Self-Relaxing Regimen

[Thiends]

What is your self-relaxing regimen? I know there are threads on self-relaxing, but many are so long that I would have to read endless pages just to cobble together the information I seek. Some questions:

1. Do you cover your already-relaxed hair with conditioner, reconstructor, or something else meant to prevent damage?
2. How do you avoid overlapping? This question is for everyone, but I really hope some texlaxers answer it because I am curious about how exactly to figure out the demarcation line when the relaxed hair is not bone straight (and thus not very different from the natural hair).
3. What are the steps you follow?
4. What brand of relaxer do you use?

I am currently 15 weeks post and planning to make it to 24 weeks post before I texlax. I am worried about overlapping when relaxing that much new growth, especially since I have never self-relaxed before.

Edit: Also, has anyone used fabulaxer before?

 

[Leesh]

Hello there! I use Mizani Butter Blends Relaxer System, its great, because the line has everything required to self-relax safely without the fear of overlapping. I use the "Honey Shield" which is used for coating and protecting the previuosly relaxed hair, I also use the "Butter Base", which obviously, is to base and protect your scalp, and I must say that, this system is wonderful. it protects very well, and I do believe I will be using this until they decide to discontinue it, hopefully they won't. But all in all, I've found my staple Relaxer System!

 

[Thiends]

Hello there! I use Mizani Butter Blends Relaxer System, its great, because the line has everything required to self-relax safely without the fear of overlapping. I use the "Honey Shield" which is used for coating and protecting the previuosly relaxed hair, I also use the "Butter Base", which obviously, is to base and protect your scalp, and I must say that, this system is wonderful. it protects very well, and I do believe I will be using this until they decide to discontinue it, hopefully they won't. But all in all, I've found my staple Relaxer System!

Thank you, Leesh. Do you texlax or relax bone straight? Also, is your hair fine or coarse, and do you use regular or super? Is there a Mizani option for those who texlax? Sorry for so many questions. You seem knowledgeable.

 

[Solitude]

1. Do you cover your already-relaxed hair with conditioner, reconstructor, or something else meant to prevent damage?
I cover my previously-relaxed hair with vaseline. I also use vaseline for my edges, ears, and the the back of my neck.
2. How do you avoid overlapping? This question is for everyone, but I really hope some texlaxers answer it because I am curious about how exactly to figure out the demarcation line when the relaxed hair is not bone straight (and thus not very different from the natural hair).
I avoid overlapping by stretching out my relaxers, so that I have a good amount of newgrowth to cover. This is going to sound bad, but I think overlapping is inevitable, so I don't worry about it that much. I try to be careful during application, but during smoothing, there is going to be some overlapping, IMO.
My new growth is coarser than my previously treated hair. I apply my relaxer while standing in front of a mirror, but the back is still tricky. Sometimes I have my sister help me with the back.
3. What are the steps you follow?
- A week or so before, hard protein and a rollerset or some other style that allows my hair to be relatively straight (easier parting). My new growth generally reverts by the time I'm ready to relax. I also wear my hair in a ponytail or bun and leave my scalp alone.
- Relaxer day - protect skin and hair with Vaseline
- Apply relaxer (I alternate which part of my hair I start with) moving as quickly as possible
- smooth with gloved fingers row-by-row (this does not get the hair bone straight, but I no longer relax bone straight)
- rinse
- neutralize (takes about 4 washes - more depending on how long I stretched, which would be more relaxer in my hair to get out)
- follow with reconstructor for about 5 minutes
- moisturizing DC w/ heat and then style
- I use a mild protein with my next wash
4. What brand of relaxer do you use?
I use Phytorlexer Index I - extremely mild, almost too mild for some people, but I like it and it gives me somewhat texlaxed results. This relaxer costs $60 at Sephora.

 

[ebonyseas]

I am a 4b with fine texlaxed hair. I stretch for 3 months.

2. How do you avoid overlapping? This question is for everyone, but I really hope some texlaxers answer it because I am curious about how exactly to figure out the demarcation line when the relaxed hair is not bone straight (and thus not very different from the natural hair).
I wear thin gloves so that I can feel the new growth. I feel my way through the relaxer application when it gets to the middle/back and I can't see my hair in the mirror. Stretching helps too because there's much more new growth. My texlaxed hair is pretty kinky but there's a definite difference in feel. Even if you can't feel the difference you should examine your hair before the application to figure out how much growth you have.

3. What are the steps you follow?
I use about thirty clips to separate my hair into each section I'm going to relax. I spray silk amino acids on each little section, then put oil on the ends (last 4inches) of each section. Pre-sectioning helps speed up the application, which is important to keep the hair from getting too straight.

I lay out all the products I will need in the step they are to be applied. So I'll have the relaxer, apogee 2 min, box neutralizer, ors aloe chealeating poo, and my deep conditioner mix.

I mix the relaxer then add a little less than an ounce of oil and some silk amino acids.

I apply the relaxer. I'm slow so it stays on for about 20 min despite the extended prep but my 4b hair it still doesn't get very straight. I then rinse the relaxer out, add the box neutralizing poo, wash out, more box poo and wait 10 min, more box poo, wait 5 min, ors neutralizing poo, wait 10 min, more ORS wait 10 min, deep condition.

