Stretch Relaxer Friendly Products/Airdrying Stretched Relaxed Hair

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JenniferMD

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I’ve been stretching my relaxers ever since I came to this board and my hair LOVES it! The first time I stretched my relaxer I went 9 months and those months weren’t pretty. I struggled with horrible hair days and all sorts of breakage from rough handling.

I’m currently at 6 months post relaxer and I haven’t had 1 horrible hair day yet (well, not one that I didn’t have control over) :laugh: The secret, which isn’t much of a secret is to stay away from products with water! Ladies, if you’re stretching your relaxers please read the ingredients of your products (even staples) to make sure that water isn’t the main ingredient.

Here are the products I use daily:

Moisturizer: Ultra Sheen finishing lotion
Serum: Ultra Sheen Mega Hertz Serum
Oil: Doo Gro Stimulating Hair Oil
Scalp treatment: Surge Ultra Max (not the spray)

I DO NOT encourage the use of the Surge spray during stretching unless you have braids because water is the first ingredient listed in Surge therefore causing the newgrowth to get wavy/curly and making styling very difficult.

How I wash and air dry my hair while stretching:

I comb my hair in sections going back before I wash my hair. After my hair has been detangled I wash my hair in one direction going back. I use a deep conditioner on my hair without manipulating the hair too much (apply going in one direction).

After the deep conditioner has been washed out DO NOT towel dry, let it drip a little. Part your hair in small sections and apply a moisturizer before detangling each section. After your entire head has been detangled place hair in a bun to let dry.

**I know some people have experienced breakage with a wet bun but I haven’t and I attribute this to my moisturizer**

I place a silk scarf over my head after it’s in a bun and usually go to sleep.

Wait a full day before taking your hair out of the bun and re-moisturize in small sections with detangling again, this time: apply extra moisturizer to the ends. Wear the bun for another full day and when you take your hair out it should be straight. Then style as normal :grin:

Anyone else have any stretch relaxer friendly products or routines that help with stretching?
 
This sounds really good. I just got a relaxer yesterday but I want to try and stretch to 12 weeks so I am going to try your routine when it gets close to touch up time. Thanks for sharing!!! :D
 
This sounds wonderful but let me get this straight.

You comb your airdried hair before getting into the shower???? How are you able to do this without breakage? I haven't really mastered airdrying but I know I shouldn't be combing my airdried hair because it doesn't dry straight. I do agree about the water thing. I use oils to seal it in.

I don't have a problem stretching (I'm approaching 5 months). I only comb in the shower while rinsing out conditions, add product afterwards, smooth it back in a loose bun and tie it down. I don't comb it again until the next CO wash.

Please 'splain to me your method using lower level instructions. I'm kinda challenged! LOL

What comb do you use to detangle before washing and how do you handle inches of curly newgrowth?

When you apply your product are you concentrating near the root area? Is this how your able to comb it?
 
Co-signing with JenniferMD. No water products and careful detangling and moisturizing of the roots(especially while they are wet) are keys in your stretch...

Depending on the style, you can and undoubtly need to comb your hair back for washing, IMO.

For instance, say I've been wearing my hair in a high airdried bun. Well, I need my hair to be going in one direction: back. If I jump in the shower as is, it will REALLY tangle. So, I just start parting across, starting at the base using a rattail comb tail, gently seperate and comb the relaxed ends in a downward motion (I never touch my roots) and work my way up. In the end, my hair is going in one general direction. So when I get under the water, it will continue to force the hair back in one direction, instead of me having to detangle in the shower and then comb. I don't comb my hair unless it is drenched in conditioner or directly under running water..

HTH
 
Honi wrote:

This sounds wonderful but let me get this straight.

You comb your airdried hair before getting into the shower???? How are you able to do this without breakage? I haven't really mastered airdrying but I know I shouldn't be combing my airdried hair because it doesn't dry straight. I do agree about the water thing. I use oils to seal it in.

No, I comb my dry hair before getting in the shower (it’s not airdired hair before I enter the shower). My hair is straight after airdrying for two days because my hair dries straight while in the bun.

