not being paitent with rinsing and neutralizing. Now, I know better. One of the best suggestions I ever received was to use an acv rinse to help lower the pH immediately - doing this gets to the white suds immediately. I rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse - like a full five minutes. Then I use the reconstructor that comes with the kit into which I have mixed silk amino acids and hydrolyzed wheat protein. I slather this on, wait exactly one minute, and then rinse again. Then the first shampoo, and then I put a 1/2 cup of acv in a quart of water (I have this already prepared), pour it over my head,let it drip for about 30ish seconds, and then wash three or four more times. I have white suds immediately after the acv rinse, but I have to be sure. After this, I use the second half of the reconstructor mix, wait about five minutes and rinse, rinse, rinse again. Then I put on a deep moisturizing conditioner with a bag and do stuff for an hour or so, and then rinse again and set.

Three days later when I wash again, I do another deep moisturizing conditioner and then another three days and a protein and then mositure again. I used to have breakage - no more and I thank the wonderful ladies here for helping me to develop my method that is working so well. My hair is straight with body, healthy, soft, and strong. I am a happy girl.

I would say one of the most important things is to not be stingy with products - relaxer, shampoo, conditioner, and especially water - rinse, rinse, rinse - and when you think you're well rinsed - do it again. I know my crown is more resistant that the rest of my hair, so I apply relaxer there first - works great.

 

[BlueNile]

What really helped me was relaxing the front part of my hair first, then relaxing the back part of my hair 3-4 days later. This really minimized my underprocessing that I had in the past.

I do this too, except I relax the back first and then the front 3 days later. I was able to stretch to 3 months for the first time using this method

 

[locabouthair]

I think the only overlap I got was from parting my hair with my gloved fingers because my gloves already had relaxer on them.

I had this problem too.

What really helped me was relaxing the front part of my hair first, then relaxing the back part of my hair 3-4 days later. This really minimized my underprocessing that I had in the past.

I did this and it helped me a lot too. I think I will continue to do it this way in the future. The only bad thing is that I use no lye, so if I wait days apart then I'll have to buy two boxes.

 

[star]

I had this problem too.



I did this and it helped me a lot too. I think I will continue to do it this way in the future. The only bad thing is that I use no lye, so if I wait days apart then I'll have to buy two boxes.

Just split the kit up into two. Get an empty container and only use half creame and half activator.

 

[locabouthair]

Just split the kit up into two. Get an empty container and only use half creame and half activator.

Why didnt I think of that

I'm feeling MAD stupid right now

 

[IWantBSl09]

Oh man, I can't wait to self relax in May, Im 12 weeks post right, trying to go for a 6 month stretch. This will be the first time ever that I stretched for 6mos on top self relaxing for the time. I'm going to use silk elements regular. I'll probably have so much new growth by then it'll be insane. I don't know if I'm going to wait until the full six months though, but I'm going to try!

 

[topnotch1010]

I actually taught my boyfriend how to relax my hair

it started a few months ago when I had NG and I just couldnt cough up the 60-80 dollars for a touch up. It seemed like a waste of money because I had all the tools I needed here at home and I knew how. So I told my bf the situation and he agreed to do it saving me some $$ and time.

He is pretty good with it and he doesnt overlap.

My fiancee relax my hair also...I thought i was the only one...sometimes he moves too slow though but, it's always so straight when he does it.

I thought I was the only one too! I taught my hubby how to relax my hair as well. He does it when I don't feel like it.

 

[favorc]

1: Base your scalp

2: use the mildest relaxer

3. Put vasoline on all the hair except the new growth.

4: put relaxer in and the rinse right out and nutrelize.

I don't like the whole bone stright thing. to me it makes the hair weak and thin. I like texture and thickness. Not knocking anybody who do the whole bone stright thing, it's just not for me.

 

[baddison]

I relax in sections. It always comes out perfect. No overprocessed or underprocessed areas, because each section get the exact same processing time, and the exact same TLC. I use the Mizani Butter Blends relaxer complete system, in Mild. I use mild on my corse 4a/b hair because I'm not really looking for bone straight.

Check out my fotki for step by step on how I relax in sections.
http://public.fotki.com/baddison/2009/new-year-new-challenge/

 

[locabouthair]

I'm going to section my hair like this from now on.

http://public.fotki.com/luvmesumhair/cathy-howse-method/2009/update-3109/touchup3109003.html

 

[LushLox]

I'm going to section my hair like this from now on.

http://public.fotki.com/luvmesumhair/cathy-howse-method/2009/update-3109/touchup3109003.html

So did you do your self relaxer or have you not done it yet?

 

[locabouthair]

So did you do your self relaxer or have you not done it yet?

I've done it. I've done it about three times so far. Some parts came out under processed because I didn't work as quickly as I should have and I didn't apply a generous amount of relaxer. I think those two things are most important if you want good results.

 

[locabouthair]

One thing I wish i did from the beginning was to get a shampoo hose. They sell them for like 4 dollars at the BSS. It's pretty easy to connect it to your faucet. It's much easier for me to rinse out the relaxer this way.

One time I tried washing it out in the shoer and I missed some spots and it broke off to the ng. So I'll be using the hose from now on.

 

[mezzogirl]

I relax in sections. It always comes out perfect. No overprocessed or underprocessed areas, because each section get the exact same processing time, and the exact same TLC. I use the Mizani Butter Blends relaxer complete system, in Mild. I use mild on my corse 4a/b hair because I'm not really looking for bone straight.

Check out my fotki for step by step on how I relax in sections.
http://public.fotki.com/baddison/2009/new-year-new-challenge/

Wow! Your hair has made some great progress.

 

[longhairgoal]

In the times past when I have underprocessed, it was mostly b/c I was being stingy with the relaxer. Glob that mess on the new growth, chile! This is the one time where conservation of product (and water when rinsing it out) goes completely out the window

I totally agree. I have been self-relaxing with Dark and Lovely relaxer since I paid $140 to have my hair relaxed with a new stylist who insisted that I didn't really "need" a relaxer. (Like anyone does). So I thought, "Well, then, why am I paying you?"

I love the new Dark and Lovely relaxer with shea butter. It is very moisturizing and makes my hair shine. I never mix half the contents; I always mix the whole thing and just throw out what I don't need. I know some people don't like this brand, but I love it. It's simple, consistent and it works for my hair.