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Healthy Relaxed Hair LSA Edition - 2020

HelloMsCoco

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My hair is at BSL but in a v-cut and and part of the v length has a bit of heat damage from when I let my cousin straighten my hair (never again). Thinking of cutting it off and starting over at around shoulder length.

Anyone have any good protein and moisture DC masques that they use? Also, I want to cut it into a style, anyone have some cute shoulder length style suggestions?
 

bonitaapplebum

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My hair is at BSL but in a v-cut and and part of the v length has a bit of heat damage from when I let my cousin straighten my hair (never again). Thinking of cutting it off and starting over at around shoulder length.

Anyone have any good protein and moisture DC masques that they use? Also, I want to cut it into a style, anyone have some cute shoulder length style suggestions?
ORS Hair mayo is GOAT for me
 

Darlinnic

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Ugh a little peeved. Last time im letting a white women touch my hair. Went to get a trim and i shouldnt hair let that white lady do it. Too scissor happy and talmbout my hair is dry and i need a dc and i need a deeper trim. I had to fight her for her to understand that i just wanted to tips trimmed. She trimmed a tad too much and did do it the way i like. Im not sure if im still BSL because im in a sports bra but i think she cut me back to close to APL. Sigh. From now on my choosing two specific stylists. No worries though. My hair always grows right back to BSL in the blink of an eye.
The stylist can see what you cannot. Maybe you do have deeper splits
 

bonitaapplebum

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I washed my hair today; I rubbed aloe vera gel on my hair then put the ORS hair mayo (relaxer style) put on my shower cap for about 2hrs. My hair feels soooo soft right now
 
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PepeLaPew

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I have been relaxed all my life and use roller sets as a protective style to avoid direct heat. Any suggestions of a good setting lotion/mousse...my ends tend to be dry when I remove the rollers.
 

SoulCrusha

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I have been relaxed all my life and use roller sets as a protective style to avoid direct heat. Any suggestions of a good setting lotion/mousse...my ends tend to be dry when I remove the rollers.
This is my holy grail especially after roller sets, ends curled/slick and the body this gives my hair when I take that wrap down is amazing.

If you’re interested, see if you can find it in your local beauty supply store and get it from there. I bought it off Amazon during the early pandemic last year and felt like it was fake.
9b8b8343-94cf-42df-8e1c-5b9ec3b7ecb7_1.0c9ae28017298e8794c52701f424a9c2.png
 

Marilyn_Monroe

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I really want to relax my hair. My hair hates heat and I get too many fairy knots to go without using heat. My only concern with getting a relaxer is finding a fresh one. All of the relaxers in the bss look dusty and old because most people are still natural. Where do you purchase your relaxers? I prefer lye. No-lye is too drying.
 

Humbled

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I really want to relax my hair. My hair hates heat and I get too many fairy knots to go without using heat. My only concern with getting a relaxer is finding a fresh one. All of the relaxers in the bss look dusty and old because most people are still natural. Where do you purchase your relaxers? I prefer lye. No-lye is too drying.
I purchase mine from my local hair store.
 

MASja2

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I'm attempting to cowash my hair daily (w/ Patenene Gold series cowash or Tresemme Moisture Rich conditioner) and wash and deep condition every Sunday to try to help get maximum growth during these summer months. Hope it works out.
 

bonitaapplebum

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Can't wait to get these twists out of my head. The ruber bands are popping non stop. It's only been 3 weeks I think and I can see new growth already.

ETA: I took out my braids, and slept with coconut oil all night. Did my usual wash routine. In a week (or more) i'm going to self relax and go to the salon to trim the ends.

Now my hair is in a bun and i'm only touching it to moisturize
 
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Sheisavibe07

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Braids are my go to but I think I want to switch it up now. It seems easy. What kind do you use?
My favorites right now are from Hairareus. Mayvenn Hair is not bad either. I want to start getting knotless braids but afraid of my hair breaking off. What kind braids do you get?
 

bonitaapplebum

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My favorites right now are from Hairareus. Mayvenn Hair is not bad either. I want to start getting knotless braids but afraid of my hair breaking off. What kind braids do you get?
The last one I did was passion twist, but normal box braids or senegalese are my go too
They stay neater longer from my experience
 

bluebell21

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i'm gonna have to do my roots myself and i'm scared. i have no one to help me. have any of you done that before and how'd it go? any tips for me?
 

bonitaapplebum

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i'm gonna have to do my roots myself and i'm scared. i have no one to help me. have any of you done that before and how'd it go? any tips for me?
Yeah I self relaxed. If your nervous or move slow add some oil to dilute the relaxer (coconut oil, almond oil, castor oil) and it will give you time to do your whole head.

