Relaxed Ladies with Thick Hair - What's your Secret???

[sunnieb]

While there are no real "secrets" to thick relaxed hair, I think I'm seeing a common theme in here:

*stretch relaxers

*little to no heat

*cowashing

*some kind of protective styling

I also see that alot of us self-relax. Maybe that has something to do with it? I know you can find a good salon to do them for you.

 

[sunnieb]

Bumping

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[sunnieb]

Combing my hair this morning and thought about this thread. No thin, breaking relaxed hair here!





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[danysedai]

I've always had thick hair (and a lot) but ever since I stopped relaxing bone straight (not by choice, my stylist died in December and the last relaxer she did for me was in June 2011, all the relaxers I had after that by 3 other people I was extremely underprocessed, until I did a corrective myself with DH's help). I find that my hair is thicker now. I rarely flat iron the entire length, only the newgrowth after rollersetting and although my hair is layered, I try to dust the ends and keep the bottom even (no V shape).

 

[sunnieb]

This is one of my favorite threads!

So inspirational!

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[Nix08]

Since I've started incorporating tea in my regimen, I swear my hair feels thicker (just seems to have more volume).

 

[SmileyNY]

Texlax & 3-4 month stretches. 2-Step protein treatment a week before relaxers.

Other than that, I take care of my hair just as a person with natural hair would.

Cowash/DC weekly.
Moisturize & seal daily.
Castor oil on my ends.
No heat... I only flat iron twice a year & blow dry occasionally
Low manipulation... Aside from the huge plastic comb that I use in the shower, I only use combs to part.

My secret weapon for detangling is the Tangle Tamer (Not teaser!). It easily removes tangles with low manipulation, no breakage, and it also removes shed hair. Win win win. Even though it's intended for use on kids, this thing has been a life saver during long stretches.

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[crlsweetie912]

Combing my hair this morning and thought about this thread. No thin, breaking relaxed hair here!

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sunnieb My hair wants to be your hair when it grows up!

 

[crlsweetie912]

Believe it or not....my hair is in a banana clip in this picture......just a rollerset on Orange perm rods airdried......

 

[sunnieb]

crlsweetie912 - Gorgeous! I need to dig out my banana clip. I haven't worn it in a while.

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[fatimablush]

such beautiful hair..

 

[divachyk]

Nix08 tea in my regi makes for softer hair with slip. I went from using it on wash day to spritzing with it as a daily refresher.

 

[lovebug10]

i got it from my mama!

but really though thickness was genetic for me. However, looking back on my hair journey there were times my hair was brittle and paper thin. And it was those times that I was using too much heat or over manipulation.

 

[sunnieb]

Ok, looks like I'm going to have to go lurk in the tea rinse thread.....

 

[growbaby]

Oooo meeee!

Before you began your HHJ, what did your hair look like? My hair had always been a lil long (APLish) untill I went of to college(2009). After my sophomore yr it was a broken pitiful NL-SL

What do you think contributed to your thick hair? Genetics, LHCF, stretching relaxers, limiting direct heat.

Any other tips/tricks/techniques you can think of? The only thing that has proven to work for me is consistency

Finally, PICS! Come on ladies, show of those pics of your thick relaxed hair!! Doesn't matter if you're EL, WL, or anywhere in between.

Before my HHJ 2011:









And here are current pics:











This is a pic from today of my air dried hair

 

[sunnieb]

growbaby - gorgeous hair!!!!

 

[sunnieb]

Bumping just because.....

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[TheNDofUO]

I can't remember if I posted here or not. But for me its mainly genetics, stretching relaxers and using Lye relaxers.

My hair has always been thick mainly because I always stretched my relaxers, protective styled with braids and later weaves, and I used to only blow dry once a month never straighten.

My avatar is a two day old rollerset that I wore in '50s pincurls for the first two days.

 

[sunnieb]

Bump bump bump

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[bhndbrwneyes]

do the booty bump

 

[hillytmj]

no direct heat and low manipulation

 

[sunnieb]

Bumping for the newbies!

 

[soonergirl]

No direct heat, protective styles, stretch relaxers, vitamins - yea yea sounds like a broken record but it works

 

[Cherry89]

not to sound like an a-hole.. but genetics for me.. Thats the only reason I relax, because My natural hair is way toooo thick, I get it from my dad side.. because my mom hair is fine and curly, not thin though.

 

[Guinan]

I've always had thick hair. When I was natural, it was a nightmare, it was overly thick & curly. I think what helps me keep it thick is that I don't relax too often. Before researching about healthy hair, I used 2 always wear my hair out, color my hair a lot & sometimes not sleep with a scarf on. But what I did do right was unintentionally relaxing my hair 1 to 2x a year. I think had I not stretched my relaxers on top of all the other crap I did to my hair, I think it would have thined out; regardless if I am natural thick head. Thank goodness I found this site in time

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[NaiyaAi]

Protective styling and using heat only when I rollerset have saved my ends. My hair always grew in thick, the problem was retaining that thickness throughout the entire length of my hair.

 

[soonergirl]

bump bump......

 

[Nightingale]

Texlaxing and very minimal heat usage (roots only, only immediately after rollersetting).

 

[sunnieb]

No direct heat, protective styles, stretch relaxers, vitamins - yea yea sounds like a broken record but it works

This is exactly what I do, soooo if it ain't broke.......

 

[HoneyA]

When I was relaxed/curly permed my hair got thicker and heavier from:

DCing with with heat alternating moisture and light protein every other week
Jheri Redding protein treatments every 6-8 weeks. If not I'd use conditioner and eggs.
Going 16 to 20 weeks between touch ups
Moisturising my ends
Applying castor oil to the scalp and to my ends
Light trims 2x a year for a nice hemline
Bunning or some other PS 99% of the time for about 2 years
Taking HSN vitamins