Do you think some hair types can take more damage from a relaxer?

[SleepyJean]

I think they do. There are these girls at my school. They're twins. They have relaxed BSL hair. It looks really healthy and thick. I asked about their beautician the other day. I wanted a new beautician that did not overlap. Before I could say "one that doesn't overlap" they told me their beautician put the relaxer from root to tip each time. I forgot to ask how often they get relaxers, but I believe they said once a month a time before. I was like . I didn't tell them they should not do that, because...Have you seen my hair??? What would I have looked like??? Don't get me wrong. I love my hair's thickness and texture. I'm just working on length right now. I've heard other people with long relaxed hair tell me they apply relaxer from root to tip, also. Which prompted me to ask?

Do you think looser curl patterns can take more with relaxer? Now, their hair is thick and perhaps coarse, BUT I think those characteristics can only take so much. The people(that I know) who have retained length even while applying or even requesting the relaxer be put all over their hair typically had looser curl patterns when natural.

The twins at school have 3A hair. They showed me a picture of their hair from when they were 2, and it had tiny ringlets. They had WL hair at five. They never wanted a relaxer. Their mom, like so many others, gave them a relaxer at seven, because she was tired of working with their hair. Afterwards, it consequently broke off.

You know what I think??? Depending on several factors(including coarseness, type, and thickness), some people's hair can take more relaxer damage than others to a certain point, and then stop retaining length. The stopping point maybe NL, SL, or even BSL. It depends on the individual's hair. What do y'all think?

Tell me if I'm the last person to figure this out!

 

[glamazon386]

I think it has to do more with how thick the hair is. Thick hair can withstand more damage. My mother used to curl her hair every day and never had a problem. If I had tried that I would have no hair left.

 

[SleepyJean]

I have THICK hair if you're referring to density. There's no denying that. It's coarse, too. I still don't have the length, though.

 

[Extremus]

You always ask good/interesting questions

 

[SleepyJean]

You always ask good/interesting questions

Awww...thank you!

 

[SmartyPants]

Yep!

My mom can pretty much do anything to her hair and it isn't going anywhere!

 

[Extremus]

Yep!

My mom can pretty much do anything to her hair and it isn't going anywhere!

Does your mom have type 3 hair?

I'm so envious of type 3 hair!

 

[hopeful]

I think you may be onto something. My hair that is more like 3c has never had any damage at all, no breakage. My finer, 4b hair breaks much easier, I have to be extra careful with it.

 

[Extremus]

I think you may be onto something. My hair that is more like 3c has never had any damage at all, no breakage. My finer, 4b hair breaks much easier, I have to be extra careful with it.

Mine too, and it's never dry. Always silky.

 

[cheeks87]

Mine too, and it's never dry. Always silky.

YOUR HAIR IS GORGEOUS! *runs off to stalk your fotki*

To the OP: A picture of someone's hair when they are two is not exactly indicative of their current hair type. My hair was probably 3a when I was 2, but it's 4b now.

That is crazy that their hair isn't overprocessed from doing that....hmm....

I think "fine" hair is more likely to break no matter what your hair type is. For example, I'm 4b w thick strands and have never had problems with breakage while my sis who is 3c/4a and has fine hair is constantly dealing with breakage and recently went natural to try to combat it.

 

[Extremus]

YOUR HAIR IS GORGEOUS! *runs off to stalk your fotki*
.

:Blush2::Blush2::Blush2::Blush2: Thanks!

ETA: Talk about my hair, look at yours! You and your hair are pretty!

 

[SleepyJean]

YOUR HAIR IS GORGEOUS! *runs off to stalk your fotki*

To the OP: A picture of someone's hair when they are two is not exactly indicative of their current hair type. My hair was probably 3a when I was 2, but it's 4b now.

That is crazy that their hair isn't overprocessed from doing that....hmm....

I think "fine" hair is more likely to break no matter what your hair type is. For example, I'm 4b w thick strands and have never had problems with breakage while my sis who is 3c/4a and has fine hair is constantly dealing with breakage and recently went natural to try to combat it.

That is very true. I may casually ask them for the picture from when they were five. I've been curious about that pic ne ways, but other than that, I can't really see their natural hair now. Their hair does seem to be VERY HEALTHY, though, from what I can tell. I've known these girls for going on 5 years and their hair has NEVER been shorter than APL. It has always been thick and even. Their ends aren't even split from what I can tell. According to them, they've been relaxing like this for years.

 

[sunnydaze]

I too agree with the thickness as opposed to texture.

Like I stated before..I think 4b hair relaxed properly and well taken care of seems to be much more resiliant than looser textured hair.

 

[NYAmicas]

I think you observed something interesting OP. I do know some people who've done some things that would be regarded as horrific here yet their hair thrives. I really dont know what attributes to that but it does help with the advice, do what works for you!

 

[Twisties]

I think this is interesting too.

I have a very good friend (over 20 years knowing her) and she does ALL kinds of stuff to her hair and it NEVER breaks. She has what we would call wash and wear curly hair (3bish), but she blow dries it everyday or at least everyother day -doesn't like her curls so that's how she straightens it. She flat irons it too if she wants it sleek. She gets a relaxer (that's what she calls it) once a montht that is applied to the whole hair--she does not do touch ups and it's done at a salon.

Her hair is below shoulder mid-back and always has been. She does not use conditioners regulary either.....it is true, some people can do this and still have hair.

