SELF RELAXERS Pros & Cons

[Covergirl5906]

what made you decide to do it your self???? I have seriously had it with these unreliable hair dressers....I am seriously contemplating just doing it my self....my was underprocessed by a "professional." I know a corrective is tricky but I am fed up now....I have hair on my head and I am tired of walking around with weaves, etc...especially when I spent $100 to get my hair done, so I can wear MY HAIR......What are the pros and cons of just doing it your self?erplexed

 

[lonei]

I have a detailed guide that I use in my journal. The pros are that you save money, process to the texture you want, you can be gentle, you can take your time, you wont be afraid to 'speak up' etc. Cons are if you dont practice with conditioner 1st and are not quick, accurate and confident, things can go wrong... The half half method combats all of this but self belief is very important. I used this method yesterday and the results are in my siggy/fotki.

 

[Missi]

I decided to self-relax because I feel as though my hair dresser leaves the relaxer on too long and my hair is bone straight. She uses Design products but I use Motions Salon Herbals and it leaves my hair soft w/ volume. The number one important thing to me was...WHAT DID MY HAIRDRESSERS HAIR LOOK LIKE. She always wore a weave and her real hair looked very damaged. Her quote is "trimming makes the hair grow" which isn't true.

Pro:
Saves you $85
you use the relaxer best for your hair
timing it yourself
being in control
you keep your hair on your head
relaxin your own hair is motivating: then you can relax your friends hair if they don't know how

Con:
can't see my back when relaxing (I use a friend now: so its a Pro now)

I enjoy relaxing my own hair...I feel as though I care for my hair the way I like it....my hair dresser combs my hair while its wet into a wrap and she uses a blow dryer to finish drying my hair. She also uses marcel appliances. Everything she does, the ladies on this board don't and they have healthy hair. Hopes this help

 

[ladylibra]

LOL, i started self-relaxing because my momma made me!

i started doing my own hair around 5th grade (after a "kitchen 'tician burnt my hair off with a hot comb) and my mom made me practice by doing her relaxer touch-ups (she only does it like 2-3 times a year) and she guided me thru doing my sister's first relaxer (she was 6... same age i got my first erplexed ). then she kinda helped me do my own... she'd do the back and i did the front while sitting in front of the vanity. eventually she had me do the back myself while she supervised. by the time i was in 8th grade, i had the technique down - i could apply the relaxer to all the new growth in 8 minutes. (still can )

everybody already listed all the pros and cons i was gonna say. the only thing i miss about going to the salon is the pampering... you know, having someone else wash your hair and do it for you. i have a stylist now that i'm comfortable with, but she's a bit pricey... and besides, i only go to a stylist when i need something done that i can't do myself (a good cut or a specific style). i'm going again in May when i get a trim before i start my summer braid challenge, but then i won't see her again until September or so...

 

[Southernbella.]

Pros:

Not at the mercy of a stylist ever again! This is my biggest pro lol.
Can process however long I want to, and if I need to correct, I can do that too.
I can make sure I neutralize properly and get all the relaxer out.
I don't have anyone telling me I HAVE to trim after the relaxer
I can stretch as long as I want and not have anyone complaining about all my newgrowth, or tearing through it with a rattail comb

Cons:
It's time consuming to do it in sections, but it's worth it.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Pros:

Not at the mercy of a stylist ever again! This is my biggest pro lol.
Can process however long I want to, and if I need to correct, I can do that too.
I can make sure I neutralize properly and get all the relaxer out.
I don't have anyone telling me I HAVE to trim after the relaxer
I can stretch as long as I want and not have anyone complaining about all my newgrowth, or tearing through it with a rattail comb

Cons:
It's time consuming to do it in sections, but it's worth it.

i am going to ditto this.

i will add a few more pros tho;

you can use your own products
you can dc in your bra and panties, because that drier gets HOT
you can take your time detangling
no ruff handling
and you can do all the pre-relaxing bases that you feel is needed.

 

[newflowers]

LOL, i started self-relaxing because my momma made me!
the only thing i miss about going to the salon is the pampering... you know, having someone else wash your hair and do it for you.

me too! My mother taught me how and I've been doing my own hair since I was in my very young teens. I learned because I HATED having my hair pressed. I continue to do it because I like the products I use (Phyto) and I like the control I have over what happens. If something is going to go wrong, I want it to be MY FAULT.

I do miss the pampering. I love having someone else wash my hair - after a year, I'm still trying to teach DH, but he does not yet understand the whole black hair care deal - he wants to act like he's in a commercial, but he's trying to get it, and that is important because I don't know that I will ever go back to a salon again unless I can find someone who can understand - wash - condition - comb gently - trim 1/4 inch only - roller set.

 

[Candiss]

Having total control is the ultimate pro.
Knowing that my hair is in the hands of the person who cares the most about my hair.
Saving time and money
The pride I feel in knowing I can do it better than a pro

the con is the time, of curse. but 3-4 times a year is worth it.

 

[CAPlush]

Pros:
Not having to hear all that jibber jabber about your hair texture (I have very kinky 4a4b)
Not having to wonder what's REALLY in that tub or bottle
Being in control
Avoiding burns
Using your own products that you already know work well
Taking your time neutralizing, no need to rush
Taking your time conditioning, no need to rush
Using your own clean combs, towels
Making an honest attempt not to overlap
Smoothing to your desired degree of straightness

Also, I've gotten somewhat neurotic over rather bizarre things over the time I've been on LHCF, and I just don't want to deal with explaining to anyone the half of it.

