The Relaxed Hair Thread

**AutobotsAttack** · February 7th, 2018, 09:54 AM

And here’s my Bweeta’s bun I’ve been trying out lately.

via Imgflip Meme Generator

I am a member of the puny bun club, but I’m content with how it turns out. This is actually the best one so far.

**hayheadsbird** · February 7th, 2018, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by AutobotsAttack

And here’s my Bweeta’s bun I’ve been trying out lately.

via Imgflip Meme Generator

I am a member of the puny bun club, but I’m content with how it turns out. This is actually the best one so far.

That looks fab

I tried beets buns last year - it was an exploding disaster for me!

**Dark40** · February 7th, 2018, 12:58 PM

I am more than willing to join this thread! I've been looking for this thread for a long time now. I also stretch out my relaxers too to about 4 months. Right now, I'm stretching it as long it can go. It's been 7 months since my last relaxer! I am really surprised and happy that my hair has stayed straight for this long! But I can admit it that I do have a very good grain of hair. It's more on the curly side rather than the kinky end. But I have to admit it that my hair and curls are very thick! So, that's why I feel I need the relaxer so that it can my more manageable.

**proo** · February 7th, 2018, 02:51 PM

Well that’s darling, Autobots

**AutobotsAttack** · February 7th, 2018, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by hayheadsbird

That looks fab

I tried beets buns last year - it was an exploding disaster for me!

Did it not want to stay up? So far, the first twisted parts, keep constantly falling down, so I hurry up and start looping the braids so it can stay.

**AutobotsAttack** · February 7th, 2018, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Dark40

I am more than willing to join this thread! I've been looking for this thread for a long time now. I also stretch out my relaxers too to about 4 months. Right now, I'm stretching it as long it can go. It's been 7 months since my last relaxer! I am really surprised and happy that my hair has stayed straight for this long! But I can admit it that I do have a very good grain of hair. It's more on the curly side rather than the kinky end. But I have to admit it that my hair and curls are very thick! So, that's why I feel I need the relaxer so that it can my more manageable.

Yay! Come on in!! I too have been looking for this ever since I joined. And I never really saw anything. Just questions pertaining to it.

Personally for you, When do you find the absolute breaking point is for stretching?

**AutobotsAttack** · February 7th, 2018, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by proo

Well that’s darling, Autobots

Thanks proo.

I wanted to this on air dried hair, but it would’ve been even tinier than the damp bun.

**AutobotsAttack** · February 7th, 2018, 10:50 PM

Kind of been examine my hair lately because I’m trying to figure out a good combo of what to use on my hair. Before I explain the few concoctions I made, I’d like to know if the other relaxed ladies, have fine hair?

The five or so years I was natural, the fine texture of my hair wasn’t so bad because the curls worked together to create some extra thickness. With the packed diameters of hair together it didn’t feel so bad, but I’ve always been able to really feel how fine my hair is when it’s wet. It practically feels like butter. Even with moisture and protein pretty leveled. And whether natural or relaxed.

To give an idea of how fine my hair has always been, take a cotton ball, kind of pull it apart (don’t rip pieces off, keep the cotton ball intact), until it’s rather flat and even. Now pull it apart some more, keeping it even, and that’s how fine and soft of a texture of hair I have. I absolutely love it because even sopping wet it’s extremely light weight, and when dry, even at this length, it completely weightless. Being relaxed really shows how fine my hair is, but it just calls for more gentle detangling.

I used to think I needed a bunch of protein, but it’s really just how my hair is. I have Dutch/Irish blood in my family, maybe 3-4 generations back, and it shows up in my dad, his mom, and in my hair. And I absolutely love it.
Which is one reason I do not trust anyone but my husband to handle my hair. Espeacially stylists. Haven’t been to a salon in over a decade but the times I remember, the ladies would comb so hard and take so much hair out. My mom has a heavy hand too. So I’ll probably be destined to always do my own hair which I’m perfectly fine with and prefer.

