Prevent Thin Ends, Promote Thickness

[blaqbarb]

I went to a stylist yesterday who said you shouldn't wait months to get a perm and that once enough new growth pops out, that you should have it permed. If not, it puts stress on the hair that is already permed, causing it to break. It also causes the ends to thin out. So much for trying to stretch out perms.

Anybody else heard anything bad from other stylists about stretching out perms?

 

[Britt]

From I can remember, most hairdressers says this. I think it depends on your hair type, some people's hair breaks at the demarcation line when they need to relax others can go months w/o relaxing with strong and healthy hair.

 

[ladylibra_30]

i've 'heard' this advice too.

if these words are from a stylist who does'nt care about your hair; it's all about money.

if it's from a stylist who does care then she/he could very well be concerned about the line of demarcation

however, you know your hair best and if it is thriving/healthy at 16 weeks post relaxer (this is my tolerance) then do your thing. however, i've decided to start relaxing regularly at 8-10 weeks.

 

[Poohbear]

I haven't heard anything like that before but from my experience of stretching out my relaxer, I did have more breakage but I think that's only because I would comb my hair. If you want to extend your relaxer, I think the best thing to do is to leave your hair alone as much as possible. If you can't do that, then you might have to relax more often.
I also believe how often you relax your hair depends on the length of your hair. If your hair is long like way passed shoulder-length, then it might be best to extend the time you get your next touchup. For shorter hair, it might be okay to relax every 4-6 weeks or so.

 

[Karonica]

[ QUOTE ]
blaqbarb said:
I went to a stylist yesterday who said you shouldn't wait months to get a perm and that once enough new growth pops out, that you should have it permed. If not, it puts stress on the hair that is already permed, causing it to break. It also causes the ends to thin out. So much for trying to stretch out perms.

Anybody else heard anything bad from other stylists about stretching out perms?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, and it is generally true for my hair. I have to be extra gentle.

 

[blaqbarb]

De-mar-ca-tion....I learned a new word today.

 

[calbear]

I actually now have to really analyze anything my stylist says. I used to be very trusting but now I am starting to see that he actually isn't as knowledgeable as I thought he was. He is definitely in the theory of you must get your hair done every week and a touch up and trim every 6 weeks. My hair did not grow one iota under that routine. When I mention natural products or even basic techniques like reducing heat - he looks at me like I'm crazy.

I've really learned to listen to my hair. I had to learn how much hair I typically shed to understand when anything is abnormal. I had to learn to examine my hair to see if it was breakage and where it was breaking. I actually learned that the breakage I was seeing was all basically the same length and it was not at the demarcation line. I was underprocessed at some point and that is where my breakage comes from.

So I typed all this to say

, you have to really think about your stylist and how knowledgeable he or she is? Is it about getting you in for the money? And listening to your own hair.

 

[chyna]

I think it is different for everyone, and probably easier for those that are not in the 4a/b category. As for me, I can't go longer than 7-8 weeks without getting a new relaxer and that is only if during that time I am wearing spiral curls or something where I don't have to come through my hair. Otherwise, my hair does pop off.

 

[blaqbarb]

I think I may need to get perms more often because lately my hair has been shedding more.

 

[shoelover1972]

IMO everyone is different - some can only go to 6weeks others 6 months etc. My last touch-up (and my first for 2004)was March 18. My hair has been in cornrow extensions for the past 4wks on the advice of my hairdresser and I would not have had the patience to deal with all that re-growth. But prior to that I wore my hair out for most of the time. The key IMO is not to think that the re-growth will 'act' the same way as the relaxed hair. If you try to fight with the re-growth then thats when you may experience breakage.

 

[MissJ]

This holds true for me.

 

[myco]

[ QUOTE ]
pradalover said:
The key IMO is not to think that the re-growth will 'act' the same way as the relaxed hair. If you try to fight with the re-growth then thats when you may experience breakage.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. Having newgrowth does not cause breakage, but how you treat it does.

A lot of times the techniques that people use (blowdrying, brushing, flat-ironing or hot curling on super high temperatures) to try and make the two textures match can cause a lot of the breakage.

I like 12 weeks because it spaces out my touch-ups nicely, but after 12 weeks it becomes more time-consuming than I would like to style my hair.

