There are a lot of relaxer questions lately...

[meka72]

Like @water_n_oil said, it's seborrheic dermatitis. Extended times between washes tends to cause flare ups for me. Inflamed scalp, itchiness, flakes and can even cause hair loss if not controlled.

After reading this thread, I just realized that I have this. There’s this one spot that gets inflamed and flaky and when there’s a flare up, the strands of hair basically slide out of my scalp.

After googling SD and reading an article at naturally curly, I realized that I didn’t have this issue when I washed my hair weekly and did an ACV rinse.

 

[waff]

After reading this thread, I just realized that I have this. There’s this one spot that gets inflamed and flaky and when there’s a flare up, the strands of hair basically slide out of my scalp.

After googling SD and reading an article at naturally curly, I realized that I didn’t have this issue when I washed my hair weekly and did an ACV rinse.

SD is very common especially if you have sensitive skin or/and eczema on your body, most likely you will have some skin condition on your scalp. I tried so many shampoos and potions through out the years, and I find that two things keep the symptoms and flare ups from showing up: Frequent washing and oil scalp massages.

Nizoral use to be something that helped in the past, but it's not effective anymore, as if my scalp became resistant of the active ingredients with time.

 

[Mapleoats]

After reading this thread, I just realized that I have this. There’s this one spot that gets inflamed and flaky and when there’s a flare up, the strands of hair basically slide out of my scalp.

After googling SD and reading an article at naturally curly, I realized that I didn’t have this issue when I washed my hair weekly and did an ACV rinse.

I don’t know if it was SD, but I used to have a very flakey itchy scalp. Diluted ACV applied directly to my scalp and not rinsed out 2-3 times a week really helped. Then I only had to do it 1x a week to keep the flakes away. However I will say that, since I switched to using a water softener, I no longer have issues with my scalp.

 

[Rastafarai]

I haven't noticed the shift to relaxers. I would think people would want to stay natural because of the pandemic. You have time now to experiment with your natural hair and learn how to style and treat it.

Agreed. We should all have longer strands by the time this pandemic is over .

I anticipate being back in the office by next Spring/Summer. My napps better be close to MBL unstretched . I'm losing weight too. I'll be walking back in the office slayed.

 

[meka72]

I don’t know if it was SD, but I used to have a very flakey itchy scalp. Diluted ACV applied directly to my scalp and not rinsed out 2-3 times a week really helped. Then I only had to do it 1x a week to keep the flakes away. However I will say that, since I switched to using a water softener, I no longer have issues with my scalp.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[meka72]

SD is very common especially if you have sensitive skin or/and eczema on your body, most likely you will have some skin condition on your scalp. I tried so many shampoos and potions through out the years, and I find that two things keep the symptoms and flare ups from showing up: Frequent washing and oil scalp massages.

Nizoral use to be something that helped in the past, but it's not effective anymore, as if my scalp became resistant of the active ingredients with time.

I have/had skin disorders mostly things that can be easily treated. But the connection between scalp issues and other skin problems makes sense.

Thank you for your suggestions!

 

[BklynHeart]

I've seen some people on youtube making big proclamations about them going back to relaxers. That's nice, just go lol!

I can't be bothered with trying to find out if a salon is opened, making sure I don't go over 10 weeks or I would get massive shedding/breakage because of the hair difference.

Plus, my hair is picky I couldn't go to just any salon and let them do my hair. The spot I used to go was in the Bronx for over 13 years. When the owner moved away, I spent 2 years trying to find a place where a stylist cared for my hair with no success.

 

[levette]

Imo you can still be natural and just flat iron 2 x a month And achieve heat trained hair without the chemicals. To me that is a middle ground versus going back to chemicals and risk scalp problems, hair issues and other health risk from long term use of Relaxers. But of course we have all have choices for managing our hair

 

[starfish]

I’m 52 and went natural before a lot of you were born. In my generation you got a relaxer and I caught hell for going natural. This was before a lot of products for natural hair were developed.

Back then women had long relaxed hair because this was before women started using flat irons (and the heat damage that happens now) and and women kept it simple, simply because there weren’t so many products.

I went back to relaxers and have had them ever since. For 30 years. When I first joined this board I was BSL but became a product junkie, and my stylist kept telling me to stop it and stop listening to people online who don’t have a cosmetology license.

He was right, because when I stopped using all those products and steps and learned more about my hair and listened to what he suggested, I was MBL. I’m MBL now with thick healthy ends and all I do is weekly washes, condition, leave in, and oil on my ends. I never put direct heat on my hair, only air dry and roller set. Trims every 8 weeks. But I’m lucky, my stylist is awesome and knows how to take care of relaxed hair. I’ve been going to him for 18 years and I’ve never seen a client of his shorter than BSL.

