NEED RELAXER RECOMMENDATIONS!! I'm done with Affirm

[Imani]

Okay, so i've been lurking on lhcf since december and even a few months before that i started taking better care of my hair. But its still dry and breaking My hair has been jacked up for quite some time now and hasn't grazed my shoulders since high school (6 yrs ago). Its been a constant cycle of grow, dry out and break, cut, and start again.

I deep condition, handle it gently, moisturize, stay away from heat, wear it up, everything, and its still seems to just dry and thin out and all my hard work (and money spent on products) is not really helping. So, i've decided that perhaps i need to try a new relaxer, specifically go back to no-lye which is what was used on my hair in high school. I've had a couple of beauticians tell me i need to stop using affirm then there are others who tell me that affirm is a good relaxer and i just have dry hair. I recall one semester i cut off about 2 inches of damage, called myself starting over, didn't use direct heat all semester, only roller sets, but at the end of that semester...still hard and dry- I was using affirm lye every 6 weeks.

I've also tried dudley and mizani lye and didn't like those either.

So, do you think i should try and go back to no-lye??? any brand recommendations?? Right now, i'm at 12 wks post and thinking about phyto. And if switching relaxers doesn't work, i'm going to think long and hard about going natural. Right now, i just left the salon and my new growth is soft and shiny and the relaxed hair is just dull and dry.

My hair type...thick 4a in the top and middle. medium/fine 4b in the front and around the edges. and a batch in the very back thats thick and kinda wavy, i don't know what it is.

Sorry so long...suggestions please!!!!

 

[simone103]

It does sound like the relaxer you are using is drying out your hair. I suspect that some relaxers are the culprit of dryness for a lot of women on this board. I've used Affirm in the past and it is a very strong relaxer that burned my scalp very bad. If no-lye was working for you in the past then you probably should go back to that. I hadn't used no-lye relaxers in years until I used phyto and it's like I have a brand new head of hair. I was using Vitale for awhile, and though it got my hair straight it was still dry as hell. My hair actually retains more moisture now since I switched to phyto.

 

[Imani]

Hi simone ! thanx for the advice. what is ur hair type and what index of phyto do u use?

 

[atlien11]

Imani,

I just read your PM, glad you had a good experience at lilly's. I think Phyto is a great choice if you are going to use No-Lye. Someone recently posted a questions that went along the lines of "Post here if you dont like Phyto" and i think maybe one or two people responded. I use index 2 and as i told u, i have 4z hair. In my opinion it isnt as harsh as affirm by any means. The affirm no lye was breaking off my edges because of the calcium deposit but since i have stopped using it, they have since grown in (alot). HTH. Also, The Salon at Castleberry here in atlanta, they feature phyto as their staple products. I can recommend someone there if you want to come downtown ( i am not sure where u are staying) but its right by the ga dome.

 

[simone103]

Hi simone ! thanx for the advice. what is ur hair type and what index of phyto do u use?

Your welcome! I have 4b type coarse hair and I used the index 2. It got my hair very straight.

 

[Imani]

bumping for more suggestions