Relaxed 4b ladies, what relaxer do you use?
- Thread starter Ladylynn
- Start date
Sosoothing
Well-Known Member
In past I tried dark and lovely and my hair wasnt even under processed it looked just like it had before applying the relaxer. I tried soft n beautiful it did a better job but still wasnt as straight as I can get it with revlon.
Are relaxers in super strength or the one's that are for course hair more damaging? I brought Silk Elements for course hair but now I'm a little scared to use it. The plan was I was going to use it on the parts that was underprocessed for a shorter period of time or should I go with a regular strength. I used a mild one the first time and the roots got straight but the rest looked like a texturizer.
simplycee
Sweetest Taboo
devin said:i want to go back to using Mizani again. do you suggest i use the moisturfuse and mizani's neutralizer or does it matter? b/c i was going to use cream of nature neutralizer and atone botanicals reconstructor. also did you use protein the week before your relaxer and do you use protein the week after also for strength? thanks!
I used Mizani's neutralizing shampoo and then the Moisturfuse right after. I did a stinky aphogee treatment the week before. I usually do Emergencee but I was out. I will use Emergencee on sat for my week after relaxer treament and maybe follow up with Moisturfuse for moisture.
AnjelLuvs
Well-Known Member
I just started experiencing this underprocessing issue... I thought it was because I had the Affirm mild lye perm for over a year... sitting my room, which tempertures can vary... I was thinking about buying another one for my next touch up even though I have some still left... Although, I have been considering Mizani because I hear so much great things about it... I am glad this post came up...
JazzyFLPeach
New Member
Hands down... Phyto Index II
The only other one I'd use if I couldn't get to a Phyto II would be Mizani. I get consistent, amazing results with both of these products.
The only other one I'd use if I couldn't get to a Phyto II would be Mizani. I get consistent, amazing results with both of these products.
Mizani_Mrs
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you need to step over into the big leagues and leave the wimpy drug-store relaxers alone. 
No seriously, i am guessing that they aren't good for your hairtype. Id suggest trying a salon brandname and see how that works. I think all salon brands are good quality. Me of course, I would suggest Mizani regular lye...it hasn't failed me yet...It takes a total of 12mins and your hair will be bone straight. It is very good and keeps my hair looking healthy. try it!
No seriously, i am guessing that they aren't good for your hairtype. Id suggest trying a salon brandname and see how that works. I think all salon brands are good quality. Me of course, I would suggest Mizani regular lye...it hasn't failed me yet...It takes a total of 12mins and your hair will be bone straight. It is very good and keeps my hair looking healthy. try it!
SerenityBreeze
Member
I use Dudly's sensitive scalp. I find that by using the sensitive formula, I dont overprocess my hair. I am always happy with the results!
SerenityBreeze
Member
I use Dudly's sensitive scalp. I find that by using the sensitive formula, I dont overprocess my hair. I am always happy with the results.
Sosoothing
Well-Known Member
Ladylynn said:
Im a 4a/b. Even Hawaiian silky Lye regular laughed at my hair. Super worked better. But It was much milder than I thought.
cocoberry10
New Member
Ladylynn said:
PrettyHaitian said:
I am in a similar situation as you Ladylynn and PrettyHaitian. I don't use Revlon with Lye, but my hair is underprocessed, and it feels thinner now.
I was alternating between using Affirm mild with lye and regular, so as not to over or underprocess my hair. My hair was in good shape in terms of how "processed" it was. However, something about affirm didn't do well with my hair. Basically, my hair didn't feel as soft as it normally did with other relaxers. So after waiting 22 weeks, I got braids. I had the braids in for 10 weeks and waited 1 week to relax. So after 34 weeks post-relaxer, I tried Phytorelaxer. It didn't take as well as it should have (it almost didn't take at all). I figured, no biggie, it's been 34 weeks, so my hair "forgot" about relaxers.
I waited another 8 weeks and then attempted to do a corrective relaxer (my hairdresser, I don't do self-relaxing). Anyway, we put it on, watched it, sat there, and watched it do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!
