Texlaxers Support Thread

[SignatureBeauty]

i wanna texlax but im so scared someones gonna F it up and get it too straight! and im afraid im gonna miss my coileys :-( did any of you have this problem??

I still had my curls when I did my texlax, since I was natural I just done it and combed thru gently for about 7 Minutes, my hair looked straight when I rinsed, but once it was done, my curls was back, and I touched up like every 3-4 months, that way I would have enough newgrowth to help from overlapping.

I have been thinking of going back, but I wanna use Mizani Butter Blend and see how that is!

 

[LisaLisa1908]

Got my 18 week touch up/texlax last week. I think my stylist did too good of a job blowing it out and flat ironing it, it's VERY straight and I retained most of my growth, but I'm sure it will have some texture when I wash it this weekend.

 

[FreeNewMe]

Hi ladies!!

I'm hoping you can help!! I'm texlaxed 4a/4b every 16 weeks about 12 - 15 min. I initially started about 40 - 50% straight and now I'm maybe 70 - 80% straight(my best guess..I have quite a few textures running through). I'd say over the past year I've had pretty consistent breakage(anywhere from .25 in up to 2 in). While I have been able to reach APL starting from a neck length bob about 2.5 years ago..this breakage is REALLLYYY messing with me.

I haven't changed up much from my routine in the past year or so. I DC once per week I use protein for a few minutes maybe once every 3 - 5 weeks.

I put up a post and someone suggested increasing my protein but typically when I stretch a strand of hair it breaks easily so I'm always afraid to go there. Do you think that may be my problem? I guess in talking it out if I've gradually gone straighter, I may need more.
Any advice/thoughts???

 

[Theresamonet]

Bumping for updates!!!

 

[Aggie]

I am taking a break from the chemicals for a while and I am not sure when or if I will be relaxing/texlaxing it again. If I do, I'll report back then but I will also keep my subscription to this thread to help out the newbies with their questions when I can.

 

[Aggie]

Hi ladies!!

I'm hoping you can help!! I'm texlaxed 4a/4b every 16 weeks about 12 - 15 min. I initially started about 40 - 50% straight and now I'm maybe 70 - 80% straight(my best guess..I have quite a few textures running through). I'd say over the past year I've had pretty consistent breakage(anywhere from .25 in up to 2 in). While I have been able to reach APL starting from a neck length bob about 2.5 years ago..this breakage is REALLLYYY messing with me.

I haven't changed up much from my routine in the past year or so. I DC once per week I use protein for a few minutes maybe once every 3 - 5 weeks.

I put up a post and someone suggested increasing my protein but typically when I stretch a strand of hair it breaks easily so I'm always afraid to go there. Do you think that may be my problem? I guess in talking it out if I've gradually gone straighter, I may need more.
Any advice/thoughts???

Sorry I missed this post but it seems to me that you may have a porosity control problem as well as product build-up. May I suggest trying some clarifying shampoo, DC as normal and follow it up with some porosity control conditioner and a cool water rinse to close up the cuticles.

You may have to use a mild reconstructor followed by deep conditioning once a week. The mild protein actually helps your hair ro hold on to the moisture you add to it.

Try some baggying with natural moisturizers like Alba Botanica leave-in conditioner that doubles as a daily moisturizer. It has no cones or parabens in it so it should work over time to bring some balance back to your hair. Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier should also be a little helpful in your baggying efforts.

I DO NOT recommend keeping protein conditioners/leae-ins on your hair longer than necessary. I try not to go for longer than 15-25 minutes with a little heat from a hooded dryer. Now when I use a moisturizing deep conditioner, I give it more time on my hair.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

Signature Beauty and I are like twins. Texlaxing worked great for me, but I thought natural hair would be easier. It's not for me. I love the natural look, but light texlaxed hair is more healthier for me. No knots to ruin my progress. That is what hurts now. I get a little less shrinkage, but I can live with that. It's the knots that kill my progress. I am glad I BCD though because now I know what direction I will stay in. No more flip flopping.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

Amen my twin!!! LOL!!!

