Can you flat iron your hair before a relaxer

You mean flat ironing your hair RIGHT before you put a relaxer in it???

How would you be able to differentiate btwn your new growth and previously relaxed hair?

Don't do it.

nay.. I don't think that is necessary....Just process your hair bone straight...

I really don't see how this would help. If you want your hair to be straighter, you will have to keep the relaxer on a little bit longer. Or you can do something like a BKT treatment after to get it bone straight if you don't feel comfortable leaving the relaxer on there too long.

I say nay. I don't think flatironing hair prior to relaxing it will give you better results. It may be more harmful.

I always washed and flat ironed mine about 4-5 days prior to getting a a relaxer(My scalp would burn if I wash any closer to the relaxer date). I would normally get relaxers every 3-4 months so I would have a lottttt of new growth. I did it in order for the stylist to be able to easily get through it. I went to a professional, so she never had a hard time figuring out where my NG ended and etc. I never had any overlap. I think the flat ironed NG still had a slight wave, so it is not like it was too hard to see. Since you're doing this at home(I assume) I wouldn't recommend it though. However, if you do flat iron it anyway, don't get it bone straight. That way you will be able to know what hair is NG...

I flat iron my new grotwh just enough for easy application of my relaxer

OP I see your rationale, but no, it won't make the relaxer work any faster because relaxer works by breaking the sulfur bonds in your hair and flat ironing doesn't permanently alter the structure of your hair. You're still gonna have the same number of sulfur bonds in your hair for the relaxer to break down whether you flat iron or not. I agree with the other ladies in that it will make it easier for you to part the hair, but might also confuse your fingers as to which hair is natural. The last thing you want to do is leave an inch of unrelaxed hair in the middle of a strand of relaxed hair. Sadly, you wont' find out it's unrelaxed until you wash your hair during the neutralizing step and that little inch shrinks amidst straight hair.

I flat iron my new grotwh just enough for easy application of my relaxer

Last Wednesday I relaxed my hair on the Sunday prior I had washed and flat iron. By the Tuesday my NG was thick. So I decided to flat iron the roots the night b4 the relaxer only so it would be easier for my HS to part my hair. I was over 4 months post relaxer. I couldn't take the chance of him ripping through my hair to part it.

Also no to flat ironing will make the relaxer take faster and yes you chance missing some new growth if it flat iron too straight. I did not put the flat iron to the highest temperature and could feel the waves on my NG growth. Can't wait for this Sunday to wash my hair. My hair is too bone straight. Ugh!