I am at my wits end, and the only thing I can do is keep my hair in buns. I don't want to put heat on it, because it will damage my hair, but I'm frustrated. My hair is armpit in the back and below shoulder in the front, but since there's so much shrinkage, I only see that when it's wet now!!!
cocoberry10
New Member
sylver2 said:
Sylver2, your hair always looks fabulous. You are one of my hair inspirations! Do you find that by getting it bone straight, it's easier to work with? Any other 4a/b's please chime in. I'm trying to decide if I should be trying to get my hair bone straight or not as a 4a/mostly 4b. Thanks.
Ladylynn
Member
cocoberry10 said:
I think if you don't use much heat on your hair, and actually want to wear your hair in straight styles, getting it straight does make styling easier because you don't have to apply heat to it until your roots really start growing out. With me, I don't flat iron my roots until around week 8 or 9. when I do my roller sets, I don't have to do anything else to it once I take my rollers out, but since my hair has been underprocessed, I have to touch up the roots because it doesn't dry straight at all.
So I guess it's just a matter of how you wear your hair daily.
Ladylynn
Member
cocoberry10 said:
Sorry to here about your dilemma. I have decided that I'm going back to no lye. I know that I will have to do 10 times better with the maintenance of my hair, but to me... I believe that styling will come easier. Also, seeing so many inspiring no lye healthy heads here lets me know that I can do it too.
cocoberry10 said:
Thanks cocoberry
For me..my styles seem to last much longer when I get it bone straight, also I like my hair to be flat, smooth and bone straight the majority of the time. A lot of people don't care for the flat thin look, but it looks just right on me since my hair is thick and yup much easier to manage.
Although lately I have been lazy and been wearing braidouts for the past couple of months.
LiLi
Well-Known Member
Just putting my .10 cents in. Please ladies, check the dates/date codes on your relaxers. If you are purchasing them from bss that don't require a license then I would check those date codes even more! That could be why the relaxers are not producing desirable results.
Also, I preach about this all the time, but you have to make sure that you don't have a lot of product/mineral buildup when you relax. Relaxers are chemicals but there are things that can block them from performing optimally. Three - Four days before relaxing use a chelating shampoo and deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner; then only use light moisturizing products for daily conditioning - like a light serum.
In addition, I feel that it is extremely important to use the steps the way in which the company directs you to use them; i.e. relaxer, rinse for specified amount of time, conditioning neutralizer, neutralizer, ...you get the point.
I can't stress enough how important freshness of the product is in relation to the results of your relaxer. When you buy a tub of relaxer, put it in a cool place (like in a closet) when it's not in use. Affirm relaxers have a code on them and the first number is the year that it was manufactured. If it has a 3 or lower for the first number ...DO NOT USE IT!! Their shelf life is only 3 years (I just recently found this out
).
OH ... and please please please, if you have a lot of new growth and you are a self-relaxer, do it in sections. A lot of the underprocessing is due to time constraints.
Lastly, make sure you are putting a decent amount of the product on the hair strands; go through it after applying and smooth, smooth, smooth; put more on if you need to -- the hair should be completely covered with the product. When I was using no-lye relaxers I had to use 2 boxes of the relaxer; once I skimped and only used 1 box, that is when I got underprocessed hair. It's better to have too much, than not enough.
I say all of this from years of experience. I have experienced it all and am currently dealing with a lot of underprocessed hair due to all of these reasons. I did one section of my hair the "right" way (as well as corrected the frizzy sections) and have been monitoring it for almost a year and it is healthy, full of moisture and growing.
IMHO it's much better to do a small section of your hair (strand test doing all of the steps) to see what your results will be, before doing your whole head and not being happy with the results.
Also, I preach about this all the time, but you have to make sure that you don't have a lot of product/mineral buildup when you relax. Relaxers are chemicals but there are things that can block them from performing optimally. Three - Four days before relaxing use a chelating shampoo and deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner; then only use light moisturizing products for daily conditioning - like a light serum.
In addition, I feel that it is extremely important to use the steps the way in which the company directs you to use them; i.e. relaxer, rinse for specified amount of time, conditioning neutralizer, neutralizer, ...you get the point.
