What is the proper way to deal with underprocessing

[gymfreak336]

I self relaxed and only half of my head got straight. What is the correct procedure for dealing with underprocessed hair. The texture differences are very different and washing and rollersetting is just as difficult as it is for me 6 weeks post. I still have 8 weeks to go till the next relaxer and it is only going to get worse.

 

[skoloco]

Bumpity bump...I'd like to hear the response to this too. I have been self relaxing the last 3 times, and it has come out...okay. I would like to correct, a little, the next time around in April. Any advice?

I think it's just a matter of me not using enough creme and not being "aggressive" enough to put the right amount of creme to be effective. Next time, I'm prepared to be bold--use the right amount of creme and pull through the underprocessed parts 5-10 minutes before rinsing. I think I have my technique and plan down, but I'd love to get some advice from the more experienced ladies...thanks.

 

[gymfreak336]

Bumpity bump...I'd like to hear the response to this too. I have been self relaxing the last 3 times, and it has come out...okay. I would like to correct, a little, the next time around in April. Any advice?

I think it's just a matter of me not using enough creme and not being "aggressive" enough to put the right amount of creme to be effective. Next time, I'm prepared to be bold--use the right amount of creme and pull through the underprocessed parts 5-10 minutes before rinsing. I think I have my technique and plan down, but I'd love to get some advice from the more experienced ladies...thanks.

I think you are right about the amount of creme. I think that was my problem this last time. I processed for the time it recommended (silk elements mild 20 mins) but I am still underprocessed. I am thinking about trying phyto next time around. I was thinking about running some relaxer through the underprocessed parts next week for just a couple of mintues and then following it with some reconstructor. I don't want to really have to do it but you know who there is underproccessed hair that is kinda managable and then there is underprocessed hair that isn't, well I have the that kind. I was thinking about decreasing my washes to once a week so that I won't have to manipulate it as much. erplexed I don't really know what to do.

 

[baglady215]

I have a head full of underprocessed hair. I may as well call myself texlaxed, just not on purpose. The key for me is moisture and low manipulation. I wear buns/ponys the majority of the time. I don't comb except detangling after a wash. I spray my hair 1-2x per day with a distilled water/cond. mix. Dealing with underprocessed hair is kind of like stretching I guess. Keep your hair soft and flexible and you should be ok.

 

[crlsweetie912]

My last December's touch up was severely underprocessed. I didn't do a corrective, but I touched up the whole head at about 9 weeks post. I had a lot of new growth so it wasn't bad.

I bunned and wore updo's the whole 9 weeks to deal with the different textures. You can do it. Correctives are sooo tricky.

 

[Southernbella.]

This is a great question. When I first self-relaxed with a lye relaxer, I severely underprocessed my hair. I've gotten it right ever since then, but I never corrected that area. I've got this one underprocessed area in the middle of my texlaxed hair. I have to flatiron it to blend it with the rest of my hair. I think I'm going to do a corrective on the area after my 6 months stretch is up. I hope it will be an easy process since I can see and isolate that hair pretty well. We'll see!

 

[gymfreak336]

Thanks Ladies, I am not going to risk a corrective. I guess I will have to just wait it out. I like self relaxing because I can use the conditioners that I want to use afterwards and what not but if I keep underprocessing myself I might have to quit. Who knows, maybe I shoud just use a regular strength relaxer.

 

[trulyurangel82]

haha I feel your pain. Ive been self relaxing since sept. Im getting better but I still need to work on my technique. I bought a color brush set at folica.com. Hopefully it will help me this time. I dont think I put enough creame on my hair using my fingers because when I looked in the mirror it didnt look coated enough like at the salon so thats why I bought an application brush.

If you are relaxing your whole head at once I would switch to doing the back and front seperatly. I do that since Im slow. I know if I did the whole head I would be even more underprocessed than I already am. I relax the back first and have a cap over my head to protect the front from being wet. I lean back and wash out the back. Then I relax the front.

Im glad you are going to wait to relax. Thats what ive been doing. I know its hard though because theres times i seriously wanted to relax my hair so bad.

 

[gymfreak336]

haha I feel your pain. Ive been self relaxing since sept. Im getting better but I still need to work on my technique. I bought a color brush set at folica.com. Hopefully it will help me this time. I dont think I put enough creame on my hair using my fingers because when I looked in the mirror it didnt look coated enough like at the salon so thats why I bought an application brush.

If you are relaxing your whole head at once I would switch to doing the back and front seperatly. I do that since Im slow. I know if I did the whole head I would be even more underprocessed than I already am. I relax the back first and have a cap over my head to protect the front from being wet. I lean back and wash out the back. Then I relax the front.

Im glad you are going to wait to relax. Thats what ive been doing. I know its hard though because theres times i seriously wanted to relax my hair so bad.

