Relaxing every month

[FemmeCreole]

I have this coworker who has beautiful hair. It's jet black and shoulder length, looks healthy and she always has it styled. So about a week ago we started talking about hair and I mentioned that I'm considering trying natural again. She looked at me surprised and shook her head. Then she said that she cannot handle new growth and she relaxes her hair every month. When I told her my minimum is 8 weeks and I try to go to 12 sometimes, her eyes almost popped out of her head .... that concept is foreign to her.

Her methods seem to be working for her.... however I've noticed that during the time that I've known her (8 months) her hair has remained the same length. I'm not sure if she wants to keep it that length. She told me that she trims every 2 to 3 months, but at least there should have been more growth..... oh well.

The idea of relaxing so often is frightening to me. Even before LHCF I never relaxed under 8 weeks.... when I was in Dominica, My aunt made me wait 12 weeks. But her hair seems to be doing well.

She never uses direct heat and she washes her hair about 3 times a week. Keracare is her staple brand.

 

[LushLox]

I find that crazy. I can't see what sort of out of control new growth you could get at 4 weeks post, but I don't know, maybe some folks have just got it like that! erplexed That's not for me though, and it never has been!

I think you know when a method or routine is working when you are able to retain your growth, if you're not, well maybe your routine needs some adjustment.

 

[TLC1020]

It sometimes seem like some women who don't care as much or who is not into hair care like us (LHCF) women, their hair thrives and appear healthy.

 

[Madeinthe80s]

Come back to the natural side, Val!

 

[FemmeCreole]

Come back to the natural side, Val!

don't know why I picture you saying that with an evil voice

I want to.... S/O is not being supportive of the idea

 

[sharifeh]

Her hair probably thrives because she keeps it cut. If she tried to grow it past shoulder length, maybe she wouldn't have much success doing that while relaxing monthly. who knows? Or maybe her hair is really resilient. There are people that can do it. Seems to be the exception, not the rule.

 

[Solitude]

Pre-LHCF, I relaxed with Phyto every 4-6 weeks at one point. It didn't cause me any problems, maybe because my hair is thick.

The only reason my hair didn't get long was because I was cutting my ends. I had to cut my ends because I "bumped" them with a curling iron almost daily.

Actually, my hair was really healthy at that time. I was using Phyto and Oscar Blandi.

 

[FemmeCreole]

well besides the monthly relaxers, she does take care of her hair and she's a rollersetting queen.

 

[TamedTresses]

Pre-LHCF I did the same and I was MBL. I was close to WL, but I used to be scissors happy (I'm almost reformed). My hair is thick and dense and I didn't know a darn thing about the line of demarcation. I just knew when it got thick. I BC because I wanted to wear my natural hair, and I did for a few years. I'm back to my relaxer, but I am stretching to 12 weeks. When you know better you do better.

 

[BroadstreetBully]

She probably makes sure to not overlap? Seems like that would be hard with just four weeks of ng but it is possible. Maybe she doesn't leave the relaxer on too long, either. When I was relaxed, I found that stretching too long was bad for my hair. I think if I would have done every 6 weeks, I would have been fine.

 

[Firstborn2]

I have a friend who does this as well because she is anti-napps her words not mind. Her hair seems to be healthy it's definitely not brittle or dried out. My head would never survive, I would have bald patches and all.

 

[Madeinthe80s]

don't know why I picture you saying that with an evil voice

I want to.... S/O is not being supportive of the idea

You know me too well woman... lol! I was actually saying it with a Darth Vader voice...lol!

Tell s/o it's YOU he loves and not your hair...

 

[tatiana]

My sister used to relax every month; I am not sure if she still does. Her hair is long; she keeps it between BSL and waist. Her hair grows an inch a month.

 

[sunnieb]

Everybody is different. Pre-LHCF I relaxed every 4 weeks on the dot. I always had plenty of newgrowth and I received compliments on how thick and pretty my hair was. No burns, scabs, and bald spots for me. I just wasn't moisturizing properly so my hair would rarely go past SL.

Now I go 12 weeks between touch ups because I know better, but some people can get away with doing alot of bad stuff to their hair and always keep hair on their heads.

