Texlaxing is Turning my Hair into A Tangled MESS (pics...)

[HighlyFavored1]

I've only recently started texlaxing my hair with Phyto 2 (which is great), for the strength and thickness benefits. Now, I have about 3 inches of texlaxed hair, and it's becoming unbearable! The texlaxed hair gets sooo tangled and it's always dry. I'm afraid to go to the Dominican salon because it's so difficult to rollerset my hair simply because it's too difficult to comb!

I just did a rollerset after my protein treatment and deep condition and my hair was like a matted mess! I know this is due to the texlaxed hair because it didn't used to get so tangled and the worst parts are at the top. Is it because I'm dealing with all these textures (new growth, texlaxed, straight)?

I'm getting my touch up next weekend. Should I just switch back to straight or am I going to eventually start seeing some benefits of being texlaxed? Because right now, it's looking like it's going to eventually cause a big knotty disaster...


These two pictures show where the texlaxed hair ends and the straight/bone straight hair begins, you can kind of see the tangles...
http://images20.fotki.com/v373/photos/9/925818/4383798/CIMG47321-vi.jpg?1166113416
http://images16.fotki.com/v374/photos/9/925818/4383798/CIMG47261-vi.jpg?1166113419

 

[Mahalialee4]

Sometimes one has to make a choice....texturized or , totally relaxed. They are not always compatible. It can be very hard on the strands. Keep it well moisturized and minimize manipulation until you come to some kind of decision as to what you are able to work with. Hope this helps. bonjour

 

[MonaRae]

Yep! I have the same problem and this week I have finally had it. I am thinking of getting a full relaxer just so I can manage my roots.

Oh, I hear ya!
MonaRae

 

[SohoHair]

For me avoiding the knots and breakage meant finding products that better handled the two textures. I paid a lot of attention to the transitioning threads and ultimately wound up switching my conditioner from Keracare Humecto to Aveda Damage Remedy. For me this has made ALL the difference. After I shampoo and rinse my hair I can always feel the texlaxed portions start to get big and unruly (while I'm still in the shower washing it!!!). The second I apply the Aveda DR Conditioner the entire length of my hair, new growth, texlaxed areas and straight endd become very sleek, and smooth and moisturized and the comb just glides through.
I wouldd simply advice paitience and a recommitment to tweaking your regimen a little. I'm confident you'll find the product that make the most sense for you hair. Texlaxing has made all the difference for me.

 

[HighlyFavored1]

Thanks for the advice ladies!

Soho-- I see that you're texlaxed with Phyto as well. What are the benefits that you're seeing with being texlaxed? I'm really not seeing any, but I'm trying to convince myself that once more of my hair is texlaxed it will start to gain more thickness, which I definitely need...

 

[RabiaElaine]

I'd like to second what SohoHair said!

I had times when I first started texlaxing that I wanted to switch back to bone straight hair because it was difficult dealing with 3 textures in my hair (new growth, texlaxed hair, and bone straight). I decided to weight it out. The longer my hair grows (ie. the more hair I have that is texlaxed) the easier it is. You will generally not have the sleekest rollerset when you are texlaxed, but it will be thick and full. I then take my CHI and flat iron the texlaxed hair if I want to wear my hair straight. After I do that I don't have to touch the flat iron again until my next wash.

Mind you I've been weaving my hair for about 6 months now so I don't really have to deal with the 2 textures being out very much and having texlaxed hair makes my cornrows a better base for weaving IMO.

You also have to keep in mind why you decided to start texlaxing. I did it because my hair is very fine when relaxed bone straight. This gave me the opportunity to have thicker hair. It's also good because I now self-relax and I don't have to worry to much about getting my hair perfectly smooth or overprocessing. If my hair was really thick I probably wouldn't texlax though.

What you decide to do is totally up to you. But I went through this in the beginning stages of transitioning to texlaxed, but now I'm happy I stuck it out. If you decide to continue with your transition just remember to keep your moisture and protein balance in check. Get a good detangler (I recommend Paul Mitchell The Detangler). Be extremely gentle when combing your hair when it's wet. I also try to moisturize my hair on a daily basis. It also helps when you start to trim away your bone straight ends. You should check out Sistaslick she's trimmed off most if not all of her bone straight ends I believe.

