Relaxed Hair Thread

[MzSwift]

Y'all, I'm back again to say.. I dunno who needs to hear this but... baggying is saving my life this winter!! I've been baggying daily since took out my extensions a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes whole head GHE and other times just baggying my bun/ends. My hair is feeling much more moisturized the few times I've worn it out in this brisk winter air!

 

[Theresamonet]

@LushLox

I’m back in love with my Dyson Airwrap! Last weekend I planned to flat iron my hair, and started by blow drying with the Airwrap. It was my first time using it with heat. I ended up not even needing to use the flat iron. The Dyson alone got my hair as straight and sleek as I needed it, and it took less than 10 minutes.



I used Olaplex #9 serum and #7 oil to blow out.

 

[MzSwift]

@LushLox

I’m back in love with my Dyson Airwrap! Last weekend I planned to flat iron my hair, and started by blow drying with the Airwrap. It was my first time using it with heat. I ended up not even needing to use the flat iron. The Dyson alone got my hair as straight and sleek as I needed it, and it took less than 10 minutes.

View attachment 487181

I used Olaplex #9 serum and #7 oil to blow out.

@Theresamonet

Love, love LOVE it!!

 

[LushLox]

@LushLox

I’m back in love with my Dyson Airwrap! Last weekend I planned to flat iron my hair, and started by blow drying with the Airwrap. It was my first time using it with heat. I ended up not even needing to use the flat iron. The Dyson alone got my hair as straight and sleek as I needed it, and it took less than 10 minutes.

View attachment 487181

I used Olaplex #9 serum and #7 oil to blow out.

It looks gorgeous, your hair looks nice and shiny.

I've not used my AW for a minute, perhaps when I touch up I'll get it out.

 

[Theresamonet]

@Theresamonet

Love, love LOVE it!!

It looks gorgeous, your hair looks nice and shiny.

I've not used my AW for a minute, perhaps when I touch up I'll get it out.

Thank you both!

Also, I think I said before that I didn’t really like Olaplex #9, but it worked really well for this blow out. I’ve decided to go ahead and get the full size.

 

[IDareT'sHair]

@Theresamonet
............

Yaassss all-dat!

 

[Theresamonet]

@Theresamonet
............

Yaassss all-dat!

Thank you!

 

[Plushottie]

@Theresamonet hair fione and giving us just opulent beauty space.

 

[MzSwift]

I just read this old thread and found it inspirational. I hope it can inspire someone else!
This relaxed lady went from SL to MBL in one year with a really simple regi! It's easy to get discouraged so I like to read uplifting and encouraging threads to keep feeding my hair good vibes.

My progress

My progress one year later (pics incl ) That is my first time posting progress pics... so sorry for any inconvenience in advance :grin: I started last year (feb 08) with shoulder length and lots of postpartum shedding... Now I am on my way to MBL,so so far I am happy with my progress since I...

longhaircareforum.com

 

[sunnieb]

Bought some rollersetting supplies today. I'm about to rinse out my honey dc in a bit and trying to get the mindset to use them!

I'm 10 weeks post today and my newgrowth is skrong (yes SKRONG) this go-round. I have to start stretching it to airdry so I'm not tempted to relax until I'm 14 weeks post. Gotta keep my newgrowth from matting...

ETA: pics of my messy ponytail rollerset. But mission accomplished. Newgrowth is stretched and my ends will airdry smooth instead of poofing out. I haven't done this in years! Thankfully I kept good records of my original hair journey!

 

[LushLox]

Bought some rollersetting supplies today. I'm about to rinse out my honey dc in a bit and trying to get the mindset to use them!

I'm 10 weeks post today and my newgrowth is skrong (yes SKRONG) this go-round. I have to start stretching it to airdry so I'm not tempted to relax until I'm 14 weeks post. Gotta keep my newgrowth from matting...

ETA: pics of my messy ponytail rollerset. But mission accomplished. Newgrowth is stretched and my ends will airdry smooth instead of poofing out. I haven't done this in years! Thankfully I kept good records of my original hair journey!

View attachment 487369

View attachment 487371View attachment 487373

Yeah I use flexi rods to air dry in. I've actually bought some satin flexi rods now so they are nice and comfortable to sleep in.

Hair dries beautiful smooth on the roller, and I don't have to do so much of the combing - win win!

In fact let me get up and do this hair now because I've been putting it off all day!

 

[LushLox]

I just read this old thread and found it inspirational. I hope it can inspire someone else!
This relaxed lady went from SL to MBL in one year with a really simple regi! It's easy to get discouraged so I like to read uplifting and encouraging threads to keep feeding my hair good vibes.

