It's Official...I'm Stylist FREE - Relaxer Update

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

(above, is everything I used during my relaxer, the only things missing: 2 pairs of tight fitting latex gloves, 2 rat tail combs)

You don't understand how happy I am to actually be able to say that!!! :-) I'm free from stylists relaxing my hair. I no longer have to pay an arm and a leg to get a relaxer retouch (they charge me extra because of the length of my hair, plus extra because I stretch my relaxer and I use more relaxer cream than normal, plus HST taxes..LOL). Don't get me wrong, my stylist was great, however, I noticed that over time, he was getting lazy with my hair and not being gentle enough i.e. detangling. (Msg to stylist) Honestly, you cannot drag a comb through my hair, just because it's longer than before you think it can take the beating? Umm hello???!! my hair is wet and tangled (from the shampoo) plus you just relaxed it!!!! it's extremely weak at this point and I'm not into getting unnecessary breakage!! Ugh I'm not cool with that at all ladies. It takes only ONE mishap for one to suffer a setback and I'm not risking that.

I wasn't at peace so I decided to FINALLY take matters into my own hands and try self relaxing (after a lot of research). I recently relaxed it over the weekend with the help of my sister and everything was a success, the only downfall was me not applying Vaseline to my ears and forehead for protection, by the end, those areas were quite sore and tender. Other than that, I did not burn. I thoroughly detangled the night before with Mane N Tail detangler, the next day I based my scalp with Jamaican Black Castor Oil, applied Coconut oil and Vaseline to my previously relaxed hair for protection.

I parted my hair in 4 sections (2 in the front and 2 in the back) and my sister took care of the back portion while I focused on the front section. It was very easy since all the pressure wasn't placed on just one of us, it was split up evenly to work through my 12 weeks worth of new growth. We took about 20-25 mins to complete everything, I then neutralized approx.5 times (I do not play when it comes to relaxers) leaving it on for 10 mins on the last rinse.

I followed up with Porosity Control Conditioner for 5 mins and then Deep Conditioned with heat using Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Conditioner for 30 mins mixed with the 3PO (3 Penetrating Oils). I then air dried and flat ironed. I will post the results later.

Overall, I'm happy with the results and I love the ORS Relaxing System. I plan on doing my own relaxers from now on. If anything, I'll probably go back to the salon for roller sets, but that's it.

Sunshyne

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23 comments

  1. im with you on skipping the stylist. i got my last two relaxers (december and may) from my big sis. im scared to do it myself, though.

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  2. @Antithesis - I'm nervous doing it myself, I would rather get the help from my sister since she has a better view of the back of my head. Thanks for your response!

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  3. GO SUNSHYNE!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the stylist free club! I've been stylist free since 2007. Except for the couple of occasions when I went to Cost Cutters for my annual trim (but I don't count that). I'm telling you, I have saved so much money since I began doing my own stuff. My relaxers were getting to be $80 per touch up and that was at barely SL. Enjoy your freedom girl. I'm not looking back and not missing a thang, heard me?

    Oh and the rollersets? No problem. They're easier to do as of late. If you have an ULTA or Sally's in your area, check out the roller clamps. They're a lot easier to use than the pins and you don't have to worry about them snagging your hair like the metal ones.

    ....AND...I just wrote a blog on your blog. LMBO! TTYL!

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  4. I hear you loud and clear. I haven't been to a stylist in 8 years and it is lovely to not have to spend all that money and take extra special care of your own head of hair. Prior to not going to stylists anymore, I ONLY went to my stylist for retouches every 12 weeks and hi-lites.

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  5. Congrats Sunshyne! I've been stylist free for over a year and get help from my mom with my texlaxes and my hair has never been better. I have a quick question though, have you ever used no-lye? I want to switch to lye but I'm scared of any damage...do you have any advice?

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  6. I'm doing the same thing too! Glad to hear I'm not the only one :] Happy that it worked out for you.

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  7. i did my last 6 or so touch ups
    and at the time i thought
    i was doing a good job..
    my mom was helping me
    but she couldnt move fast enough
    so after a while i had to do it
    totally by myself with the help of a mirror
    in front and behind me at the same time.
    i have breakage in the front of my
    hairline now & will never self relax
    again ... until i can find someone
    else to help me
    when i went back to the hairdresser
    a few weeks ago for a touch up
    they were like what did u ?!
    u did your own relaxer didnt u ?
    i was like errrr...
    haha i totally regret it
    i never thought it would be such
    a difference with doing it
    by yourself and going to a pro
    but for me it is..
    lucky you have your sister

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  8. it's great that you have your sis to help out! and that you are stylist free = ] do you wonder what the heck you've been afraid of all this time? lol self relaxing is the bomb.

    looking forward to the results! o and why not do your own rollersets? that's the thing i make sure to do every week after my deep condition because it leaves my hair really soft and shiny : )

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  9. Good for you! I with the help of my DH do my own relaxers, and I am so happy, never looking back.

