ajoyfuljoy
Well-Known Member
OK. I've been toying with the idea of transitioning, up to last week. I relaxed last night. I'm just going to stay relaxed and stop having identity crisises with my hair.
So anyway, I relaxed last night. I have been a self-relaxer for several years now and i have always, always burned myself. And I always, always burned when others did my hair. I have AlWAYS burned. Last night was the first time that I didn't even feel a tingle. And really, the solution has been so simple all the time.
I've always been one of those people that just start slapping the relaxer on frantically and then smooth until I can't take it anymore. Turns out, that is NOT a good idea for me. I used Hawaiian Silky Lye. I processed for the maximum time of 25 minutes.
I did the bottom half of my hair and then the top half (using LondonDivas showercap method). What I did was, I applied the relaxer to my NG and stopped maybe 1/3 inch before my scalp. I made sure not to get it on my scalp. I applied for 5 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes and did nothing. And then I smoothed the last ten minutes and got the relaxer close to my scalp and onto my scalp if that happened while I was smoothing. I only had to go through it twice. Letting the relaxer sit on my hair was the majority of the work and it was very effortless and stressless.
The result. No burns! No tingles either! And the HS relaxer didn't process me totally straight. I'm about 90% straight but not bone straight. It's great! It is like it will only process the hair so far, and that is opposite my experience with many no-lye relaxers. So I am a very happy camper.
I did base my scalp also with this special scalp "baser" that Optimum Care makes.
This has been my perennial problem with relaxing. But now that I know how to not burn (and now that I have a relaxer that doesn't make me bone straight) I can feel more secure and confident in continuing to relax my hair
Just wanted to say that
So anyway, I relaxed last night. I have been a self-relaxer for several years now and i have always, always burned myself. And I always, always burned when others did my hair. I have AlWAYS burned. Last night was the first time that I didn't even feel a tingle. And really, the solution has been so simple all the time.
I've always been one of those people that just start slapping the relaxer on frantically and then smooth until I can't take it anymore. Turns out, that is NOT a good idea for me. I used Hawaiian Silky Lye. I processed for the maximum time of 25 minutes.
I did the bottom half of my hair and then the top half (using LondonDivas showercap method). What I did was, I applied the relaxer to my NG and stopped maybe 1/3 inch before my scalp. I made sure not to get it on my scalp. I applied for 5 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes and did nothing. And then I smoothed the last ten minutes and got the relaxer close to my scalp and onto my scalp if that happened while I was smoothing. I only had to go through it twice. Letting the relaxer sit on my hair was the majority of the work and it was very effortless and stressless.
The result. No burns! No tingles either! And the HS relaxer didn't process me totally straight. I'm about 90% straight but not bone straight. It's great! It is like it will only process the hair so far, and that is opposite my experience with many no-lye relaxers. So I am a very happy camper.
I did base my scalp also with this special scalp "baser" that Optimum Care makes.
This has been my perennial problem with relaxing. But now that I know how to not burn (and now that I have a relaxer that doesn't make me bone straight) I can feel more secure and confident in continuing to relax my hair
Just wanted to say that
I know exactly how you feel. I also followed LondonDiva's method for my virgin relaxer in Dec. '08!! Fabulous. Congratulations to you again. Its such a relief to know that you are in TOTAL control of your hair. 
