Can we talk about relaxing bone straight and why people do this??

[morehairplease]

Relaxing bone straight is bad for the hair because it lacks elasticity, so it would break easier. I was reading on one site (I think Jazma) that its best to relax 80%.

hi there nubianqt86,

how do you know if the hair is relaxed 80%? Please forgive me if the question has been asked/answered already.

thanks in advance,
tishee

 

[gymfreak336]

So what is the test for bone straightness? Do I wash and air dry my hair to see what happens.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

Ok, here is what I consider bone straight hair and even though the length is a weave, the roots are what's telling the story. BTW - I don't believe this is a lacefront, but I could be wrong.

How would this allow for more control? Would you elaborate on this please? Thanks!

With relaxed hair you can style your hair in the morning and there is a pretty good chance it will still look the same way at the end of the day.

Natural hair, pressed or flat ironed just has a way of changing shape throughout the day. A little sweat or humidity in the air is going to fcuk up your style

You don't have to relax bone straight...to get end result bone straight hair. Naturals can bone straight hair.

I have looked through hundreds of natural fotkis in the past 2 years. I have never seen type 3 or 4 natural hair look anywhere near Mary's roots in the pic above after a press or flat iron. There is always some degree of 'body' in the hair that doesn't allow it to lay flat.

 

[lisana]

when I look at the MJB picture I see hair that been set with a lot of heat so while the finished look is bone straight that doesn't mean it's relaxed bone straight. My hair is not bone straight but I could make that way by flat ironing it and blow drying..

 

[Serenity_Peace]

My hair can look bone straight like MJB in that picture *without* heat because my hair is very soft and fine. I consider that look to be bone straight. My hair straightens just like that when I leave the relaxer on too long. I try really hard to time it right and not do that. I never leave it on for the full recommended time...always between 3 and 5 minutes under the recommended processing time for fine/medium hair.

 

[HoneyDew]

With relaxed hair you can style your hair in the morning and there is a pretty good chance it will still look the same way at the end of the day.

Natural hair, pressed or flat ironed just has a way of changing shape throughout the day. A little sweat or humidity in the air is going to fcuk up your style

My texlaxed hair is the same way. I can have flatironed straight hair for about 1 day, if that. After that it gets bigger and bigger and my hair starts to revert. I think because I am texlaxed, I can just pull it off and leave it like that until I condition and flatiron again - but some people don't like it - my mom always says she does not like that my hair does not look "bone straight" (but she is still brainwashed to think it has to be that way to look good) I am just used to it now.

 

[Nightingale]

hi there nubianqt86,

how do you know if the hair is relaxed 80%? Please forgive me if the question has been asked/answered already.

thanks in advance,
tishee

I have no idea. LOL! I assume that it means to relax and leave a slight kink or wave pattern.

 

[sexyeyes3616]

If you relax your hair until it is bone straight, you are taking all of the elasticity out of it, therefore depleting most of it's strength. Elasticity is essential for body, bounce, and strength.

When bone sraight the result is flat, lifeless hair. It is the elasticity that is crucial to hair being able to stretch when you are stylign or manipulating it in any way, and it not breaking.

 

[PinkPeony]

My texlaxed hair is the same way. I can have flatironed straight hair for about 1 day, if that. After that it gets bigger and bigger and my hair starts to revert. I think because I am texlaxed, I can just pull it off and leave it like that until I condition and flatiron again - but some people don't like it - my mom always says she does not like that my hair does not look "bone straight" (but she is still brainwashed to think it has to be that way to look good) I am just used to it now.

Ditto my hair is the same way.

me too.

Honestly, I would relax bone straight if I weren't so nervous about it.

Self texlaxing give me a sense of security that I am not going too far.

I always get nervous at the end and don't want to leave it in too long.

So for me, it is part emotional security.

Me too...
When I saw Macherie combing through her hair I wished I could do the same with mine.
I need a crazy amount of heat to get my hair kinda straight for about 4-5 hours max. before it begins to revert.

