Reverse a relaxer - is this possible?

smurstep

New Member
After seven years of natural I had a sudden urge to relax my 4c hair. I had it done at a salon by my sister (she is a cosmetologist). My sister tried to discourage my decision but I was very persistent and demanded that she "hook me up". Well the deed was done and of course I HATE it. I really miss my thick bush. Is there something Ican do to reverse it just a little. I guess when touch up time comes I will get more of texturizer and not fuuly relax. Would this cause breakage? Help.
 

Daughter

UK Blak
A relaxer is not reversibile, it is permanent. The only way to get rid of it is to cut the relaxed hair off.

A texturiser is a relaxer, just not left on as long.

What look do you want to achieve with your hair?
 

Peachtree

New Member
Hi Smurstep
, welcome to the board


My understanding is that once the relaxer breaks down the molecular structure of the hair strand (permed) there is no way to reverse it... thus derived the term "PERManent".

At this point all u can do is try to "re-build" & "re-strengthen" those strands. Protein treatments are used to "re-build" the strands where the relaxer has broken down the curl pattern. Moisturizing treatments are used to restore the moisture loss during the relaxing process.

There's only 1 way to rid the "relaxed" hair...cut it off. Please don't go to this extreme, believe me, it's not necessary. There's a wealth of information on this board centered around maintaining healthy relaxed hair. Do a search... type in "moisturize", "protein", "tips", "treatments", and like words... u'll definitely receive plenty of reading material
.

Another thing... u mentioned that ur sister is a stylist.... talk to her...
.... she should be able to explain this better than I.
.
 

Peachtree

New Member
Oh, another thing...

Once you get your 1st wash, your hair should "thicken up" a bit. You're not gonna have your "thick bush", but you should have a "fuller" look. If you "air dry" over heat drying (& styling), you'll have an even fuller look
.

Ok, I'm gone... for real this time
 

sweetcocoa

Active Member
I agree with the others. Why don't you just wash and go wear it in a protective style(bun) until it gets to the length where you fell comfortable cutting it off? I say work(give it all the TLC you can...) with what you got..until you get where you want. Take care of your hair and it will be okay.
 

EmeraldSky

New Member
Technically you shouldn't be able to reverse a relaxer, it's permanent. But as strange as it sounds I remember a long thread on one of the old hair boards about a woman who posted a recipe for removing a relaxer she said her mother used it every winter to take out the relaxer and would press her and her sisters hair and then when the warm humid whether came back she would apply the relaxer. It's sounds pretty impossible to me but I remember there was a long thread about it.
 

sunny

New Member
You cannot reverse a relaxer, once your hair is permed the molecular sructure stays that way permanently and the only way to get rid of it is to cut it. I had a similar experience though. I wore my hair natural until i was in 11th grade and then permed it. I liked that my hair was shiny and bouncy , but it was an extreme change from my natural hair thickness and i regretted it a little once it was in. However, i grew used to it and now love it. My hair felt thinner because my hair was freshly permed but once you shampoo and style as the weeks pass it will seem like the hair is thickening up.
 

pebbles

New Member
[ QUOTE ]
A relaxer is not reversibile, it is permanent. The only way to get rid of it is to cut the relaxed hair off.

A texturiser is a relaxer, just not left on as long.



[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. A relaxer is irreversible.
 

smurstep

New Member
Thanks all for responding to my little dilemma. I do however know that a permanent is permanent I was still hoping though that someone knew something that I did not. I vaguely remember something about rinsing hair with vinegar or something like that to remove the perm (old school remedy). All of my education and common sense says that it is irreversible but desperation can cause one to say and act unreasonably. I guess my problem is that I am fully relaxed and wish that I had maintained more of my curls. Perhaps next time I will not leave the relaxer creme on my hair as long. Live and Learn.
 

ngaa

New Member
smurstep lik what the ladies have already said, u cant reverse the relaxer but if u want it to 'look' natural some say washing it with vinegar gives the appearance of natural hair wen in fact its relaxed, but i myself aitn tried this b4.....hth
 

lorr1e1

4C (natural) currently relaxed (Mizani)
Something i have noticed for years that the ends of my hair if i have not cut them off reverts, there is a curl pattern in it so i think that it does eventually revert back to natural, maybe because its just old hair and been washed the most and therefore the effects of the relaxer eventually wears off.
 
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