FOR EVERY 4 WHO DOES HER OWN TOUCH UPS......

AZJeepgurl

AZJeepgurl

New Member
O.K. I am on my 22nd week with no touch up. I've still not decided if I'm going to go natural or relax myself.

This last part scares me. I beg each and every one on this board that touches up their own hair to answer me this:

1) How long have you been doing your own touch ups?

2) What relaxer do you use (please include strength, lye or no, and brand name)?

3) I know the basics. Part in 4 sections, start in back, blah, blah, blah..... ( but in your experience, what are the hottest tips a new touchup-er should know)!

I'm skeered, but determined to become self-reliant (plus the valuable tips I get off this board) when it comes to my hair care. Not to mention save tons of my hard earned money!

I implore you to help this sistah in need. I anxiously await your tips!

/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif

Tammi
 
hi. as long as you're sure and are determined to be self-sufficient /images/graemlins/smile.gif. you will save money, but just be careful.
i use bantu or motions mild because they are gentle enough for me. be sure to base your scalp very well. try to only retouch the new growth. it won't be a big deal if you overlap a little, it's bound to happen, but try your best not to overlap too much.
i don't know if i really count /images/graemlins/crazy.gif. my sister has been doing mine for 3yrs...3x a year. i had to retouch my own front edges once in an emergency. all this will end though when my cousin moves back home in the summer and i can get the full salon package at any time in one place /images/graemlins/grin.gif. she is a professional hairdresser now and also put the first perm in my hair ever. my hair grew like weeds in her hands. my sister is good at retouching, but that's all she can do /images/graemlins/drunk.gif!

/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I've bumped a post called 'Tips on self relaxing' for you. It was created by Daviine.

Mark that thread in your favourites for future reference. Hope it helps
 
Sistah Friend, how did you ever make it to 22 weeks? That is a major feat in itself!! I totally understand your post and I'm there with you. Either go natural or learn to do it myself...

In the past I did my own touch ups - of course I was using "no-lye". That was before hair care and it just dried the heck out of my hair. The thought of using lye scares me too. But...

If you decided that is what you want to do, let us know how it turned out. Best to you. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I've been doing my own touch-ups for about 2 years now. In the past it was Fabulaxer then Just For Me (Both No-Lye) but since Nov02 it's been Motions Oil Mild. I did learn from ladies here to protect your already relaxed hair, so I coat mine with cholesterol and a little olive oil. Most 4b's here don't like the Motions Oil but I think it works ok for me. I don't want my hair to be Bone Straight. /images/graemlins/drunk.gif
 
I would ditto what everyone else has said. I was doing my own touch ups for years, but I was also using a no lye relaxer. For this reason, I had to touch up my hair more often, since the no lye didn't last nearly as long as lye relaxers. Since I started using lye, I used Motions Oil Moisturizer in regular. I'm not crazy about this, just as many 4s here. The next relaxer I do will be with Affirm mild. A stylist I visited a few times used this on my hair and it turned out surprisingly well; I never thought that a mild relaxer would relax my hair. The complete Affirm system (relaxer, shampoo, reconstructor, etc) can be hard to find, but I'll get started early.

Ishevonne, the reason that many 4s here don't like Motions is not because it doesn't relax bone straight. I think it's because after the third week or so our roots feel grown out, as if it's time to relax again. That's been my experience and that of many other 4s who said they didn't like it.

Make sure that you base your hair very well, as well as your hairline and ears. Also, rinse the relaxer very well and pay careful attention to your hairline, especially at the nape of your neck. It can be very easy to neglect this area, and if you do you'll see breakage at the nape within weeks. HTH and good luck!!
 
Hi AZJeepgurl


When I was relaxed, I used to relax every three months (I'm sure I could have gone longer though).

I used to use the Revlon Professional Lye Relaxer in Mild.

TIPS

Spraying your scalp with oil sheen spray oppose to using the vaseline to base the scalp.