Locks... please explain me the science you're talking about maybe we mean the same thing.

 

[sylver2]

If you relax your hair until it is bone straight, you are taking all of the elasticity out of it, therefore depleting most of it's strength. Elasticity is essential for body, bounce, and strength.

When bone sraight the result is flat, lifeless hair. It is the elasticity that is crucial to hair being able to stretch when you are stylign or manipulating it in any way, and it not breaking.

nope, different strokes for different folks. I kno a lot of woman who relax bone straight including myself. Result is not what u say.
I relax bone straight but yet the next day can rock a wavy or curly braidout if i want. I have options too.

 

[MonaLisa]

nope, different strokes for different folks. I kno a lot of woman who relax bone straight including myself. Result is not what u say.
I relax bone straight but yet the next day can rock a wavy or curly braidout if i want. I have options too.

I swear I thought about you when I saw this thread....
and I'm like....I don't think the OP's statements were applicable to your head, but I knew you relaxed bone straight and your hair has plenty body.

*Lub ya hair girlie...*

 

[PinkPeony]

nope, different strokes for different folks. I kno a lot of woman who relax bone straight including myself. Result is not what u say.
I relax bone straight but yet the next day can rock a wavy or curly braidout if i want. I have options too.

Sylver I know I mentioned you as an example for healthy long bone straight hair so I hope you don't mind me asking a question.(That of course also goes out to Macherie)

I and others(ok maybe it's just me ) have this theory that everytime you relax it will straighten your ends a little bit as you rinse it out and the water runs over your previously relaxed hair.
That's why texlaxed heads often have straighter ends and bonestraight heads would have to fight hard to prevent their ends from being damaged or overprocessed.
Honestly that would be my biggest fear when it comes to going straight.

What do you think?Do you think this is true?Any experiences or advice on how to prevent this?

 

[CurleeDST]

Everyone's hair is different but when I relaxed bone straight at the first signs of humidity instead of puffing up my hair would lose its curl and lay too flat against my scalp. I like body and bone straight lacks body. It sort of just lays there so while I may toy with going between relaxed and natural - either way I want healthy body.

Also, bone straight caused more damage b/c it got rid of all the elasticity in the hair so you can't put a comb or brush near it without seeing hair chips all over the place. I wasn't patient enough to DC every week on a regular basis. I know lazy!

 

[CurleeDST]

Looks like Lala relaxes bone straight and her hair is definitely waistlength and beyond!

 

[PinkPeony]

Everyone's hair is different but when I relaxed bone straight at the first signs of humidity instead of puffing up my hair would lose its curl and lay too flat against my scalp. I like body and bone straight lacks body. It sort of just lays there so while I may toy with going between relaxed and natural - either way I want healthy body.

Also, bone straight caused more damage b/c it got rid of all the elasticity in the hair so you can't put a comb or brush near it without seeing hair chips all over the place. I wasn't patient enough to DC every week on a regular basis. I know lazy!

So basically if you are ready to go the extra mile you might could avoid all the damage.

Actually I can't even think about brushing or combing my texlaxed hair

 

[PinkPeony]

Looks like Lala relaxes bone straight and her hair is definitely waistlength and beyond!

Yeah I think this whole texlaxing thing is not THAT old and everyone acts like it's the gospel.
LHCFers have grown their hair to great lengths before texlaxing was so popular.

I sure think it's safer to texlax when you think about overprocessing but it's not impossible to reach WL or beyond with bonestraight hair...

 

[Crackers Phinn]

nope, different strokes for different folks. I kno a lot of woman who relax bone straight including myself. Result is not what u say.
I relax bone straight but yet the next day can rock a wavy or curly braidout if i want. I have options too.

