UNBELIEVEABLY resistant hair... I'm so upset I could cry.

Neith

Neith

New Member
Last night I gave myself a touch up.

Previously my hair was lightly texturized with about 2 inches of natural hair. I used ors SUPER strength no - lye for 20 minutes on the roots and 10 minutes on the rest of my hair.

The texturized hair had been texlaxed before with hawaiian silky regular Lye for about 10 minutes.

I smoothed like hell trying to get it straight. I didn't want to exceed 20 minutes because I was afraid of overprocessing :wallbash: On the relaxer kit it says NOT to exceed the limit.

My hair only straightened to about 75% :nono:

Ever since I began my haircare journey, no one, including stylists have been able to get my hair straight in a normal amount of time. It also seems that no lye straightens my hair better than lye. I had no scalp irritation at all. Not even a tingle.

However, my hair continues to grow and seems very healthy. Absolutely no breakage. No weak spots, not very many splits and it grows like a weed. Since January my hair grew and retained 2.5 inches. I'll be full shoulder length by the end of the year (I'm already 3 inches past shoulder length in the back, about an inch or two from shoulder length in the front)

I would love to get my hair 90% relaxed though.

For my next touchup (in 3 months) I think I will process the new growth for a full 30 minutes and pull through the underprocessed ends for the last 10 minutes.

What do you think? Does it sound like a bad idea?

It just really seems that my hair is STRONG. It does not want to straighten. :strong:

I know people that don't even smooth their hair and use a regular relaxer and it gets straight. I use super and smooth to death and this stupid hair won't budge.

Why is my hair like this? Have any of you experienced this? Do you have any advice?

:(
 
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Ok, well I'm not an expert like some other ladies here but what if you try a chealting shampoo a week before as you may have product build up or try relaxing your hair in 2 halves as you can concentrate on one half properly; still processing for the correct time, then move onto the second half?

:)
 
I think I clarified my hair about 2 weeks ago. I also gave it a good shampooing with aubreys GPB poo last week. You really think it could be product build up?

I'll try clarifying close to the relaxer day next time.

I've done the whole relax in halves thing... it didn't give me better results. I can apply to my whole head in about 7 minutes. I've been practicing :)
 
I have the same problem. For years, noone could get my hair straight. I just used the ORS Olive Oil Lye Super Relaxer also and it did nothing. I even tried that 50/50 method but it still wasn't straight.

I've learned to live with my strong hair :(
 
I have only had one beautician that could relax my hair bone straight. My hair has always laughed at the perm but now I am actually happy with that. I prefer curly hair so I'm not fighting it anymore. I bc'd w/i 1 inch of my life to start over and stay away from another bad home dye job.:lachen:
 
Well, It makes me feel better to see other people like me with such pretty hair. :yep:

My hair is more relaxed than yours firecracker, but not by much.
 
Listen to your "healthy" perm resistant hair!
Apparently IT knows best, therefore it won't take the ish!
 
I feel your pain, my hair is the same way. It can be frustrating. Like Anky I have learned to live and love what I got.

Do not leave the relaxer in your hair for 30 min on your next touchup. I think you will be setting yourself up for a setback.

Chelate/Clarify and then relax with in 3-5 days - I promise you it will make a big difference:

Here is what I have found helpful:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=211155

Maybe try a different no lye relaxer for your next relaxer and see if that makes a difference. Good luck!
 
Flat ironing before? That's an interesting idea. I did do a rollerset and airdried before I relaxed to stretch it out some and so that I could plainly see what was new growth, but maybe the heat will help.

I've run around with natural/texlaxed wild coily crazy hair for the past 2 years. I'm ready for a change. I am happy that my hair can take the abuse without falling out though, lol.
 
I feel you on wanting a change but thats the good thing about our resistant hair. You can have the best of both worlds.
I've only been flatironed once by Balisi. She did great and I liked it but I prefer the old school method with the bumpers/marcels.
Don't worry too much at least you have choices. :yep:
 