I can't stress enough how important freshness of the product is in relation to the results of your relaxer. When you buy a tub of relaxer, put it in a cool place (like in a closet) when it's not in use. Affirm relaxers have a code on them and the first number is the year that it was manufactured. If it has a 3 or lower for the first number ...DO NOT USE IT!! Their shelf life is only 3 years (I just recently found this out
).OH ... and please please please, if you have a lot of new growth and you are a self-relaxer, do it in sections. A lot of the underprocessing is due to time constraints.
Lastly, make sure you are putting a decent amount of the product on the hair strands; go through it after applying and smooth, smooth, smooth; put more on if you need to -- the hair should be completely covered with the product. When I was using no-lye relaxers I had to use 2 boxes of the relaxer; once I skimped and only used 1 box, that is when I got underprocessed hair. It's better to have too much, than not enough.
I say all of this from years of experience. I have experienced it all and am currently dealing with a lot of underprocessed hair due to all of these reasons. I did one section of my hair the "right" way (as well as corrected the frizzy sections) and have been monitoring it for almost a year and it is healthy, full of moisture and growing.
IMHO it's much better to do a small section of your hair (strand test doing all of the steps) to see what your results will be, before doing your whole head and not being happy with the results.
Sosoothing
Well-Known Member
LiLi said:Just putting my .10 cents in. Please ladies, check the dates/date codes on your relaxers. If you are purchasing them from bss that don't require a license then I would check those date codes even more! That could be why the relaxers are not producing desirable results.
Also, I preach about this all the time, but you have to make sure that you don't have a lot of product/mineral buildup when you relax. Relaxers are chemicals but there are things that can block them from performing optimally. Three - Four days before relaxing use a chelating shampoo and deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner; then only use light moisturizing products for daily conditioning - like a light serum.
In addition, I feel that it is extremely important to use the steps the way in which the company directs you to use them; i.e. relaxer, rinse for specified amount of time, conditioning neutralizer, neutralizer, ...you get the point.
I can't stress enough how important freshness of the product is in relation to the results of your relaxer. When you buy a tub of relaxer, put it in a cool place (like in a closet) when it's not in use. Affirm relaxers have a code on them and the first number is the year that it was manufactured. If it has a 3 or lower for the first number ...DO NOT USE IT!! Their shelf life is only 3 years (I just recently found this out
OH ... and please please please, if you have a lot of new growth and you are a self-relaxer, do it in sections. A lot of the underprocessing is due to time constraints.
Lastly, make sure you are putting a decent amount of the product on the hair strands; go through it after applying and smooth, smooth, smooth; put more on if you need to -- the hair should be completely covered with the product. When I was using no-lye relaxers I had to use 2 boxes of the relaxer; once I skimped and only used 1 box, that is when I got underprocessed hair. It's better to have too much, than not enough.
I say all of this from years of experience. I have experienced it all and am currently dealing with a lot of underprocessed hair due to all of these reasons. I did one section of my hair the "right" way (as well as corrected the frizzy sections) and have been monitoring it for almost a year and it is healthy, full of moisture and growing.
IMHO it's much better to do a small section of your hair (strand test doing all of the steps) to see what your results will be, before doing your whole head and not being happy with the results.
Very useful info.
KhandiB
Well-Known Member
THis was VERY Helpful.. Thank You!!!
LiLi said:Just putting my .10 cents in. Please ladies, check the dates/date codes on your relaxers. If you are purchasing them from bss that don't require a license then I would check those date codes even more! That could be why the relaxers are not producing desirable results.
Also, I preach about this all the time, but you have to make sure that you don't have a lot of product/mineral buildup when you relax. Relaxers are chemicals but there are things that can block them from performing optimally. Three - Four days before relaxing use a chelating shampoo and deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner; then only use light moisturizing products for daily conditioning - like a light serum.
In addition, I feel that it is extremely important to use the steps the way in which the company directs you to use them; i.e. relaxer, rinse for specified amount of time, conditioning neutralizer, neutralizer, ...you get the point.
I can't stress enough how important freshness of the product is in relation to the results of your relaxer. When you buy a tub of relaxer, put it in a cool place (like in a closet) when it's not in use. Affirm relaxers have a code on them and the first number is the year that it was manufactured. If it has a 3 or lower for the first number ...DO NOT USE IT!! Their shelf life is only 3 years (I just recently found this out
OH ... and please please please, if you have a lot of new growth and you are a self-relaxer, do it in sections. A lot of the underprocessing is due to time constraints.
