Should Stylists Now Relax the Edges Last?

[vtoodler]

Many women, especially those with relaxed hair, struggle with their edges.

When relaxing, stylists usually first put the relaxer on the edges or nape and then work their way inside.

For the past few years, I have struggled with excessive breakage around the nape and right edge. I suspected that relaxers might be partially at fault. Hence, for the past 14 months, I have not used a relaxer. Indeed, my hair has been natural, and I just flat ironed when desired.

Guess what? My right side has slowly regrown as well as the hair around my nape. The hair around the front, however, broke for presumably unrelated reasons.

Given all this, should stylists start relaxing from inside and then do the edges last? After all, the edges are usually the most fragile areas.

I also wonder if stylists should rotate the starting areas. They usually start relaxing at one place. However, wouldn’t that starting place begin to experience damage over time?

Maybe they should start at one place during the first touch-up; start at another place during the second touch-up, and so forth.

What do you think? Do you relax your edges last? Feel free to share any stories.

 

[Nix08]

Yes I think so...edges last and start from various points on the head I would think that a great stylist would have a detailed card on file regarding what she did and saw when doing your hair AND refer to it before she did any service....JMO.

 

[SimJam]

i had a stylist once who always rotated which quarter she started my hair ... she kept a file on each client (the best salon Ive ever been to in my life)

but relaxinng the edges last wasnt even contemplated, 'caue we want dem skrait edges lol

seriously though ... now that we know better i think this should be the standard.

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

For me, relaxing my edges last doesn't work aesthetically. They're actually some of the kinkiest spots on my head, so if they don't get relaxed towards the middle of application, they look crazy when all is said and done.

But for people without that issue, I think they should be relaxed last.

 

[Evolving78]

for me, yes. you have to start with the crown, front, back, then edges last.

 

[kupenda]

Yes! My nape gets relaxed every other touch up. It's too fragile. My front edges are just fine with five minutes of relaxer and good smoothing. I like slight waves in the front. Makes my ponytails and buns look cute lol.

The last stylist I went to started in the middle and worked her way out. But it left my strands very underprocessed later on


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[chantall214]

The stylist I went to always relaxed the edges last.

 

[LiftedUp]

I think it should be so and I think that it has been so for a while.

I've been relaxing my hair for 12 years now and all hairdressers I've been to, including my current hairdresser, have relaxed from crown out.

 

[crlsweetie912]

Yes, this definitely works for me....but as one poster above said, it's really dependent one EACH client......They don't teach this stuff in cosmetology school. Stylists, for the most part learn this stuff as they go. My back sections are most resistant, so I always start in the back crown area, then go around, doing my front, then edges last....

 

[topnotch1010]

I think it should be so and I think that it has been so for a while.

I've been relaxing my hair for 12 years now and all hairdressers I've been to, including my current hairdresser, have relaxed from crown out.

This. Its supposed to be from the crown working outward with the edges last.

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[danysedai]

I've never had a stylist who relaxed edges first,it's always been the last thing to do.

Now, I've also never had a stylist who started at the crown (which totally makes sense to me and I will implement from now on) even though I explained my reasoning, I guess it's easier for them but not good for my hair.

 

[Ms. Martina]

When I was relaxed, my life long stylist always saved my edges for the end. I thought this was standard procedure. For most people, their edges are normally straighter than the rest of the hair and don't require as much processing for the hair to get straight. I never had any edge issues while relaxed. I guess it makes sense that leaving relaxer on the edges for a long period of time would result in hair loss there though.

 

[divachyk]

My stylist works in quadrants and apply chemical to all hairs that fall in each quadrant so in essence, the nape/edges aren't the last to receive product.

topnotch1010, is it hard to apply product at the crown and leaving edges/nape for last. Do you work in quadrants?

 

[ATLcutey20]

When I use to go to the hair stylist, they always relaxed my edges last. Now that I self relax, I also do the edges last. I never knew that some stylists relaxed the edges first.

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[crlsweetie912]

My stylist works in quadrants and apply chemical to all hairs that fall in each quadrant so in essence, the nape/edges aren't the last to receive product.

@topnotch1010, is it hard to apply product at the crown and leaving edges/nape for last. Do you work in quadrants?

When I do mine, I work in quadrants, starting at the crown, but when I get to the bottom of the quadrant, maybe 2 inches from the edges, I stop and go to the next quadrant. When I finish all four, I go back in for that last 2 inches and the edges...Hope that makes sense....

 

[Aireen]

My stylist does and I prefer it that way. For me it's the best way to preserve them and I still get straight results.

 

[lana]

I texlax the kinkiest part of my hair first. Then the edges. I do four ponytails. I always base the scalp and cover the processed hair with chi silk and conditioner.
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[Majestye]

I self relax, but in any case, even when I used to go to a stylist, my nape would be first. Only because the texture is different and needed more time to process. M front edges are always last. I still follow suit now, even though I texlax to lightly process. If I lose any length it's more due to styling/pulling and extra tension.

 

[Bnster]

The HS I had did the edges near the beginning of the process, which I didn't like. I had asked him to do it last, sometimes he'd listened and other times not. Then I got the idea not to relax the nape and again he would listen and then won't listen to do so. I gave up on him eventually. When I started relaxing my own hair, I do the edges last and the nape no relaxer has touched it since Oct 2010. My nape is growing back, so I am happier in that regards.
Happy New Year!

 

[vtoodler]

Why do many women battle with their napes? Why is the hair there also fragile?

 

[My Friend]

I think your stylist should relax the most resistant area first and so on. It's not one shoe fits all with relaxer application.

 

[Nicole9]

When I had a relaxer, my stylist always did my edges last.

 

[topnotch1010]

My stylist works in quadrants and apply chemical to all hairs that fall in each quadrant so in essence, the nape/edges aren't the last to receive product.

topnotch1010, is it hard to apply product at the crown and leaving edges/nape for last. Do you work in quadrants?

divachyk yes, I work in quadrants. I work from the crown out so that the fragile edges are last.