And since you up in here, when we go see some updates Missy! It's a good thing I ain't been holding my breath since April. :wink2:

 

[Much2much41]

I get mine as straight as I can because I enjoy having a few weeks of not having to fight new growth. It seems like if my hair is left even the least bit "unstraight", I'm battling with it until the next relaxer. It didn't get straight my last relaxer, and my newgrowth is so thick it looks like my head is swollen

 

[locabouthair]

Sylver I know I mentioned you as an example for healthy long bone straight hair so I hope you don't mind me asking a question.(That of course also goes out to Macherie)

I and others(ok maybe it's just me ) have this theory that everytime you relax it will straighten your ends a little bit as you rinse it out and the water runs over your previously relaxed hair.
That's why texlaxed heads often have straighter ends and bonestraight heads would have to fight hard to prevent their ends from being damaged or overprocessed.
Honestly that would be my biggest fear when it comes to going straight.

What do you think?Do you think this is true?Any experiences or advice on how to prevent this?

I know the question wasn't directed towrads me but you can prevent it by putting conditioner/oil/or vaseline on the previously relaxed hair before you relax. i got that from sistaslick.

 

[CurleeDST]

Someone did raise a good question - I would worry about overprocessing with bone straight. I would think you would have to find a stylist who could do it without overlapping and overprocessing and continue to go to that stylist, not change relaxer brands and not change stylists else it is a recipe for disaster.

Yeah I think this whole texlaxing thing is not THAT old and everyone acts like it's the gospel.
LHCFers have grown their hair to great lengths before texlaxing was so popular.

I sure think it's safer to texlax when you think about overprocessing but it's not impossible to reach WL or beyond with bonestraight hair...

 

[natieya]

Thanks for your answers.

Undeniably, she has a beautiful head of hair...let me say it again...UNDENIABLY SHE HAS A BEAUTIFUL HEAD OF HAIR! Now with that said...I wonder if she is one of the exceptions to the rule??

Just trying to figure it out...Just pondering...

I wonder if this is best for certain hair types? Still wondering and pondering...

I wonder if it has to do with the coarseness level of a person's hair. I know I have 4b thick and coarse hair and when I relax bone straight, it is still thick, it's just straight. I'd like to think that Macherieamour and I are hair twins...the only difference being my hair is WAY shorter than hers.

 

[pistachio]

Well, If your you're a 4a like me I can understand not wanting to relax bone straight because of the vast difference in the demarcation line, but my hair is actually doing quite well, and not breaking. I apply my hair creme, and the ng is sooo soft!! I think you can have healthy bone straight hair if you take care of the natural hair(ng) first.

Oh yeah, and I relax 100% too!!!

 

[MrsHouston]

Yes that looks bone straight but, it can still be achieved w/o relaxing your hair bone straight. Mine looks like that when I get it professionally flat ironed and my last relaxer was September 06.

Ok, here is what I consider bone straight hair and even though the length is a weave, the roots are what's telling the story. BTW - I don't believe this is a lacefront, but I could be wrong.

With relaxed hair you can style your hair in the morning and there is a pretty good chance it will still look the same way at the end of the day.

Natural hair, pressed or flat ironed just has a way of changing shape throughout the day. A little sweat or humidity in the air is going to fcuk up your style




I have looked through hundreds of natural fotkis in the past 2 years. I have never seen type 3 or 4 natural hair look anywhere near Mary's roots in the pic above after a press or flat iron. There is always some degree of 'body' in the hair that doesn't allow it to lay flat.

 

[natieya]

Well, I wouldn't say nobody. There are some people who would actually benefit from a super. Some individuals with thicker hair (by thick, I mean thick individual strands) have many more cutcile layers than others. I've read that normal hair can have as few as 6 and as many as 16 overlapping cuticle layers. You've seen folks with strands that are like strong thready, wires. They would need the higher pH to get the same result you'd get with a mild or regular in the same processing time.
Also, some people have hair with very low porosity (usually the same folk above with the thick strands) or have a lower overall body pH. They also need the higher pHs to help breach the cuticle.

But, I do agree that most of us certainly don't need super at all.

