RELAXED VETS!! Get in here, I need Reggie advice! (please lol)

[bride91501]

Not for me , but for my sis.

She's noticed my increased hair health & growth over the last 8 months, and by example, I've finally gotten her to start taking better care of her hair. Yaay! I'm very excited for her.

Ok, a little background:
She's been relaxed since age 12 (she's 30 now), with her length always floating between neck and shoulder length. Her relaxed hair appears on the finer side of normal, low-density and without much bounce and movement. Her hair tends to be dry, especially her ends, which do break & split easily.

I convinced her a few months ago to start stretching her relaxers, and she's nearly 8 months into her first stretch. She's been wearing braids and a weave during this time, but she's taking the weave down in a few days and wants to relax her hair shortly after.

She has her own business and works soley from home, so she won't have the issue of "having" to do her hair everyday. She's not a big heat user (never has been), doesn't like to use alot of products in her hair, and needs an easy reggie she can stick to. She wears a weave or braids maybe 1-2x per year, but otherwise likes to wear her own her "out" more often than not. She'd like to grow her hair to at least APL.

Here's the basic reggie I suggested to her:
-CW & DC (light protein/moisture based DC) once/weekly
-Apply leave-in & rollerset for the week
-Pin-curly nightly; "moisturize" as needed with coconut oil throughout the week
-Shampoo & heavy protein treatment monthly
-Stretch relaxers for 3 months if wearing hair out; up to 6 months if weaved or braided up

HELP!
So....What do you guys think? Any changes? Additions? Please also suggest specific products she should start using. She is on a strict budget, so she can't really afford to add expensive products to her reggie.

Thanks guys!

 

[Solitude]

I don't know if I'm a "vet" but I have two suggestions:

1. She cannot do a heavy protein treatment monthly - that's too often. Something like Aphogee two step should be used no more often than every 6 weeks. She should stick with light protein and just use heavy protein when needed or before OR after a relaxer (not both).

2. Coconut oil might not work as a daily moisturizer. I use coconut oil, but usually to seal and not for moisture.

If she wants a moisturizer from the beauty supply store (so she won't have to order online), I like Elasta QP and Softsheen Carson roots of nature's new oil moisturizer.

 

[Solitude]

everything else sounds good to me!

 

[bride91501]

Thanks, Solitude. I really didn't mean to put "VETS" in the subject line...meant to write "HEADS", but oh well lol. I'm glad you ignored my slip lol.

Re coconut oil as a moisturizer, I know what you mean. I just didn't know what else to suggest to her that could act as a sort of "moisturizer", but wasn't water-based (so as to not disturb her curls). So the Elasta QP is not water based? Is it protein-based?

 

[danysedai]

I agree with Solitude above, she needs a moisturizer and seal with a bit of coconut oil. My recommendation would be to keep it very simple, and even though she can't afford expensive products, if she goes with a known line like Keracare or Mizani and researches (here and other hair boards) before buying and then buys let's say a clarifying shampoo (I use Neutrogena) a moisturizing shampoo, conditioner, leave in and moisturizer (only one of each product) then she will see that it pays in the end to have a good product. I like expensive products lol so I can't recommend any, so somebody else can chime in.

Although, I would highly recommend Roux PC if that's an issue.


My regimen is very similar, I don't do CW but I rollerset weekly, pincurl for some days and then bun until next wash.

I do the heavy duty Aphogee treatment before a relaxer, other times I do some light protein, never monthly, same as Solitude said.

Stretching is also very good, but personally, I've never been able to stretch for 8 months.


Good luck and happy hair growing.

 

[nakialovesshoes]

Though I haven't had a relaxer in over 4 years, I'll probably be returning to them sometime in the near future. I've been natural, relaxed & am currently growing out a curly perm. Honestly, the healthiest & longest my hair has been was when I was relaxed (not bone straight, though).

I, too, stretched my relaxers to 10-12 weeks & I did a very simple routine. It was the Wanakee routine modified just a little.

I washed my hair with the deep moisture poo from the Wanakee line & DCed (w/heat) with the Wanakee deep moisture cond weekly. I would rollerset & most times I would just airdry with the rollers unless I had to go somewhere. Oh, I also would spray a little KeraCare Silk N Seal on my hair before rollersetting & a little all over once the rollers were in.

