calling all 4A / 4B LONG term stretchers!

[poookie]

There's already a thread for all long term stretchers, but I'd love to hear tips from relaxed ladies with 4a / 4b type hair who successfully stretch their relaxers for 10+ weeks. Please provide any tips you have!

How do you style your hair on a regular basis?

If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through?

What are your staple products?

 

[wannabelong]

I stretch at least 12 weeks, Aug.1st I completed a 19 week stretch. From weeks 1-6, I rollerset, do a saran wrap treatment and wear my hair straight. After 6 weeks, I alternate each week between a twistout and a bun. The week I wear a bun, I do a ponytail rollerset instead of a traditional rollerset and no saran wrap treatment. I also keep a half wig handy just in case I get really lazy or have a bad hair day. My staples are: Pantene Relax and Natural Mask, Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor, Rusk Smoother leave-in, CHI silk infusium, Silk Elements Silken Child moisturizer and coconut oil. I hope this helps.

 

[Desarae]

Bummmmmp!!

 

[Poranges]

How do you style your hair on a regular basis?
If I am not wearing my hair straight, which is about 20% of the time during my relaxer. I will wear it in a bun that I take down to moisturize daily. Bunning is my staple protective style when stretching. I stretch 12-16 weeks each time. I'm going 16 weeks this time.

If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through?
I will wash, deep condition for about 45 minutes w/heat, airdry 80% and then blow dry the roots, I then apply no product but my heat protectant, flat iron going over each section once, sometimes twice and then moisturize and wrap.

What are your staple products?
NTM Silk Touch, Beyond The Zone HP, Shescentit DC's, Hairveda Strinillah, Shescentit Seyani Hair Butter, Coconut Cream Concentrate.

*When I am about 8-10 weeks into my stretch, depending on whether I am going 12/16 or 18 weeks, I do a natural relaxer which consists of Coconut Cream Concentrate, ACV and some lemon juice.

 

[hypek]

I am currently 10 wks in on a 12 wk stretch. My last was 10 wks.

How do you style your hair on a regular basis?
I wear bantu knot outs (either down or in a high pony), buns, and french braids. I wear my hair down for the first week after my relaxer and then I start my rotation of heat-free styles.

If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through?
I cowash, bantu knot when 90% dry. When completely dry I take down the knots and brush with my cushion brush, wrap, and put on a scarf.

What are your staple products?
Suave Tropical Coconut condition, HE Totally Twisted condition, Silicon Mix, Leonor Greyl Palm Oil, Leonor Greyl Bamboo Shampoo

 

[ellehair]

I am on week 13 of a 12 week stretch lol.. I was gonna relax Friday but decided to go for at least another 4 weeks which will bring me to 16 weeks post..

I wear half wigs and full cap wigs during the entire stretch as im in the hide your hair challenge until December.

DC'ing 2x a week has helped and my new staple which helped me in my decision to not relax at 12 weeks is cantu shea butter. It honestly melted my new growth knots tangles and all..

Products are Aphogee 2 min, JBCO softens up the new growth, VO5 Moisture milks passion fruit smoothie and my new beloved cantu shea butter leave in

 

[kami11213]

I stretch my hair between 4 and 6 months depending on how the stretch is going. I hardely ever relax before 4 months though

How do you style your hair on a regular basis? Btwn wks 1-12 mostly rollersets and braidouts. Wks 13 on it's just easier to wash and bun until my next wash. The less manipulation I do the better

If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through? If I'm wearing a straight style after 13 weeks then I'll either rollerset and flat iron my roots then wrap or I'll wash, blow dry then flat iron w/ my Sedu on 360...

What are your staple products? If I'm airdrying while stretching Nexxus Humectress is necessary b/c my hair never dries crunchy and brittle when I use it as a leave in. Shampoos are usually Mizani Bontafying, Elasta QP creme conditioning shampoo, or Nexxus Therape. Conditioners are Mizani moisturfuse, ORS Replenshing, NTM and Creme of Nature. Leave ins are Infusium 23 Repairology, Aphogee green tea, NTM and HE LTR

 

[Tarae]

I just completed a 21 week stretch. I usually stretch 10-14 weeks.