All those natural protective styles aren’t necessarily protecting hair if it’s not taken care of. It’s been my experience that women I know who swear their hair is natural WL, go get a silk press after years of no trims and protective styles, their ends are so damaged and see through you can see straight to their soul, and they have to cut it off.

I say all this to say healthy hair has nothing to do with being natural or relaxed, it’s all about how well you take care of it, and what you’re willing to do to make and keep it healthy.

 

[levette]

I do think relaxers are easy and pretty. But it’s equivalent to putting Liquid Drano in your hair to dissolve the kinks as a hair stylist told me who advocates wearing natural hair. I still believe thaT flat ironing On clean hair with heat protectant is safer than using relaxers long-term year after year as long you don’t use it to much. Relaxers are linked to fibroids plus scalp conditions , etc that can yield to irreparable damage. I would rather have shorter heat retrained hair with A healthy scalp And no risk of scalp burns than super long relaxed hair which is prone to scalp burns, overlapping of chemicals, and eventually thinning hair after many years of usage

 

[lorr1e1]

I do think relaxers are easy and pretty. But it’s equivalent to putting Liquid Drano in your hair to dissolve the kinks as a hair stylist told me who advocates wearing natural hair. I still believe thaT flat ironing On clean hair with heat protectant is safer than using relaxers long-term year after year as long you don’t use it to much. Relaxers are linked to fibroids plus scalp conditions , etc that can yield to irreparable damage. I would rather have shorter heat retrained hair with A healthy scalp And no risk of scalp burns than super long relaxed hair which is prone to scalp burns, overlapping of chemicals, and eventually thinning hair after many years of usage

I can understand what you say but hair naturally thins out anyway with or without chemical services. What your hair tolerates changes with age what you do now ain't necessarily what you will be doing in later life, I only blow dry my hair once a week after washing I don't use irons /curling iron's unless going out some place. I can't air dry as my natural-4c hair drys like sand paper even with a relaxers I have to use heat to get it straight and apply a bit of oil /lotion my hair does not like those liquid sprays that are combined with a bit of oil.

 

[levette]

I can understand what you say but hair naturally thins out anyway with or without chemical services. What your hair tolerates changes with age what you do now ain't necessarily what you will be doing in later life, I only blow dry my hair once a week after washing I don't use irons /curling iron's unless going out some place. I can't air dry as my natural-4c hair drys like sand paper even with a relaxers I have to use heat to get it straight and apply a bit of oil /lotion my hair does not like those liquid sprays that are combined with a bit of oil.

Once thing I noticed which could make an interesting hair study for black women is this.. the area where I live. By the time black women have gotten into the age range of 60s , and 70s, they have quit relaxing their hair and are either wearing their hair natural weather shorter or blow dried out or something like a press curl or even rollerset. In fact I know of older women who in their 60s who gave up relaxers due to health issues and just do a press and curl because they take medication and their hair has thinned out. Another lady I know who is in her 80s only had 1 relaxer in her life and hated it and has been a press and curl or just blow dried and wore pinned up for and her hair* is shoulder length. My grandmother was press and curl all her life and her hair was also a little above shoulder length but she slept in sponge hair rollers every night.

 

[Neomorph]

SD is very common especially if you have sensitive skin or/and eczema on your body, most likely you will have some skin condition on your scalp. I tried so many shampoos and potions through out the years, and I find that two things keep the symptoms and flare ups from showing up: Frequent washing and oil scalp massages.

Nizoral use to be something that helped in the past, but it's not effective anymore, as if my scalp became resistant of the active ingredients with time.

Yeah that's the one thing I've been afraid about as I kniw SD can adapt to treatments, I've been trying to switch between my T-sal and Nizoral to keep it from becoming resistant. I'm thinking about trying out Design Essential's medicated shampoo again and sulfur 8 so I have rotation of medicated shampoos

 

[oneastrocurlie]

+1 to all the wash, condition, style /simple routine replies. I know me. Me will chop her hair off if wash day takes too long. But I'm on a mission to just let my hair grow. So no pre-poos, no pre detangling (unless I'm coming out of braids), no using multiple conditioners. I used to do those things when I was relaxed too and in the beginning of being natural. Issa lot.

 

[NaturalEnigma]

I agree. Adding too many steps to your hair regimen can make it longer and discourages you from wanting to do your hair, but I’m not going to lie when I do things like hot oil treatments, pre-poos, steaming, cassia treatments, and apple cider vinegar rinses on a consistent basis my hair is much healthier and looks great! Plus the extra TLC helps me to get over the occasional hair growth hump. Shampooing conditioning, and moisturizing will definitely get the job done though. I’ve seen progress on that alone. My consistency ebbs and flows. In the beginning of the year my regimen might have 50-11 steps toward the end of the year I just be trying to keep the hair on my head.

 

[NaturalEnigma]

Agreed. We should all have longer strands by the time this pandemic is over .