 

[RabiaElaine]

Thanks for the advice ladies!

Soho-- I see that you're texlaxed with Phyto as well. What are the benefits that you're seeing with being texlaxed? I'm really not seeing any, but I'm trying to convince myself that once more of my hair is texlaxed it will start to gain more thickness, which I definitely need...

That will definitely happen. I had to convince myself of that as well to stick with it and it has paid off for me. Once I trim off some of these bone straight ends I'll feel even better. I can't wait till they're gone so I can try wash-n-go's and have curly hair when I want!

 

[OneInAMillion]

HighlyFavored,

Like everyone else said, starting out with texlaxed hair is HARD. What helped me was finding shampoos and conditioners that detangled and moisturized in one step. This has helped tremendously, and tangled hair is no longer a problem. Also, try techniques that close your cuticles to reduce the possibility of tangling: ACV washes, cellophane rinses.

Next, if you're going to rollerset, either find someone who is patient enough and knows your hair, or do it yourself. I'm able to get a smooth rollerset even on my own now, but it just takes a gentle hand. I also go to a Dominican salon, but my hairdresser rollersets with a bone comb, combs through with conditioner to detangle, etc.

Finally, just remember that it will get easier when the majority of your hair is texlaxed. It took a while, but I'm 100% texturized now and it is so much better for my hair. I can wash n go or rollerset with sleek results. Also, my ends are strong again because they're not bone straight.

Hope that helps . Remember, it gets easier.

 

[SohoHair]

Thanks for the advice ladies!

Soho-- I see that you're texlaxed with Phyto as well. What are the benefits that you're seeing with being texlaxed? I'm really not seeing any, but I'm trying to convince myself that once more of my hair is texlaxed it will start to gain more thickness, which I definitely need...

I have seen a HUGE difference in thickness, I used to always think my hair could never be considered thick and full because it always just seemed so thin and flat, and that is not the case at all anymore now that I've been texlaxing. I also am seeing that my hair needs less protein and that the shedded hairs all look healthier and fuller than I've ever seen them before. Texlaxing also allows for me to get my hair straight or curly with minimal effort. Like RabiaElaine I do still have a few inches of straight hair left and I cannot wait 'til they are gone. I rollerset 90% of the time and my hair comes out very smooth and full, even though I'm so texlaxed that my mom thinks that I'm going natural and should stop wasting the Phyto on my head!

Hang in there and try and treat this process as a true transition. For me it was really coming to the understanding that my head of super combination hair would not respond to the same techniques as my previously bone straight hair. You will definitely see the rewards in a few months!

 

[InJesusName]

I feel your pain on the newly texlaxed transistion. Your hair looks similar to mine. As the other ladies said...try to look forward to when your hair is all one texture. I have found that using good detangling products makes a huge difference and using low manipulation styles (bunning--as boring as it iserplexed) has helped as well. Patience is key here. It will all pay off soon!

 

[navsegda]

I've only recently started texlaxing my hair with Phyto 2 (which is great), for the strength and thickness benefits. Now, I have about 3 inches of texlaxed hair, and it's becoming unbearable! The texlaxed hair gets sooo tangled and it's always dry. I'm afraid to go to the Dominican salon because it's so difficult to rollerset my hair simply because it's too difficult to comb!

I just did a rollerset after my protein treatment and deep condition and my hair was like a matted mess! I know this is due to the texlaxed hair because it didn't used to get so tangled and the worst parts are at the top. Is it because I'm dealing with all these textures (new growth, texlaxed, straight)?

I'm getting my touch up next weekend. Should I just switch back to straight or am I going to eventually start seeing some benefits of being texlaxed? Because right now, it's looking like it's going to eventually cause a big knotty disaster...


These two pictures show where the texlaxed hair ends and the straight/bone straight hair begins, you can kind of see the tangles...
http://images20.fotki.com/v373/photos/9/925818/4383798/CIMG47321-vi.jpg?1166113416
http://images16.fotki.com/v374/photos/9/925818/4383798/CIMG47261-vi.jpg?1166113419

I'm so sorry for what's happening to you! Tangles are the absolute worst! If I were you, I would definitely switch back to straight. You don't have to do bone straight, but just straight. Maybe you can try texlaxing at another time again when it agrees more with you, but if you already have a bunch of tangles now, I'd just go back to relaxing straight. You don't wanna increase the tangles.