    I can't wait to see pictures.:o)

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  10. Good for you!!! I completely understand how you feel. During my last relaxer I noticed my stylist's care of my hair was a bit lacking and made up my mind that I'd self-relax for my next touch up, which is in 4 weeks. I've been doing so much research but I'm still nervous! My biggest fear is that I'll watch all my hair wash down the drain right after. It's great you had your sis help you out and speed things up.

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  11. Wow! Congrats Sunshyne!!!! Thats AWESOME news!!! I know the feeling of being stylist free and it is truly a great one! Glad your results were a success! And LOL @ the neutralizing 5xs! HAHAHAHA! You really dont play do you? XD
    ~LNH~

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  12. Congratulation Sunshyne! I have been stylist free well before I started my hair journey (about 6 years), however I digressed last year and decided to get it relaxed professionally. BIG mistake...she did not ask me any questions about my hair and just nodded when I told her that my scalp is very sensitive. Needless to say my scalp burned a lot, I had to have the relaxer rinsed off very quickly and I ended up with underpocessed hair. All of that for a cost of $98.00 and my hair was only shoulder length. Never again! Since then, I have been back to being my own stylist and loving it...the only time I will go to stylist is right after a relaxer so they can trim and flat iron.

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  14. Wow, how great for you! I too have been longing to go stylist free, but my sis and daughter talked me into going back this past week. Big mistake, if they don't pull that rat tail comb through your hair they don't think they're doing anything, right? Anyway, I burned around the edges and my hair looks lackluster. She doesn't care anymore. Next time, I'm doing it.

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  15. Congrats Sunshyne, good for you. I'm in the same boat, as my "stylist" just didn't seem to care. She consistently over processed my hair and didn't bother to oil my previously relaxed hair or base my scalp and looked at me like I was crazy and bothersome when I asked why she was skipping these steps. But it's my hair so I take the blame.

    I'm now taking matters into my own hands and doing it with the help of my mom (tomorrow) cause I'm too chicken to do it alone. As long as we take the necessary precautions and work quickly, we can't do a worse job than my ex hairdresser did.

    Looking forward to seeing those pics!

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  16. I would love to be able to do my own relaxers because it seems like my stylist was just ripping through my 12 week post relaxer fragile state hair trying to put that relaxer in!

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  17. That is the same reason why I started self texlaxing this year. My last time going to a stylist was in October 2009. The person was so rough which my hair and ripped out quite a bit of hair when trying to detangle it after shampooing it. I decided that would be the last time anyone would be touching my hair. I think I do a better job and I haven't burned myself once. Never knew until I starteddoing my own hair that a relaxer should not burn.

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  18. Hi all! Sunshyne let me tell you I am sometimes stylist free but when it comes down to do I want to pay $75.00 or doit myself. I have permed my hair many times and did alot of research and also bought the Olive Oil Rexlaxer Kit. I love this product it got my hair straight and I loved the colored booklet. So I am sold on this product I will always use it when doing my hair myself. Kudous too you! I think that I will only visit the salon when I want a hairstyle I can't do. I don't mind paying 35.00 versus 75.00. My perm kit was 6.99 and it contained everything in it. I used to perm my hair and let my husband wash it out he would wash it like 5 times to make sure the perm was out. Now I have gotten strong enough to do it myself and my hair is not damaged.

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  19. Nice! Can't wait to see the pics. I have thought about it but I think I'll just stick with my hair salon for now. She isn't that expensive but I will admit she can be rough at times but I nip that one every time. She knows I'm anal. I honestly wish I could do it too but I am not motivated. Yet :)

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  20. Sunshyne Only 2 pics?? We wanna see more pics of your new length! Please post more pics of your MBL hair we want to celebrate with you!

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  21. I have never been to a salon and my hair is doing just fine.

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  22. Hi, Sunshyne,

    I LOVE your website. I have always gone to a stylist for my relaxers and am considering self relaxing for the same reasons that you listed. Can you post a YouTube video of how you self-relax? Thank you for all that you are doing to educate us about maintaining healthy hair!

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  23. I am so glad I found this blog. I am some what fed up with my stylist of 10 years, and the last time I went, she just disregarded everything I said to her. Number one, she let me sit in my relaxer, WHILE she put a whole relaxer in somebody else's head...which was a long time. I have think new growth she thinks my relaxer needs to stay in extra long. THEN after she finally rinsed my relaxer out, she put a protein treatment in it, and combed it like 4-5 times total WHILE it was wet...and everybody knows hair is the weakest when it's wet. And to make matters worse she combed it from the root when it was super tangly, and everybody knows you're supposed to detangle at the ends when a person has long hair. PLUS, keep in mind, I had protein in my hair so it was already tough to comb through. And she didn't care at all. Just because I have a lot of hair, it doesn't mean I have a lot to spare. I want all my hair!! Thick and all. And she thinned it out a bit. She has always been rough with my hair when it's wet, but she has been extra rough since it's grown extra long to my high waist line. I have been with her for 10 years, but I am starting to think about going elsewhere....or do it myself, which is actually a last resort.

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