I have had a relaxer 6 to 10 times in my life each lasting no longer than a year before cutting it off due to damage and resistance. My hair texture looks similar to yours, it is a mixture of different textures 3b/4a. Every relaxer I used never got my hair straight it would get wavy in the front and get straight in my 3b areas but remain afro like in my crown. I never hot curled or did damaging things to my hair but with the different textures with the relaxer my hair would break off. I used different relaxers and strengths and still nothing worked. Hairdressers would relax me for several minutes and others less than the required time to figure out why my hair could not take properly. I even had a texturiser but due to the thickness and density of my hair doing an even job to keep up with all my different textures did not work out and it would look like a blown out Afro and get tangled. I also did correctives and self-relaxers but again never got straight and got damaged. I also had the infamous wave noveau and the COPA natural hair relaxer. Whenever I would get a relaxer within a week after washing it was like I had never gotten a relaxer. My last time of using a relaxer my step-cousin who is a hairdresser told me that my hair was not a good candidate for a relaxer and that I should just keep it natural. I had to accept that diagnosis instead of constantly growing my hair out with braids, putting a relaxer and then cutting it in the end. That was three years ago. I kept my hair in extension braids which grew my hair out pretty well, now I have taken out the extension braids and am wearing it natural (braidouts, blowouts and presses) and it has been a challenge but I like it. I will never return to relaxers again and since I would rather colour my hair it was an easy choice to make.

Best,
Almond Eyes
 
girl i used to leave those doggone things in my head for like half an hour or more... hair was still underprocessed. :perplexed relaxing never gave me straight hair either, that's one reason why i gave it up. :drunk:
 
Looks like it worked out for you in the end :yep: Your hair is gorgeous.

I plan to go natural in the future too. I was excited about reaching shoulder length, but got mad that no one could see it because all of the shrinkage.

My almost shoulder length hair shrinks up to a 2 inch mini fro if left to its own devices. Twist outs stretch it to 3 inches. I kid you not.

After I grow my "relaxed" hair out, I plan to do a nice long transition.
 
^^^thanks :grin:

so the relaxing did nothing to help fight shrinkage for you? that was about the only positive thing relaxing ever did for me... :look:
 
Neith said:
I think I clarified my hair about 2 weeks ago. I also gave it a good shampooing with aubreys GPB poo last week. You really think it could be product build up?

I'll try clarifying close to the relaxer day next time.

I've done the whole relax in halves thing... it didn't give me better results. I can apply to my whole head in about 7 minutes. I've been practicing :)
Click to expand...


A Clarifying shampoo and a chelating shampoo are two different poos. A clarifying shampoo just removes product buildup but a chelating shampoo removes mineral deposit buildup.

When I started using a chelating shampoo that's when I saw a huge difference in my hair. My strands were smooth, retained moisture, and no longer resistant to relaxers.

I use ORS creamy aloe shampoo once a week. On the bottle it states that it removes mineral deposit, buildup, neautralize, and mositurize, etc).
 
i agree...i have super resistant hair too. i used super and left it in for extra time, still nothing. i stopped using super years ago though because even though my hair was underprocessed i still thought that it was probably way too harsh for my hair. now i've stopped relaxing all together and i'm currently transitioning. no sense of spending all that time and money relaxing when all i end up with is curly/wavy hair!

ladylibra said:
girl i used to leave those doggone things in my head for like half an hour or more... hair was still underprocessed. :perplexed relaxing never gave me straight hair either, that's one reason why i gave it up. :drunk:
Click to expand...
 
that's what flat irons are for , embrace that resistant hair because some people I bet wish they had it. Dont go leaving on the relaxer for more than the recommended time just to see that the hair you thought was resistant is now breaking off ever so easily.
 
I have resistant hair also. But my strands are fine (in diameter). It's like "coarse but fine" hair. :wallbash: My hair never relaxes straight. But, I think you should be happy with what you have and absolutely do not process it for more time than you need. If you relax your hair and it's not totally straight, can't you just wrap it or use a good quality ceramic iron to style it? That would be much better IMO rather than trying to make it submit to an overdose of chemicals.
 
ladylibra said:
^^^thanks :grin:

so the relaxing did nothing to help fight shrinkage for you? that was about the only positive thing relaxing ever did for me... :look:
Click to expand...

Yep, I have length that shows now :)



PinkPebbles said:
A Clarifying shampoo and a chelating shampoo are two different poos. A clarifying shampoo just removes product buildup but a chelating shampoo removes mineral deposit buildup.

When I started using a chelating shampoo that's when I saw a huge difference in my hair. My strands were smooth, retained moisture, and no longer resistant to relaxers.

I use ORS creamy aloe shampoo once a week. On the bottle it states that it removes mineral deposit, buildup, neautralize, and mositurize, etc).
Click to expand...

I used the creamy aloe shampoo. It was in the relaxer kit. I did notice that it wasn't stripping and didn't leave my hair dry like most neutralizing poos. I'll buy a bottle. Thanks for pointing that out!



plastic said:
that's what flat irons are for , embrace that resistant hair because some people I bet wish they had it. Dont go leaving on the relaxer for more than the recommended time just to see that the hair you thought was resistant is now breaking off ever so easily.
Click to expand...