 

[Package06]

I agree that the longer you wait to relax, the more breakage you might experience. As a transitioner, I read somewhere that you can expect more breakage and your ends to appear thinner due to the two different hair textures.

 

[Neroli]

[ QUOTE ]
myco said:
[ QUOTE ]
pradalover said:
The key IMO is not to think that the re-growth will 'act' the same way as the relaxed hair. If you try to fight with the re-growth then thats when you may experience breakage.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. Having newgrowth does not cause breakage, but how you treat it does.

A lot of times the techniques that people use (blowdrying, brushing, flat-ironing or hot curling on super high temperatures) to try and make the two textures match can cause a lot of the breakage.

I like 12 weeks because it spaces out my touch-ups nicely, but after 12 weeks it becomes more time-consuming than I would like to style my hair.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree too. I am 4b and use to think I HAD to get that touchup by week 6. I'd be fighting the new growth to behave like the relaxed hair and that required HEAT like all the time and of course, that causes breakage. I relaxed every 6 weeks like clockwork and my hair STILL didn't grow past neck and so when I started hitting the boards and doing my own research, it just seemed worth trying something different cause the so-called professional advice I'd been getting was simply not giving me long hair. Anywho, I've learned to stretch my relaxer to 10 weeks without massave breakage by basically working with the two textures and not trying the make the new growth "straight" but rather to just keep it soft and detangled. My hair is now just past my shoulders (I would have more, but had to do "little chops" along the way to get rid of split/damaged ends but I'm seeing improvement every day and I'm patient -- I anticipate brastrap within the next year!) My next goal is to see how can I stretch 2 more weeks to 12 weeks so that I'm only relaxing 4 times a year. The only way I know to do this for my hair after 10 weeks is to braid it up, but we'll see . . .

 

[JuJuBoo]

this is true for me too. I usually don't go longer than 10 weeks without getting a touch up.

It depends on your length and hair type though. The reason why this happens is because the natural hair is a lot stronger than the relaxed hair.

 

[Carlie]

[ QUOTE ]
blaqbarb said:
I went to a stylist yesterday who said you shouldn't wait months to get a perm and that once enough new growth pops out, that you should have it permed. If not, it puts stress on the hair that is already permed, causing it to break. It also causes the ends to thin out. So much for trying to stretch out perms.

Anybody else heard anything bad from other stylists about stretching out perms?

[/ QUOTE ]

A lot of stylists will tell you not to wait too long to get a touchup just because they know that it'll mean more work for them the next time you come in.

...just a thought...

Don't believe everything your stylist tells you ... no one knows your hair better than YOU...you be the judge.

 

[shoelover1972]

ITA @ Carlie

Also more touch-ups a year = more $$££ for stylists

 

[ChasingBliss]

[ QUOTE ]
Carlie said:
[ QUOTE ]
blaqbarb said:
I went to a stylist yesterday who said you shouldn't wait months to get a perm and that once enough new growth pops out, that you should have it permed. If not, it puts stress on the hair that is already permed, causing it to break. It also causes the ends to thin out. So much for trying to stretch out perms.

Anybody else heard anything bad from other stylists about stretching out perms?

[/ QUOTE ]

A lot of stylists will tell you not to wait too long to get a touchup just because they know that it'll mean more work for them the next time you come in.

...just a thought...

Don't believe everything your stylist tells you ... no one knows your hair better than YOU...you be the judge.

[/ QUOTE ]
Totally agree here. I know for a fact if I was going to the same stylist I had, my hair would have NEVER grown past my shoulders. I recently talked to another stylist and I told her that I relax my hair every 4 months and it works well for me. She looked at me like I couldnt possibly be telling the truth. I wish I could have shown her a before (the condition of my hair when I was relaxing every six weeks) and after pic on the spot. I find that a lot of them talk to you assuming you know nothing about good hair care.

 

[inthepink]

When I didn't know really how to care for my hair, I would say this is true. When my hair started to shed a lot, I knew it was time to relax - every 2 months. I maintained healthy, thick ends this way.

However, I will say that I bet if I knew then what I know now, I could have stretched my relaxers and still had healthy thick ends.

