Naturals who then relaxed/texlaxed....

[greight]

I'm seriously considering it. I can't wear my hair in twists since it'll break off, I can't wear my hair out since it'll get tangled, and putting up in a bun is a mess because of shrinkage. I could use heat, but my hair has fine strands that it won't be worth the hassle (esp. when the humidity strikes). My hair is time consuming and this just isn't fun anymore.

For those of you out there, what went in your decision making?
How did you decide what relaxer/texlax method was right for you?

Did you have any second thoughts?

What was the condition of your hair?

How long was your hair?

How did you develop a regimen?

And did your relax/texlax hair respond to products in a similar way to your formerly natural hair?

Thanks in advance! I'm a coily 4b, prone to split ends/dryness, normal density. I most likely would self-texlax and roller set. I've been natural for several years.

 

[Raspberry]

Thanks for making this thread, I was just about to post something similar..

Have you always been frustrated with your natural hair nagawa? Or are your issues recent?

I'm currently taking down locs (its taking FOREVER ) and plan to relax but since my last relaxer was 7 years ago I have a lot to learn about a good regimen for relaxed hair cause I never had one before. My loose natural hair was cute but I'm not willing to commit the time it takes to detangle and style anymore. Plus I never quite came to terms with shrinkage..

I'm curious about air drying after a wash.. is there really no manipulation? Are you just brushing it back into a bun after?

ETA: There's a ton of happy BC threads (which is great!) but I would be so tickled to see a Back to the Relaxer and Its AMAZING!!! thread

 

[blondemane]

I say go for it (just be sure in your decision). I'm in the same boat right now and thinking about texlaxing but hiding my hair in braids for a few months before I make a final decision. You could airdry with braidouts/twistouts while relaxed to. I suggest checking out youtube channels for idea. ulovemegz is one of my favorites even though I'm natural. She usually air dries her air too, rollersets would be good too. You can have nice, luscious relaxed hair just continue healthy hair practices. It may be easier without the tangling

 

[greight]

Thanks for making this thread, I was just about to post something similar..

Have you always been frustrated with your natural hair nagawa? Or are your issues recent?

I'm currently taking down locs (its taking FOREVER ) and plan to relax but since my last relaxer was 7 years ago I have a lot to learn about a good regimen for relaxed hair cause I never had one before. My loose natural hair was cute but I'm not willing to commit the time it takes to detangle and style anymore. Plus I never quite came to terms with shrinkage..

I'm curious about air drying after a wash.. is there really no manipulation? Are you just brushing it back into a bun after?

ETA: There's a ton of happy BC threads (which is great!) but I would be so tickled to see a Back to the Relaxer and Its AMAZING!!! thread

@ the bolded I would so do it! I'd create it if or whenever my situation goes down.

I know EXACTLY how you feel! Minus the locs, I'm just so tired of my hair. And it's not as if I haven't tried either. I've been in extensions for long stretches, I've worn my hair out, I've done it ALL. Twists hurt my edges so I stopped them. Buns hurt my retention. Split ends abound if I leave my hair out and moisturizing my hair on a consistent basis is time consuming if I want to be thorough.

I've always been semi-frustrated with my hair, but I rolled with the punches . I know it's not supposed to be easy, but when I'm thinking about wash day or conditioning, no matter what type of methods I use, I still have issues. I'm just tired of the knotting, tired of the detangling, just done. My hair has been 10inches, APL, but it's splitting like mad and I just want to cut it, start over, and let it be what it is.

I think I wouldn't air dry unless my hair was significantly straight. I can barely recall when I was relaxed since it was really several years ago, but I was better off roller setting. And they came out pretty nice considering how inexperienced I was.

I could def do more styles if I was relaxed. I'll probably work with twist outs and braid outs. I want to have some texture with my texlax hair to do it.