How do you style your hair on a regular basis?
Mostly braidouts. Sometimes I'll wear buns.

If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through?
I rollerset and flat iron or blow out my roots. I might air dry in 2-4 braids over night and then blow dry and flat iron the next day if I don't feel like rollersetting.

What are your staple products?
Kenra MC, Silk Elements Moisturizing Treatment, Ecostyler Gel (great for the edges), SheScentIt Seyani Hair Butter, HE LTR Leave in (these two are really good for my braid outs)

 

[lovedone_24]

My hair is a 3C/4A mix, last relaxer April 7th of this year. My hair had been styled straight up until July 19th when I got a thick set of micros. Wearing my hair straight I used Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine shampoo/conditioner, Aphogee Green Tea Reconstructor, and Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum. I would wash/condition, apply the reconstructor, then a small amount of the serum, blow dry, flat iron w/ my Solia (too much heat, I know). Right now I am using Organic Root Stimulator dry shampoo to clean my braids. I apply 100% Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to the scalp and African Pride dry oil to braids when needed. I'm planning on getting my hair re-braided on September 12. At that point I know my hair will need a good cleansing shampoo & a rich, creamy conditioner, preferably natural. The search is on!

 

[Calia001]

I stretch 12 weeks, I relax about 4x a year.

Styling on a regular basis: the first week I wear it down, the second I do braidouts. During the 3rd week While the front is still straight I do phony ponys (wet and wavy aoww). I just bought cold wave rods so ill use those as my roller set. Usually by week 9-10 I've given up and just throw on the half wig and a cap or bando (bandeau sp?) So no hair is ever out.

Staple products: creme of nature olive oil deep conditioner, organics hair mayo, megatek(sparingly), organics shea butter plus, nexxus leave in moisturizer. The cholesterol family

 

[prospurr4]

I'm texlaxed, 4b and stretch my touchups to at least 13 weeks.

How do you style your hair on a regular basis?
From touchup to 6 weeks post, I wear a variety of styles like updos with accessories, twistouts on just straightened. After 6 weeks to touchup, I wear spiral sets, which blend my new growth well.

If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through?
I don't use direct heat, so to straighten, I rollerset on 2" magnetic rollers. After the hair is dry, I remove the rollers, roll my ends on a jumbo (1") flexirod, and tie my hair down with a silk scarf. I usually do this at bedtime, which allows my hair to "set" overnight. In the morning, my hair is straight with bumped ends

What are your staple products?
VO5 and Suave Conditioners, Giovanni Direct Leave-in, Motions Lavish Shampoo, Aloe Vera Gel, Water

Low manipulation, especially during those latter weeks, has been key for me to have successful stretches. I co-wash weekly, moisturize nightly, and otherwise, leave my alone. HTH

 

[phynestone]

I stretch anywhere from 16-20 weeks, with the help of a sew-in weave. While weaved, I continue to use Nexxus Therappe and Humectress, with s-curl activator as my moisturizer. I try to alternate between the s-curl and Infusium 23 for damaged hair weekly. As soon as I take my weave down, after a week, my hair is relaxed and worn down for a few days. Then I wear phony-ponies for a month, so I can have enough new growth to install a sew-in weave. My moisturizer with the phony pony is usually s-curl or water on the tail, covered with Profectiv's Healthy Ends or Vaseline. I hope this helps.

 

[beans4reezy]

How do you style your hair on a regular basis?
From week 1 to about week 16, buns, buns, buns
From week 16 to 32 weeks braids or kinky twists.

If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through?
I don't use heat when I stretch, so I never wear hair straight

What are your staple products?
Hairveda Whipped Ends Hydration
StaSoftFro
Castor Oil
Hairveda Cockasta Shikaki Oil
V05 Moisture Milks Conditoners for Cowashes
WEN for washing and Conditoning
Weekly Aphogee Treatments (2 Min Keratin Reconstructor)

 

[sylver2]

How do you style your hair on a regular basis?
either straight or a braidout

If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through?
wash, condition, john frieda and sabino on wet hair, blow dry, then flat iron.

