What have you tried that you KNOW works:
Washing the day before I plan to relax.
What will you never do again because you know it DOES NOT work:
Waiting a week after washing to relax. I had sores for days when I let my hair dresser convince me that my way of doing things were wrong. As soon as she applied the relaxed I started to burn and she had to rinse right away.
Please include specific techniques.
THE DAY BEFORE
Wash and condition hair - I do this but I don't not recommend this to anyone. I know alot of ladies burn badly when relaxing to close to wash day. FOR ME relaxing my hair a week after wash day is asking for sores.
RELAXER DAY
Base scalp with oil
Grease around hair line
Part hair into 4 sections, securing with hair clips
Start at one of the back sections and make thin parts applying the relaxer to the newgrowth only, with a relaxer brush or the back of a comb. Some relaxer will get on the scalp that can't be prevented. Continue doing that at each section. This takes me 5-7 minutes. I don't go back through an straighten my hair. My goal is not to have bone straight hair, just to remove some of the curl and kink.
Rinse hair well
Shampoo with Isoplus Neutralizing Shampoo 3-4 times or until shampoo lather is white
Apply French Perm Stabilizer Plus, detangle hair and rinse
Hot oil treatment with amla oil for 30 minutes and rinse
Condition with V05 extra body conditioner and rinse
Style hair
I relax my hair every 1" of newgrowth or every 6 to 8 weeks. I love my wash and gos in the summer so my goal is not to relax my hair bone straight. I can get straighter hair when I rollerset or flatiron my hair. I normally rollerset after a relaxer. Stretching a relaxer more than 6-8 weeks means breakage for me.
I've had people tell me this and that is bad, it won't work.....well, I have been doing this for years and this works for me. We all need to find what works for us and not just accept the norm because it is what has always been done. I'm always open to new things but I have to see that it works.
Also, feel free to share which products you liked, and if possible, why.
Love love Lady Velvet Relaxer, It's the best out there IMO for my hair.
French Perm Stabilizer Plus
I use this product when I relax my hair. After applying the neutralizing shampoo I apply this and leave it on for about a minute. The purpose is to stabilize hair's acidity level.
But...
I found that it work as a wonderful detangler. I only use this when the above two stop working at about 6-8 post relaxer (depending on how much new growth I have).