4b girls...how often do you relax

[northernbelle]

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Wow, I didn't realize there were so many 4bs here! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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You know? Neither did I!

we should have a 4b support group. Especially important during the period leading up to touch up time. /images/graemlins/kiss.gif

northernbelle

 

[Faith]

I am at 9 1/2 weeks and plan on going to week 15. what has helped has been washing 1-2x/week and ONLY combing when in the shower in conditioner in my hair and NOT washing bent over the tub anymore.

 

[abainaa]

For my last relaxer, I waited until 10 weeks, and it was the best thing I ever did. It was the first time my hair was actually longer when I left the salon than when i arrived.
But the one drawback was that in order for the stylists to relax the hair, she had to comb thru some really tough new growth whihc caused some loss. But in all its worth it.
Im going to try the cocunut oil and lime juice thing this time and see if that helps.

 

[Cowgirl]

Honestly, I'm ashamed to admit that before finding this board, I was relaxing every 4 weeks. Lately I have been extending to every 8 weeks, but I think the breakage around weeks 6 & 7 are too much for my hair. I'm now approaching week 6 and the Emergencee treatment has helped significantly. But I think I will relax this weekend.

 

[jainygirl]

I was doing them every 12 weeks but now i've moved back down to every 8-9 weeks. I use Revlon Regular (Lye).

 

[LondonDiva]

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I relax mine every 6-8 weeks. I think loads of moisture is the key for me. I CANNOT go any longer than that. I have tried but I've never gone past 8 weeks.

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Well that was me back in march of last year, now I've managed to go from the end of May to Mid October. /images/graemlins/clap.gif

 

[mytia]

I'm a 4a, 4b and I relax my hair every 12 weeks but I may go longer this time depends on if I'm able to handle it or not. My hair gets pretty thick in the roots so I put a lot of work into keeping my hair tamed.

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

I am at 12-13 weeks right now and when I finally get a touch up it will have been 14 weeks!!!! I will never do this again. I find that I cannot use the no heat method and wait this long.

I think that 8 weeks will be my limit, even though when I was at 8 weeks, I really did not see that much new growth. I like being able to comb my hair and I just cannot do this without worrying about breakage when I have waited this long.

Coconut oil, olive oil putting coconut milk in my conditioners, using Mane N Tail Conditioner and detangling shampoos (Creme of Nature and Keracare Hydrating and Detangling are my faves) have really helped me a lot. Tying my new growth down with a silk scarf and keeping my hair in buns has also helped. Trying to wear a swingy Dominican blowout after week 8 would only need to excessive breakage.

 

[dreemssold]

4b here, every 12 weeks. Only two things help me...conditioner washing daily for the last 3-4 weeks and little manipulation or going to the Dominican salon every week or other week during the last month and having my roots blown straight. If I do the latter, I do not wash my hair at all between salon visits. If I do the former, I use Profectiv moitsurizers and oils to soften the new growth, but I still try not to comb through it.

 

[lovelymissyoli]

I have tightly coiled hair (4a I believe) and I relax every 3-4 months. Right now I’m trying to hold out until April, which will make it my 5th month since I’ve had a relaxer. Currently I’m at week 8 or 9 and have no intentions of relaxing because I don’t need it. My new growth is hard to manage but I get through it by wearing braid styles.

 

[Nova]

I'm a 4a/b at week 8 stretching my relaxer. I was trying to make it to 12/wks. (2/7/05), but trying to work with 2 textures is driving me crazy! I'm loosing too much hair because of it. So it looks like for right now, 8/wks. is the longest I can go before a T/U.

 

[phynestone]

Last year, I relaxed my hair a total of three times. The only way I was able to keep my new growth under control was keeping it moisturized and in weaves. The weaves seem to help my hair a lot. If I just wear my out (no braids or weaves), then at 12+ weeks, I start to have trouble. I'm going to try and do the same thing again this year with my hair, but as my hair gets longer, it gets harder to manage my new growth.

 

[UmSumayyah]

My usual schedule is 12. Last time I went 24 weeks. This time my plan is 16 weeks. It's easy for me because I keep my hair cornrowed after week 6 or so. It also makes Surging easy. I don't have time to be parting all over my head twice a day.

 

[WaterChylde]

I relax after I reach the 12 week mark. I'm trying to get to 16 weeks this time, so we'll see what happens.

 

[HairQueen]

I've been reading the posts and a lot of the 4a/4b girls seem to experience breaking / shedding after 8 weeks. I am currently at 8 weeks and trying to go to 12 for the first time ever. I have always done 6 weeks for the last 15 years!!

What I don't understand is why some ladies are getting breakage and or shedding yet other type 4s do not?

Those that are getting shedding are u deep cond 2x per week, wearing cornrows/weave/braids to help once you get past week 6, daily bun and spraying with activator? If you are not could this be why u are getting breakage and shedding?

 

[SandySea]

I'm experimenting with stretching relaxers. I really don't want to perm until mid' May and I won't be able to get braids until the first week of April. That leaves me with 13 weeks of new growth to deal with by then. I'm really hoping that I make it without much damage. I have soft and fine hair, so the new growth is manageable at this point (8 wks post-relaxer). I think I can make it one more month--we'll see.

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

I've got the "rough stuff" so I ABSOLUTELY MUST relax every 8 weeks. I can't go even one week longer because my hair would probably fall out and then I'd be at my wits end. Alot of you here seem to be experts at stretching your relaxer to 10 weeks and longer. I'm glad you can do it, because I certainly can't.

 

[Integrity]

washing and deep conditionin at least 2x a week with a detangling agent like Lekair cholesterol, MSN, and motions CPR, keep the hair strong, soft for many months!!