Relaxing one section at a time. That's what I used to do. Yes, I would make the four sections. I would put a plastic cap on the left side of my head and pin it down. Then put a plastic cap on the right bottom part of my hair and pin it down. So, I would only be perming one section of the head at a time. After I wash and nutralize, I wash again and leave the nutralizing shampoo on and do the next section. I hardly had any problems with relaxing my hair this way until, I started switching relaxers...bad move, bad, bad move! /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
wow, hairfanatic, an oil sheen is just as good?!!! i am happy to hear that cos basing will be much easier for me, no fingers!!

thanks for the tip!!
 
I don't self relax anymore, but I used to. Here's a good tip though, relax the area with the most resistant new growth FIRST my stylist does the middle of my head and does the sides and nape last because those areas are the least resistant and also have the least amount of new growth. This will help to reduce/negate overprocessing! /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
omg!!!! i thought that was weird but i thought it was just my hair!!! by the third week my hair was getting hard to comb even though i knew there wasnt enough new growth to explain this. wow and i thought it was all in my head. now if only i could find a salon to get the affirm. God bless you all. /images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Hi Pandora,

Yes it works that good...however, I did use to base with vaseline around the back and the hairline because that was where I would burn easily. Majority of the time, I didn't burn at all.
 
No problem lshevonne! /images/graemlins/smile.gif If Motions works for you, great! Wish it would work for me! /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Azul, if it wasn't for this board I would have thought I was the only one who had problems with Motions Oil relaxer. I seem to remember other 4a/4bs like LondonDiva complaining about outgrown roots after 3-4 weeks. No problem, I just know it doesn't work for me & I will stick to the plan of seeking out Affirm.
 
This is what I did for my touch up last friday:
· Part hair into 10 sections or more
· Hold each section with a tiny rubber band
· Apply and saturate mixture of cholesterol + olive oil & Ultrasheen hair food to the already relaxed (old growth) portion of section (i.e part above rubber band)
· Apply Olive oil & Ultrasheen hair food all over scalp and around the ears and forehead
· Apply relaxer ( I used Optimum no-lye) to the outer part of each of the sections (parts below rubber band) with gloved fingers
· No relaxer must touch scalp
· Go back to the first section
· Remove rubber band and comb to spread relaxer but only to new growth,(you can skip the combing bit if your sections are small because the relaxer will penetrate and do the straightening)
· 5 mins to end of application time recommended by relaxer manufacturer (my time = 24 mins, I'm aiming for 19 or 20mins next time)
· Wash out relaxer with water then wash hair w/neutralizing shampoo until lather turns white
· Use reconstructor (D) and rinse
· Protein condition with Duotex and rinse
· Deep condition w/cholesterol under dryer for 30 mins
· Rinse, Dap with towel
· Section hair and trim each section, apply infusium 23 conditioner and ORS carrot oil to section
· Saturate the ends with ORS carrot oil
· Air dry, comb out when partially dry, apply ORS carrot oil to hair and scalp, tie head with polyester scarf

The hair came out silky and fine. I read in a hair document I purchased from blackwomenrejoice.com to use a conditioner on the relaxed hair before applying the neutralizing shampoo. (I'll try that in April when I do my next touch up)
Pls don't mind the lengthy post /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif
 
That's really impressive - 22 weeks. Have you experienced any breakage and if so, how are you handling it?

/images/graemlins/drunk.gif
 
Hi myhairsos
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Apply relaxer ( I used Optimum no-lye) to the outer part of each of the sections (parts below rubber band) with gloved fingers


[/ QUOTE ]
Does this mean that you apply the relaxer to your hair ends? If this is true does it make your hair ends pop and break off?
 
Hey, Ladies

Thanks a million for all of your input.

London, thanks so much for bumping your touch up tips. They are very helpful.

Nita, Hahahahaha...I wouldn't recommend waiting as long as I did for a retouch. I have just been indecisive
about the next move I was gonna make (i.e. do my own, go natural or suck it up and take yet another
under processed chance with these Arizona stylists).

Everyone else, I haven't quite gotten through all the posts yet because I have to keep the browser box tiny so
that I don't get busted on this board at work. And have had to minimize it so much that I may as well not even
sign on here ( but I think you all know how hard that is...lol)
And I haven't gone on at home. But in light of the number of responses, bless you all for caring and sharing
your personal tips.

Tammi
; )
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Julia said:
That's really impressive - 22 weeks. Have you experienced any breakage and if so, how are you handling it?