 

[Nanyanika]

thats why i gave up on texturizing because my hair would be dry, hard and tangled!! I relax my hair straight nd i still maintain a lot of thickness, i just have to be careful when stretching touch-ups.

 

[locfreeme]

Texlaxing never worked for me, no matter what products or methods I used. I had to go straight. I tried for a full year. Now that I'm straight I don't have problems with tangling, matting, or breakage as much.

 

[Cayenne0622]

I'm texlaxed by about 3 inches on accident. I think my hair is too short to deal with texlaxing because at necklength, it needs to be able to have that swing instead of sitting there are stiff because the roots are so wavy. I plan to relax straight, not bone straight, at my next relaxer so that I can get my hair under control.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

I feel your pain on the newly texlaxed transistion. Your hair looks similar to mine. As the other ladies said...try to look forward to when your hair is all one texture. I have found that using good detangling products makes a huge difference and using low manipulation styles (bunning--as boring as it iserplexed) has helped as well. Patience is key here. It will all pay off soon!

I agree with this totally. You hair looks exactly like mines but i have a few more inches of texlax than you. here are some of the tips I live for:

Use MASS conditioner-Please find a good detangling conditioner. While deep conditioning SATURATE your strands really focusing on those texlaxed parts. If you can add some oil after you applied lots of conditioner. This helps with the slip factor.

Detangle UNDER the shower head-detangle under the shower head with a shower comb-I prefer Jilbere, then apply you towel to your head, then apply leave-in and stuff.

#1 Rule-IF YOU ARE USING THE JILBERE EXCLUSIVELY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FOLLOW UP WITH A SMALLER TOOTH DETANGLING COMB-I noticed that my hair was matting and tangling because the jilbere wasn't freeing all of my shedded stands which would get caught in those texlaxed areas. After you detangle in the shower, apply leave-in (keep a spray bottle full of water to help with detangling, the wetter the better), go through it again with jilbere, then use a smaller tooth detangling comb. that made the world of difference for me. good luck mama and keep us updated.

 

[HighlyFavored1]

Thanks for all of the advice ladies! I really appreciate the suggestions, from both sides. I guess I hadn't prepared myself mentally for the fact that I'm actually "transitioning" to texlaxed. It's more work and frustration than I was expecting. It's especially bad right now because I have this new growth. I remember doing rollersets a few weeks after my touch up and it was so much easier.

I know that I really need the thickness that texlaxing is supposed to give, so I'm leaning more towards sticking to it...but I need to decide if I actually can.

 

[Summer_Rain]

I began to question my texlax for similar reasons, but I have no intentions on going bone straight.

Sometimes I'm tempted to cut off the straight ends - but i've learned how to adjust to it.

The Mane n Tail moisturize&texturize Conditioner has worked wonders for me in getting rid of the tangles. Like others said - changing my shampoo also helped a lot. Currently I use the Sunsilk line Hydra forumla (pink bottle)

 

[gradygirl]

I feel ya on the tangles. All of my hair is texlaxed and it is still hard. I have not found the right conditioner yet but I might give that Paul Mitchell detangler a try.

 

[Babygurl]

I cant tell u which to choose because only you know what is best for you based on your hair. For me though texlaxing give me more options, I can flat-iron it straight or wet it and wear it curly ...My hair is so much thicker since I stopped relaxing bone-straight and definately has more body. When I started my hair journey I had bone straight ends but because I was bunning most of the time, dealing with the textures was easy for me. I discovered that all I needed was a good detangling shampoo and my hair was good to go, but detangling products were always the key!

 

[Kurlee]

I can't offer any advice, I jus wanted to say ur hair looks really good in ur siggy...........

 

[Ronda123]

I feel ya on the tangles. All of my hair is texlaxed and it is still hard. I have not found the right conditioner yet but I might give that Paul Mitchell detangler a try.

Your hair looks a lot like mines when it is wet. I use Paul Mitchell Detangler and it does help as well as ACV rinses, leave in conditioners and serum. I learned that my texlaxed hair needs a lot of moisture. I love the thickness I have gained from texlaxing.