 

[Theresamonet]

Signature Beauty and I are like twins. Texlaxing worked great for me, but I thought natural hair would be easier. It's not for me. I love the natural look, but light texlaxed hair is more healthier for me. No knots to ruin my progress. That is what hurts now. I get a little less shrinkage, but I can live with that. It's the knots that kill my progress. I am glad I BCD though because now I know what direction I will stay in. No more flip flopping.

I have been fully natural for the last 9 mos (with a 4 month transition) and have now decided to texlax. My natural hair looks great but I have to put in maximum effort on a daily basis to get it to look good. I haven't woke up in the morning looking presentable in 13 months. Enough is enough. As soon as I figure out how to do a proper strand test I will be texlaxing.

I am also glad I BC'd. Transitioning to natural was a great experience, and I think every black woman should get to know their natural hair texture. I think this will help us take better care of our hair in any state.

 

[PearlyCurly]

I have been fully natural for the last 9 mos (with a 4 month transition) and have now decided to texlax. My natural hair looks great but I have to put in maximum effort on a daily basis to get it to look good. I haven't woke up in the morning looking presentable in 13 months. Enough is enough. As soon as I figure out how to do a proper strand test I will be texlaxing.

I am also glad I BC'd. Transitioning to natural was a great experience, and I think every black woman should get to know their natural hair texture. I think this will help us take better care of our hair in any state.

Im on the same boat too! I actually like my natural CURLS, but not my texture or thickness. It is too thick for me. I need something to thin-en(sp?) it out! I am getting single knots like crazy, and its killing me My hair also tangles 24/7.. it feels like i never comb my hair!
I actually can not wear it in its natural curly state because it tangles and mats too much..Whats the point of being natural if i cannot enjoy my hair in its natural state??

And dont get me started on moisture, i have tried almost every moisturizer in the game and my hair is still dry! The only time my hair is not as dry is if it is straighten or stretched.

I may texlax my hair, i always know that i can transition back natural, i also always will love my natural hair but i do not wish to take care of it

 

[Vintageglam]

Do any ladies cover all their hair with porosity control to prevent over-processing? Just doing some research. I am thinking of "possibly" Tex-lax when I reach my first hair goal and my edges have filled in...... :scratchch

 

[havilland]

i don't use porosity control. my stylist coats my hair with a moisturizer (i oil my ends the night before i go for touch up as well) and then she uses DESIGN ESSENTIALS LOW LYE RELAXER.

i have to say i love this relaxer for texlax purposes. it allows you to process the hair minimally so you can retain texture and control how much curl you want to remain in the hair. and you don't have to become a mixologist and add oils, etc to the relaxer to get it right.

it's vERY mild and i like that if there is too much curl left you can go back in a few weeks and correct without feeling like you are going to damage your hair. (this only happened to me once the very first time i texlaxed....because i didn't know how much curl to leave in)

 

[SignatureBeauty]

I'm texturized and left alot of curl in my hair, I used MBB, I Loved my natural hair, but did not like that I couldn't keep it moisturized and shea butter did not work or any other product or concotion. So now that I have texturized, My hair is able to hold onto moisture and I can ride with my windows down without my hair being bone dry by the time I get to my destination, and I don't have to carry no spritz bottle either.

Plus it stretches it out a bit, I mean I still get shrinkage but my hair is soft and that is what I wanted to achieve, is softness!!

 

[KnottyGurl]

When I texlaxed, I covered my strands with olive oil to prevent the relaxer from processing the strands while rinsing it out. It worked. I don't know anything about porosity control, but covering the strands would be better than not covering them at all.

Do any ladies cover all their hair with porosity control to prevent over-processing? Just doing some research. I am thinking of "possibly" Tex-lax when I reach my first hair goal and my edges have filled in...... :scratchch

 

[FreeNewMe]

Sorry I missed this post but it seems to me that you may have a porosity control problem as well as product build-up. May I suggest trying some clarifying shampoo, DC as normal and follow it up with some porosity control conditioner and a cool water rinse to close up the cuticles.