 

[greight]

I say go for it (just be sure in your decision). I'm in the same boat right now and thinking about texlaxing but hiding my hair in braids for a few months before I make a final decision. You could airdry with braidouts/twistouts while relaxed to. I suggest checking out youtube channels for idea. ulovemegz is one of my favorites even though I'm natural. She usually air dries her air too, rollersets would be good too. You can have nice, luscious relaxed hair just continue healthy hair practices. It may be easier without the tangling

You know, I never was the one who was so attached to my natural hair. I'll miss a fro, but that's it. I'll get a weave for that

I just don't know where to begin since I've been scouring the boards about relaxed/texlaxed hair and I'll be DIY. I've been natural for so long, some of this stuff I gotta get used to.

 

[Minty]

sounds like your hair is short right now - anything below shoulder length hair can be overwhelming as a natural. I think if you can stick it out past that 4"-7" mark you'll feel better.

I just couldn't stand that in between length.

 

[Ms. Tiki]

I went from natural to texlax about 3 weeks ago and I'm happy that I did. I was having issues with splits and ssks. I've trim most of them out and started to use Nexxus promend. I will say my hair has a love hate relationship with and it prefers Paul Mitchell. My other products are the same with the exception of finally being able to use products with protein in them again, Aphogee. It's easier to deal with and poo. I'm a little past APL and it just became to much to fight with on a reg basis.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

I was natural and im relaxed. I barely wore my hair straight so for me relaxing it every 4-6 months and rollersetting versus keeping it natural and flat ironing it and barely washing it seems like the healthier option thus far. I can still wear wash n goes and my hair is still very curly so Im happy. The only thing I will probably do is transition my nape hairs. Those areas are stick straight from the relaxer . my nape hair is a very silky curl that straightens very easy without chemicals compared to the rest of my hair, so because of that, I'll tell the stylist to avoid relaxing that area from now on.

 

[koolkittychick]

I wore my hair natural for four years, growing it to about APL length before I made the decision to go back to relaxer. I was tired of the SSKs, the split ends, and not being able to effectively comb and style my hair because of the dryness and shrinkage.

I even went to a salon that supposedly specialized in caring for natural hair, but they ended up doing even more damage to my hair with the way they combed it and colored it. I was coloring my hair at home for years with the at home kits to get to a nice blonde color, but once it got too big I couldn't handle it on my own, so I went to the salon, where they proceeded to strip my hair with bleach, which then made it dry as a desert and it started snapping off by the handfuls. Not being able to deal with that sent me back to another salon get my bleached hair cut off and relax the rest.

All in all I don't regret it; my stylist was a magician and she was able to save most of my brittle, bleached ends and color correct it all to my natural dark brown color, and my relaxed hair has never been this shiny, healthy or long. My hair responds best to Paul Mitchell products (my wallet, on the other hand, hurts every time I go. ), and by using the techniques that I learned on this forum like stretching my relaxers to every 12 weeks, washing and DC 1 to 2 times a week, and moisturizing every night before tying it up in a satin scarf before bed, I am able to maintain a shiny, healthy head of hair that shows off the length I work so hard to grow.

Sometimes I miss my kinky curls, especially now that I know so much more about caring for natural hair than I did back then. But I have never ruled out the possibility that I may transition back to natural again. Right now though, I am thoroughly enjoying my relaxed tresses and trying to reach my goal of MBL. Once there I will consider my options on whether to stick with relaxer or do a long-term transition.

If you have been natural for a while, I would definitely recommend you go to a referred stylist (find someone whose hair you like and ask her where she goes -- that's how I found mine) and get a consultation before you do anything. You and your stylist can then come up with a game plan on what you can do to achieve your goal, be it to get a certain texture, grow to a certain length, or improve the overall health of your hair.

Once you are comfortable with your style and have established a regimen that works for your hair, than I don't see the problem with becoming a do-it-yourselfer. I successfully relaxed my hair at home for 10 years before I decided to go natural. The only reason I don't do it now is because my hair looooves Paul Mitchell, which is only available in a salon, so I'm kind of stuck

Hope this helps, and at any rate, good luck with your hair decision, and may you get the answers you seek on this leg of your healthy hair journey.

