Interview With Jeni 4a/b Relaxed From Just Grow Already

How did you first get involved in hair care?

I’d always been interested in hair on some level prior to starting on my healthy hair journey but my haircare obsession took off at the start of 2009. I’d accepted to be Maid of Honor for one of my closest friends and made up my mind that I wanted to wear my own hair for her wedding – I’d always worn weaves* and buns for weddings in the past. I hopped on Google, found hair boards and forums, and I was hooked.

What was your starting length, before you ever began a regimen?

I began with uneven, shoulder length hair.

Can I just say that your hair is gorgeous! I know that you recently started texlaxing your hair instead of relaxing bone straight. Why did you make that switch?

Thanks so much Alma!! It was a complete accident, haha. In April, 2011, I decided to self-relax my hair. It actually took me four months to realize that my texture wasn’t uniform. While moisturizing my hair one day, I noticed a wave pattern to my hair and after snapping a photo, discovered that I had about 2 inches of wavy texlaxed hair. I hadn’t even considered texlaxing my hair, but what’s meant to be will be apparently! I toyed around with the idea of transitioning to texlaxed for a few weeks but seeing how much thicker my texlaxed hair was compared to my bone straight hair was the deciding factor to keep texlaxing.

How would you describe your natural texture?

My nape is 4a and the rest of my hair is 4b, fine, but dense strands. Left undisturbed, my new growth forms coils (except at my nape, the hair there didn’t get the memo) that I can’t help but play in during my stretches.

What is your typical weekly regimen?

Each week, normally on the weekends, I start off by either doing a hot oil treatment (usually grapeseed* or safflower oil) or applying conditioner to my hair for a minimum of 30 minutes. Next I shampoo in four sections (I do one section at a time). I focus on shampooing my scalp with one hand while holding the length of my hair with the other to decrease tangles. After shampooing, I apply a smoothing conditioner for a few minutes to help smooth out

the texture and decrease tangles. My current (and fave) smoothing conditioner is Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment. Then I deep condition for a minimum of 30 minutes, either under my heating cap or steamer*. After I deep condition, I apply leave in conditioner*, serum, detangle using a wide tooth seamless comb*, and proceed to roller set or air dry my hair… but I predominately air dry now.

Do you take any hair vitamins*?

I do. I’m currently taking GNC Ultra Hair-Nourish.

On you blog you usually post updates of your hair after wash day straight after roller setting or air drying. How do you usually wear your hair for the remainder of the week?

I usually either have it out or in a bun (90% of the time it’s in a bun). I pretty much bun every day – even if I start out with my hair down, it’s always ends up in a bun.

So how often do you actually comb/brush your hair?

I only comb my hair on wash days, when I detangle (and roller set) and I don’t brush my hair. I don’t even own a brush, haha. When wearing my hair down, I cross wrap my hair at night and finger combing does the job when taking it down. Same goes for when I bun.

How often do you trim your hair?

I trim every touch up. I used to dust my ends halfway through a stretch, but honestly, after a while I forgot and now just hold off for my touch ups to trim.

You obviously don’t do the usual protective styling of weaves*, wigs* or braids. How do you make sure that your hair is protected from the elements or your hands?

Bunning, bunning, bunning haha. Wearing my hair down is a magnetic for my hands. If I notice I’m going a little overboard with the “hand-in-hair syndrome” I’ll put my hair up for a bit. I also like to do faux bobs as a protective style.

Which relaxer do you use and how long do you stretch between touch ups?

Organic Root Stimulator Relaxer, lye formula, normal strength. I stretch my relaxers for 10-12 weeks.

How do you get protein into your regimen? Do you do protein treatments or just use a protein conditioner every now and then?

I do protein treatments but not nearly as often as I used to and I contribute this to two things: (1) I use Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum during the week; (2) Constant use of ceramides, namely grapeseed oil since I seal every night with this oil. Now I thankfully only experience breakage if I’m running a comb through my hair (another reason why I don’t use a comb during the week) so only do a protein treatment midway through my relaxer stretch and when I’m doing my relaxer touch up (right after I rinse out the relaxer but before I neutralize).

Some ladies have a hard time figuring out if they should be worried about breakage or not. How much breakage do you get and how do you keep going in spite of it?

I don’t much get breakage now but I do believe some breakage is inevitable. Some days when I moisturize and seal I’ll break a few strands when I’m parting my hair. No reason to freak out, it just happens. There were times in the past when I experience a lot of breakage and wondered when it would end. It’s very discouraging seeing broken hair everywhere, being afraid to even touch your hair, but what made me keep going was the thought that if I do nothing, if I don’t fix it, it’s only going to get worse. So I hoped online and began researching what causes breakage, what makes hair susceptible to breakage and once I understood how hair works, I evaluated my own hair. It’s still how I approach it. If I notice I’m getting more breakage than normal, I know I have to fix it, I have to do something because the alternative just isn’t an option.

You are currently grazing waist length, kudos! Do you have a goal length and when do you hope to get there?

Thank you! My goal length is w/hip length, basically between waist and hip length. I hope to grow to hip length in 2013 and at the end of the year, cut my hair to w/hip length. So hopefully in roughly 14 months, I’ll have reached my goal! Whoop!

Have you ever had a setback?

I sure have! Between March, 2009 to December, 2010 my biggest reoccurring problem was long strand breakage. I just couldn’t figure out how to stop it at the time so a few months after every trim, my ends would look extremely thin and need another cut. My last battle with long strand breakage was in December, 2010. My ends were incredibly thin and at the end of the year, I had 2 inches cut off to give me fresh start. What has helped combat long strand breakage the most is keeping my new growth moisturized during my stretches. I can’t stress how much of a breakthrough discovering that dry new growth meant breakage at the line of demarcation was for me.

Now I know that a LOT of relaxed ladies have trouble growing their hair long. What would you say is the one thing has contributed to your success so far?

Keeping my hair moisturized. Some women thrive on protein, me, I focus on moisture. As I mentioned above, keeping my new growth moisturized prevents breakage at the line of demarcation. Likewise, keeping my ends moisturized, prevents them from breaking, the number one deterrent when retaining length.

Any favorite hair products?

Um, can I get away with saying all my staples are my favorites?