Time or Length

[Shinka]

Do you retouch based on time or length of new growth?

I noticed that around 6-8 weeks my hair gets dryer and stiffer and i have to use the curling iron more to get the roots. However when I really think about the length is probably only a half an inch in most places.

How could such a short length I feel drastically change the appearance of my hair.

I feel like retouching that length will only add to overprocessing, but I get more split ends and hair breakage if I don't.

What is a girl to do?

 

[Isis]

I retouch based on time. In my experience, my hair seems to be healthier when I stretch out my relaxers, which is every 13 weeks or 4 times per year. That means if I see a lot of new growth and only 7 weeks has gone by, I am still going to wait 6 more weeks and baby my new growth even more.

This also means there isn't a high chance of overprocessing because it's easier to see the two textures when relaxing.

 

[chellee]

IMO, hair length has a lot to do with the effects of stretching a relaxer. While my hair is short (above shoulder length) I will relax every eight weeks. Moisturizers help (I don't use direct heat) but I still experience more breakage than normal when I go longer. As my hair grows, I plan on stretching my relaxers for twelve weeks or more at a time.

Tying my hair at night w/ a satin scarf works great for taming my new growth. A bonnet isn't always enough. Of course this assumes you are wearing protective styles (buns, pin-ups, etc)

 

[Champagne_Wishes]

For me it is length. My hair has a slow growing period so I basically go by length or else I will wind up relaxing my scalp.

 

[Jewell]

I always went by time. I used to relax every 6-8 weeks, but I'm on an extreme stretch. I have a good bit of new growth, but its manageable, so I'll keep on going...I'm 9 weeks post. I

 

[JenniferMD]

I base my retouches on time...my newgrowth can be funny sometimes. One week if feels like 3 inches then the next week I can hardly tell if I need a relaxer.

To keep from speculating and overprocessing I just stick to a time limit of no sooner than 4 months for every retouch.

 

[RabiaElaine]

IMO, hair length has a lot to do with the effects of stretching a relaxer. While my hair is short (above shoulder length) I will relax every eight weeks. Moisturizers help (I don't use direct heat) but I still experience more breakage than normal when I go longer. As my hair grows, I plan on stretching my relaxers for twelve weeks or more at a time.
QUOTE]

I think this too, that it will be easier to stretch my hair the longer my hair is. Anyway for me I always went by how my hair felt, which if I was experiencing a lot of shedding and breakage, then I knew it was time for a relaxer which for me this happened around 6-7 weeks. Sometimes I feel it at 5 weeks but wait to week 6 because I was always told never to relax sooner than six weeks.

Now I am going to try my first real stretch. I am aiming for 10 weeks, which by then I hope to have 1 inch of unstretched new growth. I am now at week 4 and 1 day. To do this I have already cut out my nightly wraps, using Sylver2's scarf/bonnet method. I am going to moisturize my new growth often and try not to manipulate it too much. I am going to limit the amount of time I get my roots blown out at the dominican salon ( I did not let them blow this week). I am also going to try to protective style more than I do now. I am also going to try to take my MSM faithfully to soften my new growth.

If I make it to 10 weeks without the use of braids I am going to do a happy dance .

 

[Sweet_Ambrosia]

I've always retouch based on time,which is every six months now.

 

[karezone]

Both along with manageability.

If I have the time to devote to flat ironing my roots and really deep moisturizing conditioners I will stretch to 12 weeks, but if not 8-10 weeks.