TEXLAXING

I am currently transitioning from relxed to natural for like the 5th time in my life! I was natural from may 07 to may 09...saw this girl with this AMAZING perm/cut/ and body and relapsed back to the creamy crack. Then I colored (which was a HUGE mistake) my hair started falling out in balls...so I ditched the perm after only wearing it for like 4 mmoths and I'm currently 8 months into my transition. Right now I'm managing the two textures, loving the new growth but still get the green eye when it comes to a nice perm. So after searching a many of websites...I ran across this thing called texlaxing on Hairliciousinc.com. According to the ladies there...a texlax is only applying an oiled down relaxer to your new growth for about 3-5 minutes without smoothing or anything to have super defined curls...what do you guys think... It supposedly offers the best of both worlds still "natural" appearing hair with easier ability to be straight whenever...

for me, that's not something I would sign up for. I was getting a texturizer throughout 2009 and although that hair was healthier than my fully relaxed hair, it's not something I'm interested in. Plus, what I came to find was that a texturizer was hit or miss from the stand point that you kept it on a minute too long, you lost all curl definition.

You can see the demarcation line of my new growth (tight coils) to my texturized hair (almost wavy looking) to my relaxed hair (just straight and clumped together).

For me, my favorite is the new growth! BUT, you have to make the decision that is right for you... but I wouldn't go down the texlaxing route because I don't want to put chemicals in my hair, period. But clearly texturizing (texlaxing) your hair is healthier than relaxing it.

Also and your hair could be VERY different, but I've only been transitioning for 3 months and if you just measure with your eye my growth in those 3 months versus the length of hair that got texturized (which was over a 9 month period), you'll see that my hair is growing MUCH FASTER with no chemicals.

You have to do what's right for you though!!! Good luck!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

jamaicanmecurly wrote:for me, that's not something I would sign up for. I was getting a texturizer throughout 2009 and although that hair was healthier than my fully relaxed hair, it's not something I'm interested in. Plus, what I came to find was that a texturizer was hit or miss from the stand point that you kept it on a minute too long, you lost all curl definition.

You can see the demarcation line of my new growth (tight coils) to my texturized hair (almost wavy looking) to my relaxed hair (just straight and clumped together).

For me, my favorite is the new growth! BUT, you have to make the decision that is right for you... but I wouldn't go down the texlaxing route because I don't want to put chemicals in my hair, period. But clearly texturizing (texlaxing) your hair is healthier than relaxing it.

Also and your hair could be VERY different, but I've only been transitioning for 3 months and if you just measure with your eye my growth in those 3 months versus the length of hair that got texturized (which was over a 9 month period), you'll see that my hair is growing MUCH FASTER with no chemicals.

You have to do what's right for you though!!! Good luck!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

ITA with jamaicanmecurly. In addition to the bold, as you continue to retouch, the relaxer, or "texlax" that you are putting on your new growth to touch up will be processing the rest of your hair as you rinse. Not immediately, as the product is oiled down, and you're only rinsing. But yes, you will have some curl pattern but nothing like a natural head of hair that is guaranteed curl definition. You will simpl just have under processed hair, or hair that has not been relaxed bone straight. To me it's the same thing as a relaxer. Me and my mom texlaxed my brother's fro once and when his new growth started coming in he looked a hot mess when he wasn't in braids. the upkeep is ridiculous if you're trying to rock a wash and go or fro.

My advice is if you're going to transition, go all the way. Don't go through having to cut off your whole hair (relaxed) off eventually to go back to chemicals.

You can rock ever style a relxed head can if not better, plus more!!

I'd like to weigh in on this one! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I texalaxed for years and years. I'm 8 months past my last one. My new growth is 2 to 3 times thicker than my texalaxed hair. I thought I had a lot of hair, HAHAHAHA! And over time, that texalax hair LOSES the curl definition! It will look like straight heat damaged hair! I rarely got the texalax a few inches beyond my shoulders. Just DON'T do it!

You guys ALL make great points! I was not completely on the fence with it or against it, it was really one of those things your hear about and think to yourself for a moment...I should try that. But right now I'm in love with my new growth and definition, fullness, and healthy-ness of it...I'm sticking with this!

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Yaay sdlovette!!! Stick with it girl, we've all got your back and like my grandma used to say: if it sounds to good to be true, it will come back to lick you in the backside... so be weary.

I tried it and it broke my hair OFF! I had to start my natural all over again. Now I got some funky texture inmy head. TIGHT S curls on the ends going up about 7 inches, then straight patches about 4 inches long and then my new growth is thick and soft, WTH...

Maybe try a section, like the back of the head to see if it will work for you. I'm screaming bloody murder at those sites. I should have just left me hair alone and tried to be more patient with it.

Really only tried it to loosen my curl pattern since nothing was working. ARGH! The frustration.

http://public.fotki.com/neptuniansoul/mar-2010/326/fro1.html[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]It can work. Be careful with twa length - if you texlax you could get straight pieces that stick out. I'd always end up bc'ing when that happened. Oddly enough, gentle relaxing is what helped me grow my hair out in the first place. A wrap with low manipulation - no wash and goes with tangles or constant styling of coils in twa length hair. Just a boring bob. After getting to shoulder length, I texlaxed from '06 to this past Dec. and stumbled on the braidout. Now four months into virgin regrowth (fell in love with my roots again), I'm still loving *all* of my hair. Get some straight pieces between the two textures sometimes, that gets on my nerves, but other than that it's all good. Over 20 years of transitions, I've learned that it's not gentle relaxers that destroy my hair, but over-relaxing, super relaxers, permanent color, and/or over-manipulation that do my hair in. Learn what *your* hair does under different circumstances, and do what works for you. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]