There are a lot of relaxer questions lately...

lorr1e1

4C (natural) currently relaxed (Mizani)
probably because of covid here in uk we are on full lock down in England until 2nd December and as i'm in Scotland, in my city we are in tier 4 which is the highest version of a full lock down there is. so salons and alot of business are closed again so we need to get our hair done ourselves. Covid don't stop for demarcation line breakage :(
 

Rastafarai

Well-Known Member
Y’all got my relaxer hand starting to twitch.

:chocbunny:


What’s going on? Is there beginning to be a shift back to relaxers? I’m noticing an uptick in relaxer vids on YouTube as well.

Chile, I ain't never going back to the crack. :afro:

probably because of covid here in uk we are on full lock down in England until 2nd December and as i'm in Scotland, in my city we are in tier 4 which is the highest version of a full lock down there is. so salons and alot of business are closed again so we need to get our hair done ourselves. Covid don't stop for demarcation line breakage :(

Yup, that may be why there is an uptick in relaxer postings Do stay safe over there!
 

lorr1e1

4C (natural) currently relaxed (Mizani)
Same here. I don’t see me going back to relaxers. I can do a twistout and I’m learning how to do a wash n go while I don’t have to see work peeps in person.
I grew my 4c hair natural for 2 years and switched back to relaxers as it was so dry I hated dealing with it.

No matter how much I DC or protein my natural hair it made little difference it was short so could not do a lot with it
 
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ThursdayGirl

Well-Known Member
I grew my 4c hair natural for 2 years and switched back to relaxers it was so dry I hated dealing with it. No matter how much I DC or protein it made little difference it was short so could not do a lot with it
Short hair is really tough. You do have to choose relaxer or natural. There isn't much in between. Hang in there. My hair is 4C also. When I transitioned, I was all about the twistouts and the occasional strawset. I couldn't do anything else. I'm not sure how short your hair is, but if you can twist or braid it or do a strawset, it may help you stretch longer.

Good luck with the lock down. I hope that your numbers come down on time and everyone can get out to more places soon. I am concerned that we will return to that in my part of the US.
 

lorr1e1

4C (natural) currently relaxed (Mizani)
Short hair is really tough. You do have to choose relaxer or natural. There isn't much in between. Hang in there. My hair is 4C also. When I transitioned, I was all about the twistouts and the occasional strawset. I couldn't do anything else. I'm not sure how short your hair is, but if you can twist or braid it or do a strawset, it may help you stretch longer.

Good luck with the lock down. I hope that your numbers come down on time and everyone can get out to more places soon. I am concerned that we will return to that in my part of the US.
I'm not natural anymore. I don't do plaited styles since I was 10, it doesn't suit me i'd only ever do canerow if wearing a wig on top.
 

TLC1020

Well-Known Member
I was natural for two years and I did not like it, my natural hair is coarse was always dry. I'd go to my stylist and she would do a wonderful job but I could never get my hair to look presentable the way I wanted it. I went back to relaxers, I always use a Lye relaxer for fine/color treated hair and stretch my relaxer re-touch out, I have no problem with them.
 

ThursdayGirl

Well-Known Member
I'm not natural anymore. I don't do plaited styles since I was 10, it doesn't suit me i'd only ever do canerow if wearing a wig on top.
That's fine, but a twistout or braid out where you twist or braid the hair as a setting technique and then unravel, gives waves and texture to the hair that can hide new growth longer. That's all I meant. Good luck to you on your hair journey through Covid.
 

lorr1e1

4C (natural) currently relaxed (Mizani)
That's fine, but a twistout or braid out where you twist or braid the hair as a setting technique and then unravel, gives waves and texture to the hair that can hide new growth longer. That's all I meant. Good luck to you on your hair journey through Covid.
Unfortunately i just never like any plaited or twisted styles, my hair would go in all directions and not straight down like you can get with 4a/b. My mum used to hate combing my hair said it was like combing a rock and she was right my hair was tough to get through lol then again my mum's hair is Indian about 3a or 2c so she is lucky not to never have anything done to it. lucky her.
 

Rastafarai

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately i just never like any plaited or twisted styles, my hair would go in all directions and not straight down like you can get with 4a/b. My mum used to hate combing my hair said it was like combing a rock and she was right my hair was tough to get through lol then again my mum's hair is Indian about 3a or 2c so she is lucky not to never have anything done to it. lucky her.

2c/3a hair type equates to being lucky? I'm sorry you feel that way.

It is more than likely the case that limited education on "rock" hair with limited access to products than can best pamper "rock" strands resulted in your need to turn to relaxers to "manage" your hair type.

No offense to you, but I am certain the hair products designed to cater for 4a/4b/4c hair types is far more in abundance in the USA than in Scotland/UK. I am only aware of Anita Grant products borne out of the UK. This also includes hair stylists that can handle the "rock" hair type in your region.
 
