Question: Help! Underprocessed Hair!

Question:
My hairdresser would normally use optimum lye relaxer without basing my scalp, quickly apply the relaxer then leave it in my hair for 30 minutes, smooth the new growth then rinse with little to no problem.

I self relaxed 20th Aug after 8 weeks post relaxer with Silk elements lye relaxer in the brown container medium strength. I based my scalp with vasaline, followed the instructions. When I rinsed it out my hair it felt slighly underprocessed and when I did my first wash after a week my hair looked as though nothing was done.

What should I do?
How soon can I relax again?
Should I try super next time?
Should I return to Optimum?
After applying the relaxer should I leave it in for 30 minutes instead of 15 minutes as the instructions say?
I don't burn easily should I skip applying base?

My answer:
I'm so sorry to hear about your relaxer mishap. Self relaxing can be very tricky, especially for those doing it for the first time. You should have practiced applying a relaxer first by using conditioner instead of a real relaxer. And also timed yourself to see how fast and efficient you applied it.

It's hard for me to give you a diagnosis because I am not sure what exact cause contributed to your problem, but i did come up with 3 possible causes.

Your problem sounds like either 3 things:
1) You didn't smooth the relaxer well enough or
2) You didn't leave the relaxer in long enough for it to "take" or
3) The relaxer was not strong enough for your hair type

My solution to you is to get a corrective relaxer. A corrective relaxer fixes the problem by relaxing the new growth. I dont know too much about corrective relaxers because I never had to get one, but you can research it online to see how other ladies benefited from it. I would probably get it professionally done just in case something goes wrong again and damage occurs. I am not sure of your hair type, but im sure your stylist can tell you whether your hair needs a regular or super. I am not sure of Optimum because i have never used it. However, you can read the reviews about it online or test it out yourself. Do you remember how it made your hair look and feel? Also keep those in mind too. You should leave the relaxer in for no longer than 15 minutes. But if your hair is really coarse, maybe you should add 5 minutes. Always base your scalp. A relaxer is a caustic chemical and can irritate the skin very aggressively. Even if you dont burn easily, it's still a safety precaution because you never know.

I hope I helped you out in some way! Happy Hair Growing!