You may have to use a mild reconstructor followed by deep conditioning once a week. The mild protein actually helps your hair ro hold on to the moisture you add to it.

Try some baggying with natural moisturizers like Alba Botanica leave-in conditioner that doubles as a daily moisturizer. It has no cones or parabens in it so it should work over time to bring some balance back to your hair. Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier should also be a little helpful in your baggying efforts.

I DO NOT recommend keeping protein conditioners/leae-ins on your hair longer than necessary. I try not to go for longer than 15-25 minutes with a little heat from a hooded dryer. Now when I use a moisturizing deep conditioner, I give it more time on my hair.

Thank you SOO much!!! I'm using the porosity control conditioner now. What would you describe as a mild reconstructer? I currently have affirms 5 min reconstructer, Nexxus Keraphix and Emergencee, Mane N Tail Conditioner and some other something in my Protein arsenal.

 

[arosieworld]

I am not sure what to do. Its only been a little over a month but i have over an inch of new growth and some breakage at the demarcation line. I wore a headband yesterday and I want to blame that but I don't know for sure. I want to stretch if that is healthy for me but if not then I need touch up tips. Any advice is appreciated, if it helps I wear a wash and go.

 

[Ms_Twana]

I am not sure what to do. Its only been a little over a month but i have over an inch of new growth and some breakage at the demarcation line. I wore a headband yesterday and I want to blame that but I don't know for sure. I want to stretch if that is healthy for me but if not then I need touch up tips. Any advice is appreciated, if it helps I wear a wash and go.

Are you gentle when you detangle? Do you focus on the demarcation line when you moisturize? If not, that may be the problem.

 

[arosieworld]

Are you gentle when you detangle? Do you focus on the demarcation line when you moisturize? If not, that may be the problem.

Thanks! Yes my hair detangles super easily in the shower with conditioner and I just use a wide tooth comb. I think my roots are actually very moist. I use a lot of moisture and I have used AO GBP a few times to see if it would stop. It actually feels pretty good I have no idea why the breaks are happening. If it were my ends I'd understand.

 

[Ms_Twana]

Thanks! Yes my hair detangles super easily in the shower with conditioner and I just use a wide tooth comb. I think my roots are actually very moist. I use a lot of moisture and I have used AO GBP a few times to see if it would stop. It actually feels pretty good I have no idea why the breaks are happening. If it were my ends I'd understand.

What section of your hair is breaking (front, back, etc)?

 

[arosieworld]

My front edges and side and nape well everywhere there are a few strands that are only a inch or two long. Not many in comparison to the rest but enough to worry.

 

[Ms_Twana]

My front edges and side and nape well everywhere there are a few strands that are only a inch or two long. Not many in comparison to the rest but enough to worry.

The whole front section of my hair broke off at the demarcation line. I think the culprit was brushing. I wear a bun just about everyday and I was brushing my hair back into that bun just about everyday. Do you brush your hair back into a headband or something?

 

[SmilingElephant]

Okay....so i KNOW somebody else in here is dealing with matting in the nape section of their hair!.....How do you prevent/deal with it?!?

 

[Hersheygurl]

Okay....so i KNOW somebody else in here is dealing with matting in the nape section of their hair!.....How do you prevent/deal with it?!?

Hey SmilingElephant,

I am having more tangles than matting, but know what you're going through. Now that I'm texlaxed ( with relaxed ends), I just can no longer comb my hair while dry once I'm past 4 weeks post touch-up. I lightly spray the nape ( or wherever) hair with my rosewater/glycerin/EVOO Mix and kind of " pick" down the hair with my wide tooth comb. Or, sometimes, I will drizzle coconut oil on my comb before using it to detangle.

Lately, I've been using 2 different conditioners on my hair for wash day. Like moisture on the texlaxed portion, and protein on the relaxed ends and that is helping.