I'm still tempted, but I don't want to ruin my progress. I'll try other methods first.



LaPetiteCoquette said:
I have resistant hair also. But my strands are fine (in diameter). It's like "coarse but fine" hair. :wallbash: My hair never relaxes straight. But, I think you should be happy with what you have and absolutely do not process it for more time than you need. If you relax your hair and it's not totally straight, can't you just wrap it or use a good quality ceramic iron to style it? That would be much better IMO rather than trying to make it submit to an overdose of chemicals.
Click to expand...

I'm not good with flat irons. Actually my hair gets heat damaged believe it or not. I can put relaxers in it and it won't budge, but heat makes it split. I wanted it straight enough to just be able to rollerset and look presentable without using any heat... or just indirect heat.

It's not even that it's relaxed hair that has a wave to it (that's what I want!). It looks as if I intentionally texturized it.

For now sitting under the dryer seems to work. Hopefully I'll get it figured out by my next touchup..
 
Neith said:
I'm not good with flat irons. Actually my hair gets heat damaged believe it or not. I can put relaxers in it and it won't budge, but heat makes it split. I wanted it straight enough to just be able to rollerset and look presentable without using any heat... or just indirect heat.

It's not even that it's relaxed hair that has a wave to it (that's what I want!). It looks as if I intentionally texturized it.
Click to expand...

sounds like we have VERY simliar hair! :yep: if so, you should be fine with doing rollersets. mine always came out fine even if i wasn't sitting under a dryer.
 
ladylibra said:
sounds like we have VERY simliar hair! :yep: if so, you should be fine with doing rollersets. mine always came out fine even if i wasn't sitting under a dryer.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've been stalki... *erm* looking through your album. I have weird 4aish hair that likes to mimic 3c that I can't exactly type :lol:

Yours is MUCH thicker than mine ever was in its natural state though.

Without heat, a regular wet set still gives me a little wave at the roots, but I guess I'll live even if my hair isn't straight straight all the time.
 
ladylibra said:
sounds like we have VERY simliar hair! :yep: if so, you should be fine with doing rollersets. mine always came out fine even if i wasn't sitting under a dryer.
Click to expand...

Yeah, try rollersetting or dry or wet wrapping. There's a method I read about here -- saran wrap wrapping or something like that, that is supposed to make your hair shiny and sleek. I still don't think over processing is the way to go. Think about it, your hair is telling you something. And think about how much damage you would be doing to it if you overprocess just to make it straight. You'd really be breaking down your hair (more than with a regular process which is bad enough). Then your ends will be weaker and more prone to damage and then you may lose some of your progress due to lack of retention.

Also, what kind of relaxer do you use? You may want to switch brands or type (no vs. no lye).
 
Your hair isnt even close to being more resistant than mine :nono:

I attempted to self relax 4 times in 1 month and my hair still looked like a nappy bush :lachen:

the stylist burned my scalp :rolleyes: but only got me around 60% straight :sad:

and i'm always using a Super relaxer.

The Mild relaxer did nothing; acted just like a conditionner :lachen:

Try going to anither beautician; it might work.
 
LaPetiteCoquette said:
Yeah, try rollersetting or dry or wet wrapping. There's a method I read about here -- saran wrap wrapping or something like that, that is supposed to make your hair shiny and sleek. I still don't think over processing is the way to go. Think about it, your hair is telling you something. And think about how much damage you would be doing to it if you overprocess just to make it straight. You'd really be breaking down your hair (more than with a regular process which is bad enough). Then your ends will be weaker and more prone to damage and then you may lose some of your progress due to lack of retention.

Also, what kind of relaxer do you use? You may want to switch brands or type (no vs. no lye).
Click to expand...

I've tried lye and no lye. No lye seems to be better for my hair and straighten it better. Go figure. I used ORS no-lye super. It's actually the best one I've used to date.
 
Moonxyz said:
Your hair isnt even close to being more resistant than mine :nono:

I attempted to self relax 4 times in 1 month and my hair still looked like a nappy bush :lachen:

the stylist burned my scalp :rolleyes: but only got me around 60% straight :sad:

and i'm always using a Super relaxer.

The Mild relaxer did nothing; acted just like a conditionner :lachen:

Try going to anither beautician; it might work.
Click to expand...

You poor thing, lol. I aint never gone anywhere near a mild relaxer. :lachen:

You didn't get overprocessed?
 
My hair can act resistant like that too. The stylist I go to now understands that and she takes her time working the relaxer. I already know that if they let it process less than 20 minutes my hair will have all kinds of lumps and frizz, etc.

One thing that I do as well is clarify about 3-4 days beforehand and that has helped alot.
 
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