I think i found the culprit

Lately i've been VERY frustrated with my shedding. It all basically started on May 30th the day of my relaxer... since then,yeah my hair's longer, and looks more moisturized than before, but at the same time, my scalp has been acting up and I just could not figure out what it was. I thought it was my shampoos drying out my scalp etc and that sent me into a little bit of PJism. But now i'm realizing it's not the shampoo... the amount of sweating that my scalp does at practice probably worsens things... but overall i think it's the relaxer.

Why? because the same thing happened to my sister and even my aunt. We all used to use Motions oil lye relaxer and switched to no-lye earlier this year. I've been having more shedding ever since, especially after my second application, May 30th. I lose a lot more hair during the relaxer now than I used to back then. I thought it was because I stretched for so long... that COULD be it... but at the same time, why all the shedding after the relaxer? what does that have to do with how much new growth I have? I dont know and i dont think that affects it as much. My sister went to the salon two days ago and relaxed with Affirm lye and she has no shedding right now. You're probably thinking that it's too early to tell, but normally both she and I start shedding that SAME day. My hair personally got really tangled last time and I just couldn't get how, if i'm applying my relaxer to the new growth only, how my WHOLE hair feels damaged after the touch-up... and why my scalp goes bezerck for months after!!!

so, i've decided to return to lye, and probably either Affirm or Motions. I will probably get my touch-ups at the salon from now on. It's only $40 at the salon where my sister went, and it includes rollerset. I think it's a good price. I wanna start off 2006 with good, healthy hair. I don't know why the no-lye relaxer does that to my scalp and i'm not gonna try it again.

What do you think? are my assumptions valid?

Sorry to hear this happen to you Carlita. I've always heard and read that NO-lye relaxers aren't good for the hair. I even had a no-lye relaxer one time, and I said NEVER again! My hair was breaking off like crazy, my hair felt dry and brittle, and my hair texture had completely changed! I have long since switched back to LYe relaxers and have vowed that I don't care how damaging lye relaxers are, I'd rather take a lye relaxer than a no-lye relaxer ANYday of the week! LOL*

Hopefully you have found the culprit to your shedding hair.

Thanx Cqueen! I hope I found it too that'll cause me much less worry

Carlita, that makes perfect sense...I think you're probably right. The salt from sweating in my head has caused shedding issues for me in the past, but that was b/c I wasn't pooing often enough. I definitely think you're on the right track with the relaxer...which relaxer are you gonna use now?

i think i will go back to Motions oil relaxer (lye) or Affirm lye... i need to do some research first on the relaxers. I've got another 10 weeks till my touch up.

BTW, Divine, EVOO works GREAT! i love it! i did a deep conditioning treatment with it and my hair is still moisturized, even after practice today. I used a bit on scalp too and on my hair in the morning b/c i need all the moisture i can get. I'm gonna use it a couple times a week now, till band season is over... another 3-4 weeks. Thanx!

Thanks for posting this. I am dealing with some of the same probs and wonder if my relaxer could be culprit also. I use Hawaiian Silky Mild, and if I'm not mistaken...that's a no-lye relaxer. I am thinking that I may try something else come next relaxer.

Cincysweetie, Hawaiian Silky makes both lye and "no-lye" relaxers. So, you might be using lye. :wink2:

Cindy70 said:

Cincysweetie, Hawaiian Silky makes both lye and "no-lye" relaxers. So, you might be using lye. :wink2:

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Really? Okay, I guess I just need to come out and ask my stylist which she uses. I'll do that before my next appointment and then go from there.

Could someone explain how does one switch from no-lye to lye without damaging your hair?

Interesting. I'm glad you posted this. I've always used no-lye relaxers. They don't cause a problem with me, that I know of. But I have noticed a huge amount of shedding since switching relaxers.

I tried the Soft and Beautiful Botanicles for the first time in August. It relaxed my hair beautifully but about a weeklater I noticed that my hair was shedding like crazy. I has slowed down but it hasn't stopped. So I thinking the relaxer is the culprit. I'll be going back to my Gentle Treatment.

I've heard mix reviews about this product, but you should also consider the change of weather as another factor with the shedding...may suffer excessive shedding or skin peeling or dryness when the fall weather occurs.