The problem however, of finding something that isn’t heavy to wash, deep condition, and condition with. I think I’ll always love comes, but they weigh my hair down instantly. Deep conditioners tend to do the same. Most times I just put it up anyways so I rarely pay attention to it. Not too hard to do buns, but I like them to look soft and fluffy. The worst of the worst conditioner will always be Garnier. Everything about it. Stays caked on my hair, dries it out, way to coney.

Herbal essences is amazing but I have to clarify more often and I typically don’t like to clarify that much. They make for good deep conditioners mixed with coconut oil.

The more high end deep conditioners like Shea Moisture, It’s a 10, Jason, or Dove are very good but I use them maybe twice a month.

At the moment I’ve made about three products that I’ve tested and I like so far.

First one is a clarifying/Acidic rinse. Mixed a small bit of my neutralizing shampoo, with ACV, and witch hazel. Calms my scalp and gets off most of the dirt and fluff.

Second is a very watered down Aussie conditioner I use as a moisturizer

Daily wash for my hair is ginger water, coconut oil, and a dab of Shea Moisture sulfate free shampoo for a bit of suds. (Washed with this tonight, absolute amazing. Nice light smell, hair is moisturized, and I don’t have to follow up with conditioner I use the watered down conditioner for detangling and leave-in.

I’ve made enough batches to last me well into the fall semester of when school starts, and then I’ll branch of and try some more light, revised products. For school since it will be hot and I’ll be sweating I might switch back to the Shea Moisture 100% coconut oil shampoo and conditioner, and possibly the leave in as well. I really like that line. It’s very light and moisturizing.

So far I’m liking everything.

As far as oils go, I can’t leave oils in my hair other than jojoba, coconut, and maybe essentials such as jasmine, or peppermint, or eucalyptus. My hair doesn’t like olive oil, so typically I’ll do a hot oil treatment in the cold months maybe once or twice here and there and then lightly shampoo and condition.

**chomsky** · February 8th, 2018, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by AutobotsAttack

Happy growing to you too Chomsky!

And I would say more new growth equals a better chance of not overprocessing. But some ladies can relax very evenly and not let it deep into already relaxed hair. I am not one of them, but I’m not too particularly worried about the bits of relaxer that get on previously relaxed hair, because it helps straighten out the previous application if it didn’t take too well.

Although it can be more difficult after a longer stretch, because tangling, and such, and it’s a greater chance the relaxer might not process all of the new growth if there’s a lot of it. If you’re like Yvette and like to retain a good bit of texture then it’s not a problem. But if you’re a bone straight relaxer person like myself then it can be.

I find that if I have a bunch of new growth, it’s a good idea to straighten it out as much as possible before relaxing. This last relaxer I tried something new. The week before relaxing I washed, conditioned, and then flat ironed my hair and kept the straight style until relaxer day. I found that my hair took completely, way better than many previous ones where I’d just have all my new growth and older ends taken down from a braid out. It just gets much straighter on flat ironed hair. Although do moisturize the ends and mid shaft up until relaxing, and protect the hair will jelly or grease as usual.

That's a really neat observation about straightening when you've got a lot of new growth. I'm guess it's because the hair is already in the desired fashion, without needed excessive smoothing, but I've no idea, haha.

And your hair has really thickened up in the middle!

**AutobotsAttack** · February 8th, 2018, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by chomsky

That's a really neat observation about straightening when you've got a lot of new growth. I'm guess it's because the hair is already in the desired fashion, without needed excessive smoothing, but I've no idea, haha.

And your hair has really thickened up in the middle!

Yay! It’s noticable!!! Now I won’t be so self conscious when I let it down lol.

And if I could eventually find the science behind getting the hair a bit straighter before processing I would, but so far it’s mostly just speculation.

Everyone’s hair is a bit different, but I’ve read a lot of stories of ladies hair not taking too well to the relaxer, myself included, so I’d chalk it up to the hair not being smoothed enough, or the curls are very tightly packed, and the relaxer (being a strong chemical as it is), probably isn’t processing enough.