Poll: For Long-Term hair Health/Length: How long do you stretch? Why?

[sassyhair]

I stretch normally 12-14 weeks I tried to stretch longer and got terrible breakage and shedding. This is the amount of time I know I will have lots of new growth an will be easier to apply.

 

[ak46]

I'm not too sure on how I should vote. At the moment I'm trying to stretch for 6 months !!! I'm not there yet and I've never done it before so I'll see how far I can make it. But before, I was relaxing about every 7-10 weeks. Before I started my healthy hair journey I was relaxing almost every month, pretty much every time I saw new growth .

 

[blueabyss333]

I used to relax every 6 wks. but once I found this site I started stretching to 8 wks. with twistouts. Now, I'm up to 13 wks. and reaching for 16 wks. I hope I can make it that far...good gawd the madness my newgrowth will cause lol

 

[kitchen_tician]

I no longer relax, but when I did, it was every 3-4 months. It really didn't feel like a "stretch" to me, because I didn't really need one until around the 4th month. If I ever decide to go back to relaxing. It will probably be every 6 months.

I used Affirm Lye Mild. Also, I used heat every 2 weeks, so that helped me deal with the newgrowth.

 

[mochamadness]

I relax at most 2 times a year. I usually stretch for at least 6 months sometimes longer. Before relaxing in May, I stretched for 8 months not for any particular reason, but just because my hair was pretty managable for the majority of the stretch and I wasn't experiencing a major growth spurt so I didn't see any need to relax sooner. I noticed that my hair has thrived since I've stopped relaxing every 3 to 4 months like clockwork. I've retained so much thickness and health and saved my strands from the overprocessing that used to break off my strands and hinder my progress.

 

[brazenxvirtue]

I was stretching 12-14 or 16 weeks. But I found the last few weeks my hair would consistently start shedding 3 to 4 times more than usual. None of my protein treatments would curb it. So last time I decided to cut it down to 10 weeks and the shedding stopped. I think I'll keep doing this at least for the time being and hope my mild relaxer doesn't overprocess me. As it is, my hair doesn't relax straight-straight, so I think I'll be ok. If not, I'll go back to stretching longer. I just figure it defeats the purpose of stretching if I lose too much hair. My hair may get longer, but my ends will be thinner. I have to find the balance.

 

[candita]

I was stretching 12-14 or 16 weeks. But I found the last few weeks my hair would consistently start shedding 3 to 4 times more than usual. None of my protein treatments would curb it. So last time I decided to cut it down to 10 weeks and the shedding stopped. I think I'll keep doing this at least for the time being and hope my mild relaxer doesn't overprocess me. As it is, my hair doesn't relax straight-straight, so I think I'll be ok. If not, I'll go back to stretching longer. I just figure it defeats the purpose of stretching if I lose too much hair. My hair may get longer, but my ends will be thinner. I have to find the balance.

mine's similar, 'cept i simply cannot go beyond 8 weeks...and that's really pushing it for me. I tried stretching 10 weeks b/c of reading others' posts and it was not a good idea, my new growth was a mess. My hair starts to shed a lot after a certain point where the relaxer is needed. I've accepted the fact that i'm a "frequent relaxer". If I maintain my hair in other ways, it still grows, albeit probably at a slower pace compared to the Super Stretchers around here!

 

[Sha76]

Well I put 8-10 weeks. But with this relaxer since I just went from natural to relaxed and some parts are a bit underprocessed> I am going to do 6 weeks. But follwing that it will be 12 weeks. Increasing until I get to 2 x per year. It amy cost more to relax it 2 x per year( because of the NG) but it will be cheaper both on my pocket and on my hair.

 

[Angel1794]

I'm 14-1/12 post relaxer (3b/c). I having alot of shrinkage with the stretching, which prevents me from seeing that actual length. I was shoulder length. Now it's right above my shoulders. This is my first time stretching and I want to go 24 weeks, but I don't know if I' able to handle the new growth that long. I'm not having much breakage and it looks as though it's getting thicker. The reasoning behind this decision was to stop putting so much chemicals in my hair and breakage that was happening once it was a certain length.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

The minimum is usually 4-6 months, but I haven't had a relaxer in almost a year.

Like CBC said, I want to minimize my chemical exposure as much as possible, but on top of that, my hair is SO much healthier since I started stretching.

 

[Babygurl]

My hair doesnt start to really act a fool until week 12. Thats when detangling becomes more of a hassle, so 12 weeks is my minimum stretch. I usually stretch 12-16 weeks, usually closer to 16.

 

[RosesBlack]

I stretch 8-10 weeks. I used to go longer around 12-16 but I was losing as much length as I'd gained due to breakage. I can relax every 6 weeks but just prefer not to.

 

[toniy]

For the first time ever. I went approx 10 weeks. B4 the boards 4 weeks.

 

[prettypuff1]

I never thought i was stretching. I didnt like relaxing every 6 weeks because i didn't like to relax unless i had a lot of new growth So my normal relaxer time is every 12 weeks... I guess i was doing one thing right amongst soo many wrongs.... I am now stretching until May which will be about 5 months... I want to be able to see progress and see that my hair is growing when i relax it....