 

[locabouthair]

my friend (RIP) was a 4b. And I remember her telling me she would have the stylist put the relaxer on her ends. This girl had beautiful thick, APL hair. She ALWAYS got compliments on her hair.

Now I'm a 4b, I've had stylists overlap my relaxer (not on purpose of course) and my ends are damaged beyond repair. I have to cut off three inches

 

[caramelcutieinva]

my hair is really thick

when I was growing up it was relaxed from root to tip and about 8 times a year. I also use to blow dry it and flat iron with each wash. It still grew and wasn't really damaged except for the occasional split ends.

Now that I take better care of it ... I can't believe my hair lasted for so long

 

[SleepyJean]

my friend (RIP) was a 4b. And I remember her telling me she would have the stylist put the relaxer on her ends. This girl had beautiful thick, APL hair. She ALWAYS got compliments on her hair.

Now I'm a 4b, I've had stylists overlap my relaxer (not on purpose of course) and my ends are damaged beyond repair. I have to cut off three inches

Who you telling??? The people(that I've known) who do relax from root to tip have type 3, but y'all have noticed a couple of 4Bs, also.

I guess I was thinking since 4B is typically more fragile than other curl pattern types. I didn't think it would be able retain length when relaxed from root to tip as well as other types could. I could be wrong, though. It shocks me that anyone can. It could be some other miracle characteristic.

 

[SleepyJean]

bump...

 

[kombov_dymond]

ITA. I really think that people with fine strands can grow hair more quickly, but people with coarse strands can retain their slower growth without a lot of effort.

I think "fine" hair is more likely to break no matter what your hair type is. For example, I'm 4b w thick strands and have never had problems with breakage while my sis who is 3c/4a and has fine hair is constantly dealing with breakage and recently went natural to try to combat it.

 

[Shalilac]

After reading this thread I went back thru some old pics of my hair. Back in the day relaxing from root to tip was the norm for me. I had no idea that wasn't the right way to do it. I usually got one every 4-6 weeks. My mom would put them in (Creme of Nature or Optimum box perms no-lye) or every now and then we'd visit the salon (lye relaxer from root to tiperplexed). My hair was always collarbone length or longer at times(unless I cut it, but my hair grows so quickly no one ever remembers my short cuts without pics). I know for a fact my senior yr in high school I flat-ironed my hair religiously every morning (and back then I believed in the sizzle sound ) and still kept my length and thickness. I always got comps on my hair especially when in the salon . I'm a 3c/4a/4b. Some parts of my hair are fine but the majority of it it coarse and all of it is thick. So I definitely think you've stumbled on to something here.
Oh here's an old pic of my root to tip relaxed every 4-6 weeks w/box perm hair:

 

[Traycee]

It doesn't matter texture but if your hair is overly porous or not .......
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Extreme caution must be used when performing chemical services on overly porous hair to prevent damage. Hair color will take much more quickly and strongly in overly porous hair (and semi-permanent and semi-permanent haircolors will fade much more quickly). Relaxers and straighteners will process much faster in high-porosity hair as well and can cause damage...

They're are ways to check the porousity of hair.....
[/FONT]

 

[Kurlee]

yup, i agree with OP

 

[CocoGlow]

I totally agree....some people have the type of hair/scalp that can handle a lot of the things that I could never do to my hair!!

It's like they have the hair of STEEL...no damage whatsoever after frying it, dying it, putting chemicals in it, braiding it extra tight, greasing the scalp w/ vasaline, not cleasing it for months, the list goes on & on

They would probably laugh at all the things we come up w/ in this forum to preserve our hair.....

Sometimes I wish I could be so carefree w/ thick luscious loooong hair .....

 

[MissLawyerLady]

It doesn't matter texture but if your hair is overly porous or not .......

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Extreme caution must be used when performing chemical services on overly porous hair to prevent damage. Hair color will take much more quickly and strongly in overly porous hair (and semi-permanent and semi-permanent haircolors will fade much more quickly). Relaxers and straighteners will process much faster in high-porosity hair as well and can cause damage...[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]They're are ways to check the porousity of hair.....[/FONT]

I agree with this. My hair is porous and whenever I would go to a new stylist they were always amazed at how fast my hair would "break down" with a relaxer. They'd have to work fast at applying and processing. Root to tip relaxing would kill my hair.

 

[locabouthair]

It doesn't matter texture but if your hair is overly porous or not .......
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Extreme caution must be used when performing chemical services on overly porous hair to prevent damage. Hair color will take much more quickly and strongly in overly porous hair (and semi-permanent and semi-permanent haircolors will fade much more quickly). Relaxers and straighteners will process much faster in high-porosity hair as well and can cause damage...

They're are ways to check the porousity of hair.....
[/FONT]

this makes sense. I knew it had to be something more than hair type (4a, 4b)
Wouldnt hair color fade quickly with someone that has low porosity?

 

[Napp]

I think it has nothing to do with curl patter but in the thickness of the strand: course,medium fine. it make sense since the course hair has more layers, it take more to damage it. thats why weave is made of chine and indian hair as their hair is very course and can take alot of chemical processing. i think porosity can be a factor but the strand size is a larger factor because people dont grow hair with low porosity. that happened through chemical processes if im not mistaken.

i think its funny how looser patterns are sayin "yeah tighter ones can take more" and tighter ones are saying "looser can take more"strand size and hair pattern dont necessarily go hand in hand

 

[locabouthair]

ITA. I really think that people with fine strands can grow hair more quickly, but people with coarse strands can retain their slower growth without a lot of effort.

Girl I wish. My coarse strand snap off with the quickness