I anticipate being back in the office by next Spring/Summer. My napps better be close to MBL unstretched . I'm losing weight too. I'll be walking back in the office slayed.

Yesssssss girl yessssssss! When I walk back into the office I want people to gasp. My hair better block the sun and my body has to be on point by the time we get back. As much shopping as I’ve been doing online I’m going to use those hallways as my personal catwalk. After working at my job for so long...... a year I just stop caring about how I be looking, but having such a long break will make it feel like the first day at a new job.

 

[Newhottie]

No relaxer here, treated that itch with a BKT I highlight my hair a lot and have no energy to juggle treatments + relaxer to avoid my fine strands abandoning me.

I’m in scarves and ponies most times so styling isn’t an issue. Ladies leaving dc in your hair saves lives.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

No relaxer here, treated that itch with a BKT I highlight my hair a lot and have no energy to juggle treatments + relaxer to avoid my fine strands abandoning me.

I’m in scarves and ponies most times so styling isn’t an issue. Ladies leaving dc in your hair saves lives.

I wish I could leave my deep conditioner in. My scalp would Batman slap me so fast...

 

[Theresamonet]

I wish I could leave my deep conditioner in. My scalp would Batman slap me so fast...

Neither can l. My poor scalp.

But I don’t need to do this with the current products in my regimen. I think if it’s necessary to leave it in that long, it may not be your best formula.

 

[Newhottie]

I wish I could leave my deep conditioner in. My scalp would Batman slap me so fast...

I don’t let it touch my scalp. I apply it the way you would a colour treatment a half inch from my scalp concentrating on my ends and mid-shaft.

 

[lorr1e1]

I don’t let it touch my scalp. I apply it the way you would a colour treatment a half inch from my scalp concentrating on my ends and mid-shaft.

Do you mean you cannot put a conditioning product on your scalp, if so that's an issue as the scalp is just skin. I would consult a dermatologist.

 

[metro_qt]

If i could keep some hair on my head with a relaxer, I'd probably be right back on the train. Detangling natural hair makes you reevaluate some things

I have to agree... It took me 5 hours to detangle yesterday, and my sister flat out told me I should get a relaxer again.
Uuuggghhh.

I've been natural for 12 years or so, and my hair just likes to matte up.....

If it weren't for relaxers chewing my hair up, I'd be texturizing again too...

 

[secretdiamond]

I have to agree... It took me 5 hours to detangle yesterday, and my sister flat out told me I should get a relaxer again.
Uuuggghhh.

I've been natural for 12 years or so, and my hair just likes to matte up.....

If it weren't for relaxers chewing my hair up, I'd be texturizing again too...

Oh no . You must have a lot of hair.

 

[metro_qt]

I feel you. I find keeping hair stretched is best for avoiding ssks and long detangling sessions. My hair was at hip length, and as much I enjoyed doing wngs, the detangling sessions were too long for me. I find that stretched hairstyles cut down time so much. I barely have any knots by wash day. Also not waiting too long to wash is key for avoiding bad knots for my hair.

I think this is my problem... My hair is just now hitting waist length, and detangling is getting tiiiiiiring.

Add to the fact that my city is now under lockdown part Deux, and I haven't had a proper hair cut since before the pandemic....

Tangle city...all the time

 

[Theresamonet]

@metro_qt What about using some heat on your hair? Blowing my hair out weekly nearly eliminates the detangling step. I just run the paddle brush through my hair before I wash, and that’s it. If I miss anything it comes out when I blow dry.

I’ve been doing this weekly. I don’t know how my hair will fair over time, but I’m taking this year to find out.

 

[LushLox]

Do you mean you cannot put a conditioning product on your scalp, if so that's an issue as the scalp is just skin. I would consult a dermatologist.

Probably because applying conditioner to the scalp can result in build up and itching hence why most wouldn’t want it on the scalp.

Conditioner, of course is primarily designed for the hair unless you are buying a specific scalp treatment.

 

[lorr1e1]

I've never had a problem with conditioner on my scalp or build up, if people wash hair properly you won't get these issues. Hair closet to the hair also needs conditioner you cannot forget this part, I would question if people are washing it properly.

Scalp is skin and needs to be treated in much the same way as the rest of your body's skin wash it well, dry it and oil it/cream it up.

Conditioner is waterbased so washes out easily so won't cause build up it's the oils/butters/lotions is what causes buildup, there is a lot of people using several products on their hair almost daily that is what causes build up. I don't really use these types of products.

I just don't get why people do not throughly wash their hair. Scrub your scalp with your fingers not just massage it is best way and wash 1 or 2 times per week. I had problems when I was young with (scalp) we call it in Jamaica dandruff because I didn't wash off the scalp properly but I don't get these problems people mention here it makes no sense unless you have allergy to an ingredient you should have no problems.