In conclusion (lol), I'd say for people who don't have a clue, this answer is probably their best bet...or for people who don't want to put in extra time preventing shedding/breaking.

 

[Ayeshia]

I benefitted most from stretching my relaxers to 25 weeks. That way I both the stylist and I could easily see the new growth. Had I relaxed earlier my hair could have been overprocessed becasue my new growth blended in really well with the relaxed hair.

 

[Redpoetess1]

EXTENDING RELAXER= MORE BREAKAGE
**Well duuuhhhhh!! Of course you might have more breakage, but that doesn't mean that you can't extend your relaxer. Around those times you would just have to be more careful with your hair and using more sttrengthenig and moisturizing products. Extending relaxers is better than getting too many relaxers. It is good to give our hair a break from the chemicals.

 

[blaqbarb]

Not so for me. I perm my own hair, so they still wouldn't make any money off of me.

[ QUOTE ]
pradalover said:

ITA @ Carlie

Also more touch-ups a year = more $$££ for stylists

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[blaqbarb]

Also I was talking to him while he was trying to tell me all this stuff about my hair. I told him all the stuff I do for my hair and what I put in it. He was like you really take care of your hair huh. Of course I do...I'm not as stupid as he thought. I know what to and what not to do to my hair. I think I even shocked him when I told him not to use any heat in my hair. I don't use it in my hair, so neither was he.

 

[Tracy]

I just read Ouidad's book again and she recommends relaxing or softening the hair no more than three times a year.

I think generally it does depend on the person, but I def don't think perming hair "as soon as it comes out of the head" is necessary - or wise. Many people have new growth as soon as 2 weeks in....so you perm every 2 weeks? Madness.

Many people who have trouble stretching their relaxers OVER relax to begin with( so the hair is bone straight and the difference between the new growth and processed hair is huge), and OVER manipulate the hair (causing breakage where there need not be any) and do too much to their hair .

Everyone may not be able to stretch their relaxers 12 and 14 weeks. But MOST people should be able to hang in there for 8 weeks. Relaxing sooner may not take your hair out if you're lucky, but it DAMN sure won't get you THICKER hair.

So not only is the stylist WRONG, but she's also clearly a money grubber - the more relaxers you get the more money she makes. Not only wouldn't I take her advice, but I'd ditch her. Stylist like that tend to try to do a lot of strong arming and badgering you to do things their way, and before you know it, every visit becomes a battle of wills.

 

[shoelover1972]

ITA with Tracy

 

[AceH]

[ QUOTE ]
Tracy said:
So not only is the stylist WRONG, but she's also clearly a money grubber - the more relaxers you get the more money she makes. Not only wouldn't I take her advice, but I'd ditch her. Stylist like that tend to try to do a lot of strong arming and badgering you to do things their way, and before you know it, every visit becomes a battle of wills.

[/ QUOTE ]

ITA!

 

[AmilLion]

In my case, it is true. I notice with my hair, if I extend my touch up beyond 8 weeks, there is additional loss of hair. Ironically, the same goes with weekly shampooing. On a daily basis, I usually lose during a comb out 4 strands at most, most times none, unless their falling out during the day when my hair is down lol...but after ~~ a week and a half, i'll begin to notice an increase in hair shed.

 

[blaqbarb]

Alot of my hair sheds when my hair really needs to be washed. Sometimes I just sit and stare at the comb like what is this...I'm about to be bald head.

I didn't really pay any attention to what the stylist was saying because I feel as though I have a good hair regimen, which really takes care of my hair. I have been able to grow it a little past bra strap length without a stylist and I can continue to do so without their advice unless it's something new and true.

 

[greAtness333]

[ QUOTE ]
ladylibra_30 said:
i've 'heard' this advice too.

if these words are from a stylist who does'nt care about your hair; it's all about money.

if it's from a stylist who does care then she/he could very well be concerned about the line of demarcation

however, you know your hair best and if it is thriving/healthy at 16 weeks post relaxer (this is my tolerance) then do your thing. however, i've decided to start relaxing regularly at 8-10 weeks.

[/ QUOTE ]

You have a point there and like HLD said, many stylists assume you know nothing or less than them about your own hair.

 

[GiGi55799]

My hair sheds too when in need of a wash. I thought I was the only one...