My progress

My progress one year later (pics incl ) That is my first time posting progress pics... so sorry for any inconvenience in advance :grin: I started last year (feb 08) with shoulder length and lots of postpartum shedding... Now I am on my way to MBL,so so far I am happy with my progress since I...

longhaircareforum.com

Yeah Mamato always had knockout thick hair.

It's interesting, because a lot of people dismiss no-lye relaxers, but Mamato among others only ever used no lye; Sylver2 was another. So it's not quite the evil that it's made out to be!

 

[MzSwift]

Yeah Mamato always had knockout thick hair.

It's interesting, because a lot of people dismiss no-lye relaxers, but Mamato among others only ever used no lye; Sylver2 was another. So it's not quite the evil that it's made out to be!

Really? I never noticed that bc we've got such a mix of ladies in these relaxed threads.
I totally agree - do what works for your hair!

Bought some rollersetting supplies today. I'm about to rinse out my honey dc in a bit and trying to get the mindset to use them!

I'm 10 weeks post today and my newgrowth is skrong (yes SKRONG) this go-round. I have to start stretching it to airdry so I'm not tempted to relax until I'm 14 weeks post. Gotta keep my newgrowth from matting...

ETA: pics of my messy ponytail rollerset. But mission accomplished. Newgrowth is stretched and my ends will airdry smooth instead of poofing out. I haven't done this in years! Thankfully I kept good records of my original hair journey!

View attachment 487369

View attachment 487371View attachment 487373

This is exactly why I only airdry in ponytail braids/pigtails bc it stretches my NG so well.

I love seeing you go back to your old tried-n-true methods! Your hair is absolutely responding to it!

 

[MzSwift]

I should NOT be watching relaxer day videos yet here I am going down this rabbit hole. And planning to take down these minibraids/twists. I guess I'm finding that 3 weeks is my limit in a style these days. Don't be surprised if I end up relaxing before my April/May goal.

I mean, I am 20 weeks and 2 days post...

 

[MzSwift]

Y'all, those thick twists at the beginning and that curtain of hair at the end...

And I swear Olaplex be tempting a sista.

 

[LushLox]

Really? I never noticed that bc we've got such a mix of ladies in these relaxed threads.
I totally agree - do what works for your hair!

Yeah because people complained that no lye cause dryness and brittle hair. I can't say that I've ever struggled with this personally.

Re: that video, yes I've watched some of her vids before, I love that she doesn't seem to use heat at all. I wish I was that disciplined, but I'm back on my air drying lol!

Gorgeous hair.

 

[LushLox]

How often do you guys change your neutralising shampoo? I've just realised I've had my Affirm one for a very long time so I'm going to have to buy a new bottle, and while I'm at it I will need to buy another bottle of the protein reconstructor too. I'm planning to touch up at the end of the month so basically I need to buy a whole new relaxer set.

It's such a waste of money though as I have so much left of both bottles

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

How often do you guys change your neutralising shampoo? I've just realised I've had my Affirm one for a very long time so I'm going to have to buy a new bottle, and while I'm at it I will need to buy another bottle of the protein reconstructor too. I'm planning to touch up at the end of the month so basically I need to buy a whole new relaxer set.

It's such a waste of money though as I have so much left of both bottles

To answer you: not often at all lol. I change it when I'm done with it.

 

[MzSwift]

@LushLox

ITA w cousin @ItsMeLilLucky , I don't ever change mine unless I'm using something else out of convenience.

For instance, my staple is Motions poo but I had to buy that Isoplus one in a pinch one time. I had to throw it out bc I noticed a difference in the way my hair felt. Same with this past relaxer, I didn't have Motions on hand so I just bought the ORS creamy aloe one bc I could have a big bottle sent to me. It's not bad but it's not my staple so I plan to use it as a regular poo (whenever I do those).

 

[LushLox]

@MzSwift , @ItsMeLilLucky

Thank you, I was just concerned in case the efficacy of the products, particularly the neutralising shampoo would be comprised.

That shampoo cost me over $20 so not looking to repurchase unless I really have to!

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift , @ItsMeLilLucky

Thank you, I was just concerned in case the efficacy of the products, particularly the neutralising shampoo would be comprised.

That shampoo cost me over $20 so not looking to repurchase unless I really have to!

Don't feel bad, I have the Affirm shampoo and conditioner, so whether I'm going through a natural phase or not, I'm holding on to it lol.

 

[MzSwift]

OK, another journal log (bear w me, ladies. lol)...