I'm dealing with minor shedding issues as well. I think part of it is seasonal for me. I upped my dosage of msm and its helped bring my shedding under control.
No lye relaxers just kill my hair. I mean lock the moisture outta my strands. I've never had good experiences with them. I think that's a good move, Carlita, to go back to lye.

CantBeCopied said:

Could someone explain how does one switch from no-lye to lye without damaging your hair?

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This past Feb. my former stylist gave me a no lye box relaxer when I specifically requested my usual Motions Oil relaxer. Needless to say I was beyond ticked and walked out of the salon with dripping wet hair. At my next touch up with a different sylist I explained the situationa and told her had HAD to have a touch up with a lye relaxer. She applied a pre relaxer creme to my relaxed hair and then applied the lye relaxer to my new growth. Came out great. So I have 23 inches of lye relaxed hair and 1 inch of no lye hair in between. I moisturize daily to ensure I have no breakage! So far so good. Every touch up since the "bait and switch" as i call it have been with a lye relaxer.

I thought I had seasonal shedding when I had no lye. After awhile I realized that I had a big patch of breakage. I'm back to lye now and it's starting to grow back. I couldn't buy moisture after being on no lye for about 8 months.
Everytime I do no lye I have breakage.

tweezer6 said:

Interesting. I'm glad you posted this. I've always used no-lye relaxers. They don't cause a problem with me, that I know of. But I have noticed a huge amount of shedding since switching relaxers.

I tried the Soft and Beautiful Botanicles for the first time in August. It relaxed my hair beautifully but about a weeklater I noticed that my hair was shedding like crazy. I has slowed down but it hasn't stopped. So I thinking the relaxer is the culprit. I'll be going back to my Gentle Treatment.

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Hmmm...that's interesting. You know, I'm starting to think that maybe certain NO-lye relaxers work okay for some, and wreak havoc for others because I have read from quite a few ladies on this forum that NO-lye relaxers dont' bother them. In fact, some even swear by them. I understand that hair products aren't like a cookie cutter mold. What works for one person may not work for another.

But let me tell you all my experience...
All I know is that a NO-lye relaxer did not work for ME personally. It damaged my hair! I had always had lye relaxers from the salons, but one day I was broke and couldn't afford to get a touch-up at the salon like usual. So...my mom bought a NO-lye box perm at Sally's (we thought "no-lye" was even better for the hair ) and she put it in. Well, needless to say... at first my hair looked okay, but after about 2 weeks, my hair was shedding and dry like crazy!!! My hair kept falling out. It seemed like no matter WHAT I put in my hair my hair just would not stay moisturized. I hated my hair.... I knew it was the relaxer too because I wasn't doing anything different with my hair than usual. I had discovered the culprit, and needless to say I will NEVER ever put a NO-lye relaxer in my hair again! I don't care if I'm broke and have to look "cute" for some event. I'll rather go natural and call it a day!

It has been a year since the NO-lye fiasco, and I think that by my trimmings every 3 months that NO-lye hair is now history (hopefully). My stylist now puts Affirm Mild Lye relaxer in my hair, and I love it!

So basically, you just have to find what works for you.

CantBeCopied said:

Could someone explain how does one switch from no-lye to lye without damaging your hair?

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Well, I don't know the exact procedure, but I know in Shamboosie's book he mentions that if you have had a NO-lye relaxer that you should moisturize with Nexxus Humectress ASAP! He really stands by this conditioner. He "says" it's the "only" product that will combat the dryness associated with NO-lye relaxers. He swears he's tried everything, but that Humectress works the best. Then, he says that for your next touch-up you should get a LYE relaxer as soon as possible and continue with the Nexxus Humectress as a conditioner treatment. He says that although the Humectress won't work miracles overnight, it will definitely bring great improvement to your drying and shedding NO-lye relaxed hair.

HTH

Crystalicequeen123 said:

Well, I don't know the exact procedure, but I know in Shamboosie's book he mentions that if you have had a NO-lye relaxer that you should moisturize with Nexxus Humectress ASAP! He really stands by this conditioner. He "says" it's the "only" product that will combat the dryness associated with NO-lye relaxers. He swears he's tried everything, but that Humectress works the best. Then, he says that for your next touch-up you should get a LYE relaxer as soon as possible and continue with the Nexxus Humectress as a conditioner treatment. He says that although the Humectress won't work miracles overnight, it will definitely bring great improvement to your drying and shedding NO-lye relaxed hair.