I am going to have to try to do one section first and then the other. I sort of did this this past time but I did the back first so when I was rinsing the back, the front was getting wet too

 

[trulyurangel82]

I am going to have to try to do one section first and then the other. I sort of did this this past time but I did the back first so when I was rinsing the back, the front was getting wet too

yeah my front accidently wets even with the cap over the front. I take my blow dryer and set it on cool and blow dry it out.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Thanks Ladies, I am not going to risk a corrective. I guess I will have to just wait it out. I like self relaxing because I can use the conditioners that I want to use afterwards and what not but if I keep underprocessing myself I might have to quit. Who knows, maybe I shoud just use a regular strength relaxer.

yep, this is me. after a 3 month stretch, i relaxed and that relaxer did nathan to my hair, NOTHING. okay, it softened it a little, curl pattern still there and everything. i decided that i was gonna ride this one out for another 3 mos. i don't really care since i am not wearing it down and i am only dealing with it for 3 mos. but it does suck. but i am prepared. i have the proper conditioners and stuff and i am mentally ready to deal.

though i have done a corrective before, and i still was underprocessed. i think once you stretch your hair gets healthier and rebels to relaxers a little bit. only thing i can say is add more relaxer, smooth more, and leave it on longer.

 

[Arcadian]

I'm not really well versed in underprocessed hair. Some people do a corrective or just moisterize and deal with it.

If you've gone 8 weeks, you may be in safe window..thats espcially true if you're hair is breaking from being underprocessed.


This last time I relaxed I did use quite a bit of product on my hair (phyto) oh man..I got just a lil too straight! The key seems to be in application. If you find your hair to be more resistant, maybe you may just have to use more relaxer. Don't know if thats true for lye since I'm a no lye girl, but its definitly true for phyto, and for some ladies here, true for the no lye relaxers they use too.

I use the ponytail method to relax. I have plastic clips that I use to hold my hair into 12 ponytails then use porosity control on the previously relaxed hair, and apply relaxer where I need it. I sometimes smush it in there so I don't have to release the ponytail..hey whatever it takes man!

I can do that in 8 minutes for my whole head, and thats far quicker than I used to. Once you find a method that works and thats comfortable, its just a matter of perfecting it. Then I smooth the rest of the time, removing the clip one at a time and smoothing the section of hair, then going to the next one until I'm out of time or my hair looks like I think it should. Sometimes I go over a few minutes, sometimes (especially last time) I had no need to

I tried the 1/2 head thing because it was an emergency and I ran out of product. It turned out ok but did get a lot of water everywhere.

Self relaxing can be a very liberating experience when you don't have someone you trust to do it for you.


-A

 

[gn1g]

I'm not really well versed in underprocessed hair. Some people do a corrective or just moisterize and deal with it.

If you've gone 8 weeks, you may be in safe window..thats espcially true if you're hair is breaking from being underprocessed.


This last time I relaxed I did use quite a bit of product on my hair (phyto) oh man..I got just a lil too straight! The key seems to be in application. If you find your hair to be more resistant, maybe you may just have to use more relaxer. Don't know if thats true for lye since I'm a no lye girl, but its definitly true for phyto, and for some ladies here, true for the no lye relaxers they use too.

I use the ponytail method to relax. I have plastic clips that I use to hold my hair into 12 ponytails then use porosity control on the previously relaxed hair, and apply relaxer where I need it. I sometimes smush it in there so I don't have to release the ponytail..hey whatever it takes man!

I can do that in 8 minutes for my whole head, and thats far quicker than I used to. Once you find a method that works and thats comfortable, its just a matter of perfecting it. Then I smooth the rest of the time, removing the clip one at a time and smoothing the section of hair, then going to the next one until I'm out of time or my hair looks like I think it should. Sometimes I go over a few minutes, sometimes (especially last time) I had no need to

I tried the 1/2 head thing because it was an emergency and I ran out of product. It turned out ok but did get a lot of water everywhere.

Self relaxing can be a very liberating experience when you don't have someone you trust to do it for you.


-A

What kind of clips do you use?

 

[Arcadian]

What kind of clips do you use?

They look like these (though not as colorful)
*darn pictures* let me get another one

I got mine at CVS, so probably can be found just about anywhere.

-A

 

[crlsweetie912]

Here's the pic Arcadian.

 

[Arcadian]

There are days I dont like computers..

-A

 

[Amarech]

Do a corrective sooner than your next scheduled touch up. Say you've got 1/4 inch of new growth but your next touch up isn't due for anothe 2-4 weeks, go ahead and do the touch up. After applying the relaxer to the new growth (like you're supposed to) add some to the underprocessed hair just before its time to rinse. You should be OK. I had to do this last summer when I accidently underprocessed. I was rushing and excited (family coming to visit and see my new place ) and I wasn't paying attention to the time or anything.

It may seem bad to do this but its the only way to fix the problem. You're gonna have breakage any way so better to get it out of the way now. Don't wait.