 

[arosieworld]

The whole front section of my hair broke off at the demarcation line. I think the culprit was brushing. I wear a bun just about everyday and I was brushing my hair back into that bun just about everyday. Do you brush your hair back into a headband or something?

No I just use my hands to make a pony tail, I only own a wide tooth comb these days. Its weird because my NG feels very moisturized and so do my strands but they still feel so very different. I am going to do a honey mask and hope it helps. I feel like I should stretch but I did a poll that showed most people retouch between 1-2 inches so I might just send out a prayer and retouch sooner than planned.

 

[Ms_Twana]

No I just use my hands to make a pony tail, I only own a wide tooth comb these days. Its weird because my NG feels very moisturized and so do my strands but they still feel so very different. I am going to do a honey mask and hope it helps. I feel like I should stretch but I did a poll that showed most people retouch between 1-2 inches so I might just send out a prayer and retouch sooner than planned.

Hmmm....How many textures do you have??

 

[Ms_Twana]

Okay ladies. If you look at my siggy, I got a great deal of growth last year in the HYH challenge. Seven months later and I STILL have not gotten that growth. I think I have figured out what the problem may be, and I thought I'd run it past you ladies.

Last year, when I got the growth in the first two pics, I had just gone from natural to texlaxed that year. So my hair was basically all one texture. I have several textures now (I got a different texture with each touch up). I think that may be the culprit. I don't think the different textures are meshing well together. I have see through ends in the last pic in my siggy. I've never had those before. I've also started to wonder if my trimming scissors are dull because I have a lot of split ends.

 

[Hersheygurl]

Ms_Twana,

Your hair is pretty! You may be onto something about the dull scissors. You can do more harm than good if you're trimming with a dull pair. You may want to get some new ones.

I'm not sure what's causing the thin ends since you went from natural to texlaxed. My bonelaxed ends look thin next to my thicker texlaxed hair and it's getting harder not to just cut them off. Whenever my ends seem stringy and growth is stalled, I dust with really sharp scissors and it seems to help. As for the different textures not meshing well, I would like help with that as well.

I would love to hear from texlaxed ladies who transitioned from relaxed without doing a BC (especially those with longer lengths). What did you do with your ends?

 

[prospurr4]

I would love to hear from texlaxed ladies who transitioned from relaxed without doing a BC (especially those with longer lengths). What did you do with your ends?

I transitioned from relaxed-straight/overprocessed hair to texlaxed. When I began, my hair was a little past NL, and I wore spiral sets (a lot) because they hid the two texures well and were low-manipulation, an added bonus. I trimmed gradually until all the thinner were gone.

I'm close to WL, and now that my ends are thicker, I am adamant about protecting them, especially during the touchup process. Before applying the relaxer (I'm a DIYer), I coat my ends with a mixture of vaseline, castor oil and neutralizing shampoo...Yeah, probably overkill.

 

[arosieworld]

Hmmm....How many textures do you have??

Just the 2, new growth and texlaxed. I did a steam treatment last night and that softened everything so maybe I can go another week. It still seems to be breaking though.

 

[Hersheygurl]

I transitioned from relaxed-straight/overprocessed hair to texlaxed. When I began, my hair was a little past NL, and I wore spiral sets (a lot) because they hid the two texures well and were low-manipulation, an added bonus. I trimmed gradually until all the thinner were gone.

Thank you. I think this is what I will do rather than do a BC of straighter relaxed ends. The ends are not split and have thickened up since I stretch for so long, but if I were to do a BC I would lose a lot of length. It doesn't look too crazy when wet either; I just love the look of the thicker texlaxed portion.

I'm close to WL, and now that my ends are thicker, I am adamant about protecting them, especially during the touchup process. Before applying the relaxer (I'm a DIYer), I coat my ends with a mixture of vaseline, castor oil and neutralizing shampoo...Yeah, probably overkill.

I use vaseline , PC, and sometimes a reconstructor on the ends during touch-up, so glad to know I'm not the only one.

BTW, I love your hair!