What are your staple products?

Rusk smoother leave in conditioner, ntm silk touch leave in cream, jojoba oil

 

[Aggie]

I had posted the following post in another thread and simply copied and is pasting in here as I too have 4b type hair.


I am currently over 7 months into my year long relaxer stretch and I had a really hard time when I got to 5 months into it, then I decided to get proactive and do something about it.

The Things that Helped Me Stretch and Keep My New Growth In Tact Are:

1) Hot Oil treatments - the oils I found favorable are extra virgin olive oil and sweet almond oil. This is done sometimes before shampooing and sometimes after shampooing mixed in with my DC.

2) I also use a reconstructor weekly mostly as a prepoo on dry hair mixed with Lily Of The Desert Aloe Vera gel with heat for 20 - 30 minutes. It seems to work better for me this way because I don't have to manipulate it too much afterwards. I simply poo lightly then DC.

3) I find that shampooing less works for me as well. I shampoo about 2-3 times a month now and one of those would be a clarifying poo. I realize now though that I don't have to use a clarifying poo that often anymore because I have drastically reduced the usage of the amount of products with cones and parabens in them. I may have to stretch my clarifying to every 5 or 6 weeks for now.

4) I have also been coating my hair with oil and/or conditioner and adding a little natural oil to the shampoo before washing my hair. Wow, this is truly amazing and greatly reduces any stripping/drying feeling to my hair by the shampoo, especially natural shampoos which does make hair feel a little stripping.

5) Henna'ing my hair once every 3-4 weeks (except when I'm in extension braids) has also greatly loosen up my hair's curl pattern. Simply wonderful.

6) I deep condition with heat after every wash with a super moisturizing deep conditioner at least once every 7-10 days. I would do a moisturizing co-wash within that time frame as well. My new co-wash loves are Aussie Moist Conditioner and Pantene Nature Fusion Moisturizing conditioner.

Now you understand why I still have to use a clarifying shampoo every once in a while. Some things I just can't seem to give up. I will have to replace them sooner or later though with something a bit more natural and it will have to be with Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner of course. I really love this conditioner.

7) Like Terri, I lightly use a creamy leave-in and thanks to her, my new leave-in loves are Alba Botanica leave in and Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) Revitalizing leave in. I also use Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner as a leave-in.

8) Daily moisturizing with BWC leave-in, for example, and sealing with extra virgin coconut oil helps a great deal.

Oh I have to add this:
The BWC Revitalizing leave in makes an excellent detangler. It made detangling a breeze for me AFTER my hair air-dries. I just section off my hair a little at a time, add the leave-in, work through with my fingers and I could literally feel my hair softening under my fingers and as a result, it is now a staple. Try it!


What Products or Special Secret Recipe Helped You Stretch???

Already mentioned above but I have also been protective styling my hair via extension braids and wigs which have been extremely instrumental in my ability to get as far as I am right now.

 

[Barbie83]

bumpity....bump....

 

[sharifeh]

great thread...bump

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

How do you style your hair on a regular basis?
1-6 weeks - down during fresh relaxer and/or various up dos
6-13+ weeks - wigs, braid outs, and up dos (but mostly I put it up, leave it alone, and wig it)


If you wear your hair straight, what process do you go through?
Blowdry on cool with leave ins, airdry on rollers, or the scarf method then I put it up

What are your staple products?
Let me add that my hair needs different things at different times. At no point in time to I heap all of this stuff in my hair at the same time.

conditioner/water/glycerin mix
EVOO
Coconut oil
Castor Oil
Jamilla Henna
Molasses
HE's LTR leave-in and conditioner
V05 Moisture Milk Conditioner for the mix and cowashing
Paul Mitchell Lavender Mint Poo/Condish
Lustrasilk Mango for DC
Nexxus Emergencee
Nexxus Therappe
Fantasia IC Leave in
Chi Silk Infusion