 

[gymfreak336]

Do a corrective sooner than your next scheduled touch up. Say you've got 1/4 inch of new growth but your next touch up isn't due for anothe 2-4 weeks, go ahead and do the touch up. After applying the relaxer to the new growth (like you're supposed to) add some to the underprocessed hair just before its time to rinse. You should be OK. I had to do this last summer when I accidently underprocessed. I was rushing and excited (family coming to visit and see my new place ) and I wasn't paying attention to the time or anything.

It may seem bad to do this but its the only way to fix the problem. You're gonna have breakage any way so better to get it out of the way now. Don't wait.

I see ya point. Thanks for your advice.

 

[gymfreak336]

I'm not really well versed in underprocessed hair. Some people do a corrective or just moisterize and deal with it.

If you've gone 8 weeks, you may be in safe window..thats espcially true if you're hair is breaking from being underprocessed.


This last time I relaxed I did use quite a bit of product on my hair (phyto) oh man..I got just a lil too straight! The key seems to be in application. If you find your hair to be more resistant, maybe you may just have to use more relaxer. Don't know if thats true for lye since I'm a no lye girl, but its definitly true for phyto, and for some ladies here, true for the no lye relaxers they use too.

I use the ponytail method to relax. I have plastic clips that I use to hold my hair into 12 ponytails then use porosity control on the previously relaxed hair, and apply relaxer where I need it. I sometimes smush it in there so I don't have to release the ponytail..hey whatever it takes man!

I can do that in 8 minutes for my whole head, and thats far quicker than I used to. Once you find a method that works and thats comfortable, its just a matter of perfecting it. Then I smooth the rest of the time, removing the clip one at a time and smoothing the section of hair, then going to the next one until I'm out of time or my hair looks like I think it should. Sometimes I go over a few minutes, sometimes (especially last time) I had no need to

I tried the 1/2 head thing because it was an emergency and I ran out of product. It turned out ok but did get a lot of water everywhere.

Self relaxing can be a very liberating experience when you don't have someone you trust to do it for you.


-A

Thanks so much A, you always give thorough responses.

 

[skoloco]

Do a corrective sooner than your next scheduled touch up. Say you've got 1/4 inch of new growth but your next touch up isn't due for anothe 2-4 weeks, go ahead and do the touch up. After applying the relaxer to the new growth (like you're supposed to) add some to the underprocessed hair just before its time to rinse. You should be OK. I had to do this last summer when I accidently underprocessed. I was rushing and excited (family coming to visit and see my new place ) and I wasn't paying attention to the time or anything.

It may seem bad to do this but its the only way to fix the problem. You're gonna have breakage any way so better to get it out of the way now. Don't wait.

Thanks for this info, ladies. I was thinking that I will do my next touch up at 6 weeks. I normally go 8 weeks, but desperate times call for desperate measures!! I think I get paranoid because the more cream you use, the less precise you can be in terms of not overlapping. I will just have to slather porosity control on the relaxed hair and go to town!

 

[cocoa32]

I'm not really well versed in underprocessed hair. Some people do a corrective or just moisterize and deal with it.

If you've gone 8 weeks, you may be in safe window..thats espcially true if you're hair is breaking from being underprocessed.


This last time I relaxed I did use quite a bit of product on my hair (phyto) oh man..I got just a lil too straight! The key seems to be in application. If you find your hair to be more resistant, maybe you may just have to use more relaxer. Don't know if thats true for lye since I'm a no lye girl, but its definitly true for phyto, and for some ladies here, true for the no lye relaxers they use too.

I use the ponytail method to relax. I have plastic clips that I use to hold my hair into 12 ponytails then use porosity control on the previously relaxed hair, and apply relaxer where I need it. I sometimes smush it in there so I don't have to release the ponytail..hey whatever it takes man!

I can do that in 8 minutes for my whole head, and thats far quicker than I used to. Once you find a method that works and thats comfortable, its just a matter of perfecting it. Then I smooth the rest of the time, removing the clip one at a time and smoothing the section of hair, then going to the next one until I'm out of time or my hair looks like I think it should. Sometimes I go over a few minutes, sometimes (especially last time) I had no need to

I tried the 1/2 head thing because it was an emergency and I ran out of product. It turned out ok but did get a lot of water everywhere.

Self relaxing can be a very liberating experience when you don't have someone you trust to do it for you.


-A

Who makes porosity control? What is it's purpose and how do you use it?

TIA

 

[gymfreak336]

Thanks for this info, ladies. I was thinking that I will do my next touch up at 6 weeks. I normally go 8 weeks, but desperate times call for desperate measures!! I think I get paranoid because the more cream you use, the less precise you can be in terms of not overlapping. I will just have to slather porosity control on the relaxed hair and go to town!

I am going to have to do the same thing. It is getting HARD right now. Washing takes forever and detangling is a monster. I am relaxing at 6 weeks. I am just going to make sure I condition my bootie off the first 3 weeks afterwards.