Getting Healthy Relaxed Hair
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Having healthy relaxed hair doesn't have to be a dream. In fact, it can be very simple. Even though your hair structure has been modified by the relaxer chemical, you can still have healthy hair and long relaxed hair! Provided that you learn how to properly care for your hair with careful washing and conditioning, low-heat drying and styling and, regular maintenance.
Achieve healthy relaxed hair by following the guidelines I learned being relaxed for about 18 years. |
Washing and Conditioning
You should try to wash
your hair every week. You can go two weeks but I wouldn't recommend
that as your regular schedule. It's important to keep your scalp clean.
Some black hair relaxers cause dry hair and dry scalp, which makes
washing and conditioning weekly even more important.
Be gentle when washing and conditioning. Remember to use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Deep conditioning every two weeks is an important element to achieving healthy relaxed hair.
Detangle your hair while it is soaking with conditioner with a wide-tooth comb. Keep your hair pinned up while you finish showering. When you deep condition, you should try to do it with heat.
Healthy relaxed hair also comes from using a protein conditioner to keep your hair strong. When you use a protein conditioner, follow it up with a moisturizing conditioner. While a protein conditioner strengthens, it may not moisturize. My favorite protein conditioner is ORS Hair Mayo.
When you're finished with your conditioning, you're ready to prepare your hair for drying.
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Click here to ask a question or make a comment about relaxed hair. |
Drying Relaxed Hair
There are 3 main things you can do to dry relaxed hair. You can air dry, blow dry, or roller set. Air drying is safest option to avoid heat. However, you may not get the styling options you're looking for.
So, the second best thing to do with relaxed hair is to roller set it. Click here to read my article on roller setting hair.
You can also choose to blow dry your hair though I don't recommend it as a first option.
No matter which method you decide on, you must first douse your hair with a moisturizing leave-in conditioner. I recommend using a liquid leave-in to keep your hair from being weighed down.
You can also use a very light oil in a light-handed fashion. This will help your hair dry smoothly and with abundant shine. Once your hair is dry, you are ready to style.
Styling
Relaxed hair has many, many styling options! Most of you choose to wear your hair in some type of straight fashion. Again, I recommend using a roller set to achieve a straight style with bounce and body.
You may also choose to flatiron your hair but I highly deter you from doing so…at least on a regular basis. Your hair has already been altered due to the relaxer, you don't want to alter it negatively from excessive heat. Here is an article on straightening black hair with a ceramic flat iron without the damage!
The next healthiest option would be to blow dry your hair on a low setting and curl it. Depending on how straight your hair has been relaxed, blow drying should get your hair pretty straight leaving you only needing to smooth it with a curling iron that's not too hot.
This is pretty much what I did when I had relaxed hair. Flat irons were not yet popular. My hair was relaxed and waist length! I am living proof that healthy relaxed hair can be achieved provided that you also follow a regular maintenance schedule! Here is another article on straightening hair using straightening products.
Relaxed Hair Care Maintenance
Before my hair waist length, a stylist told me that my hair could grow as long as I wanted as long as I took regular care of it. I took this advice to heart.
Guess what? As I mentioned earlier, my hair grew to my waist.
Relaxed hair care maintenance includes keeping your ends trimmed
regularly. Many of you may dread doing this thinking that your hair is
just getting shorter and shorter. But if you're doing all the right
things, you will only be keeping your hair in good shape. You'll have
long, HEALTHY hair with thick ends. Having long hair that only consists
of 30 strands is not the look we're after.
Want to know how to trim your own hair? Read how I do my own trims.
I'll give you some time, but gradually you need to get your bad ends trimmed off. Then, you need to get them trimmed regularly. I suggest getting them trimmed every time you get your relaxer touch up.
Your hair texture and type may dictate how often you receive relaxer touch-ups. Generally speaking, you should not get a relaxer touch-up any earlier than 6 weeks and in most cases, no later than 3 months. Click here to find out more information on how often you should relax your hair.
Do you find that you burn frequently when getting touch-ups? Here's an article on avoiding scalp burns from relaxers.
In my personal experience, I found that every 2 months worked well for me to get my touch up and trims.
You can adjust your trimming schedule to your needs but you should trim at least every 2 months - more if you're suffering from some damage that you need to get rid of.
Looking for more information on relaxers for black hair? Click here.
Night-time Maintenance
Having healthy relaxed hair requires that you take special care for bedtime. There are a ton of options to keep your hair healthy at night. Silk scarves, satin bonnets, and silk pillowcases are involved no matter what you choose.
You can roll your hair at night with satin-covered sponge rollers for a nice curl. You can wrap your hair for a straight look with a slight bend. You can pin-curl your hair. You can just simply pin it up if you're feeling lazy.
But before you do all that, make sure you detangle your hair with a wide-tooth comb and moisturize your ends. That's right, every night. Choose a very light moisturizer. You can even use a serum or jojoba oil. Neutrogena's Shine Serum works great on ends.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. Having healthy relaxed hair is in your future provided you really care about having long healthy hair and put some or all of these tips into action.
If you're considering switching from relaxed to natural hair, check out this article.
Here is another article on the Transition to Black Natural Hair.
Share Your Thoughts or Questions on Relaxed Hair
Here are some things to get your mind flowing:
Why do you love having relaxed hair? How long have you had relaxed hair? Have you ever been natural or considered being natural? What are some of your favorite products? What is your hair regimen?
Do you have a question? You can enter it here too and I will personally answer it!
You can also upload a picture!
What Other Relaxed Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Stretching between relaxing!!!
Hi,
I have very thick relaxed hair that is just above my shoulders. I've been relaxing my hair for about 11 years now and I treated my hair very badly ...
Conditioning Treatments After Relaxer
After relaxing my hair, should I do a protein or a deep conditioning treatment first?
Should I do it right after shampooing the relaxer out of my hair?...
Detangle with wide teeth combs. Hello, my hairdresser insists on using a very fine comb with tiny teeth on my hair when it is wet. She uses this comb on my wet hair to detangle it. However,...
Spoilt for choice
Hi Nina,
This is a great website with really helpful hints, so great effort!
With so many hair care products on the market all claiming to be the ...
Want to Go Back To Natural I have relocated to Arizona. The heat is murder on my hair and it is shedding miserably. I am currently using Aphogee products to help w/the damage, but ...
Hot Curling Relaxed Hair I have relaxed hair and I bought a hot curler for those special occasions I dont want to wear my hair straight. I know about the other methods of curling ...
I need help....LOL Recently I stopped wearing weaves and I decided to wear my hair. Before I decided to do that I would wear sew-ins all the time I would take one out and ...
Can u say humidity and frizziness? Hi Nina! I am fairly new to LHHA but I absolutely love this website. The tips are very helpful. One thing that I haven't seen on the website is how to ...
What else to to talk about, lets relax!!!! So the last time I relaxed my hair was in December of 2008. Of course that was not my last time getting a relaxer but I just wanted to take time to let ...
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