As I would take each roller out, I would put a tiny speck of Wanakee's Constant Care for Ends on my ends to seal.

Daily I would oil with Wanakee's hair oil & also, I kept my hair wrapped up under pure silk 90% of the time.

As for protein, my stylist would do a protein treatment on me after every touch up. From protective styling 90% of the time, I only needed dusting at relaxer time because my ends were always in good shape from this routine.

Oh, I also would do a jojoba oil prepoo treatment on my scalp weekly before washing to prevent any dry scalp issues.

HTH...

ETA: I used Wanakee's leave-in/detangler prior to rollersetting.

 

[shasha8685]

I pretty much agree with what the previous posters have said. That Aphogee 2 step treatment every month is too much. Really, if your sister's hair isn't breaking badly, using a mild protein DC is enough (Aubrey Organics GPB is a good one as well as ORS Replenishing). As for moisturizing, I have found that if you have a good DC, you won't have to moisturize as often. However, a good water based moisturizer is ORS Carrot Oil. Also with stretching, your sister should stretch at least 3 months. Stretching can be tricky b/c for some people, if they stretch too long they get breakage. So I guess I'm saying that your sister should stretch for whatever time point is comfortable for her.

Now, my regimen is pretty simple. I wash with Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo (sulfate free) and DC with AO GPB (protein) or AO White Camellia (moisture) at least 1x/week. Following the DC, I apply my leave in (Giovanni Direct or Mizani D'Tangle) and a bit of GVP Silk Remedy. I then put my hair in a ponytail and air dry (I don't rollerset as I find to be too time consuming). From there, I decide to flat iron (if I fee like it) or leave my hair as is. I bun 5 or 6 days out of the week.

 

[SailorSuccess]

Co-signing with everyone: heavy protein only as needed, protective styling, good wash and DC, and moisturize as need giving special attention to ends.

I keep my reggie as simple as possible. I'll admit up front I'm a Mizani head all the way. Yes it's a bit expensive but it worth the money and my products seem to last quite a while. I stretch as long as possible, minimum 3 months at a time then bonelax using Mizani Butter Blends. I use a heavy protein treatment, usually Aphogee, after each relaxer. Wash 1x week using Mizani Moisturfusion Shampoo and DC 2x week using Mizani Moisturfusion Conditioner and ORS Replenshing Pak. If my scalp is flaky, I'll do a hot oil treatment using EVOO, Carrot Oil, and Dr. Miracles under my DC. I follow the Crown and Glory Technique (website in siggy) for washing and conditioning which I think contributes to why my products last me so long. I dust my own ends, if needed, with each relaxer and drench them in oil with each DC or wash. I wear my hair pinned up most of the time, making sure to hide my ends, or I rollerset (mainly in the winter). At night I wrap my hair, rub a bit of Mizani Rose H2O Conditioning Hairdress around the wrap and then tie it up with a silk scarf.

The key is keeping the reggie as simple as possible and once you find what works stick with it. HTH

Happy growing to you and your sister.

 

[chrstndiva]

Does she use lye or no-lye relaxers? If she uses no-lye relaxers, it's very important that she use a chelating shampoo shortly after her relaxer (like a week after) to remove calcium deposits that will make her hair look dull and dry. I use Kenra Clarifying Shampoo (which has a chelating formula).

Best of luck to your sister!

 

[Minty]

I don't know why you'd "convince" her to stretch her relaxers.

This is not always the best 1st step in haircare.

First she'd have to examine what it is that's giving her 'splits'

Best place to start is in her bathroom with the products she currently owns. You can grow your hair with nothing! So whatever is in her cabinet should suffice for a while.

Please do not have her go out and buy alot of new products.

Let her keep her current relaxer schedule, use a light protein based conditioner 1-2 weeks before her touch up, and protect her previously relaxed hair with a hair protectant *not vaseline!* but something like Affirm Protecto.

As she becomes more acclimated to haircare, then she will be able to gauge if she should stretch her relaxers, and if so, how long.



If she wears weaves, she should wait 1 week (if she can) after her weave take down, and wait atleast 2 weeks (if she can) before an install.

Don't overload her with information