Lastly, make sure you are putting a decent amount of the product on the hair strands; go through it after applying and smooth, smooth, smooth; put more on if you need to -- the hair should be completely covered with the product. When I was using no-lye relaxers I had to use 2 boxes of the relaxer; once I skimped and only used 1 box, that is when I got underprocessed hair. It's better to have too much, than not enough.
I say all of this from years of experience. I have experienced it all and am currently dealing with a lot of underprocessed hair due to all of these reasons. I did one section of my hair the "right" way (as well as corrected the frizzy sections) and have been monitoring it for almost a year and it is healthy, full of moisture and growing.
IMHO it's much better to do a small section of your hair (strand test doing all of the steps) to see what your results will be, before doing your whole head and not being happy with the results.
SweetCaramel1
Well-Known Member
LiLi said:Lastly, make sure you are putting a decent amount of the product on the hair strands; go through it after applying and smooth, smooth, smooth; put more on if you need to -- the hair should be completely covered with the product. When I was using no-lye relaxers I had to use 2 boxes of the relaxer; once I skimped and only used 1 box, that is when I got underprocessed hair. It's better to have too much, than not enough.
I say all of this from years of experience. I have experienced it all and am currently dealing with a lot of underprocessed hair due to all of these reasons. I did one section of my hair the "right" way (as well as corrected the frizzy sections) and have been monitoring it for almost a year and it is healthy, full of moisture and growing.
IMHO it's much better to do a small section of your hair (strand test doing all of the steps) to see what your results will be, before doing your whole head and not being happy with the results.
i totally agree! if you have thicker hair you have to use more! my hair eats up so much product! relaxing in sections is new to me though. i'll be relaxing in a few weeks and i need to learn how to do this
KhandiB
Well-Known Member
SweetCaramel1 said:i totally agree! if you have thicker hair you have to use more! my hair eats up so much product! relaxing in sections is new to me though. i'll be relaxing in a few weeks and i need to learn how to do this
I cant do that..I tried it and underprocessed
..PLUS the way the bathroom and even the kitchen in my apartment is set up, makes it more frustrating than anything 
baglady215
Well-Known Member
I relax by rubberbanding my hair in sections. First I make the four big sections, then I make maybe 5-6 small sections in each of the four. So that's 20-24 small sections throughout my head. Then I go through and apply the relaxer to each section. I kind of squeeze the relaxer through if the section is thick. Then I take out the rubberbands one by one, smooth, and apply more relaxer if needed. This has cut my relaxing time in half! More time for smoothing and processing.
jellynote
Member
I use to do my own relaxers when I was overseas. I tried to do my hair here in Arizona, but my hair just wasn't acting right . So I broke down and went to JcPenney Salon and had a professional do my hair and I must say my hair came out GREAT
.She used Mizani Regular Lye in my hair. I had the hand in my hair diease I got so many compliments on my hair I just couldn't believe how good my hair turned out and I'm a 4a/b haired girl.
. So I broke down and went to JcPenney Salon and had a professional do my hair and I must say my hair came out GREAT .She used Mizani Regular Lye in my hair. I had the hand in my hair diease I got so many compliments on my hair I just couldn't believe how good my hair turned out and I'm a 4a/b haired girl.
hottopic
Well-Known Member
I use cream of nature mild lye relaxer. I love it. It get my hair pretty straight, but no bone straight, but I prefer it that way now. I can go 6-7 weeks before I start having trouble with new growths. And my ends have waves, which allows me to have a better wash and go look. Plus I have thick 4 a/b and I like the thick look (Just don't like combing it...lol).
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cocoberry10
New Member
sylver2 said:Thanks cocoberry
For me..my styles seem to last much longer when I get it bone straight, also I like my hair to be flat, smooth and bone straight the majority of the time. A lot of people don't care for the flat thin look, but it looks just right on me since my hair is thick and yup much easier to manage.
Although lately I have been lazy and been wearing braidouts for the past couple of months.
Thanks for the info!
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