The Healthy Hair Diary: texlaxed

From Lye to No-Lye Relaxer....

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Although I am now fully texlaxed, as mentioned in my last hair update post, my hair is by no means uniform in texture from root to tip especially my where my last two relaxer touch ups led to my hair coming out with less texture than desired.

This led me to thinking back to when I first started hair journey and the fact that I had actually started to texlax by accident when rinsing out my no-lye relaxers before the relaxer had time to fully process. It wasn't something I noticed until after starting my hair journey as prior to this, I was just used to washing my hair and blow drying straight after whereas on my hair journey, I was air drying and getting to see the texture of my hair.

The only reason I switched from no-lye relaxer to lye relaxer was because I wanted to do a corrective relaxer. I had self relaxed 2 years ago and was left with way more texture than I could handle and after doing some research it was said that using a lye relaxer would be more beneficial in helping me to correct the under processed areas in my hair.

My mother-in-law did my corrective relaxer for me and the lye relaxer did the trick, I was left with way less texture and noticed my hair didn't feel dry and coated like it usually does after relaxer day using a no-lye relaxer. After this relaxer touch-up I just continued to use the lye relaxer as I could store it until the next touch-up was due and so saved money too.

As much as the lye relaxer has had its advantages for me, I will be going back to using a no-lye relaxer in October when my next touch-up is due. I used a no-lye relaxer for over 15 years and since I started to self relax my hair I was unintentionally texlaxed as I was always running to wash the relaxer out when I could of chilled for another minute or two. The lye relaxer for me processed my hair so much quicker than the no-lye and even when mixing oil to the relaxer to slow down the process, the lye was proved difficult to texlax with and I never know how my hair is going to turn out.

Using the no-lye relaxer means I have more control, I can continue to add oil to my relaxer but only one tablespoon as I remember prior to switching to no-lye, I had never mixed oils with the relaxer or added oil to my new growth previous to a relaxer touch-up and I would always rush to wash my hair out by 20-21 minutes and was left with unintentional texture. The first touch-up or two will be trial and error but I'll soon find what works for me. The no lye relaxer is harsher on the hair than a lye relaxer but I will ensure to always do a medium protein treatment the week before touch-ups to strengthen and prepare my hair for the chemical process and I have actually started to do a medium protein treatment the week after my touch-up as well.

hair update

Transitioning to Texlaxed - My Journey so Far

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

I have been unintentionally texlaxing (using a relaxer to purposely under process my hair so it's still has some texture ) my hair since 2011/2012 due to both self-relaxing my hair and also having a friend come round just to apply the cream and obviously I was washing the cream out quicker than necessary. I used heat with each wash day so the texture was never an issue for me as I rarely saw my hair in its wet state as I would wash then blow-dry. Stretching to 12 weeks was never an issue prior to my hair journey because of the use of heat which straightened my new growth.

I began my hair journey in June 2012 and it was only maybe a year or two into my journey that I realised my hair was texlaxed and this was when my mother in law had started to relax my hair for me and I noticed my roots were straighter than the rest of my hair. I did some research and realised what had happened and was devastated that without noticing I was in love with texlaxed hair and was sad to be bone straight again but I did enjoy the fact my hair was so easier to manage.

Once I knew what texlaxing was, I began to purposefully texlax my hair and loved the difference in texture and how thick my hair was becoming. I did not really have a set way to texlax as it had always been accidental before, so I began to focus on shortening the time in which I left the relaxer on my hair. I shortened the time from 25 minutes to 15-18 minutes which worked sometimes but other times where I failed to apply the relaxer to my hair as quick as required, I was left with way too much texture in my hair and this eventually led to breakage. Sections to the very front of my hair and the back at the nape were near enough natural and as much as I tried to baby those section and keep them moist 24-7, slowly but surely the most textured parts broke off and after a while I had no choice but to do a corrective relaxer to save the textured areas which luckily had not broken.

Sections of my hair towards the roots were near enough natural.

Following the corrective relaxer, I went through my hair when it came to my nape I took drastic action and decided to cut the very bottom of my nape hair to just below neck length. It was drastic but that section had previously been so under processed, the straighter ends could not cope and it was different lengths and weak so I removed all the straight ends leaving just the curly texture. I also had to trim a few other sections at my nape area to shoulder length to rid of straighter ends again not coping with the many textures I had going on. Luckily my hair was long enough to cover this, I just knew for the next year or two I would have shorter sections to some lengths to the back of my hair and nape which I would need to baby and keep moist so I could grow them out whilst maintaining the health and length of the rest of my hair.

The areas of my hair cut to shoulder length are now armpit length and the nape which was cut to just below the neck is now touching my collar bone so I am slowly but surely making progress in these areas.

For my next touch-up, I decided to try a different technique so I started oiling my new growth with either extra virgin coconut oil or extra virgin oil which enabled me to have more time to apply the relaxer to my new growth without panicking about time. This process worked, allowing for me to go through my hair at a steady pace in 22-24 minutes leaving me with manageable and visible texture.

My shower stopped working in August or September 2015 and so when I did my next touch up I had to rinse my hair in the bathroom sink as I could not find a shower attachment that would fit onto my bath mixer tap. My previously relaxed ends were protected with coconut oil but my biggest regret is not using petroleum jelly as when I rinsed out the relaxer, I forgot I was using the sink and not in the shower so my hair was left dangling in the sink whilst I was rinsing and this lead to the last 3-4 inches of my hair over processing from texlaxed to bone straight. I kid you not when I say I could of cried, in fact it went beyond crying as I actually got a bit depressed for a while as I just could not believe what had happened. The sad thing is, I did not notice straight away as my hair which still baffles me so it kind of hit me about 2-3 weeks after I had done my relaxer touch-up. One morning I went to put my hair in low ponytail and could not believe my eyes when I realised how straight my ends were. I had no choice to put my hair in a bun and keep it moving but I had that sick feeling in my stomach all day at work as I racked my brains as to what the heck had happened to my hair and then it hit me!