Section your hair in advance too. Saves a lot of time too
 

bluebell21

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Yeah I self relaxed. If your nervous or move slow add some oil to dilute the relaxer (coconut oil, almond oil, castor oil) and it will give you time to do your whole head.

Section your hair in advance too. Saves a lot of time too
thank you so much <3
 

bonitaapplebum

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Used olaplex 0 + 3

I deep conditioned with ORS hair mayo without heat.

My hair feels soft and honestly looks fuller (even after passing a flat iron), I wouldn't say it looks smooth smooth but it's nice
 
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tinyddancer

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Self relaxing was one of the best decisions I made. It's been about 3 years since I gone to the salon for a touch up and don't plan on going back. Tbh I am really trying to learn to do professional styling so I don't have to go again. Since the pandemic, I started doing my own feed-ins and silk presses. I'm getting my first traditional sew-in next month which I plan to start doing a lot more often to help retain my length. I'm planning to learn how to do sew-ins on myself too... I'm sure its going to be a challenge lol but I'm willing to try and practice
 

chelley

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YouTube videos are not science.

I may not have a PhD in science, but I do have a PhD--and enough common sense to know how these hair stylists and Black hair corporations desperately need for you to believe that the hair crack isn't killing Black women and girls.

Here's the science that tells me you'll be spending money to fry your hair, scalp, and brain:
Chemical Hair Relaxers Have Adverse Effects a Myth or Reality
'Relaxers' damage hair: evidence from amino acid analysis. - PubMed - NCBI
Error - Cookies Turned Off - click here for Wiley article
chemical hair relaxer: Topics by Science.gov
Skin lighteners and hair relaxers as risk factors for breast cancer: results from the Ghana breast health study. - PubMed - NCBI

Here's the science explained in simple terms:

Or, read below:

Harvard Women's Health Watch
Ask the doctor: Is hair straightening safe?
Published: May, 2011
Q. I had my hair straightened six months ago. Is there any danger in getting these treatments twice a year? I hear they may contain formalin or formaldehyde.

A. Like permanent wave solutions, hair straightening products are designed to break and reform the chemical bonds in keratin, the key structural protein in hair and nails. Permanent wave solutions make the hair more curly; hair straighteners, as the name implies, make it very straight.

Several products popularized in Brazil and Japan have come into widespread use for hair straightening. Also known as hair relaxers, keratin treatments, and hair smoothing products, they are generally applied in a salon and are usually not available directly to consumers. After a prolonged application, the hair is blown dry or ironed. The process can take two to three hours and cost $300 or more. One treatment lasts two to three months. Newly straightened hair is not supposed to be washed, pulled back in a band, or put up with clips for 72 hours.

Safety is an issue because many of these products contain formaldehyde (also known as formalin), a substance that is associated with various health problems. The danger is greatest for salon workers: chronic exposure to formaldehyde increases the risk of developing cancer. Customers may also have adverse reactions to the chemical, including rashes, acute respiratory irritation, and formaldehyde sensitivity (a lifelong allergic reaction to the low and generally accepted levels of formaldehyde that are in many common products).

Respiratory problems arise because formaldehyde is released into the air during both the application of the hair straightener and the drying-and-ironing process that follows. State and local health departments have received reports of breathing difficulties, heaviness in the chest, sore throats, headache, fatigue, and burning eyes, nose, and throat.

In December 2010, Health Canada issued an advisory listing 10 hair-straightening solutions that contain concentrations of formaldehyde ranging from 1.4% to 7% — well above the allowable limit of 0.2%. Some of these products also misrepresent their content. In 2010, for example, Oregon's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that samples of Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, advertised as "formaldehyde-free," actually contained 6.8% to 11.8% formaldehyde.

Many agencies, including Health Canada, Oregon's OSHA, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health have advised salons and consumers to stop using these products until they have been reformulated and their safety documented. The maker of Brazilian Blowout products introduced Brazilian Blowout Zero, which the company says has been shown in independent tests to contain no formaldehyde.

The FDA is investigating the problem and urging salon professionals and consumers to report any adverse experiences to an FDA district office (phone numbers are available at www.health.harvard.edu/consumer) or the agency's MedWatch adverse event reporting system (www.health.harvard.edu/medwatch, or call 800-332-1088 to request a mail-in reporting form).