 

[Isis]

I didn't start out texlaxing on purpose (there wasn't even such a word three years ago) but I noticed my hair seemed to be thicker, healthier and much stronger with lots of body, which is why I continue to texlax.

I agree with Babygurl about good detangling products. I haven't had a tangling nor a matting problem, probably because I learned about using good detangling products when I first came to LHCF, like Biolage Leave-in and Nexxus Headress. My hair looks and feels completely different than it did before LHCF when my hair was straight, thin, see-through and breaking with no body.

 

[gradygirl]

Your hair looks a lot like mines when it is wet. I use Paul Mitchell Detangler and it does help as well as ACV rinses, leave in conditioners and serum. I learned that my texlaxed hair needs a lot of moisture. I love the thickness I have gained from texlaxing.

I'm going to try this or either the breakthru detangling shampoo.

 

[Babygurl]

I didn't start out texlaxing on purpose (there wasn't even such a word three years ago)

LOL Isis, Im still trying to wrap my mind around the word texlaxing...when I first started (3+ years ago) I just called it relaxing 60-70% or relaxed but not bone straight...amazing how things change and new words are created

 

[Amarech]

Thats why I had to stop texlaxing. I think it's fine if you want to lean more towards the natural side. Might even be easier depending on your hair type. But because I have so much hair already, it was too much of a hassle to deal with. I got a lot of tangles and dryness too. Even when I would use products to help, it was still bad. Maybe I didn't use the right ones or something but I'm glad I decided to go fully straight. Because I have thick hair I don't have to worry about flatness either. Doing hair should not be a chore! That's how I feel!

If I have to work too hard to get it to do what I want, then I wont do it and I'll walk around lookin like who shot what!

 

[lonei]

For me there are no benefits just drama and more drama, i didnt texlax out of choice, motions did it to me. Products that work well with it are very hair to find, try giovanni direct leave in and try washing in braids, I have photos in my fotki. With straight hair i use to just rollerset with no need to flat iron, now I have to! I have relaxed my roots bone straight and am growing it out instead of doing a corrective, be gentle and patient

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I'm texlaxed and considering going from 50% processed to 80% to ease my styling processes.

I totally agree that a good detangler is a must. Paul Mitchell's The Detangler is great as is Elasta QP's H-Two.

ACV rinses have been wonderful for me. They have eliminated the breakage I would get from trying to get knots and matting detangled.

Also, I VERY, VERY, VERY highly recommend a Mebco comb. Someone started a thread about this a few months ago (JLove74?) and I decided to pick one up the next time I was in Sally's. That thing is AMAZING. It really detangles new growth, and it can handle super thick hair.

Between ACV rinses, the Detangler, and my Mebco my texlaxing hair is doing much better, but I suspect I would be even better off in terms of shedding and breakage if I upped my relaxing time by about 7 minutes.

{DI}

 

[tobisak1]

what is an acv rinse?

 

[sunshinebeautiful]

Hmmm.... I'm texlaxed and I've never had a problem with tangling or matting. Then again, I don't have three textures on my head either (well, only on a small portion in the front, but that's another LONG story). I was also natural before I texlaxed, so I think I got the detangling thing down pat now. I usually deep condition, comb in the shower under running water, and (if necessary) leave in a bit of conditioner and style my hair. Rollerset if I'm wearing it straight, air dry if I'm wearing it curly. It's been working out fabulously for me. Have you tried Scurl on the newgrowth/texlaxed to see if it helps with tangling?

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Hmmm.... I'm texlaxed and I've never had a problem with tangling or matting. Then again, I don't have three textures on my head either (well, only on a small portion in the front, but that's another LONG story). I was also natural before I texlaxed, so I think I got the detangling thing down pat now. I usually deep condition, comb in the shower under running water, and (if necessary) leave in a bit of conditioner and style my hair. Rollerset if I'm wearing it straight, air dry if I'm wearing it curly. It's been working out fabulously for me. Have you tried Scurl on the newgrowth/texlaxed to see if it helps with tangling?

I agree, adding some scurl to those texlaxed areas while deep conditioning and as a leave-in is a BIG help!