Hair loss during relaxer

Ladylynn

Member
Ladies, when you relax your hair, do you lose much hair during the process. I'm 4/b with a little 4a and I use Revlon Regular Lye. Well, I was 13 weeks post and relaxed my hair in sections as usual. Shampooed about 4 times with a neutralize as usual. That's when it happened. I looked down and noticed that I had a lot of hair in the sink. This has been happening for a while now. I don't lose much during regular wash days, but only when I relax. Is this common? I hope the relaxer isn't too strong because it is barely getting my hair straight, and it still isn't bone straight like I would prefer.
 

Ladylynn

Member
I used to use no lye but when I did my hair would be dry as a bone. I wish I could post a picture, but it's too big to attach. I used the lowest resolution on my camera. If I had to guess I would say it was about the size of a silver dollar, maybe a little smaller.:eek:
 

Isis

New Member
Are you using a protein treatment the wash day before you relax? That's what I learned on this board. It strengthens my hair ahead of time and I wait several wash periods after relaxing to use the protein again (Keraphix).

I haven't noticed any unusual shedding during relaxing time but then again, I haven't kept track of it. When I'm combing my conditioner and leave-in through, I see very little hairs , if any, in my comb.
 

BerrySweet

New Member
I'm a no lye user, and the last time I relaxed I saw about 20 hair come out during the entire process, shampooing, conditioning, etc. Try letting the neutralzing shampoo sit on your hair for awhile before you start lathering-that's what I do. And be gentle washing it out. I'm trying to find a neutralizing conditoner for this purpose.
 

blueabyss333

New Member
Ladylynn said:
I used to use no lye but when I did my hair would be dry as a bone. I wish I could post a picture, but it's too big to attach. I used the lowest resolution on my camera. If I had to guess I would say it was about the size of a silver dollar, maybe a little smaller.:eek:

OT: Your hair is beautiful!
 

blueabyss333

New Member
Ladylynn said:
I used to use no lye but when I did my hair would be dry as a bone. I wish I could post a picture, but it's too big to attach. I used the lowest resolution on my camera. If I had to guess I would say it was about the size of a silver dollar, maybe a little smaller.:eek:

DITTO I loose about a silver dollar size.
 

~*~ShopAholic~*~

Well-Known Member
How did you wear your hair b4 relaxer day? and Did you detangle your hair b4 relaxing? Now if you were wearing braids, twist, and/or any thing that was a protective style then it could be normal shedding that couldn't because it was braided up or whatever for a period that the hair couldn't shed, so you ended up w/shedded hair for the whole duration it was being protected. If this makes since. HTH's
 

hottopic

Well-Known Member
It happened to me about 2 relaxers ago. My mother does my relaxer, but the one time I did it myself....I set myself back about 4 months. I did not work quick enough with the relaxer, I did not wash out properly, I worked out the day before my relaxer. I did everything wrong...EVERYTHING. And my hair came out like a hot mess. People kept asking me, I thought you were doing your hair this weekend. I am like I did. I lost alot of hair, because of it. I had to wait 7 weeks and then permed. I normaly strech, but it was not happening, because I started out on the wrong foot. Long story short, I am never touching my hair again.
 

sprungonhairboards

Well-Known Member
It sounds like your relaxer may be too strong for your hair, especially if you don't lose hair any other time like during regular washes and while combing it. It tends to happen more often with lye relaxers. You may need to switch brands. Did you overlap? Was it coming out at the roots or did your hair break? Did it stop after your hair was dry or did it continue?
 

secretdiamond

Well-Known Member
Ladylynn said:
Ladies, when you relax your hair, do you lose much hair during the process. I'm 4/b with a little 4a and I use Revlon Regular Lye. Well, I was 13 weeks post and relaxed my hair in sections as usual. Shampooed about 4 times with a neutralize as usual. That's when it happened. I looked down and noticed that I had a lot of hair in the sink. This has been happening for a while now. I don't lose much during regular wash days, but only when I relax. Is this common? I hope the relaxer isn't too strong because it is barely getting my hair straight, and it still isn't bone straight like I would prefer.
I use the same brand and this ALWAYS happens to me. But it also happens with other relaxers (vitale life and body, affirm mild, no-lyes) as well and I am definitely not relaxing bone straight, so I figured it's the chemicals in general. :ohwell:
 

Southernbella.

Well-Known Member
BeautifulWideEyes said:
How did you wear your hair b4 relaxer day? and Did you detangle your hair b4 relaxing? Now if you were wearing braids, twist, and/or any thing that was a protective style then it could be normal shedding that couldn't because it was braided up or whatever for a period that the hair couldn't shed, so you ended up w/shedded hair for the whole duration it was being protected. If this makes since. HTH's

I agree with this. I don't comb my hair much, epecially in the last 3 weeks leading up to relaxer, so when I relax, all that shed hair comes out. If it would make you feel better, you could gently comb through your hair before you relax. I think as long as it's not breakage, it's fine. It all depends on what's normal for you. Shedding on relax day is normal for me, so I just deal with it and try not to panic. :)
 

Ladylynn

Member
Thanks for the responses ladies.

@Blueaabyss333, thanks for the complement

@Isis, I'll try the protein next time. This seems as if it would work well.

@beautifulwideeyes, I think that could be some of the reason why my hair sheds so much. I do tend to wear braid outs right before relaxing which I don't comb throughout the week.

@lauren450- your hair is simply gorgeous, keep it up :)
 

Tene

New Member
That's the same thing happened to me a few months ago and I switched to a mild relaxer after that.
 
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