Ok..So I quit ...no more stretching for moi

[nomoweavesfome]

I like to stretch, but I MUST incorporate braids at that 8 to 10 week mark to help me go longer than that. It makes sense that frequent manipulation of your hair in two different textures will cause breakage. Braids allow me to go a nice 4 to 5 months, sometimes 6.

yep - ditto. I am sportin corn rows. I HAD to get my hair braided up. My last poo had hair in the comb like crazy!! I hat my corn rows so now I'm wearing a wig on top. I'll be 10 weeks this Saturday and I'm going 4 more weeks. Witout the braids I would NOT be stretching til 14 weeks - only 12.

 

[BSL2008]

I like to stretch, but I MUST incorporate braids at that 8 to 10 week mark to help me go longer than that. It makes sense that frequent manipulation of your hair in two different textures will cause breakage. Braids allow me to go a nice 4 to 5 months, sometimes 6.

Malice, I am so glad to hear you say this. I stretched for 16 weeks once and I think I did o.k. I am now 12 weeks post relaxer and I got braids two days ago for the first time ever in life. I hope to keep them for at least 8 weeks. This is the longest stretch for me and I am curious to see how much growth I will get. I hope I don't get breakage.

Question: How soon should I get a relaxer after removing braids?

BSL 2008

 

[MizAvalon]

I stretch for 6 months at a time with no problem. However, I used to relax at 8-9 weeks. When I decided to try stretching, I did it a little at a time. Increased the length of time that I stretched with each cycle. Whenever these kinds of threads come up, that is a big issue that I always see.

Ladies, if you are used to relaxing at 8 weeks. DO NOT attempt to stretch for 20 weeks your first time out. Increase the length of time that you stretch little by little with each cycle. WORK your way up to lengthy stetching times.

Rarely have I seen or heard about a short-haired woman stretching successfully. Simply, if you have short hair I don't recommend stretching. For whatever reason, short hair seems to not be able to handle it. Wait until you have some length and it usually becomes much easier.

Oh, and long hairs coming out is shedding NOT breakage. Shedding is normal and necessary!

 

[amwcah]

The Crown and Glory Method recommends to check for elasticity first.

http://www.growafrohairlong.com/braidreg.html

Malice, I am so glad to hear you say this. I stretched for 16 weeks once and I think I did o.k. I am now 12 weeks post relaxer and I got braids two days ago for the first time ever in life. I hope to keep them for at least 8 weeks. This is the longest stretch for me and I am curious to see how much growth I will get. I hope I don't get breakage.

Question: How soon should I get a relaxer after removing braids?

BSL 2008

 

[OneInAMillion]

I stretch for 6 months at a time with no problem. However, I used to relax at 8-9 weeks. When I decided to try stretching, I did it a little at a time. Increased the length of time that I stretched with each cycle. Whenever these kinds of threads come up, that is a big issue that I always see.

Ladies, if you are used to relaxing at 8 weeks. DO NOT attempt to stretch for 20 weeks your first time out. Increase the length of time that you stretch little by little with each cycle. WORK your way up to lengthy stetching times.

Rarely have I seen or heard about a short-haired woman stretching successfully. Simply, if you have short hair I don't recommend stretching. For whatever reason, short hair seems to not be able to handle it. Wait until you have some length and it usually becomes much easier.

Oh, and long hairs coming out is shedding NOT breakage. Shedding is normal and necessary!

ITA. I've definitely had to work my way up with stretching. I used to do 4 months, the next time I went to 5, then 6 and so on. I'm going for 7 months now. Also, I do find that as my hair gets longer it becomes easier to stretch.

 

[Choklatekiss79]

mizAvalon...

I have short, chin length hair and Im going into my 12th week (relaxer stretch). Im planning to go to 16 weeks. Are you saying that it may not be a good idea for me to go this long? All is going really well so far. Is there anything different that I should expect in weeks 12-16?

Thanks

 

[MrzLadyBuggz]

I'm currently in a 12 week stretch. My next relaxer will be this Sunday which puts me at a full 13 weeks. I know now that going this long is not for me. 9 weeks is my limit right now. Before coming here, I used to relax every 6 weeks, sometimes sooner if my hair didn't look sleek in a ponytail. But now I know better.

 

[seraphinelle]

I am currently 8 weeks post, and I'm noticing the difficulty..

I have noticed some breakage.. And I'm wondering if I should just go ahead with the relaxing.

 

[envybeauty]

Ok...I understand that and thought maybe that was the problem. I tried to go from 8 weeks to 6 months. Not the best way to go about it. I will work my way up. I permed at 14 weeks so I may perm at 11 or 12 weeks next time. Seeing all those long strands freaked me out...it was definitely breakage and not shedding...there were no bulbs on the ends of the strands. I never had breakage like that before.

Sera...I say perm when you start noticing breakage and long strands at that....that indicated to me that my hair was breaking at the demarcation line.

 

[seraphinelle]

Yeah, I think so.

It's just because I don't know what is 'normal' breakage. I might wait until next week, just because I'll have more time.

Thanks nvy