— Suzanne M. Olbricht, M.D.
Editorial Board Member
Harvard Women's Health Watch
Ask the doctor: Is hair straightening safe? - Harvard Health

Also, read below:

Error - Cookies Turned Off--click here for Wiley article--link still works

Abstract
Many hair products contain endocrine‐disrupting compounds and carcinogens potentially relevant to breast cancer. Products used predominately by black women may contain more hormonally‐active compounds. In a national prospective cohort study, we examined the association between hair dye and chemical relaxer/straightener use and breast cancer risk by ethnicity. Sister Study participants (n = 46,709), women ages 35–74, were enrolled between 2003 and 2009, and had a sister with breast cancer but were breast cancer‐free themselves. Enrollment questionnaires included past 12‐month hair product use. Cox proportional hazards models estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the association between hair products and breast cancer; effect measure modification by ethnicity was evaluated. During follow‐up (mean = 8.3 years), 2,794 breast cancers were identified. Fifty‐five percent of participants reported using permanent dye at enrollment. Permanent dye use was associated with 45% higher breast cancer risk in black women (HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.10–1.90), and 7% higher risk in white women (HR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.99–1.16; heterogeneity p = 0.04). Among all participants, personal straightener use was associated with breast cancer risk (HR = 1.18, 95% CI 0.99–1.41); with higher risk associated with increased frequency (p for trend = 0.02). Nonprofessional application of semipermanent dye (HR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.05–1.56) and straighteners (HR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.99–1.62) to others was associated with breast cancer risk. We observed a higher breast cancer risk associated with any straightener use and personal use of permanent dye, especially among black women. These results suggest that chemicals in hair products may play a role in breast carcinogenesis.

In short, yes, you are destroying your body every single time you dye or "relax" your hair. When I see little girls whose skulls are still soft enduring relaxers, braid extensions, etc., or pregnant women with relaxers and/or hair dye, it makes me wonder how we got to a point where our women are so easily gaslighted into poisoning our bodies to please yt folk or these stupid men in our community who have been so easily conditioned to be repulsed by natural hair--God -given. At the very least, you are looking at alopecia, and at the worse, cancer. I stopped relaxing my hair back in the late 90s during grad school, and I stopped dyeing my gray in 2011 when I realized my hair stylist was a liar about the chemicals in the dye. The science does not lie about the damage and risk to our health. It took me about 7-8 years to get my scalp healthy enough to grow hair and not shed like feathers. At 53 I am blessed to have hair and hair follicles that are healthy. No wigs, no weave, no relaxer, no hot comb. Period.

Do what you will, but don't say you were not warned. Some other sisters will read this and wake up before they lose what's left of their hair.

Sorry not sorry for telling you the truth about what relaxers and hair dye do to our bodies.
Only hair dye in black women and non professional hair dye application were significant. There was no association between relaxers/straighters and cancer risk. I’m not sure if you interpreted this or pulled this straight from the article but when a confidence interval includes 1.0, the statistical test is not significant. The p-values they included were for were trend.
While the science didn’t prove it, I do believe dyes and relaxers can cause harm more than just hair breakage.
 

SaraE

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Used olaplex 0 + 3

I deep conditioned with ORS hair mayo without heat.

My hair feels soft and honestly looks fuller (even after passing a flat iron), I wouldn't say it looks smooth smooth but it's nice

It’s been a while since I posted on this thread and the pandemic + working from actually made me even lazier with keeping up with my hair.
I’m experiencing excessive shedding, and I purchased Olaplex 0 & 3 along with the bonding oil. How do you like what you use so far?

Still relaxed and my hair is color treated. Next touch up will be in about a week or so.
 

bonitaapplebum

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It’s been a while since I posted on this thread and the pandemic + working from actually made me even lazier with keeping up with my hair.
I’m experiencing excessive shedding, and I purchased Olaplex 0 & 3 along with the bonding oil. How do you like what you use so far?

Still relaxed and my hair is color treated. Next touch up will be in about a week or so.
I like it, I think it makes my hair look fuller. I don't use it as often as indicated. (Use once a week or two to three times a week for damaged hair.) I wash my hair every 2 weeks but I might change that. The bottles are so expensive though, I want them to last lol. I would say I have damaged hair but I can't do it two or three times a week.
Right now my hair is dry AF, so I can't wait to use it tomorrow.

I bought the trial kit and when that's finished I'm going to buy the full-size n°3 + 7. (and not the n°0)
 

CapnCrunch

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Plan on relaxing in December and that would make 9 months stretch. I can only stretch that long with long term protective styles. Currently cornrowed under a wig. Im taking the cornrows out and getting half and half braids next week. Will leave that it from October to December and only redo the front 1.5 months in.
after i take my cornrows out I’ll ro a good clarifying wash, olaplex bonding treatment, hard protein treatment, and DC with heat.
 

bonitaapplebum

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Plan on relaxing in December and that would make 9 months stretch. I can only stretch that long with long term protective styles. Currently cornrowed under a wig. Im taking the cornrows out and getting half and half braids next week. Will leave that it from October to December and only redo the front 1.5 months in.
after i take my cornrows out I’ll ro a good clarifying wash, olaplex bonding treatment, hard protein treatment, and DC with heat.
That's long AF. How do you soften and detangle your new growth?
 