 

[hothair]

For those of you out there, what went in your decision making? Made up my mind
How did you decide what relaxer/texlax method was right for you? Did some research stuck to Phyto 1

Did you have any second thoughts? Nope, thought it through first

What was the condition of your hair? Healthy, coloured and highlighted with BKT.

How long was your hair? Almost APL

How did you develop a regimen? I basically use the same regimen but with a lot less product. Wash DC, wet wrap under the dryer 1ce a week (as opposed to wash, DC airdry and flatiron)

And did your relax/texlax hair respond to products in a similar way to your formerly natural hair? Yup. I just use a lot less products.

Thanks in advance! I'm a coily 4b, prone to split ends/dryness, normal density. I most likely would self-texlax and roller set. I've been natural for several years.
Me too with some 4a. Just do what's right for your hair. When I found I was wearing my hair straight most of the time, I thought why not? Still haven't regretted it and hoping finally for BSL by Dec

 

[Roux]

good luck in whatever you choose to do

 

[lilyofthenile]

Plan out a reggie for your relaxed or texlaxed hair. Also no worries, if the relaxer or texlax is not nice, you can always grow it out. Whatever decision you make, good luck XD

 

[caltron]

For those of you out there, what went in your decision making? I had been natural for nearly 7 years because I had experienced severe breakage with every relaxer I had tried. I then tried pressing, but that was nearly as damaging and hard to maintain with my workouts. I finally went natural, and had worn my hair in a puff, then in sew in weaves, then in treebraids. I loved treebraids the best, but then I had a baby and didn't have the time to take them out and put them back in. Plus, I didn't like all the stress on my hairline.

How did you decide what relaxer/texlax method was right for you?
I decided upon Phyto because it had gotten great reviews and worked for Oprah. I believe my problem in the past has been overprocessing. I have 4a/b hair, but the strands are fine and it is very thick. Phyto acts so slowly that this hasn't been a problem. The hair is not "bone straight" so I don't have a problem with breakage.

Did you have any second thoughts? I was very worried about overprocessing, but so far so good! It has been better than I expected!

What was the condition of your hair? My hair was in fairly good condition when I relaxed. The ends were terrible because I would have to blow it out and straighten it between braids. I believe I may have cut a little of my own hair in taking the braids out in the back too. I had the stylist cut about 3-4 inches off of the ends and now everything is fine and even.

How long was your hair? My hair is/was between SL and APL. I'm happy with how I'm retaining length

How did you develop a regimen? I used a lot of the same products I used as a natural, so I didn't have to do a lot of experimenting. After dealing with my hair in its natural state for so long, I knew a lot better how to be gentle on my relaxed hair. I've cut down on the manipulation quite a bit and the extra washing and conditioning has helped it quite a bit even though I use low heat just about every day.

And did your relax/texlax hair respond to products in a similar way to your formerly natural hair? Yes. The conditioners that worked best on my natural hair also work best on my relaxed hair.

 

[lana]

I texlaxed from collarbone length natural hair.

The only mistake I made, as a DIYer, was that I originally used a "no-lye" relaxer to texlax. Well...that doesn't work for my hair. About two years into texlaxing, I received advice from a friend's stylist...use only LYE relaxer if I want to have long hair.

I grew my 4b hair out and switched to Lye and I hit BSL this year.

I texlax every 3-4 months with Mizani Lye Relaxer.

I love being Texlaxed, but I honestly thought my hair would look different wet. (lol) It's thick and healthy and when I twist it (twisted for the first time last week) it looked great!

I may go natural again one day, now that I know what I'm doing. OR I may stick with what works. Because right now I have my dream hair. It's the hair I always wanted and I'm thankful.

Of course there will be issues, moisture retention, deep conditioning, trimming when needed, etc. But I had issues while natural too.

Being Texlaxed makes me happy and so I go with what works for me. Right now, I usually feel fabulous everyday.

That sold me...texlaxed it is!