 

[Mars_Reiko]

I voted for the 12-16 weeks stretch. I went 10 weeks my last stretch. But now I'm thinking that I could stretch alot longer than I thought. I'm able to get my hair pretty straight with my flat iron. So I would like to see if I could stretch my relaxers every 3 to 4 months.

 

[Sha76]

Well I put 8-10 weeks. But with this relaxer since I just went from natural to relaxed and some parts are a bit underprocessed> I am going to do 6 weeks. But follwing that it will be 12 weeks. Increasing until I get to 2 x per year. It amy cost more to relax it 2 x per year( because of the NG) but it will be cheaper both on my pocket and on my hair.

my prev posstaethat I would go for 6 wks becasue of underprocessed hair. I have accessed my NG and it just doesn't seem like 1 inch is enough to relaxe. I am pushing for 12 wks. and re access the NG. Maybe I can make it to 6 months.

 

[Treasure2k6]

I used to get it done every 6 weeks....now that LHCF is in my life. I am going at minimum every 2 months. I have noticed a big difference in the health of my hair and the thickness....its craxy THICK!

 

[princesslocks]

I'm not sure whether I answered this one but I stretch 12-16 weeks. 16 weeks is a bit much for me sometimes. For the 2007 boot camp, I'm about to do 20 weeks. WISH ME LUCK !

 

[gentlegiant]

Having been stretching 12-16 weeks typically for the last 3 years. Three years ago, I went 21 weeks. Currently, at week 21 of a 24 week stretch.

 

[Growinpainz]

I 13 weeks post now and I plan to go another 14 weeks before I relax (6months). Last time I stretched 6 weeks. Hopefully my hair will be thicker and longer.

 

[asubeauty]

I used to relax every 4-5 weeks, but now I would never!! I don't even feel like I need a touch up after 5 weeks.

Now I go between 8 and 10 weeks. I wish I could go longer, because I'm a broke college student and I don't know how to self-relax, so touch ups really get in my pockets. Also, I have to drive an hour and a half to get to my hair dresser, so most of the time, I don't have time to go.

Now I'm at 10 weeks, but I'll go to 11 because I'm in my friend's wedding, so I'll wait until then to get a touch up (since she requested that we "have a fresh perm, if that's possible." )

 

[WaterChylde]

After the 12 week mark. Since I self-relax I want to lessen the risk of overlapping my relaxers. My hair is a lot thicker now then when I used to relax every 8 weeks.

 

[dorko]

right now i'm at 9... i'm aiming for 22 weeks lol..
wish me luck

 

[Misseyl]

I stretch to 18 weeks. Before this site, I use to stretch between 6-8 weeks and have nothing to show for it, now that I've pushed it to 18 weeks my hair is now fuller and longer. After 10 weeks, I start wearing curly styles and don't comb until wash day every 2 weeks. This seems to work for me. Right now I'm wearing braids and I intend to wear them until at least 2008 so I can't wait to see how it looks in a years time.

 

[mightyisis6874]

Like others, I used to relax at 4-6 weeks and wonder why my hair was breaking off!

I just finished a 13 week stretch and that was a little too soon for my tastes. The shrinkage and tangling were killing me, though, so I had to do what I had to do.

My next relaxer will be in 14 weeks (trying to time my touchup just before my trip to Vegas!), then I'm trying a 16-20 week stretch.

I find that the longer my hair gets, the easier it is to stretch! And my hair is in much better condition.

 

[SouthernTease]

I usually only relax every 12 weeks, but I'm stretching for 16 weeks.
I like to keep it to only 3 or 4 times/year.

 

[Artemis]

I voted every 8 to 10 wks. I am at wk 9 now, and I think I will relax either tomorrow or Sunday, at the tippy-top of week 10. I tried to make it to 12, but I don't think it'll happen this time...Last week when I was rollersetting my wet hair, I noticed a small clump of hair (about 5-6 broken strands, but still ) on a roller sitting on my sink that I took out to switch for another size. I almost threw up at the sight of it. I think some parts of my head can stretch to 12 weeks still, but the other parts are just ruining it for the whole head--my crown, in particular. It sucks when you have like 3 different textures on one head and you have to relax them all straight...

But I look back when I was relaxed in high school, relaxing every 5-6 weeks, never again. I don't even think a/b a relaxer until 8 weeks. In fact I have to go to the calendar in my hair binder and count it out to see where I'm at I've noticed my hair is thicker and healthier, and once I've reached a longer length, I'll stretch regularly to 12 wks.

 

[CHECKMATE!]

I was a run 2 the salon in 6wks person b4 I joind LHCF...I just stretched to 12wks for the 1st time....loved it ...my hair has grown tremendously!...I'm about 2inches from APL thanks to that stretch...my new stretch is 12wks now

 

[HoneyA]

I stretch every 12-14 weeks so I only have to retouch my hair three or four times a year. I do this to prevent over processing and thinning. I also love how thick my hair looks and feels when I stretch. it looks and feels heathy and my stylist always comments on it. If I do it longer than 14 weeks though I find that the ends get tangled and I have to be a lot more careful when I am washing my hair and applying conditioner. It has worked thus far. I plan on getting to BSL by stretching, deep conditioning, bunning and baggying.

 

[freshlikemoi]

I am 8-10 but that's not because I can't manage going longer. I just get really excited when it is time to relax. Idk why