I am currently a SAHM. DH works from home. I homeschool my son, who has special needs, and we moved 4 states over and bought a house a year ago that needed a TON of work. Now we now live in a climate that pretty cold for at least half the year so I RARELY leave my house. I'm the "handyman" around the house so if I do leave, I'm often just running to Home Depot. Like, I even have my groceries delivered. lol.

I'm saying all of that to say that it has been so easy to become hair lazy. These days, my hair stays under a satin skull cap with a bandana over it. I have a duffle bag full of wigs but I only rock them once maybe every 5 months for a day. A big reason why I locced a couple years ago was bc I needed to be hair lazy. In retrospect, I probably should've just gone under extensions or crochet for those two years but I wanted to be able to rinse my hair daily (turns out my locs were NOT good for that). I knew I was gonna go back to texlaxing once I cut and combed out my locs.

For inspiration, I often look at two of my similar photos for progress pics. Because my current hair length is shorter than I've ever had (relaxed) since starting my HHJ, I frequently look at these two photos:

Staring point ............................... One year later


But I was natural in those photos. I kept my hair in cornrows under wigs or mini-braids without extensions. And I know it's possible to really retain under wigs and other no-manipulation, full PSs. So then I look at these two:

My first virgin texlax ............................. First touchup 4 mths later


To see if it's possible to retain without full PSing. I can see that my hair looks much fuller. Both are post-touch up braid outs bc I didn't used to use heat on relaxer day. In between those times I stayed in braidouts, WNG ponytails, bantu knot outs and mini braids. I'm currently approaching my first touch up after another virgin relaxer and I'm trying to decide what to do with my hair after I relax it.

I'm trying to become hair un-lazy. But it's still winter. And I really don't go anywhere now. I'm thinking of going back to some of the out styles I used to rock bc my son has stopped his hair-pulling, except during one of his meltdowns, which are truly epic. I want to feel pretty sometimes and I want to try to find a way to enjoy my hair at its current length. But the last time I did that, I stayed in MBL purgatory. It was when I started dating my husband and I wanted to be cute, since I had never had long hair before. Lol.

These were my styles:

bantu knot outs ................... my trusty minibraids .........WNG Ponytail ................. braidouts


None of them really protect my strands or my ends like my full PSs do. And this was my non-progress:

April length check ................. August length check, that same year



Yup, the same daggone line. Lol. Nowhere near what I retain when I'm using full PSs and only minibraids as my "loose" style.

I guess I'm trying to figure what balance of rocking it out loose vs under full PSs I need to do in order to retain length while boosting my desire to wear my hair out more. To be fair, part of my being hair lazy was abandoning Ayurveda. I'm never giving that up again - I attribute it to my progress in the first photos and the health of my hair before I locced in 2020. I guess it's better to experiment now that my hair is short than to wait until it's long again. Yeah, I think that's my verdict. I'll rock it out when it's warm and then cover it fully in the Fall and Winter.

OK, end journal entry. lol

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift Aww Swifty I love your journal post. It's easier to experiment when your hair is shorter as opposed to it being longer. That way, if something is not to your liking, you can course correct early on, instead of cutting off all your progress on longer hair. I feel like we've been on the same journey of sorts at the same time. My thing is that every time my hair gets to my shoulders, I wanna cut it off. Idk I be trippin lol. The winter is my biggest nemesis, as I don't take care of my hair as well as I do in the Summer. I believe this wouldn't change unless I moved somewhere warm.

You'll figure it out. Take your time, you're juggling a lot of balls in the air. Do what works for your situation, but stay flexible. They don't call it a journey for nothing

 

[IDareT'sHair]

After my T/Up in June,I'm thinking about getting back in my Stash for the Summer Months and use up some stuff.

Fall/Winter, I've used Olaplex and lord knows I have a whole BSS here to use up, so I need to get back to it and see how my hair perform during the Summer Months.

Since I'm out of #0, I'll be using Water (in place of 0 and Curlsmith Bonding Salve - this is a good time to test this out on a solid.

ETA: Just located a b/up of #0, but will save it and revisit it in the Fall.

 

[Fashionista922]

OK, another journal log (bear w me, ladies. lol)...

I am currently a SAHM. DH works from home. I homeschool my son, who has special needs, and we moved 4 states over and bought a house a year ago that needed a TON of work. Now we now live in a climate that pretty cold for at least half the year so I RARELY leave my house. I'm the "handyman" around the house so if I do leave, I'm often just running to Home Depot. Like, I even have my groceries delivered. lol.

