It has been a minute since I've posted. Partly, life is crazy. And partly because I'm in a hair rut. today I started realizing that procrastinating when I'm going to write a blog post most definitely will not help me move out of the rut, and therefore I must get my behind in high gear.
So, let's start with the fact that I touched up at 15 weeks post. I am not going to stretch that long again. It was my longest relaxer stretch yet and I was not doing my hair any favors, to be honest. I'm still not too adept at dealing with lots of new growth. Yes, I am a lot more able than I was a year ago, but when I'm dealing with two distinctly different textures, I fully realise how new I still am to this hair game. I was as gentle as possible, I provided my hair with plenty of moisture and protein, I attempted to manipulate my hair as little as possible on a day to day basis, and still I experienced demarcation line breakage. My goal for the next three months (12 week maximum stretch) is to make sure that I baby that demarcation line, reduce breakage and shedding and retain the length that grows out of my head.
In any event, let's quickly summarize my most recent touch up. I used ORS No Lye Olive Oil for Girls Relaxer kit. I love this kit. It already contains a scalp protector, a protector for previously relaxed hair AND nice tight fitting latex gloves. Personally I highly doubt that I would move away from this kit. The sad part of this relaxer day was the visual evidence of me stretching for too long. Relaxing one's hair in general requires quite a bit of manipulation and during the process I saw the demarcation line breakage hair going down the drain. And I repeated to myself - long stretches simply aren't for me. Each and every person needs to address their hair journey on a personal level. Long stretches may work for other ladies, their hair may even thrive, mine does not.
My next projected touch up date is the 17th of August at 12 weeks post. It's actually perfect considering that the following weekend I have a BIG wedding, to which we have all been looking forward to for some time already. A couple of things I know for sure - I can't stretch for longer than 3 months at a time; the ORS Olive Oil No Lye kit for Girls is the best relaxer I have used so far in my life and I need to baby my demarcation line at all times.
Until next time, happy hump day everyone!
I understand your frustrations. I've been a long-term stretcher for a while. I realized that the key to successful stretching is keeping your roots detangled, stretched out, and moisturized. I stopped stretching beyond 16 weeks because there were times when I just couldn't keep up with my hair's demands. Good for you for listening to your hair!
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