CapnCrunch

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That's long AF. How do you soften and detangle your new growth?
Thats why i can only do it in a protective style like weave, cornrowed under a wig, or braids. Otherwise I can only last 3 months. In a protective style i make a moisturizing spray and spray my hair everyday or every other day.
 

Humbled

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What changes do y'all make in your routines during fall/winter?
I wear box braids nearly all Fall/Winter and I keep my hair moisturized and scalp clean. For itchiness if my scalp gets dry from the cold I use peppermint oil.

As of right now though, I've been rocking a ponytail and wrapping it up at night.
 

MASja2

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What changes do y'all make in your routines during fall/winter?
Baggy my ends more and keep a humidifier on to keep my scalp moist...I get really dry scalp in the winter.

Hairlicious also does an annual castor oil challenge around this time of year but I don't think she's doing it this year? So I'm doing it on my own lol
 

bonitaapplebum

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I was going to relax my hair today but the way I scratch my scalp yesterday and today lol relaxer day is postponed to next week. I'm 17 weeks by the way
 

nicolanicola123

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So I washed my hair today after stretching for 3.5 months and being in a protective style for 6 weeks.

y’all why did I literally end up with LOCS all over my head bc of the new growth today was probably the worst wash day I’ve ever had. The amount of hair that came out never stretching again. 2 months and that ish is getting relaxed bc wtf?!
 

bonitaapplebum

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So I washed my hair today after stretching for 3.5 months and being in a protective style for 6 weeks.

y’all why did I literally end up with LOCS all over my head bc of the new growth today was probably the worst wash day I’ve ever had. The amount of hair that came out never stretching again. 2 months and that ish is getting relaxed bc wtf?!
You mean it got tangled up when you were washing it?
 

naturalserenity

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So I washed my hair today after stretching for 3.5 months and being in a protective style for 6 weeks.

y’all why did I literally end up with LOCS all over my head bc of the new growth today was probably the worst wash day I’ve ever had. The amount of hair that came out never stretching again. 2 months and that ish is getting relaxed bc wtf?!

I’m sorry this happened to you.

I’ve experienced this myself many times. I stretch my relaxers for 6 months plus and typically relax immediately after a protective style.

It took me a while to figure out that shedded hair was the root cause ( no pun intended). It’s imperative that you remove all of your shedded hair before washing or else it’s dreadlock city.

You really have to take the time to fully detangle your hair before you wash it. If like me you have long and thick hair, combing alone won’t do. You have to use a brush on each section after combing to really get out all the loose hairs. Going forward this will prevent the severe matting.
 
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nicolanicola123

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I’m sorry this happened to you.

I’ve experienced this myself many times. I stretch my relaxers for 6 months plus and typically relax immediately after a protective style.

It took me a while to figure out that shedded hair was the root cause ( no pun intended). It’s imperative that you remove all of your shedded hair before washing or else it’s dreadlock city.

You really have to take the time to fully detangle your hair before you wash it. If like me you have long and thick hair, combing alone won’t do. You have to use a brush on each section after combing to really get out all the loose hairs. Going forward this will prevent the severe matting.
Ok I feel less bad if it’s mostly shed hair anyway. But that was a grueling two hours. Cannot wait to relax these roots next week chile!
 

bonitaapplebum

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Had the longest relaxing process today.
I decided to relax section by section and rinsing each section after the recommended time. And it just confirms that the hair at the middle/back or my head needs more time. The front of my head is relaxed but the two sections at the back are pretty much texlax.
I used a different relaxer than my usual ORS. This one has a neutralizing shampoo that changes color. I had to wash my hair like 3-4 times before the foam was white instead of pink. I was tired!
But even before that, there's pre neutralizing shampoo treatment. So after I rinse out the relaxer you apply on your hair to stop the relaxing process rinse it out, then neutralize your hair with the shampoo.
 

Sheisavibe07

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How do you guys dry your hair on wash days? I blow dry and flat iron my hair once a week on wash days. It grows just fine but once it reaches my shoulders my ends are bad. My last trim I had so much hair cut off I'm wondering if using less heat will help retain length better.
 

bonitaapplebum

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How do you guys dry your hair on wash days? I blow dry and flat iron my hair once a week on wash days. It grows just fine but once it reaches my shoulders my ends are bad. My last trim I had so much hair cut off I'm wondering if using less heat will help retain length better.
I blow dry and flat iron too. I can't air dry now the weather is colder cause it would take 2 days.
 

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