4a/b hair without relaxer for 5 months and longer

[monawalker]

Hi everyone,
I plan on going 5 months without a relaxer, im currently at week 6(i know i have a long way to go) anyway I wanted to know is it possible for my 4a/b hair to go 5 months without a relaxer and not lose all of my hair. what should i do to not make my hair break.

i plan on washing my hair once a week, deep condition, mositurze(s-curl activator) and then pull back in a bun and put a fake ponytail over it (using adrienne method). is that good. what are ur thoughts.

oh another question.If i can last to 5 months, will i need 2 box of relaxer to relax all the new growth or is 1 box good enough.

P.S. anyone who has gone this long without a relaxer, did your hair grow alot, did it just remain the same length, or did ur hair get shorter

thanks ahead of time

 

[Honey Vibe]

Sure, I've been natural for over a year now.

+ Make sure you trim your split ends
+ Keep your hair moisturized with water every day. Because the hair doesn't lay down, it can't produce lubrication on its own
+ Buy a good quality hair butter
+ Cover your hair at night. I like plastic shower caps

You'll love your hair!

 

[ms_kenesha]

I've never done this, but if your hair grows at a fast rate and the texture between your natural and relaxed hair is vastly different I predict MAJOR breakage. I am a 4A/B and I honestly cannot go for longer than 8wks w/o a touch-up my hair will break if not on it's own simply because of the diff. textures than from me combing the two diff. textures and this is even with me finding the Profectiv Root Health (one of my miracle products).

Why are you attempting to wait so long for a touch-up are you transitioning?

 

[monawalker]

no im not transiting, i just thought less chemicals on my hair=longer hair
thanks for the response

 

[SweetNic_JA]

mona, I just recently did this. It's been 4.5 months since I've had a relaxer. I'll be getting my touchup next weekend. I did it with the assistance of braids so it was basically hassle-free for me - that was until I removed the braids and experienced some tangles. I managed to get rid of those nasty tangles and my hair is great now. I did a twist out method and my hair feels gooooood ( I posted something about it earlier).

I don't know how you'll manage doing this without braids. All I can suggest to get you through the hurdle is to keep your hair moisturized and conditioned. I highly recommend braid/twist outs and protective styling. I believe that you can do it though - there's no doubt about it. Just make sure you do it the right way where you will see more benefits than fall backs.

good luck & happy growing

 

[adrienne0914]

mona, i agree with ms kenesha. if the difference in textures is really signficant, you can have more breakage. if you can wait that longer, great! however, if you find that you start experiencing breakage, i don't think you should continue and experience unnecessary damage. so really pay attention to that since you're trying something different.

i think the phonytail will help make it easier if you put it up and leave it alone between washes. that's what i do. i usually wash on monday and put it in the bun and attach the phonytail. i take the phonytail off at night and wrap it with a scarf. i don't comb my own hair until i take it down to wash again. remember though that if it's tangled when you put it up, it will be worse when you take it down. so detangle really well before putting it up.

keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[Mamamia]

Hi! I'm testifying to what all these ladies said. I have your hair type and I would NOT recommend going that long. Before Febuary, my hair was shoulder length and healthy. I decided to natural...and that's why on this site now. I haven't relaxed in about 10 weeks and that was enough to create significant damage. My hair is now very uneven and has thinned out because of it. It grows alot better with a relaxer and proper care. I usually need a touch-up after four weeks, but I can wait until about six. I pushed it this time, and paid dearly. Next weekend I go to get it trimmed up, cut in the proper spots and relaxed. If you do want to go for 5 months, braids are a definite yes!!

 

[fine_beauty]

I'm @ 8wks and would love to go for longer period of time b4 relaxing with the braid method because I'm trying to grow a busy hairline. Trouble is, I always lose hair with braids and I can't afford to lose any length now. It won't be funny! I guess I'll relax on the 20th or after that (right after my exams).
Good luck monawalker with whatever you decide but please do be careful

 

[levette]

hello mona,

i also have type 4a/4b hair. i tried to "transition" a couple of years ago. I met it only about to 12 weeks as my hair began to break off and shed when i combed it. i would also suggest using braids if you want to try to go that long. now i have a friend who only relaxes about 2x a year. however i think she may be 3c or 4a type hair. she usually just flat irons her hair to make it straight using the curling wax. also she wears it up into a ponytail as well.

 

[Kitkat]

Re: 4a/b hair without relaxer for 5 months and lo

Hi Monawalker! I also agree with the other posters who predict major breakage. Unless you choose to use the ponytail method or some other super protective style, you could lose a lot of hair waiting that long. It's tough trying to maintain equilibrium between the two textures, and to me it sounds like a losing battle without a protective style. I'm at 6 weeks now, and I have between 3/4 to 1 inch of new growth. I wanted to wait a few more weeks before a retouch but I'm noticing minor breakage when I comb, even when I try to soften the new growth with Carrot Oil, Wild Growth, Profectiv, etc. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[Britt]

I have 4a hair type(with parts of 3a) and for about 4 yrs. now I have been perming my hair every 4months. ORS Carrot oil does a real good job of softening roots. IMO the longer u can go w/o a perm the better.