Stretching Your Relaxer AND Avoiding Heat

[TeesAndCake]

I saw there are a lot of other relaxed ladies- and a lot of you are stretching your relaxers...

I need help!

My hair is barely shoulder length and I can just get into a small ponytail and it's not really a style I'd want to wear to work or out-

If I stretch my relaxer, I end up using a lot of heat just to do anything with it. My hair grows fast in the middle and there's like an inch of NG so my hair is very PUFFY there and my edges need Moses and holy water to be laid down.

How are you managing your hair during a stretch as far as styling without heat?

 

[sunnieb]

Hey there!

If I can do it, you can do it!

I haven't used direct heat since December 2010.

Check out my airdrying album on how I do the scarf method:
http://public.fotki.com/sunnieb/2010/how-i-air-dry-my-hair/

Here's another album on how I stretch my newgrowth with a ponytail rollerset:
http://public.fotki.com/sunnieb/rollersettingstretc/

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[Raspberry]

You can also try twist-outs, braid-outs, and bantu knot-outs.. All are pretty easy to set at night and undo in the morning for a cute look...plus these styles work with puffy roots and not against them.

 

[lovebug10]

I rollerset my hair every week. My new growth isn't straight but its stretched (especially when I use mesh rollers w/ the pins) and a lot easier to manage. To rollerset I use Paul Mitchell Moisture Mist & Paul Mitchel Super Skinny Serum. Then I roll and dryer under a hooded dryer. This is indirect heat so it isn't damaging.

Afterwards I do pony tails, buns, or I wear my hair out with headbands (thicker ones work better when I'm deep into a stretch). Also I find that head bands without the teeth don't snag my little baby hairs in the front.

If I am going somewhere fancy I'll blowdry after the rollerset, but the relaxed ends are usually curled and bouncy and have alot of volume (especially with the texture from my new growth). I try to avoid this if I can.

One of my favorite styles is making a french braid or a flat twist with my hair in the front & leaving the rest out or putting the rest it up into a pony tail. It looks nice because it blends the edges well and the relaxed ends are still bouncy and silky from the rollerset.

I do a bunch of variations of those with twists/ braids/ flat twists in the front to keep my roots somewhat flat. It helps blend my textured edges with my relaxed ends.

Hope this helps!!


ETA: I used these pictures b/c i dont have any pictures in the styles I mentioned. Sorry if they are kind of big... I don't know how to resize them. Personally I think this looks better on textured hair because textured hair is less flat looking than the straight hair in the models above.

 

[Raspberry]

One of my favorite styles is making a french braid or a flat twist with my hair in the front & leaving the rest out or putting the rest it up into a pony tail. It looks nice because it blends the edges well and the relaxed ends are still bouncy and silky from the rollerset.

I do a bunch of variations of those with twists/ braids/ flat twists in the front to keep my roots somewhat flat. It helps blend my textured edges with my relaxed ends.

lovebug10 I love those styles on textured and relaxed hair. A girl at my church with gorgeous relaxed hair had something similar and I stopped and stared lol.

I would love to try it but I'm not sure if the styles are a little young for me, say on the job? Im' 31.

 

[TeesAndCake]

sunnieb I love your ponytail rollerset- I need to grow my hair a bit more to try it but I will definitely start air-drying... I'm so used to my handy dandy blow dryer!!

lovebug10 I'll probably invest in a hooded dryer for rollersets if it's not damaging. That style is soooo cute!!! But I have no clue how to braid my own hair! Haha

 

[naturalpride]

At your current length a bantu knot out may work also you could try a rod set.

 

[lovebug10]

Raspberry I think it would work for any age group. If you want it to look more professional then you should make the twist/ braid more crisp/ clean. Whereas hanging out with some girl friends or just running errands you can make a looser/ messier twist. Like I would wear a messy bun to the mall or something but a proper bun with pins and my hair slicked all the way back for an interview!

TeesAndCake hooded dryers are the best! I personally prefer the hard hat ones however, if you're on a budget soft bonnet dryers may be slightly cheaper. I decided the expense was worth it though for a good hard hat hooded dryer since I use it often and I can use it for HOTs, DC, protein treatments and drying my rollersets.

 

[Evolving78]

roller sets will give you life!

 

[Raspberry]

roller sets will give you life!

shortdub78 One day I swear I'm gonna do a rollerset myself but today I'm letting my stylist do it.. can't wait

 

[Evolving78]

shortdub78 One day I swear I'm gonna do a rollerset myself but today I'm letting my stylist do it.. can't wait

watch her/him and ask questions.

 

[sunnieb]

lovebug10 - I love your response!

This is exactly how I feel when I'm styling my hair after about 7 weeks post.

I take advantage of my thick roots and do styles that highlight them instead of hiding them. Does that make sense???

 

[sunnieb]

@lovebug10 I love those styles on textured and relaxed hair. A girl at my church with gorgeous relaxed hair had something similar and I stopped and stared lol.

I would love to try it but I'm not sure if the styles are a little young for me, say on the job? Im' 31.

Girl, you a baby!

I plan on trying those styles and I'm 39! I'll post pics if I can get them to look decent.

 

[TeesAndCake]

I have a question... LOL... What do you do in the summer when your hair hits that heat/humidity/sweat?!

I went out last weekend after getting my new growth nice and smooth- the place was hot and two hours later... now, I'm head banding it for the rest of the week...