For me personally, stretching has been very beneficial. My hair is thicker than it has ever been and my edges are the longest that they have ever been. This is the best thing that I could have ever done for my relaxed hair and that is stretching my relaxers out 12wks opposed to relaxing every 5-6wks. Even though only my ng was getting relaxed, there is still the residue from the relaxer running on the already relaxed hair. I'm a stretcher for life now and never plan to relax under 12wks again.
I just got my hair relaxed 2 saturdays ago... Texturized I mean.
My Hair is Luscious. Thick. every thing I could ask for. (I am now right at armpit, the back is even, the front is layered)
I stretched my hair for 37 weeks.
NOPE. i wasn't transitioning. I only text. my hair once a year at most.
(i'm a 4a/3c...mostly 4a)
Yeah. I had maaaaaaaaaaaaaad tangles. I had hairballs the size of little animals coming out of my head.... I thought my hair was going to look busted when i got it relaxed this time, i was sooo nervous.
When I got it done, the hairdresser clapped his hands and said whatever i'm doing, continue to do it, because my hair is thriving.
**incidentally, all those hairballs, etc, were alot of dead hair he said.
anyway. What i did was mainly keep my hair under a wig, or I did alot of half wig styles, with the front in twists....
I don't know if i'm going to go to 37 weeks this time, I think, instead I'll texturize again at 20 weeks, just because my hair is still semi manageable at that point. ( I want to wear my hair out more this summer)
and yes, i agree with you all, i do experience breakage at my demarcation point if i don't baby it, but usually, i just slap alot of moisture at that area, and go back to hiding my hair.
So i commiserate with many of you, but I do say that stretching is beneficial to the hair, and longer periods can be done....