4. What brand of relaxer do you use?
Profective no lye, regular.

I do a mild protein the wash before I relax, and a mild or hard protein the wash after depending on how my hair feels. You should practice your application the wash before. Use conditioner and apply to the ng like you will the day of. Time yourself. You can do the ends afterwards. This will ensure you have the process down and will give you a deep conditioning(or protein) treatment before your relaxer.

 

[WaistLengthDreams]

1. Do you cover your already-relaxed hair with conditioner, reconstructor, or something else meant to prevent damage?
I cover my previously-relaxed hair with vaseline. I also use vaseline for my edges, ears, and the the back of my neck.
2. How do you avoid overlapping? This question is for everyone, but I really hope some texlaxers answer it because I am curious about how exactly to figure out the demarcation line when the relaxed hair is not bone straight (and thus not very different from the natural hair).
I avoid overlapping by stretching out my relaxers, so that I have a good amount of newgrowth to cover. This is going to sound bad, but I think overlapping is inevitable, so I don't worry about it that much. I try to be careful during application, but during smoothing, there is going to be some overlapping, IMO.
My new growth is coarser than my previously treated hair. I apply my relaxer while standing in front of a mirror, but the back is still tricky. Sometimes I have my sister help me with the back.
3. What are the steps you follow?
- A week or so before, hard protein and a rollerset or some other style that allows my hair to be relatively straight (easier parting). My new growth generally reverts by the time I'm ready to relax. I also wear my hair in a ponytail or bun and leave my scalp alone.
- Relaxer day - protect skin and hair with Vaseline
- Apply relaxer (I alternate which part of my hair I start with) moving as quickly as possible
- smooth with gloved fingers row-by-row (this does not get the hair bone straight, but I no longer relax bone straight)
- rinse
- neutralize (takes about 4 washes - more depending on how long I stretched, which would be more relaxer in my hair to get out)
- follow with reconstructor for about 5 minutes
- moisturizing DC w/ heat and then style
- I use a mild protein with my next wash
4. What brand of relaxer do you use?
I use Phytorlexer Index I - extremely mild, almost too mild for some people, but I like it and it gives me somewhat texlaxed results. This relaxer costs $60 at Sephora.

^^^I agree with Solitude on her answers. The only differences in my regimen are that I use my reconstructor before I neutralize, I use Summit Sensitive Scalp to base my scalp, and my relaxer is Affirm Fiberguard Sensitive Scalp (No-Lye), which is about $70 for 9 applications.

HTH!

 

[Thiends]

You should practice your application the wash before. Use conditioner and apply to the ng like you will the day of. Time yourself. You can do the ends afterwards. This will ensure you have the process down and will give you a deep conditioning(or protein) treatment before your relaxer.

This is a really, really good idea. Thanks a lot for the input so far everyone.

Do any of you use tint brushes to apply the relaxer?

Also, how much smoothing do you do and does it really result in a straighter outcome? I want a tex-laxed outcome, so should I still smooth?

 

[ebonyseas]

It really depends on your hair type and the relaxer you use. A very mild relaxer might not do anything without smoothing. A stronger relaxer might do too much without smoothing, depending on ur strands.

I don't smooth because I like the highly textured feel, and my fine/fragile strands tend to break easily. I do use a fine tooth comb to "test" each section before rinsing. If the comb can make it through the new growth ( I only pull it through about an inch, never to the ends) it's time to rinse. I don't test it more than once, or do any other form of smoothing.

A strand test might be beneficial. Use a bit of relaxer on some shed hair and wait to see how long it processes the way you want. Try smoothing some hairs and not smoothing others. It's not foolproof, but it will give you an idea.

I started out using gloved fingers but I have used a black dye brush for the last two applications. I prefer fingers though because of the control, but the brush is growing on me. I do the relaxer method(the process of applying the conditioner in sections like a relaxer) for my pre-relaxer deep conditioning/protein, and I use the brush for that. If you use the brush for a relaxer, just make sure you neutralize it thoroughly. Actually, all your tools should be neutralized to prevent any mishaps in the following days.

It took about 3 applications before I figured out what was right for me, so don't be discouraged if things don't go the way you plan the first few times.

 

[Leesh]

Thank you, Leesh. Do you texlax or relax bone straight? Also, is your hair fine or coarse, and do you use regular or super? Is there a Mizani option for those who texlax? Sorry for so many questions. You seem knowledgeable.

You know, I really don't know, I thought I was Bone Straight Relaxing, but now I believe that I may Texlax, and the reason I say that is because, I revert so easily, I have to use tons of heat protectant when I flat iron, so I really don't know, someone pointed that out to me that isn't really into the HH thing. go figure! hmph!
My hair is Fine, thats why I cannot do much to it, I try to Kiss, as much as I can, because of it.
Now as for the Texlax system, I don't believe so, I searched around the website for you and it just has the Classic Relaxers and the Butter Blends line, I would say to use either of the two but cut the time in half, now don't quote me on that, maybe one of the members who intentionally texlax, will come in and enlighten!

 

[Thiends]

Thank you, Ebonyseas and Leesh. @Ebonyseas - I will definitely try the strand test, along with smoothing and not smoothing. I do not shed a lot, but I will start collecting shed hairs, so I hope I have enough shed hair collected by then.