 

[Taina]

I used to relax my hair between 4 and 6 weeks, MY hair started to break if i wait more than that. I never had a problem with that back in the days, i guess that the person that used to relax my hair knew my hair and how to deal with it.

For real, when i was relaxed my hair was healthy and long (unless i wanted to have it short cause I LOVE short hair in stra8 hair) and i used yo trim my hair every 4 weeks as well.

I dont see any problems with that cause i used to do it and it worked for me.

 

[Americka]

I have a student who relaxes every 3 weeks. Her hair is BSB/BSL and was looking very healthy until she bleached it and it's not looking as good as of late. She does not wash it in between relaxers either. Go figure!

 

[FemmeCreole]

I have a student who relaxes every 3 weeks. Her hair is BSB/BSL and was looking very healthy until she bleached it and it's not looking as good as of late. She does not wash it in between relaxers either. Go figure!

3 weeks you say?!!

wow

 

[SaucyWow]

Maybe she wants it that length unless she has alot of bad ends after 3 months. Every month is drastic. Maybe she means 6 weeks. I hope. lol I wonder what type of relaxer she uses.

 

[Americka]

3 weeks you say?!!

wow

Yes, ma'am! She relaxes every three weeks! Like I said, she bleached about two weeks ago and her hair doesn't look as good. And she wears her hair down about 80 percent of the time. In fact, none of them protective style.

When I started my HHJ, I asked a group of them how they care for their hair. They shocked me with what they revealed:

• weeks or months between washings
• wrap their hair nightly *do not alternate sides*
  
• no sealing of their ends

It works for them!

 

[shunemite]

lol. It's kind of like that friend you have who eats fast food every day every meal and never gains weight, while you on the other hand breathe at a cookie and ten pounds grows on you. Some hair is forgiving, some is not. Mine is not.

 

[Americka]

lol. It's kind of like that friend you have who eats fast food every day every meal and never gains weight, while you on the other hand breathe at a cookie and ten pounds grows on you. Some hair is forgiving, some is not. Mine is not.

Excellent analogy!

 

[*CherryPie*]

Not True.

I've relaxed my hair every month for over 25 years, and i've always had HEALTHY APL to close to MBL hair with no problem. Some folks hair CAN handle it.

Her hair probably thrives because she keeps it cut. If she tried to grow it past shoulder length, maybe she wouldn't have much success doing that while relaxing monthly. who knows? Or maybe her hair is really resilient. There are people that can do it. Seems to be the exception, not the rule.

 

[Vintageglam]

Finish the sentence:


Relaxing every month is a recipe for:

1. Overlapping
2. Breakage
3. An empty wallet/ happy stylist
4. All of the above


Just my

 

[taz007]

I currently relax my hair every 6-7 weeks and it has been working for me. This last touch up I stretched for 10 weeks and I am not sure if I will do that again.

 

[FemmeCreole]

I suppose there really is no rule.... people should just do what works for them

 

[ThickHair]

When I relaxed many moons ago, I relaxed every 6 weeks and was a heat abuser. Some how I still managed to have mid back length, thick hair, healthy hair, for the life of me I don't know why. I thought everyone did it. Thank goodness I stopped that abuse, but I did it all through high school up until I BC'd at age 28, 11 years later.

 

[longhairlover]

my friend relaxes probably every month or so, and her hairs down her back and very healthy, it just keeps growing, guess it just depends on the person, and her hair may stay at sl because she probably likes that length not everyone is into long hair.

 

[cluelezz]

When I was relaxed I relaxed every month. I had healthy hair. I wore it shoulder length or in a bob mostly though. I just don't like loong straight hair on me. I didn't have retention issues. I would always get a bunch of breakage when I waited longer (that was pre-LHCF though and I probably just needed some protein or something)

 

[imaccami]

I relaxed every month pre LHCF for years and in fact this is the first time I skipped a month since I've been a member. I'm relaxing the first week in April.

 

[30something]

I had a friend in High school who would relax her hair every 4 weeks. I asked her WHY?!
She claimed its because her hair would get so thick (i guess at the root)
I didn't believe her.. didn't believe it could get so thick so fast to have to relax so often. She had THICK between APL and BSL hair.