I don't have a problem stretching (I'm approaching 5 months). I only comb in the shower while rinsing out conditions, add product afterwards, smooth it back in a loose bun and tie it down. I don't comb it again until the next CO wash.

Yeah, when I’m about to wash, is the only time I comb my hair. However, I DO NOT comb my hair in the shower. That’s just asking for breakage for me—with so much newgrowth I can’t risk washing my hair in non-sections. Also, with my hair being 4a/b I cannot comb through wet hair with any significant amount of newgrowth. That just goes to show how different things work for different head :laugh:

Please 'splain to me your method using lower level instructions. I'm kinda challenged! LOL
sure thang! Which part do you need me to explain again? :laugh:

What comb do you use to detangle before washing and how do you handle inches of curly newgrowth?
I use a K-cutter (the big tooth combs with the long handle) to comb my hair. The sections help with the newgrowth problem along with the moisturizer.

When you apply your product are you concentrating near the root area? Is this how your able to comb it?
I concentrate my moisturizer to the ends and pretty much equal along the roots and length. I’m telling you, sectioning off your hair makes combing newgrowth so much easier that working with the roots isn’t a problem at all.
 
WOW Jennifer!!! Your hair looks wonderful in your avatar!:clap: I don't think I could take the chance of going more than 16 to maybe 20 weeks of stretching my relaxer. I am afraid I will have extremely too much breakage if I tried to stretch longer than 16-20 weeks.

Congratulations on achieving 9 months of stretching. I might try your helpful advice in the near future just once to see if I can achieve minimal breakage for such a long period of time and maintain a decent looking style while stretching my relaxers.

Thanks for sharing your tips.
:Rose:
 
Jennifer,

Thanks for your response. Now you've piqued my interest since we are the same hair type.

So start slow nah! LOL

Your saying your hair dries straight because you detangle in small sections AFTER you get out of the shower? Are you using the k-cutter comb also while detangling in sections?
 
I'm sorry-- I think I missed something! How do you style your hair after it has dried straight in the bun? When I do this there's a big dent from the bun...
 
Honi said:
Jennifer,

Thanks for your response. Now you've piqued my interest since we are the same hair type.

So start slow nah! LOL

Your saying your hair dries straight because you detangle in small sections AFTER you get out of the shower? Are you using the k-cutter comb also while detangling in sections?
Click to expand...

:laugh: no problem! My hair dries straight in large part b/c I detangle in small sections and also because after it's in a bun my hair is wrapped in a silk scarf therefore forcing the hair to lay straight. Yes, I use a K-cutter to comb the sections...as of last year I haven't used any other type of comb.
 
bluejay47 said:
I'm sorry-- I think I missed something! How do you style your hair after it has dried straight in the bun? When I do this there's a big dent from the bun...
Click to expand...

Sorry, I forgot to mention that part :laugh: After I wear the bun for two days twist my hair for a twistout for the rest of the week. :)
 
I think the water in my moisterizer is where I have been going wrong. How often do you shampoo and co wash? And will your hair still be properly moisterized without useing waterbased products?
 
SexyC said:
I think the water in my moisterizer is where I have been going wrong. How often do you shampoo and co wash? And will your hair still be properly moisterized without useing waterbased products?
Click to expand...

I wash my hair every week. My hair loves the ultra sheen lotion, it feels better moisturized than when i was using waterbased products. I have my sister hooked on it now.
 
Jen I"m glad you posted this thread, because I've been wondering what your secret to stretching so long was. Could you post a pic of the Ultra Sheen stuff you use please? Thanks for the info :)
 
Thanks for the info JenniferMD. I am stretching my touch-up until the end of April / May so this info will come in handy. BTW your hair looks gorgeous.
 
JenniferMD said:
I wash my hair every week. My hair loves the ultra sheen lotion, it feels better moisturized than when i was using waterbased products. I have my sister hooked on it now.
Click to expand...
Where do you purchase Ultra Sheen products?
 
I can find my moisturizer at almost all local BSSs. I'll be sure to post a picture of the bottle soon in my album.
 
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