 

[Your Cheeziness]

sounds like your hair is short right now - anything below shoulder length hair can be overwhelming as a natural. I think if you can stick it out past that 4"-7" mark you'll feel better.

I just couldn't stand that in between length.

This should be a PSA announcement. I wish I'd have known this before I bc'd. That in-between length can get to be too time consuming to maintain on a daily.

For those of you out there, what went in your decision making? The biggest factors for me is that I bc'd too early. I wasn't mentally prepared. I was going for 1.5 year transition and chopped at 5 months. Hot mess.

But, once I got used to my hair. I fell in love with it. The texture, all of that. But, at the end of the day, the daily maintenance didn't match my lifestyle. The bigger it got, the longer it took. But, it wasn't long enough to pineapple for night time and bun for lazy days. So, I texlaxed.

How did you decide what relaxer/texlax method was right for you?

My stylist did my relaxer. We intended for it to be straight, but my ends said, "hell no, we won't go!" So, I ended up with a texlax.

Did you have any second thoughts? No second thoughts, but I have lessons learned. I'd DEFINITELY be natural again. I'd just DEFINITELY transition until I was REALLY ready to BC.

What was the condition of your hair? It was very healthy, no breakage or excessive dryness or shedding. The accidental texlax ended up working out because my hair is much stronger (than being relaxed bone straight) and is very healthy. Moreso than my first time being relaxed.

How long was your hair? Neck length with layers (5-7 inches).

How did you develop a regimen? I just did what I used to do when I was relaxed. I just ommitted a couple of steps. I shampoo, DC, towel dry, apply heat protectant/serum, and style. Right now, I'm wearing sew ins.

And did your relax/texlax hair respond to products in a similar way to your formerly natural hair?

No, I had to go back to salon quality products especially now that I use heat with every wash. My natural hair hated them. But, my texlaxed hair hates natural based stuff.

 

[JayAnn0513]

I just texlaxed 7 days ago so I'm still working on most of what you are looking for. So far I have no regrets but the texlax was so light that no one has really noticed. I just wanted less tangling and to lessen the breakage that I had as a result.

 

[Etherealsmile]

I just texlaxed 7 days ago so I'm still working on most of what you are looking for. So far I have no regrets but the texlax was so light that no one has really noticed. I just wanted less tangling and to lessen the breakage that I had as a result.

This is exactly why I'm choosing to Texturize my hair. I haven't done it yet OP but like you, i'm a 4b except my hair is between 11-12 inches and extremely thick. The type of hair that hair braiders ran away from because it took forever to braid or straighten or never took to a relaxer fully.

In its natural state, i have no clue what to do with it. Sure it's healthy and its been growing wonderfully, i haven't hit 2yrs yet but i'm already at APL. However being natural is just not working with my current lifestyle. I'm so through with the ssk's, tangles and the time it takes to wash, condition, detangle my hair. I just don't have that luxury anymore with my graduate classes starting very soon.

I'm choosing to texturize my hair using linange shea butter texturizer since i've reviewed it the most and it seems to be the most gentle and seems to leave a smaller chance of over processing. I'll be texurizing using the half and half method. I learned this through viewing @BeautifulFlower 's hair channel on youtube. Since texturizing is essentially no different from relaxing, i've been looking through multiple youtube channels at various long haired relaxed and texlaxed ladies to see what their regimens are and how they retain their growth.

@BeautifulFlower has some great tips on her channel so please stop by when you get a chance. Tracyee (SP?) from Kiss also has some great tips as well. Not forgetting Sylver and Ms Kibibi http://www.kibibihair.com/. I believe you can learn alot from these ladies. It took me a lot of time to research and make up my mind that this is the path i want to take.

I'm too tired of not seeing my length as I I have the most ridiculous shrinkage at about 90 something percent. I'm not going with the bone straight look, that's not my thing. I just want my texture to relax enough that I can comb through, style easily and moisturize much better than I've ever been able to as a complete natural.

