newbie in need of advice

[goldeelox]

Hello ladies,
I've recently joined the forum and see that you all have a wealth of information here. I've been trying to follow your tips as much as possible. Here is the situation. I had locs for 9 years. With brief periods of loose hair but still natural. Well, I took my locs out 6 months ago. I relaxed with ORS normal. The process was fine no burning. Well after it was dry it was really crinkly so I flat ironed and it looked ok. I just figured I didn't leave it in long enough. After I just put my hair up and didn't need to worry about straight styles so I didn't use any more heat. Well last night I relaxed at nine weeks post. Used Silk Elements Regular. I left it in for 22 minutes and the whole time I'm thinking nothing is happening. I mean it didn't really touch my hair. It was like just putting on moisturizer. Ladies,I'm sorry this is so long but I really need help. I was hoping to get my hair straight this time so I wouldn't have to deal with heat. Also since the first relaxer with ORS ,my hair is just so tangled . Now it's the same way. I don't get it. Could it be that my hair is so used to being locked and that's why this is happening? Right now You can't even tell that I relaxed it last night. Please, any help would greatly appreciated.
TIA
goldeelox

 

[determined_to_grow]

Hello ladies,
I've recently joined the forum and see that you all have a wealth of information here. I've been trying to follow your tips as much as possible. Here is the situation. I had locs for 9 years. With brief periods of loose hair but still natural. Well, I took my locs out 6 months ago. I relaxed with ORS normal. The process was fine no burning. Well after it was dry it was really crinkly so I flat ironed and it looked ok. I just figured I didn't leave it in long enough. After I just put my hair up and didn't need to worry about straight styles so I didn't use any more heat. Well last night I relaxed at nine weeks post. Used Silk Elements Regular. I left it in for 22 minutes and the whole time I'm thinking nothing is happening. I mean it didn't really touch my hair. It was like just putting on moisturizer. Ladies,I'm sorry this is so long but I really need help. I was hoping to get my hair straight this time so I wouldn't have to deal with heat. Also since the first relaxer with ORS ,my hair is just so tangled . Now it's the same way. I don't get it. Could it be that my hair is so used to being locked and that's why this is happening? Right now You can't even tell that I relaxed it last night. Please, any help would greatly appreciated.
TIA
goldeelox

Hey goldeelox
When I first relaxed there was a section of my hair that never got straight it took about 3 corrective relaxers to get it to the texture as the straight parts.

In regards to your tangles- are you using a detangling poo or a detangling conditioner???

 

[goldeelox]

Hi,
I wouldn't mind so much if it was just a section but this is the whole head. I don't understand it. I use cream of nature detangling and VO5 Lavendar after washes. That stuff is great very slippery and detangles well. The tangles are really only when my hair is dry.

 

[angelita842002]

Why dont you try an intensive deep conditioning. Leaving it on for a couple of hours or overnight. Alos maybe try cowashing a couple days a week so your hair gets used to it. HTH

 

[goldeelox]

Angelita, when you say the deep conditioner might help,are you refering to the tangles? How can I get it straight now without flat ironing? I'm really at a loss.

 

[angelita842002]

I would deep condition or co wash and then comb my hair out and put it in a wet bun. If you need to brush it to make it straight well then(its a nono but i feel like i have to do it sometimes). Wet bunning/ponytail usually leaves my hair very straight at the roots and detangled. My hair gets really tangled so this method works great for me. I also cowash daily or every other day so i dont give it a chance to get tangled bc i detangle everytime i cowash then put it in a wet bun or ponytail.

 

[goldeelox]

Hmm.. I thought that wet bunning would make it more wavy. What about when it's dry though? I hate to have to keep flat ironing.
Thanks

 

[preciousjewel76]

Have you tried rollersetting your hair? Use the largest rollers that will fit your hair, so that way, your hair will not come out "curly", but will come out with more of a slight "bend" in the ends (if that makes sense). Pulling the rollers as tight as you can should help straighten your hair.

I really don't know what to tell you if you want to straighten your dry hair w/o heat. Perhaps you may need a stronger relaxer next time? Your hair might be very resistant to the relaxer you used. Honestly, this might be something you should run by a professional stylist. Good luck, though!

 

[goldeelox]

I have tried rollersetting with the first relaxer and that worked ok. I just did the 2nd relaxer last night but I'll try it tonight. I do think ORS was too weak especially with my hair just being loosed from locs . I thought that SE would do the trick though. Oh well guell I'll try Bantu next time. I've heard that's strong. I think my hair just keeps trying to loc.Do you think Breakfree is good for flat ironing?
Thanks

 

[preciousjewel76]

I have tried rollersetting with the first relaxer and that worked ok. I just did the 2nd relaxer last night but I'll try it tonight. I do think ORS was too weak especially with my hair just being loosed from locs . I thought that SE would do the trick though. Oh well guell I'll try Bantu next time. I've heard that's strong. I think my hair just keeps trying to loc.Do you think Breakfree is good for flat ironing?
Thanks

Profectiv Breakfree? I can't really say, I've never tried it before flat ironing. To be honest, I haven't used a flatiron on my hair in weeks so I don't know what products to use! But I would definitely suggest looking for a product that specifically states that it is a thermal/heat protectant. There's lots of things you can find at a drugstore that are designed to protect your hair while flatironing.

 

[goldeelox]

Maybe I'd better get a heat protectant. I'll check Ekerd Drug.
Thanks

 

[goldeelox]

Another question. I bought the silk elements in the separate jar. Was I supposed to use the whole thing?
Thanks

 

[Candiss]

I think your hair is just damaged from being in locs and the stress of taking them down and needs time to recover with protein and moisturizing conditoners. I know that doesn't help you right now but it seems like the fact that you keep relaxing is making things worse and not better. Maybe you should stop the relaxers alltogether for a while and continue to condition and mositurize. Maybe you can flat iron in the meantime. But I just don't see how continuing to perm is going to help your hair.

 

[goldeelox]

Your're probably right. I'm thinking about transitioning. I use to relax my hair for years before locs.But now it's like locs are all my hair knows . I waited for 10 weeks to relax the second time but that did no good. Maybe I should invest in a hotcomb becasue the flat iron doesn't reach my roots at all.
Thanks

 

[Precious_1]

Hi Goldeelox, I was wondering if you bought the neutralizing shampoo along with your silk elements perm? I know that maybe a weird question but i was just trying to figure out why it is so tangled. another thing, i had a sewn in weave and stretched just 10 weeks once and my new growth was fierce and i had quite a bit, I called my hairdresser in a panic a day or so after i had permed my hair and told her it was still really nappy and was not straight. she said that new growth was just like virgin hair and because it was so much and it would take at least 2- 3 perms before it would be straightened out to my likeing. not all done within a short amount of time but stretched out. So maybe thats whats going on your hair is not used to the chemicals yet and is resisting the perm. I would go to someone you trust and let them look at your hair and see if they offer you any solutions.

 

[goldeelox]

Precious,
Thanks for your imput. I did use a neutralizing shampoo so I dont think that's it. See when I took my locs down my hair was really tangled. Even though I conditioned and had it loose for a couple of weeks. So the first time I relaxed using ORS it just remained tangled.Basically it's been this way for the past 2and1/2 months.It's really hard to deal with.I do think my hair is resistant to relaxers now after 10 years of locs. Unfortunately financially I won't be able to go to a stylist anytime soon. So,I'll keep experimenting with different conditioners. I may have to cut it all off which is exactly what I didn't want to do. That's why I chose to take the locs down instead of cutting them. Oh well..
Thanks
Gina