Cons:
Setting up your mirrors so you can see the back of your head
Not having that high pressure salon sprayer to rinse
Having to relax in sections because you're too slow to do your whole head at once

I think it was Londondiva who said "If anyone is going to jack up my hair, it's going to be me." That's pretty much sums up my feelings, I still desire the whole salon experience with the pampering, but I just did my hair myself this morning for church tomorrow and it has never looked better coming from a salon, and I am sure it is well conditioned and moisturized from root to tip, and it was not abused with high heat or rough combing to achieve the style. Doesn't get any better than that, you can't pay somebody to care for your hair, I wished you could, but you can't.

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Having total control is the ultimate pro.
Knowing that my hair is in the hands of the person who cares the most about my hair.
Saving time and money
The pride I feel in knowing I can do it better than a pro

the con is the time, of curse. but 3-4 times a year is worth it.

OT: Candiss, your relaxer came out REALLY nicely. I couldn't believe how perfect it looked. You did a great job, girl! Happy Hair Growing to you!

 

[AKA-Tude]

I've been doing my hair for so long (off & on), it's second nature (almost!).

I get better results when I relax my own hair- no 'kitchen crunchies'!

I save time- I don't have to 'share' time w/other customers.

I save $$$!

I am more aware of what's going on w/my hair.

 

[foxy kc]

Pros

I have complete control over how long the relaxer stays on, neutralising etc.

I can relax at 3am in the morning or when ever I want to....If I have an unexpected "special" event no problem I go home and relax instead of calling the salon to try and get an appointment and wasting 3 hours sitting there etc.

no long waiting periods like at the beauty salon

I save $$$$

Cons

I really have to work myself up for a relaxing session....sometimes I wish there was a second me or a capable friend to just do it for me.

 

[gymfreak336]

Pros:
Not having to hear all that jibber jabber about your hair texture (I have very kinky 4a4b)
Not having to wonder what's REALLY in that tub or bottle
Being in control
Avoiding burns
Using your own products that you already know work well
Taking your time neutralizing, no need to rush
Taking your time conditioning, no need to rush
Using your own clean combs, towels
Making an honest attempt not to overlap
Smoothing to your desired degree of straightness

Also, I've gotten somewhat neurotic over rather bizarre things over the time I've been on LHCF, and I just don't want to deal with explaining to anyone the half of it.

Cons:
Setting up your mirrors so you can see the back of your head
Not having that high pressure salon sprayer to rinse
Having to relax in sections because you're too slow to do your whole head at once

I think it was Londondiva who said "If anyone is going to jack up my hair, it's going to be me." That's pretty much sums up my feelings, I still desire the whole salon experience with the pampering, but I just did my hair myself this morning for church tomorrow and it has never looked better coming from a salon, and I am sure it is well conditioned and moisturized from root to tip, and it was not abused with high heat or rough combing to achieve the style. Doesn't get any better than that, you can't pay somebody to care for your hair, I wished you could, but you can't.

You pretty much summed it up for me. I don't have to deal with people saying "Oh, you don't need a deep condition", or " I rinsed it all out, I know what I am doing". The ultimate pro is that you are in control. I have noticed that on many relaxer tubs, there is an extra conditioning step before you start using neutralizing shampoo and I haven't had a stylist do it before that way. I started doing it that way and let me tell you , it makes a BIG HUGE difference. I can take my time and make sure that I am properly based, conditioned after I rinse out my relaxer, processed to my satisfaction without being cooked to death and I can use what ever products I want to use.

 

[Empress Yahudah]

what made you decide to do it your self???? I have seriously had it with these unreliable hair dressers....I am seriously contemplating just doing it my self....my was underprocessed by a "professional." I know a corrective is tricky but I am fed up now....I have hair on my head and I am tired of walking around with weaves, etc...especially when I spent $100 to get my hair done, so I can wear MY HAIR......What are the pros and cons of just doing it your self?erplexed

Thanx for this thread!...I just got my retouch after my first 12wk stretch and my stylist ripped through my new growth wit a small comb and combed it thru to smooth it as my hair was breakin in her hand she said it was because i waited 12wks for a retouch!!! So I def feel ur pain, I with u, I wanna learn to do my own Luckly there wasnt much damamge but who says it wont be bad the next time ..So thanx for the thread about the pros an cons

 

[LovelyLionessa]

I agree with what the ladies have already said. My pros are the following:
Not having a careless stylist rip through 3 months of new growth with a ratail comb.
Not having a stylist overlap like mad and relax me bone straight.
I save lots of $$$ and it's so convient.
I do all the things I want done, mid-step conditioning, neutralizing thouroghly, deep conditioning.

The only con is underprocessing. My front tends to come out underprocessed because that's the last part I do. But I'm getting better and better each time I do it.

 

[Candiss]

OT: Candiss, your relaxer came out REALLY nicely. I couldn't believe how perfect it looked. You did a great job, girl! Happy Hair Growing to you!

Thanks! I was so nervous but it all worked out. I am going to touch up soon and post pics. Wish me luck!

 

[amy1234]

I have to agree with everyone else on the pros...

one of the biggest cons though are the risk of under-processed or over-processed hair which can lead to breakage and prevent growth/progress

 

[Shaniquah]

I would relax my own hair because in my area, no one knows how to do hair!!!! Usually they get it half right - I would have to make my way into Manhattan or the Bronx for a relaxer and blow out, but upstate NY, no one seemed to get it right. I had to deal with women who didn't speak English or another salon who relaxed it correctly, but the end result was not as expected. Soooo....

#1 - money saved (especially by not paying extra for a deep condition)
#2 - I pretty much always got it right in the end and got exactly what I wanted
#3 - I learned a lot from my hair over the years by doing everything myself.