What in the world happened to my hair???

[BamaBelle]

I am textlaxed... Maybe 45-50% relaxed with Affirm Sensitive Scalp Relaxer. I keep reading about members of this forum who are textlaxed (though I think relaxed more at upwards of 80%) and flatiron their hair...

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT?

AND WHY DID MY HAIR COME OUT FRIED?!!!

I washed my hair, conditioned with Colesterol and applied a leave-in conditioning cream. I then blow dried in small sections with one of those blow-dryers with the comb attachment on it (mistake number 1?). The ends, although the dryer was not left on this area of the hair for any length of time, came out very dry, poofy. I applied some Elasta QP Mango Butter to the ends to try to give it some moisture before I flatironed with my old Gold N' Hot mini flat iron (mistake number 2?) and the ends appeared to be less poofy but still felt dry, brittle when I ran my hands through it. I began to notice hair strands in the sink (YIKES!!!).

I finally got so annoyed, frustrated, sad that I gave up the project, rewashed my hair and am sitting here with Elasta QP DPR in (over 20 minutes now)... I've searched for a thread on dry brittle ends for textlaxed or naturals but can't find one.

Y'all... HELP! What did I do wrong? How do I fix this? Is there any hope for me to wear my hair in straight styles? What's the trick?

Thanks in advance for bearing with me...

This hair thing is a real trip, as my three year old daughter would say (she's the trip!).

 

[aileenadq]

Lay off the blowdrying. That's the first thing. Try rollersetting. (I SWEAR by them.)

Secondly, though this may sound counter intuitive- when is the last time you clarified? Buildup can prevent your hair from retaining moisture and prevent your products working correctly.

Try a creamy (puddinglike) leave in on the ends. Then after your hair is dry (immediately) put oil or shea butter (I use Jane Carter Solution's Nourish & Shine) on the ends to help seal.

I also use oil lightly lon my scalp (again, Jane Carter Solution Scalp oil- leave in).

Switch to no SLS shampoo (for NON clarifying poos).

Just a few thoughts.

Good luck & HHG.

 

[MizaniMami]

firstly, did you apply a heat protectant?
secondly, i never use mango butter before i iron, just a leave-in (with a dab of oil) and a heat protectant. maybe you used to much mb. one of the 1st ingredients in mb is olive oil. and what do we fry our foods with? oil. oil is never a good idea (in large quantities) to flat iron with. it does just what it does to our food at high temps. it fries it.
thirdly, maybe your products (poos and such) wasn't conditioning enough. or your iron ay have been too high.

i blowdry and flat iron all the time and my hair never feels fried. try a heat protectant next time. also you should use a serum while flat ironing.

 

[Poohbear]

Another mistake... applying ElastaQP Mango Butter on your hair right before you flat ironed... flat ironing moist hair will fry it I believe...

 

[Vshanell]

I've never used mango butter but I've heard a ton of people say it dried their hair out and made it crispy.....maybe that was it. I would try cutting that out first and see how your hair does. I use oils on my ends before I flat iron and they come out fine.

Nothing against the Gold N' Hot but i used that thing years ago because i didn't know any different and it caused a lot of damage to my ends. They were fried and very split and I lost some of my curl because of damage. I would suggest a good ceramic flat iron if you plan on straightening again.

 

[Faith]

My advice:

Use Redken's heat protectant and BB Lotion and then flatiron. The hair will come out very soft. After your done apply a little oil. I use kemi oyl mixed with wgo....my hair is super soft.

 

[Isis]

Coming from the no heat perspective, I agree with Aileenadq - put the blow dryer away and rollerset to straighten your hair. Use a leave-in on your hair and ends and seal in the moisture with just a little oil before rolling your hair up. I've never used mango butter but I know it is not moisturizing.

I've never flat ironed my hair but the advice the ladies here gave using a good heat protectant sound good and their hair is long and healthy to prove it.

 

[BamaBelle]

Thanks y'all! I knew I could count on y'all to see me through this!

So... I've wasted my money on the Gold n' Hot blow dryer and flat iron... Got it. It's going in the bottom of the linen closet (can't bear to throw it away yet). Mango Butter not cuttin' it... Got it... it, too, will go into the back of the closet (or maybe I'll give it to my sister-in-law who uses mine everytime she comes by... it's a new jar). Can y'all recommend a good creamy leave in and/or thermal heat protectant?

