4a/b- how often are you relaxing your hair?

[levette]

I wanted to know because we tend to have the newgrowth that is difficult to manage. I used to get my relaxers every 8 weeks but am now trying to strech it out longer. If you are able to get it past 8 weeks, what methods are you doing to prolong relaxers while minimizing breakage.

 

[Donda]

I have to do my relaxer every 5-6 weeks. My dense 4a hair can't stand to go past 5 weeks and my 3c hairs grows at such a rate that it snaps past 6 weeks. I know some like to go a lot longer, but many tend to where protective styles where as I like to wear my hair down. Plus the maintance need (conditioning washes 2x a week, flat ironing the new growth etc...) for me to extend my hair past 6 weeks negates me haveing a relax out of convenice to begin with. That just me though.....................

Right now my hair when pulled down out of the curls I wear hits my collar bone. I'm trying for 5 more inches, which should be a year for me including 1/2 trims every three months.

 

[Cat_Eyed_Cutie]

I have very thick 4a hair and I relax every 12 weeks. I wash and deep condition my hair every week, then I blowdry and flat iron. I use a light protein weekly mixed with my conditioner to help with shedding. I have a chi flat iron and without it I'd be relaxing every 6 weeks. HTH

 

[levette]

@ cat,

how do you keep your hair from being damaged from the weekly heat?

 

[alliyah4eva203]

16-20 weeks. at the 6th week mark i get a full head weave with braids in the front. if i did'nt get the weave i could'nt go pass 8 weeks

 

[beana3]

I've been able to go 3 months in between, but strecthing my relaxers does more harm than good. I prefer every 8-10 weeks in my case.

 

[Miosy]

Every 12 weeks. I'm just super gentle and wash every 2-3 days because it really dries out and I keep it in a bun or braid out and air dry.

 

[Cat_Eyed_Cutie]

I use Infusium 23 heat activated formula as a leave in, then blowdry. Then I add some kind of serum (either NTM, Fantasia IC hair polisher, or Biosilk) and flat iron. I've never had a problem using heat.

 

[DatJerseyDyme]

Usually 8-12 weeks..I'm at week 11 now and will probably go 16.

 

[BrEE]

i usually wait 12 weeks.

 

[sithembile]

Every 8 weeks and I wash twice weekly, moisturise twice a day, air dry, do protein conditioners every 3 weeks, and thats about it.

 

[Isis]

I too used to relax my 4b hair every 8 weeks. I've now extended it to every 13 weeks. I don't get any breakage unless it's after 13 weeks. Every head is different. Some require relaxing much sooner.

My new growth is pretty thick right now and it's making itself known.

I don't wear straight styles. Wearing braidouts helps a lot and camouflages the new growth. I wash and condition every 3 days and airdry. I use no heat, period.

 

[Lovely901Lady]

I'm more 4b than 4a with a little patch of 3c in the back. My last relaxer, I waited 13 weeks and, when I did the relaxer, I started to "tingle" within a minute so I washed it out before I even got it on my hair good. My last full relaxer was 12/31/03. I just got individual braids put in and plan to try relaxing it myself at the end of September. I do a conditioner wash whenever the new growth feels thick and unmanageable. Sometimes, that gets up to everyday and I'll wear cornrows for the last 2-6 weeks.

 

[chicamorena]

I relax every 10-12 weeks. I usually will wash every couple of days when it gets close to time for me to get a relaxer.

 

[LiLi]

I relax every 6 months. I've been doing that for a about 5 years. But my last 6 month wait was so much easier because of my daily washing and combing (very gently of course). Before I would get wicked knots all throughout my hair at the new growth and relaxed areas and I would end of having to cut the knots out because they were just that bad. But the last 6-month period I started washing & conditioning everyday (sometimes I missed a day) and didn't have to deal with not one knot. Also I section my hair in small sections when combing

 

[jainygirl]

I used to also touch up every 8-9 weeks, but the last 3 touchups i've stretched to the 3 month mark and have no plans of changing that. Last time i went about 11.5 weeks (it was too close to my birthday so i touched up to look all cutesy

) I try to go from 12 to 13 weeks. It's not as difficult as it seems. You'll actually find yourself pushing yourself further as you get deeper into stretching out your relaxer. My favorite thing for helping keep my new growth "happy"

is StaSofFro spray. This is really good at softening up my new growth

HTH -- jainygirl

 

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
levette said:
I wanted to know because we tend to have the newgrowth that is difficult to manage. I used to get my relaxers every 8 weeks but am now trying to strech it out longer. If you are able to get it past 8 weeks, what methods are you doing to prolong relaxers while minimizing breakage.

[/ QUOTE ]

I relax my hair once a month if it is not in braids... this is works best for me. If I wait any longer my hair will start to break and/or shead.

 

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
Cat_Eyed_Cutie said:
I use Infusium 23 heat activated formula as a leave in, then blowdry. Then I add some kind of serum (either NTM, Fantasia IC hair polisher, or Biosilk) and flat iron. I've never had a problem using heat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Me either... with weekly hot oil treatments and a leave along with my wrap lotion... daily heat isn't a problem. I like my hair to look fresh from the salon.

 

[Vanessa22]

This last time I waited 6 months with pretty good results. I think I'll be going as long, or longer with the help of my daily conditioner washes, weekly deep conditioning treatments, and protective styles.

 

[kitchen_tician]

I go 12 weeks. I won't wash as often the closer i get to 12 weeks, because I nor my hair can handle it.

 

[atlantatiffany]

i go every 8-12. i use to go every 12-16, but my newgrowth gets so thick and i have to wear my hair in a bun. after 13 weeks my hair would break from being in a bun. so my new growth would be fine. i just got breakage elsewhere. i really like to wear my hair down anyway. so i go from 8-12, just depending on how much growth i have.

 

[GoingBack]

I relax every 8 to 12 weeks as well.

 

[queenofmean68]

Every 6 weeks

 

[katie]

Every 8 weeks

 

[UmSumayyah]

12 week intervals. About the last month or so I cut washings to once a week and wear cornrows in-between.

 

[dreemssold]

Every 9-10 weeks, but this time, I will not get another relaxer for 12 weeks, and I am going to try to stay at that pace from here on.

 

[pooh123]

I relax every 8-10 weeks. That seems to work well for me.
pooh123

 

[Patrice]

I have been relaxing every 12 weeks for a few months now and my hair is benefitting, I shampoo once or twice a week and I use elasta qp braekage serum every other week. on My 6th week I am planning on using nexxus emergencee. 9 weeks into my relaxer I get cornrows for two weeks and use surge alone. After I remove the cornrows I clarify one week before I relax my hair, that makes my relaxer in my opinion come out a little better. Next week Ill be on week 9 and ready to get my cornrows.

 

[lshevonne]

I go anywhere from 8-9 weeks. I'm going for 10-12 weeks this next time.

 

[frankie]

I'll be at week 14 this coming Tuesday. The longest I've ever gone...ever. And I'll be going even longer. Which is a mighty feat given that I used to get relaxers every 4 weeks, before I started to learn about healthy hair care, back in those days I'd consider 6 weeks a long time. I conditioner wash my hair at least twice a week. I use protein treatments when needed. My daily style is currently a braidout with a pretty scarf as a headband. It's a nice carefree look that goes well with the warm weather.