I'm saying all of that to say that it has been so easy to become hair lazy. These days, my hair stays under a satin skull cap with a bandana over it. I have a duffle bag full of wigs but I only rock them once maybe every 5 months for a day. A big reason why I locced a couple years ago was bc I needed to be hair lazy. In retrospect, I probably should've just gone under extensions or crochet for those two years but I wanted to be able to rinse my hair daily (turns out my locs were NOT good for that). I knew I was gonna go back to texlaxing once I cut and combed out my locs.

For inspiration, I often look at two of my similar photos for progress pics. Because my current hair length is shorter than I've ever had (relaxed) since starting my HHJ, I frequently look at these two photos:

Staring point ............................... One year later
View attachment 487399 View attachment 487401

But I was natural in those photos. I kept my hair in cornrows under wigs or mini-braids without extensions. And I know it's possible to really retain under wigs and other no-manipulation, full PSs. So then I look at these two:

My first virgin texlax ............................. First touchup 4 mths later
View attachment 487403 View attachment 487405

To see if it's possible to retain without full PSing. I can see that my hair looks much fuller. Both are post-touch up braid outs bc I didn't used to use heat on relaxer day. In between those times I stayed in braidouts, WNG ponytails, bantu knot outs and mini braids. I'm currently approaching my first touch up after another virgin relaxer and I'm trying to decide what to do with my hair after I relax it.

I'm trying to become hair un-lazy. But it's still winter. And I really don't go anywhere now. I'm thinking of going back to some of the out styles I used to rock bc my son has stopped his hair-pulling, except during one of his meltdowns, which are truly epic. I want to feel pretty sometimes and I want to try to find a way to enjoy my hair at its current length. But the last time I did that, I stayed in MBL purgatory. It was when I started dating my husband and I wanted to be cute, since I had never had long hair before. Lol.

These were my styles:

bantu knot outs ................... my trusty minibraids .........WNG Ponytail ................. braidouts
View attachment 487409 View attachment 487411 View attachment 487415 View attachment 487419

None of them really protect my strands or my ends like my full PSs do. And this was my non-progress:

April length check ................. August length check, that same year

View attachment 487413 View attachment 487421

Yup, the same daggone line. Lol. Nowhere near what I retain when I'm using full PSs and only minibraids as my "loose" style.

I guess I'm trying to figure what balance of rocking it out loose vs under full PSs I need to do in order to retain length while boosting my desire to wear my hair out more. To be fair, part of my being hair lazy was abandoning Ayurveda. I'm never giving that up again - I attribute it to my progress in the first photos and the health of my hair before I locced in 2020. I guess it's better to experiment now that my hair is short than to wait until it's long again. Yeah, I think that's my verdict. I'll rock it out when it's warm and then cover it fully in the Fall and Winter.

OK, end journal entry. lol

I have been trying to get inspired with my hair again as well. After going through being hair-tired for the last few months, I'm just trying to be happy with where I'm at currently. Lifestyle is one of the many things that shape our hair decisions and and it's constantly changing with the seasons and current responsibilities. I'm sure you'll figure out what direction to go in.
I'm kind of jealous, I wish I could be a bit more hair lazy! I had amazing growth with long term Ps'ing as well, but I've also gotten great steady growth over the last few years as long as I keep the flatiron usage to a bare minimum, do mostly blowouts, buns, and self-relax with good technique.
I miss having long extension braids, I've been thinking about bringing them back for vacation later this year. We'll see!

 

[sunnieb]

@MzSwift I love that big white clip in your pics! Did you get it at Amazon?

Getting deeper into my stretch and my hair gets easier to deal with just like I remember. I bought a hood dryer to make my rollesets better.

On the lookout for a good detangler though. The Nexxus spray is ok, but that little bottle costs too much. Plus, I went back to CVS today to buy more and of course they were out. I don't want to have to buy a simple detangler online. Will head to Ulta this weekend.

 

[MzSwift]

@MzSwift I love that big white clip in your pics! Did you get it at Amazon?

Yes ma'am, I live on Amazon! lol

ETA link:
Amazon product ASIN B001A1VM9G

 

[sunnieb]

Yes ma'am, I live on Amazon! lol

ETA link:
Amazon product ASIN B001A1VM9G

Thanks! I just ordered some. Appreciate the link. They were running low on stock.

 

[LushLox]

Think I may have to buy this







It's constantly raining and I have a few events to go to in the next month. This might save the day!

 

[alundra]

I ordered a large container of my beloved Hawaiian 14 in 1 from the USA. The shipping was CRAZY but I got a lot of samples and my hair feels great again.

All the shops I've tried here (in England) so far have told me it's not being made, no longer exists, etc. Guess the wholesaler doesn't make it anymore?