HTH

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Thanks Crystal. Y'all are scaring me. I'm a PHYTO GIRL! I ADORE PHYTO. Am I supposed to give that up? Isn't PHYTO just as good as the lye relaxers?

simplycee said:

This past Feb. my former stylist gave me a no lye box relaxer when I specifically requested my usual Motions Oil relaxer. Needless to say I was beyond ticked and walked out of the salon with dripping wet hair. At my next touch up with a different sylist I explained the situationa and told her had HAD to have a touch up with a lye relaxer. She applied a pre relaxer creme to my relaxed hair and then applied the lye relaxer to my new growth. Came out great. So I have 23 inches of lye relaxed hair and 1 inch of no lye hair in between. I moisturize daily to ensure I have no breakage! So far so good. Every touch up since the "bait and switch" as i call it have been with a lye relaxer.

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*Confused* I wonder if this technique could work for switching from a Phyto Phase II to a Phyto Phase I? (trying to get less processed hair without doing a bc)

well I've been using Mizani lye relaxer for quite sometime now and I've always had good results and no shedding. And I feel you on the bait n switch technique...i've been a victim quite a few times...that's why i switched salons.
I used phyto once in Feb, and I experienced a little shedding. I finally got up the nerve to try phyto once agian...although now i'm soooo scared and i'm having second thoughts. but anyways, i plan to put it in tomorrow, and i am PRAYING to not experience the no-lye dryness and shedding. I hate to switch from lye to no-lye without knowing the consequences, since my hair is past collarbone and i am making progress....but i guess i gotta try it one last time...if things work out...i'll stick with phyto in hopes to achieve fullness. If I shed and my hair is constantly dry...then I'll know that it's Mizani for life. {Oy! If only i had a crystal ball...}

500th comment lol whatever

hmm yeah about that no-lye... my hair has been more dry than it used to be when I used lye relaxers. I thought the no-lye was better but right after the relaxer, u know how most people have extremely shiny hair... well not me my hair would look dull and dry.
It can't be seasonal shedding b/c I live in Miami for goodness' sake. It's mid-October and it still feels like summer. Ugh, i have come to DESPISE this damn heat... it's really annoying, especially when you spend 2-4 hours in it almost every dang day...

I digress... I'd say that about 5" of my hair has no-lye relaxer, but the top part of my hair stays moisturized anyway b/c it recieves the most products. It's mostly my scalp i'm worried about. I'm sick of the shedding. I wish I knew a way to cure it all. I guess low-manipulation will help but won't CURE it. And i'm back to lye relaxers from now on. Gotta keep that moisture in

Crystalicequeen123 said:

Well, I don't know the exact procedure, but I know in Shamboosie's book he mentions that if you have had a NO-lye relaxer that you should moisturize with Nexxus Humectress ASAP! He really stands by this conditioner. He "says" it's the "only" product that will combat the dryness associated with NO-lye relaxers. He swears he's tried everything, but that Humectress works the best. Then, he says that for your next touch-up you should get a LYE relaxer as soon as possible and continue with the Nexxus Humectress as a conditioner treatment. He says that although the Humectress won't work miracles overnight, it will definitely bring great improvement to your drying and shedding NO-lye relaxed hair.

HTH

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Shamboosie is a combination of hairstylists, one of them being Charlene in Boston (my friend goes to Charlene's in Boston, and told me so).

Also, a lot of the women use phyto (a no-lye relaxer), and are happy with the results. I think it just depends on what your hair likes.

I use no lye Phyto and I love it

The relaxer may be it, but recently I noticed that mine was shedding a little too. I have embarked on a SUPER-stretch for 10 months now, but that was because I was originally transitioning. I just thought that maybe the stretching might be my problem. My hair is telling me to pick a side...any side. So depending on how much you usually stretch, the stretch could be part of the problem. Also I agree that MSM & Horsetail intake is great for this. GL, let us know how the new relaxer goes and if the shedding stops.