@lana has also been a great source of information for me. She has several blog posts in her profile and although I know you're relaxing, i'm sure you can learn some tips from her as she's a 4b as well

 

[Raspberry]

sounds like your hair is short right now - anything below shoulder length hair can be overwhelming as a natural. I think if you can stick it out past that 4"-7" mark you'll feel better.

I just couldn't stand that in between length.

This is def true for a lot of naturals, though in my case once I was past 7" all I did was wear twists or mini-braids because I hated having to restyle after a twist-out/braid-out or BAA... So I figured getting locs was something like permanent twists lol.

 

[Raspberry]

BeautifulFlower Great YT channel! What's your hair texture? I'll definitely keep your stretching tips in mind..

 

[HappilyLiberal]

sounds like your hair is short right now - anything below shoulder length hair can be overwhelming as a natural. I think if you can stick it out past that 4"-7" mark you'll feel better.

I just couldn't stand that in between length.

I agree with this. I BC'd three times prior to my latest BC and I always relaxed again because I have no idea what to do with hair that short (and I do not look good with short hair). So, three times prior to now I relaxed again.

I don't know how or why I let my cousin talk me into to chopping at 6 months post (I had planned a two year transition) because I know I do not like my hair short. The only difference this time is that I have a regimen that is working for me (daily co-washes and the kimmaytube leave-in is working wonders on my hair) and I know exactly what it is that is driving me nuts so I am waiting it out. I should be able to get some decent length twists by Christmas so I can change up my look then.

Unless you are really committed to having relaxed hair, I think you should go get a sew-in until you figure out what to do with your natural hair--out of sight is out of mind.

 

[HappilyLiberal]

I just texlaxed 7 days ago so I'm still working on most of what you are looking for. So far I have no regrets but the texlax was so light that no one has really noticed. I just wanted less tangling and to lessen the breakage that I had as a result.

JayAnn0513 I crack up everytime I see the little diva's pic in your siggy... no one will be putting anything over on babygirl!

 

[French Rouge]

I was natural and im relaxed. I barely wore my hair straight so for me relaxing it every 4-6 months and rollersetting versus keeping it natural and flat ironing it and barely washing it seems like the healthier option thus far. I can still wear wash n goes and my hair is still very curly so Im happy. The only thing I will probably do is transition my nape hairs. Those areas are stick straight from the relaxer . my nape hair is a very silky curl that straightens very easy without chemicals compared to the rest of my hair, so because of that, I'll tell the stylist to avoid relaxing that area from now on.

I was in WNY for a wedding. I am about 2/3 natural and tried to straighten my hair. The humidity killed it. I don't think my transition would have lasted this long if I still lived in WNY.

 

[preciouslove0x]

If I couldn't put my hair in twists as a protective style while my hair grows out, I would have most likely texlaxed a while ago. So I definitely understand your hair woes. No advice as I am still (and will continue to be) a natural. I just wanted to say good luck in your endeavor. I hope your relaxed hair turns out amazing and prettier than your natural hair ever was

 

[Junebug D]

For those of you out there, what went in your decision making?
Everything. I was very thorough in examining the pros and cons for MYSELF. I took into account the amount of time i was willing to spend on my hair, the amount of money I was willing to spend, the level of "hot mess" I was willing to live with, everything. Read my 1st blog entry for the furstrations I was having with my natural hair.

How did you decide what relaxer/texlax method was right for you?
I had been texlaxed/texturized in the past and knew it wasn't for me. In my experience, texlaxing is just a mix of the worst parts of being natural and the worst parts of being relaxed.


Did you have any second thoughts?
Not immediately after I relaxed. Later though, once you run into trouble there's always some thoughts of the grass being greener... My one MAJOR problem with being relaxed that I can't seem to control is that my hair seems to be thinning with each relaxer. (I do only have my roots touched up too, so it's the relaxer run-off that's causing the weakening down strand). I have considered going natural again, but then I just re-read my first blog entry and know that those exact same problems await me. So I've decided to stick it out with relaxing and I'll be trying henna for thickening. If that doesn't work, then Megatek. if that doesn't work, then I'll go natural again. It's not really a big life-changing thing to me anymore since me & my hair have been through so much. Othwerwise, I am having a much easier time with styling and getting breakage under control. I am coming to accept that there just is no such thing as low-maintenance when it comes to my thin, fragile hair type though.

