Hello and Thank You...

[melodee]

...for this forum. I may be changing my login name soon, as I see there is a sis named Melody already. Anyway, I have been dying to have longer hair forever!! I'm African-American/Latina with type 4A hair. As y'all probably know, not all mixed hair is type 2 or 3. Anyway, my hair has been relaxed for most of my life. I also suffer with dermatitis of the scalp and it is always dry. At one point when I was younger, my hair begqn to shed profusely and I was referred to a dermatologist who reccommended no perms for a while. It was torture trying to style relaxed hair with three inches of growth, but in about 8 months my hair had grown that much. My hair was to the bra strap,longer than ever before. My condition improved and I went back to perms. I do okay with them, but my scalp does become extremely tight about two days after a touch-up and the hair around the edges gets brittle and breaks. My hair is about 10 inches long,past the shoulders in the back. My mother keeps telling me that hair growth has it's limits and that I am stuck at ten. My lil sister has very long (past the bra) legnth, but Mom says that's due to her type 3b hair. My daughter also has type 3a hair that is to her butt with very little effort. But in my heart I know that nappy girls can have longer hair too. Thank you all in advance for being my support as I begin using the techniques mentioned on this site to maintain healthier hair. I've got may ?'s; here's the first. Is the Affirm relaxer much better than the others for sensitive scalp? I've got a stylist who is mostly very good, but dosn't always take my suggestions. I have to be forceful and know what I want. Inform me.

 

[elliot]

Hey Melodee,

Welcome to the board. There is alot of information here that you may find extremely beneficial.

I currently use Affirm and really like it, but I do not have a sensitive scalp. I am confident someone will respond shortly with an answer.

Take care and again, welcome.
Elliot

 

[Allandra]

Hi,

Welcome to the board.

 

[Integrity]

welcome melodee,

by the way you cannot change your log in name again. unless you re-register....

 

[Ginn1]

Hello and welcome! I had to respond because my daughter(10) also has dermatitis and was also told by a dermatologist to stop using relaxers(2 years ago). I began relaxing her hair again about 4 months ago then stumbled upon this board 2 months ago. This has been such a Godsend for us. Her hair and scalp are no longer dry and itchy, her hair is soft and moisturized without being greasy, and it has grown almost 3 inches in the past 2 months. We are doing conditioner washes 3x weekly, deep moisturizing conditioners after each wash (30 mins w/ heat) , spray with Pantene light conditioning spray to detangle, follw with S-curl spray, then olive oil and smooth shea butter on he ends, braid and pin. We have also roller set it twice without the S-curl then wrapped it and it turned out great. I spay it with the S-curl every evening smooth on the olive oil and shea butter then rebraid tie with satin scarf. I always keep a dry towel around her neck while it is wet or when spraying because her skin there is very sensitive. Also when I perm I did all of her edges last and only allowed the perm to stay on them about 1 minute. This resulted in wavy texure but no breakage. She has 4a/4b hair. Last night we decided to start rinsing her hair on the days we don't wash because she said her scalp doesn't itch at all when it's wet. Her hair is about 3 inches below shoulder length now and she hopes to grow it to he waist. She is 5'5 (big for 10) and has quite a way to go but after acheiving almost 3 inches in just over 2 months and no longer experiencing breakage with her relaxer I beleive it can happen. I hope this helps you. Good luck. Ginny

 

[melodee]

Okay, so I won't change it. But to Melody, much love to you.

 

[pebbles]

Hi Melodee,

Welcome to the forum!

Type 4 hair can grow long. It's a myth that this type of hair has a limit it can reach in terms of length. I'm glad you don't believe that. There are many heads here that can disprove that theory.

Lye relaxers, in general, can be tough on the scalp but are less drying to your hair. The key is to make sure that you base your whole scalp completely. Next, have someone who knows how to do relaxers apply it for you. When done correctly, you shouldn't experience burning. Affirm also makes a no-lye/sensitive scalp formula. It's up to you which you would prefer to use. Take some time to read through some of the threads to see what people like to use. Again, welcome.

 

[Country gal]

Welcome to the board. The ladies are really informed about various hair issues. You will get a lot of advice. Your hair will love you for it. Enjoy.

 

[sweetcocoa]

Welcome!

 

[Peachtree]

Welcome aboard

 

[lala]

Hi Melodee & Welcome!

I'm no expert but, I have a sensitive scalp. I've had eczema, seborrhea, dermatitis, you name it but I also use Affirm mild relaxer to relax my hair. You really have to be careful when you have a scalp irritation when applying relaxer b/c it can take the hair out from the scalp.

I've had to wait up to 4-5 mos. in-between touchups b/c of scalp problems. I usually try to get my condition under control before applying a chemical. It can do more damage than you know. I always base my scalp with vaseline or the Affirm Gentle Assurance Sensitive Scalp Protector.

I can't stress enough about not applying relaxer to any irritated areas. I did that once to a spot that I had in the front and it took my hair completely out. It grew back so I would not do that again.

I wouldn't say that Affirm is better, but if you decide to go with it, you might consider the mild strength.

Don't give up. You can grow long hair. Just improve your handling/styling/maintenance methods. Try to use fragrance free products or natural oils. Try not to put anything on your scalp that could cause an irritation. I use jojoba/olive oil on the front of my hair. There's plenty of advice on this forum. You're in the right place.

 

[ngaa]

welcoem to the site dee, hope u find this site very help ful and cant wait for you to reach yo hair goals so u can prove all those disbelivin ones wrong

 

[brownrelaxedhair]

welcome to the board.

By the way, Ginn1, I love the sound of that hair regime for your daughter's hair. Sounds so healthy and really good. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Kitkat]

Welcome to the board, Melodee!! We're glad to have you here.

 

[melodee]

Thanks everyone for your support!!! You inspire me.