 

[bludacious]

Five weeks is as long as I can go. I am going to try for six weeks this time. There are spots in my hair that will not take a relaxing for nothing. So imagine how it looks in five weeks. My hair is unstylable. I think I will try a bun in my fifth weeks. See how I can handle it.

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

washing and deep conditionin at least 2x a week with a detangling agent like Lekair cholesterol, MSN, and motions CPR, keep the hair strong, soft for many months!!

Really? :scratchch So that's the secret to stretching. I never knew. You learn something new every day.

 

[MizAvalon]

I go between 12-16 weeks. It gets really difficult after about 10 weeks, but still not impossible. I make it through by not manipulating much and braids. Oh, and Sta-Sof-Fro. Im going to see if I can make it to 19 or 20 weeks this time.

 

[hottopic]

The longest I made it was 9 weeks...which is pretty good for me...This time I am going for 12 weeks. The week of graduation I will perm my hair. Yeah...That is 3 extra weeks of suffering with the new growth. I am going to do braids and 2 weeks prior to perm I am doing a phony pony with washing 2 times per week and deep condition to prep my hair for a good perm.

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

washing and deep conditionin at least 2x a week with a detangling agent like Lekair cholesterol, MSN, and motions CPR, keep the hair strong, soft for many months!!

You use Motions CPR 2x a week? How does this work for you? You don't find that it's too much protein? Also, what is MSN?

 

[ryanshope]

I have gotten to the point where I can go 3 months strong, I use hot oil treatments and ponytails to carry me. I can wash on saturday and have a bun for a week. I used to condition wash alot, but my hair has got to a length where it is more of a burden then a help to do so....braids/cornrows can help too..

 

[bluwatersoul]

4a/4b here. I have recently found the board, and so am trying to stretch for the first time. Usually I am counting the days up until my 6th week...I am now heading into my 9th and doing "ok". Habits are hard to break. I wear my own hair back in a bun, absolutely no heat whatsoever yet, unless you want to include conditioning under my soft bonnet.

I wash my hair in the shower...shampoo 1-2x weekly, condition 2x weekly, deep condition at least once a week. I find hair mayo and evoo hot oil treatments really make and keep the new growth soft. After washing, I use Nexxus Humectress as a leave in. When I was natural, my hair loved it, and relaxed it makes my hair so soft and shiny. I use S curl on my new growth, as well as Elasta mango Butter. I put it on my new growth like I am applying a perm, then tie it up at night.

I think I can make it to 10 weeks, but I will probably need to put it into cornrows to do it gracefully. I haven't done it yet because I am worried about my relaxed hair breaking from the braids. But stretching isn't quite as scary as I thought it might be - but it DOES take dedication!

the prize is the journey
Blu

 

[beloved1]

I am new to the boards and I had never considered stretching my relaxer before. Usually by 6 weeks, it's a mess- but it's 6 wks now and manageable, no shedding, breaking.
I wash my hair in the shower, use UBH conditioner recipe to deep condition and don't comb my hair at all while it's wet (actually, I rarely comb it period). So far, the oils in the conditioner help soften the new growth. I use a leave-in and just sit under the dryer and let my hair dry while using my hands to pull and shape it. I use a curling iron (after applying ORS Olive Oil) and smooth my roots and curl my hair simultaneously. The rest of the week I use my hands to just wrap it at night.

I'm going to go for 8-12 weeks since this is my first time trying it.

 

[northernbelle]

I find that I cannot go more than eight weeks. Although my hair is fine, my new growth comes in thick and tight, which leads to breakage. Therefore, between weeks six and eight, I try to keep my new growth well-moisturized. I may also step up my use of a reconstructor during that time as well, in order to strengthen the new growth.

northernbelle

 

[YummyC]

I made it to 10 weeks. So i know that if I can do it, everyone else can. I does get a little unbearable, but be gentle ladies

 

[Mitre]

I get one every 4-5 months but i am going to wait 7-10 months this time

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

I have type 4b hair like some of you ladies here, and I've just started stretching my hair for more than 7 weeks. Before finding this forum I used to relax every 6 weeks approximately.

But now...I can stretch to 14 weeks! 14 weeks is the longest I've gone. But keep in mind, that my hair (although it's 4b) is very baby fine naturally. I don't know how it would be if my hair were really THICK. I long for thicker hair, so tha'ts why I started stretching my relaxers. I even switched to a mild relaxer, and that has helped TREMENDOUSLY! I found it easier to stretch when I had a mild relaxer than when I had a regular strength relaxer because the contrast between mild relaxed hair and virgin hair isn't as GREAT as regular strength relaxed hair and virgin hair.

The only reason why I stretch my relaxers so long is so that my hair can be thicker, and I can minimize any chance for overlapping of the relaxer.

The first time I stretched, it was MURDER! But the second time, I got better at it. I think it gets easier everytime you stretch. 8 weeks is a breeze to me, but @ 10 weeks it starts getting harder and harder. At 12 weeks, it can feel like torture sometimes! LOL* So, maybe the best thing to do is try to stretch longer than you would usually go at least twice, and see the condition of your hair. If you think your hair is better off stretching, then continue on. IF you don't, then you should just go back to your usual routine of relaxing.

Bottom line: Just do what's best for you and your hair.
ALso, some factors that might influence your ability to stretch relaxers...
-the relaxer type
-the relaxer strength
-how thick your hair is


I usually try to do as little manipulation with my hair as possible while I stretch. Dominican roller sets help me out a LOT while stretching! I go every 2 weeks. When I don't go, I wash my hair and deep condition every time. Believe it or not, but washing your hair in the shower does WONDERS for the detangling process!

Good Luck!