What was the condition of your hair?
Knotted, losing edges, one side had broken off and was shorter than the other.

How long was your hair?
Shoulder length. I had never made it past SL.

How did you develop a regimen?
I basically just used the best practices that we discuss here: rollersetting, deep conditioning, protective styling stretching relaxers for 10-14 weeks, etc. I did a lot of research and saw what was working for people with hair similar to my own. My relaxed hair thrived initially and I made it past APL for the first time ever.


And did your relax/texlax hair respond to products in a similar way to your formerly natural hair?

It's easier for my relaxed hair to get weighed down with heavy moisturizing and sealing, so I just use lighter moisturizers and oils. Otherwise, there has been no major difference.

 

[BeautifulFlower]

@BeautifulFlower Great YT channel! What's your hair texture? I'll definitely keep your stretching tips in mind..

Raspberry Thanks. and I am 4a mostly & medium coarse (i think) .

 

[greight]

Thanks for your responses, everyone! I'm actually about 7 - 9 inches and I'll be cutting to approximately 4 - 5 inches by mid. At the end of August, I'll decide whether or not to perm.

I've grown it to APL for sure, but it was with a lot of protective styles. I've dealt with the awkward stage and that's fine. But a long 4b has to deal with length + SSKs + splits + moisture. And I can't touch my hair in order to get growth. But I'm now anti-weave and I don't want extensions to put a stress on my hair.

It's gonna be a huge step. Not sure about moisture/protein balance since my natural hair loves protein so I know I have to be careful. I think I might follow a protein/ceramide pre-poo regimen and a deep conditioning treatment to keep the balance. But I'll check out all the youtubers/people you've mentioned and look at their regimens.

I'm excited, but scared, you know? I just want healthy hair that allows me to live my life. Yes, I don't need to "worry" about the rain (I never did when relaxed), but I have to plan out my weekend and it ain't fun anymore.

 

[HauteHippie]

This must be texlax/relax season! I posted a similar thread last month and got some good responses. I decided to texlax. Juanita in Brooklyn texlaxed with... I think it'd called Salerm 21 and it went well. My regimen is actually the same, but I use less product. I'm going to begin rollersetting.

I've also subscribed to a few of SunnieB's threads for help.

 

[greight]

This must be texlax/relax season! I posted a similar thread last month and got some good responses. I decided to texlax. Juanita in Brooklyn texlaxed with... I think it'd called Salerm 21 and it went well. My regimen is actually the same, but I use less product. I'm going to begin rollersetting.

I've also subscribed to a few of SunnieB's threads for help.

Would you recommend her? Also what was your hair type/density/length when you relaxed? I'm in NYC as well

 

[HauteHippie]

Would you recommend her? Also what was your hair type/density/length when you relaxed? I'm in NYC as well

Oh, definitely! If you search Juanita or Dominican Essence (I think that's where she was before) you'll find a lot of posts about her on here including contact info.

She really wanted me to stay natural and was reluctant to use any chemicals. She was super careful and gentle and she's a good listener. She even did my trim. My hair came out exactly the way I wanted it to! I knew there was a chance it wouldn't since chemicals are fickle. I still have texture but detangling is so much easier!

Whoops, I forgot to answer your questions.

I have fine to medium strands of mostly 4b hair and medium density. I am anemic and she knew as soon as she put her hands in my hair. I'm so ashamed...
I had 10-11 inches and we trimmed about a half inch.

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using T-Mobile G2

 

[itsjusthair88]

Dang this thread is RIGHT on time, I am texlaxing at the end of the year and I can't wait...I'm about SL and my ultimate length goal is WSL...so yea...