[/ QUOTE ]

OK, Julia, let's just say I would definitely NOT recommend waiting this long. If I even look at my hair in the mirror wrong, I can see little hairs diving to the floor. I think I even heard a hair or two scream "Geronimoooooo" on the way out of my scalp just to taunt me.

All kidding aside, I'd be a durn fool to comb it at this point, so I kind of just smooth it into an itty bitty ponytail that does not even come close to my true length due to excessive shrinkage and not running a comb through it. It's depressing, really!

But I also kinda feel like a little rebel. /images/graemlins/sekret.gif Kind of a 'fight the power' kind of thing, ya know? I suppose with extremely, and I do mean extremely minimal styling, you can get away with it. But I definitely have to treat my tresses with KID GLOVES until I come up with my hair plan. And if I DO decide to let a stylist do my touch up, he/she is gonna be cussing me out for this thick mess! Sigh!

HTH!
Tammi /images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
hairfanatic said:
Hi AZJeepgurl.....
Relaxing one section at a time. That's what I used to do.


[/ QUOTE ]

/images/graemlins/shocked.gif NO WAY, REALLY????!!!! One section at a time, wash the stuff out, then go back and do another section????!!!

Gurlllll, that right there would be enough to turn me off to the whole idea. I mean it's great that you were that careful and your hair probably was all the better for it, but, but......WOW!

I appreciate you sharing that tip with me, but chile, please, I am not even tryin' to go through all that. I'd rather stay natural...lol

/images/graemlins/wink.gifTammi
 
Moni,
Nah!! I only applied the mixture of olive oil, cholesterol and ultrasheen hair dress to my ends. The relaxer application stopped at my new growths.
Take care,
/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
what do you apply to your hair? is it on the hair itself or just the scalp? do you mean apply like vaseline or something to the length of the hair and on the scalp? am i following this correctly? God bless you all.
 
Yes azul11
The basing should be for the scalp and the old relaxered hair/old growth. It will place a protective barrier over the hair that doesn't need touching up. In this way, you can concentrate on relaxing the new growth without worrying about relaxer touching your ends or any other part of your hair.
Hope this is clear /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
That's a good relaxing method, Myhairsos! /images/graemlins/smile.gif The only problem for me would be removing all of the plastic bands (rubber bands are bad for your hair, girl!!) and having enough time to smooth the relaxer. That might add another 3 or 4 minutes into the process for me, and I try to keep the whole thing down to 15 minutes. Sounds like it's definitely worth trying.

When you remove the rubber bands, does relaxer get onto the rest of your hair?
 
Hi Kitkat
In response to:

"The only problem for me would be removing all of the plastic bands (rubber bands are bad for your hair, girl!!) and having enough time to smooth the relaxer. That might add another 3 or 4 minutes into the process for me"

Make as many sections as possible so that any relaxer you place on the around the section penetrates to the inside of the sections. And as soon as you're done coating all the sections, start combing. As long as you have everything handy and you work section after section, you should not have any problem
In response to:

"When you remove the rubber bands, does relaxer get onto the rest of your hair?"

If you mean when combing, it doesn't because the other sections are held by the rubber band (the tiny ones used to hold the ends of braids). However if your question is does relaxer touch it when all the bands are taken out prior to washing, I should say yes but with very negligible effects. There are 2 reasons for this. One, the hair that doesn't need relaxing is coated to save it from any chemical that touches it and two, you're quickly washing out the relaxer (make sure you've got everything you need lined up in the bathroom).
I hope this helps
 
That was very helpful Myhairsos. I'll try this on the next relaxer go around. Thanx!! /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I have been self relaxing for a year with lye formula. I used Motions w/ oil 3x and it left my hair very unmanagable after about 3 weeks. This is how I do it and it works out well for me.

1. Part hair into four sections but since I could see the front hair better I ususally have more hair in the front sections than in the back
2. I relax one section at a time and rinse, shampoo, etc. I usually wear a plastic cap on the side not relaxed so that I don't get the relaxer in it or wet.
3. I then leave conditioner in that section and move on to the next.

It's time consuming but it works for me
smile.gif


Good Luck
 
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