Before the setback of over-processing my ends with relaxer run off. My ends were beautiful and thick!

I started the castor oil challenge in September 2015 which included not only oiling my scalp with Jamaican black castor oil and adding it to my deep conditioner but also mixing it with a lighter oil to seal my hair with which is just what my ends needed. With this, I kept my hair in buns for the duration and although my ends were sadly straighter than the rest of my hair, they remained healthy and moist throughout the challenge and when I touched up in December 2015 towards the end of the challenge I was pleased and amazed to find my ends were in great condition and I was able to retain my length.

Results from from Texlax Touchup December 2015

For my touch up in December 2015, instead of oiling my new growth with extra virgin olive oil to slow down the relaxer process, I decided to try mixing the oil to my relaxer. I added one tablespoon of oil to ½ - ¾ of a tub of lye relaxer and applied to my new growth. My timer was set for 18 minutes and when the alarm went off I was still smoothing so total application and smoothing time was approximately 22-24 minutes and I was and still am so pleased with the results.

My Ponytail now, Left pic is air-dried with no product, Right pic is my hair with product but 6 days post washday!

My ponytail is not as bad as I first imagined although taking part in the castor oil challenge has definitelty helped and the picture above shows my hair in a ponytail last weekend on the left which was air-dried with no product, it then on the right shows my hair in a ponytail with product but admittedly the picture with product was taken last Sunday which was wash day so there is 6-7 days worth of product in my hair. You can see that with my hair moisturised the different textures in my ponytail are not as drastic otherwise I think I would have cut the straighter ends off by now.

Wet hair - texture shot

The picture above shows the most recent texture I am working with and I love it. My hair is still manageable, easy to moisturise, easy to detangle and style. Obviously I have less texture throughout the rest of my hair but it is still texlaxed and I will not be wearing it in its curly state so once air-dried and moisturised, the textures are less noticeable. I am happy to do a very long transition to fully texlaxed achieving the texture above and hopefully by the end of 2016 I will have managed to rid of most of the bone straight ends. I had noted in a previous post that by June 2016 the bone straight ends would be gone but I think that is highly ambitious unless I cave in and go for a long bob style which I have been thinking about but we will see nearer the time.

I am 10 weeks post today and planned to do a relaxer/texlax touchup on 9^th March 2016 at 12 weeks post but (touch wood) my hair is playing ball and has been easy to manage so I may try to stretch to 13 weeks and then gradually work my way to stretching to 16 weeks then maybe even to 20 weeks so that I am only applying relaxer to my hair 2-3 times a year instead of four.

What’s happening with your hair right now?

15 weeks post

Relaxer Touch Up - 30.11.2014

Monday, December 01, 2014

coconut oil challenge

Hair Update - June - August 2014

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Hey…

I have been away for quite a while… Tut tut… I blame my time management… I have been at my new job for about 4 months now and I still haven’t sorted myself out time wise (must do better).

Hair Update…

So I continued to do the coconut oil challenge which actually ended today and my hair has absolutely loved it.. A Coconut Oil Challenge Results post will follow shortly.

My wash days have been pretty much the same although for the first time ever, I have found myself co-washing more than I have shampooed, it’s quicker and my hair thrives with co-washes.

I have purchased a few hair products over the last month or two but I will do a separate product haul post.

Before the trim

I went to the salon for a trim on Friday 27^th June and lost a good 2.5 inches but I knew it was necessary as my nape has been struggling and the ends were a hot mess… I wasn't happy to lose so much hair in one go but I knew it had to be done so just got on with it. One thing I have noticed though is that my hairdresser seems to like cutting her clients hair to one length, another lady was in there and before I left she asked for a trim and the hairdresser took off so much which was totally unnecessary and this made me re-assess my trim. I have decided that I need to find another salon who appreciates that I am on a hair journey and am not looking to have the same length hair all my life. I went to a salon before called Belle Hair which is based in Reading where I live and although it is out of my way, I went there once and knew I needed a trim and was surprised to find the hairdresser was not scissor happy and just took off what was necessary so I only have myself to blame for not going back. Decision made, that is where I will be going in October for my next trim and every trim thereafter. Considering how much hair was taken off, my hair has grown back nicely and I’m half an inch away from the length I was at before my last trim which was just past arm pit length.

After Trim

It was my birthday on 7th August and I had an amazing day which ended with a lovely meal with my family.

I self-relaxed my hair last Saturday 16^th August. I sectioned my hair in 8 sections and applied conditioner to the length of each section avoiding the new growth; I then coated each section with my castor oil and avocado oil mix. I then followed my relaxer touch up regime. My hair was left with slightly more texture than I was hoping for but I can work with it and have made a note to leave the relaxer for a minute or two longer for my next touch up to achieve my desired texture.

I did a home made hard protein treatment the week before my relaxer to strengthen my hair, I mixed one egg with a table spoon of coconut oil and a table spoon of honey and whisked together before applying to my hair and covering with a plastic cap for 40 mins and then rinsing then proceeding with my wash day routine ensuring to deep condition for an hour with heat. The results were fantastic and I will be adding this hair masque to my hair once a month.

De'Onne