Fashion + Beauty
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
User post: Tips for Relaxing Your Hair at Home
user
We all know the recession is hitting us pretty hard and that
does not exclude us ladies who are used to hitting up the salon to
get our relaxers and touch ups every 4 to 6
weeks. Nowadays, those trips to get our “hair
did” can add up so if have been considering going the DIY route,
here are some tips to get you through!
Before I get into the tips, let me just give a little hair info
about myself. I have been relaxing my own hair
at home for about 3 to 4 years now. I had a bad
experience at a salon and just decided that if I wanted it done
right, I would at least try to do myself!
So, without further a-due, here we go!
- Read! – please, please, please, read
all the instructions that come with the relaxer kit you
purchased.
- Get Greased Up! – make sure that scalp is
protected by greasing it first ( I like Bergamont or Blue
Magic). This will help protect it through the
harsh relaxing process. It will also give you
practice parting your hair and finding your scalp even when you
can’t see it.
- Four! – part your hair in fours and apply the
relaxing cream section by section. I also suggest smoothing once
you have applied relaxer in that section, just in case you don’t
have time to go back and smooth your hair out later.
- Rinse! Rinse! Rinse! – when its time to get
that relaxer out, rinse really, really
well! I usually rinse for about 4 to 5
minutes. The more I get out initially, the less
shampooing I have to do later.
- Check your hands! – while shampooing,
(especially if you’re using a color indicating neutralizing
shampoo) I check out the suds on my hands to see if they are still
white. If it’s not, rinse, lather, and try
again!
- Relax with a friend! – If you are not that
confident to go at this alone, recruit a friend or a family member
to be your extra set of eyes and/or hands if need be!
If there are any other DIY relaxer ladies out there with
more tips, please share!
Be beautiful ladies!
Photos courtesy of www.sallybeauty.com
Related: tips, relaxer, hair, ethnic hair, diy, african american hair
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Posted by *devotion72 Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:32am PDT
I am a hispanic with thick curly hair. Will relaxers work with any hair type?
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Posted by M.J - Fierce Beauty and Fashion Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:01am PDT
Hi Devotion!
I happen to be Afro-Cuban so I'm familiar with the type of hair you're talking about. I would suggest you do what they call a strand test, which means you would only relax a really small portion of your hair to see how it works on your hair. I know they make relaxers in varying strenghths (regular to super). I would recommend starting out with a kids relaxer kit (which is what I use because my hair is very sensitive and fine). It provides a ton of conditioners and protective gels.
Start with a strand test first to see how your hair takes and if it gives you the result you want, go for it! And if you do, definitely recruit a friend to help. Thick hair can be hard to manage by yourself the first time around!
Hope this helps!
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Posted by Ella Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:34am PDT
It's better to go natural over time you lose your actual hair texture which is what happened to me now I just deep condition and use moisturizing products so far it's getting back to normal after three years without a relaxer and if I want it straight i just set it in rollers and use a blow dryer to finish
btw I'm Dominican with kinky fine curly 's' curls and to me relaxer is the death of your hair
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Posted by tlnu Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:26pm PDT
I love my relaxed hair! I've been relaxing my own hair since I was in my teens. You have to keep your hair healthy with deep conditioning, regular hair trims, using mild relaxers (I use both lye and no-lye relaxers [which contain lye but not as much as lye-based relaxers), and the avoidance of "over-lapping" which is the application of relaxer on old growth or already straigtened hair. I also use color in my hair, this is generally not recommended, but I never use color with ammonia and my African-American, Native American, and Irish background has given me very strong, thick hair.
No, my hair is not damaged; it is very healthy with no breakage. I keep my hair in a chin-length bob because it's easier to handle, not because I can't grow it down my back (which I can). I get my hair trimmed at Supercuts or salons like it and the stylists are always surprised how nice my hair is and doubly surprised when I tell them I do it myself. They never find any damage and ask how I keep my hair so nice.
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Posted by M.J - Fierce Beauty and Fashion Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:36pm PDT
I agree with you Tinu on the conditioning and the overlaping. African American hair tends to be dry on its own so you have to keep it conditioned and moisturized at all times ( you can check out my blog post for the shine beauty panel where I talk about the shampoo I use). I also put highlights in my hair a year ago making sure I allowed enough time between relaxing and retouching the highlights.
I'm loving the feedback guys!
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Posted by countnchickn Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:44pm PDT
I have to say I have always envied black people because my skin is nearly transparent. As a kid who had to slather on sunscreen, I used to wish I was black so I would be able to play outside more. Those thoughts still stick even as an adult. But I must say I could not imagine relaxing my hair...it sounds painful!
Good luck to all my beautiful black sisters!
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Posted by karen w Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:48pm PDT
I use the phytospecific at home relaxer kit from sephora-it is AWESOME BECAUSE IT CANNOT BURN YOU EVER!! The vfirst time I used it I made my boyfriend apply it for me section by section-thats how easy this relaxer is! It made from egg and soy and no prouducts in it that could burn or are harsh.Its really healthy and my hair comes out silky straightttt bouncy!!
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Posted by Superwoman Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:02pm PDT
I love my hair I can't imagine relaxing it. It'll break and get damage.
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Posted by mary c Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:05pm PDT
I don't wear my hair relaxed anymore but these are really good tips. Yes, girl money is tight. Of course I can't tell at the shop that I go to because it is still quite busy. I guess that sistaz find a way to get some money to get your hair 'did'. I try to find some myself. These tips work for coloring your hair too.
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Posted by lizzy24 Fri Jul 10, 2009 10:55pm PDT
Relaxers are fun when you want sleek silky straight hair, but over time it thins the hair. That's what happened to me, I am a mix of black, scottish and indian with awesome curls but once I tried the relaxers I got addicted to how gorgeous my hair looks straight, and now it's really thin so I am going back to my curly locks.
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