I have thick individual strands. I took one of my shed hairs and laid it on a piece of paper and I could see it easily from way across the room! LOL, I was so surprised. Anyway...just chiming in that I tried a regular relaxer twice before and my hair was grossly underprocessed afterward (even with leaving it on longer than the suggested time)...that was pre-LHCF and I didn't know better. I now stick with super.

 

[SleekandBouncy]

I watched my hair dry last night and I learned that my hair was relaxed bone straight since I started relaxing my hair. During the last 6 months I had switched to a new stylist and to ORS olive oil relaxer so I can give feedback on both textures.

When my hair was bone straight I didn't have any problems stretching out touchups. My only real problems were breakage and major tangles. The most recent 4" of my hair is not texlaxed, but not bone straight either. It's a weird straightish with little ripples. I've not had any problems getting those sections straight or having them stay straight throughtout the week even on humid days. I think it's possible to relax straight, but not bone straight and get the best of both worlds. I've grown my hair long and I was relaxed bone straight, now I'll probably stick with ORS which gives straightish results. When dry it has a semi straight/rippled texure. I'm not sure what it's called.

 

[natieya]

First of all, I think this is a great and very interesting thread!

Pixel Lady, is relaxing bone straight a sign of overprocessing? Also, do you think there is a difference between relaxing straight and bone straight? If so, how would you characterize the differences? The reason I asked is because in Shamboosie's book, he says that relaxers are meant to relax the curl pattern; not to make your hair bone straight. His reasonings were the same as yours as one's hair can't hold a curl. I've also read that you loose all elasticity when you relax bone straight. To what extent should the hair be relaxed IYO?

ETA: Another reason for my questions is because I think that you can still relax straight to the point where you hair still has life, body and elasticity. It would seem to me that bone straight with no life or body is overprocessing. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Ooh, good question! I'd like to know, too. For all I know, I think super gets my hair straight but not bone straight. It still has body and volume.

 

[newflowers]

It seems to me that the end result of the debate is that if one wishes for straight hair one can relax it, thus potentially causing various levels of damage dependent upon how straight one chooses to relax

OR

one can "texlax" which is ultimately an underprocessed relaxer and then use heat which can cause damage dependent upon how often and/or how hot one chooses to use a heating appliance


So this is a matter of pick your poison or, in the case of taxlax, double poison?

 

[beana]

I watched my hair dry last night and I learned that my hair was relaxed bone straight since I started relaxing my hair. During the last 6 months I had switched to a new stylist and to ORS olive oil relaxer so I can give feedback on both textures.

When my hair was bone straight I didn't have any problems stretching out touchups. My only real problems were breakage and major tangles. The most recent 4" of my hair is not texlaxed, but not bone straight either. It's a weird straightish with little ripples. I've not had any problems getting those sections straight or having them stay straight throughtout the week even on humid days. I think it's possible to relax straight, but not bone straight and get the best of both worlds. I've grown my hair long and I was relaxed bone straight, now I'll probably stick with ORS which gives straightish results. When dry it has a semi straight/rippled texure. I'm not sure what it's called.

This is the result i go for when i relex, straight with a slight ripple/curl pattern.

Sleek: How long do you let your relaxers process?

 

[SleekandBouncy]

This is the result i go for when i relex, straight with a slight ripple/curl pattern.

Sleek: How long do you let your relaxers process?

How long do you leave it in?
My stylist does the touchups so I'm not exactly sure. For my next touchup I'm going to find out. I'm fascinated by this straight vs. bone straight vs texlaxed. I'm having a hard time figuring out which is the best for my hair and how to tell the difference between all the variations. My head hurts from all this thinking

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Yes that looks bone straight but, it can still be achieved w/o relaxing your hair bone straight. Mine looks like that when I get it professionally flat ironed and my last relaxer was September 06.

Mines can too. If you look at y album I am bone straight (when dry-that's because I a genius on the flat iron) and texlaxed when wet.

The best way to tell how much yo are relaxed if after FRESHLY shampooed hair. That way there is no product on it to weight it down.