Now, here's something for us (me? us? ) to ponder: Can I "corrective relax/textlax" my hair again this week? I'm going to a conference in San Francisco this Friday and want to look like a GIRL . Maybe another issue is that I only slightly relaxed my hair. It's a curly/coily/twirly afro. Maybe I could relax it a bit more so that it has more of a wave. Does anyone have any advice 'bout that?

Then, maybe I could go across the street to a Dominican spot and have the chickas do a "Rollos y Blower" as they call it (Wash, Set, Blowdry). Then, if I hate it, I'll just wash it and wear it curly...

*Sigh* The joys of caring for your hair. I never had these concerns when I was strictly a Dominican salon goer: Nancy would just do it and keep it movin'!

Thanks y'all.

 

[BamaBelle]

Hey y'all... I did something fantastic. I purchased a MaxiGlide!... So, your girl (I, me) was so excited I washed and deep conditioned my hair, let it air dry with this thermal protectant I found in the BSS called "You Straight Thermal Protectant" (comes in a red jar) and MaxiGlided my way through my coils... Now I'm straight - no chaser! Now, if only I knew how to wrap my hair I'd be set! Thanks y'all!

 

[1QTPie]

Congrats on finding a new method that workd out for you!

 

[Vshanell]

Hey y'all... I did something fantastic. I purchased a MaxiGlide!... So, your girl (I, me) was so excited I washed and deep conditioned my hair, let it air dry with this thermal protectant I found in the BSS called "You Straight Thermal Protectant" (comes in a red jar) and MaxiGlided my way through my coils... Now I'm straight - no chaser! Now, if only I knew how to wrap my hair I'd be set! Thanks y'all!

Don't you just love that Maxiglide!

 

[aileenadq]

ITA on the Maxi...I use after I rollerset. I'm glad you found it!

 

[KhandiB]

Mango Butter isnt the culprit I promise you..
You should keep it its pretty good for moisturizing...

Sounds like your hair was lacking moisture.... or that you used an old relaxer ... hmmm :scratchch

 

[Starian]

Nothing against the Gold N' Hot but i used that thing years ago because i didn't know any different and it caused a lot of damage to my ends. They were fried and very split and I lost some of my curl because of damage. I would suggest a good ceramic flat iron if you plan on straightening again.

I'm seconding that. Burned a patch right outta my head. I wouldn't use a gold n hot bobby pin.

 

[KhandiB]

I'm seconding that. Burned a patch right outta my head. I wouldn't use a gold n hot bobby pin.

Me neither

burnt a piece of my hair right off my head when I was 14.... LOLOL

just snapped off!

 

[BamaBelle]

rofl! Y'all are too funny!!! Now, I'm sitting around here with straight hair, no style, wondering if I should get it cut or just use a warm hot curler to give it some bends and waves. Anyway, I'm cracking up about the old relaxer (probably was... neighborhood Korean BS - and not being at all racist just stating the facts) and the Gold n Hot (burned a plug? OMG! That thing didn't get hot enough as far as I was concerned!) Anyway, my new task is to find a good creamy leave in and to create an adjusted routine for the care of my hair while sustaining this MaxiGlide's straightening effects. I know I can count on y'all for ideas and support... I love this Forum! Have a Blessed Easter!!!

 

[sweetascocoa]

rofl! Y'all are too funny!!! Now, I'm sitting around here with straight hair, no style, wondering if I should get it cut or just use a warm hot curler to give it some bends and waves. Anyway, I'm cracking up about the old relaxer (probably was... neighborhood Korean BS - and not being at all racist just stating the facts) and the Gold n Hot (burned a plug? OMG! That thing didn't get hot enough as far as I was concerned!) Anyway, my new task is to find a good creamy leave in and to create an adjusted routine for the care of my hair while sustaining this MaxiGlide's straightening effects. I know I can count on y'all for ideas and support... I love this Forum! Have a Blessed Easter!!!

do you know sweetpea? where has she been?

 

[BamaBelle]

do you know sweetpea? where has she been?

Oh-oh... I don't know Sweetpea and I don't want her to think I swiped her name! (Swiper, no swiping!!! - from Dora the Explorer... *sigh*)