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Rastafarai

Well-Known Member
If i could keep some hair on my head with a relaxer, I'd probably be right back on the train. Detangling natural hair makes you reevaluate some things

The hardest part for any napptural is finding the right products that can turn your hair into butter and cut down detangling time. Once you find it, the fun begins, lol!

Speaking of my own journey, it took many trials and errors over the course of 10 years to find my staples. It made me into a major product junkie, too. For me, it was worth it.
 

lorr1e1

4C (natural) currently relaxed (Mizani)
2c/3a hair type equates to being lucky? I'm sorry you feel that way.

It is more than likely the case that limited education on "rock" hair with limited access to products than can best pamper "rock" strands resulted in your need to turn to relaxers to "manage" your hair type.

No offense to you, but I am certain the hair products you can get here designed to cater for 4a/4b/4c hair types is far more in abundance in the USA than in Scotland/UK. This also includes hair stylists that can handle the "rock" hair type.
What i feel about my hair is different to yours. My mum is part native american, part asian indian, part Arawak (indigenous people of Jamaica before the white man arrived and wiped them out) part scottish, part african part irish any time she bothered to go to a hairdresser they could not understand how her hair is so soft they thought it was some kind of relaxer, they don't understand it.

She never had to do anything to her hair as its is only very slightly wavy. by the way you are chatting to someone in their 40's its not about education from my individual story i know all about my hair. I would never put braids in my hair as it pulls at the roots and scalp and stresses it out its about understanding how difficult my hair is to deal with naturally, i don't wear plaited styles never have them for over 30 years dont like them and they do not suit me or the office i work in. There is plenty of hair products in UK to choose from, so don't know where you are getting that notion from?

My mother at age 79 doesn't have to deal with relaxers, hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, twist outs, braids, cornrows, hair treatments, breakage, steaming, split ends she never cut her hair, detangling or worry about protective styles she simply puts in her rollers and bit of scalp oil that is all she has to do. That is trouble free hair to me she is lucky because my hair is the complete opposite to hers i wish i had hers i wouldn't have to do a thing to it or worry about it.
 
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B_Phlyy

Pineapple Eating Unicorn
Y’all got my relaxer hand starting to twitch.

:chocbunny:


What’s going on? Is there beginning to be a shift back to relaxers? I’m noticing an uptick in relaxer vids on YouTube as well.
I think a lot of people are tired of some of the maintenance of natural hair. Everything take a lot of time. Detangling, styling, finding products, everything. With the exception of relaxer day, relaxed hair generally is not as time consuming on a day to day basis as natural hair. Even though I'll never go back, I totally understand why others do.
 

Theresamonet

Well-Known Member
I think a lot of people are tired of some of the maintenance of natural hair. Everything take a lot of time. Detangling, styling, finding products, everything. With the exception of relaxer day, relaxed hair generally is not as time consuming on a day to day basis as natural hair. Even though I'll never go back, I totally understand why others do.
This is the aspect that I can relate to, as I don’t really have a preference for straight hair or looser textures. I prefer coily over curly, aesthetically.
 

oneastrocurlie

Well-Known Member
I haven't seen it myself but I wouldn't be surprised. My natural friends who haven't taken a lot of time to learn their hair are struggling during this pandemic.

I've been much happier with my mastered wng than I was with relaxers, plus I never learned how to do them myself.

If my detangling sessions ever get too long for me, I'll keep it cut at a certain length.
 

Theresamonet

Well-Known Member
This is why I can’t ever keep any hair on my head. As soon as one thing not go my way I’m over it :confused: :lachen:

I’ve big chopped 3.5 times, and transitioned once. By the time I get to APL or BSL I start itching for the opposite of whatever is my hair’s current state. At this point, more than anything, my overarching desire is to just get somewhere and sit down. Lol
 

waff

Well-Known Member
Yeah all my self relaxers were no lye I hear using chelating shampoo wil remove the calcium build up so I got one in the Mizani range which doubled as a neutralising shampoo
I read in the relaxed thread a member sharing her bad experience with lye. The deposit was difficult to remove for her even with a chelating shampoo.

Here is the post I am talking about: Relaxed thread.
 

lorr1e1

4C (natural) currently relaxed (Mizani)
@waff
maybe it's a question of experience or if she used a good brand.

When I do my no lye relaxers in the past I try to be fast and get it all in my hair within 10 mins leaving the remainder 10 or 15 min for it to process/smoothing. I do a total of 5 or 6 washes on my hair after relaxing it trying to avoid it feeling like straw.

The 2 salons I've been to in Scotland have only done 3 washes. i noticed when I was on my way home that there was a burning sensation meaning they didn't wash it out thoroughly enough one has had mizani training them. It's why I mostly do my own now I wish it wasn't the case as its better to get someone else to do it. To be honest it's really not difficult to relax hair it's a simple process if you read up on it well and use common sense.

It's just what I read with calcium build up I'm guessing that it's only a small amount as I've not had a problem with my no lye. I have the Mizani chelating and tried it as a general wash seems ok to me.
 
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