Relaxed Hair Tings

Pain is not normal. It should not be a characteristic of how you style your hair. This is the biggest lesson I learned. When I was still trying to find a good hairdresser this was one of the red flags I looked for. Some would say to just bear with it for a while, beauty is painful... No, it does not have to be. If a stylist took me seriously when I said my scalp is tingling already and made efforts to wrap up and get me rinsed out they got points from me. Usually stylists who insisted I wait longer were also the ones who did not listen to requests like not using  a rat tail comb to smooth the relaxer or detangle. My hair needs a lot of patience a lot of the time. While it is thick and very coily and can handle extra strength relaxer, my scalp is not made of steel.  I have already accepted the fact that my hair will never be relaxed bone straight. When people see my hair air dried they ask if I am going to relax my hair! I just smile. Now I am doing it all myself. I am happy to be able ...

After I do all my prep and relaxer is mixed, I set my timer for 15 minutes. It's time to start. I put on my gloves and press start. It's now a race against time to apply the relaxer and smooth my hair. I don't add anything to my relaxer besides the activator. I alternate the side I start applying relaxer on each time. I found It's easier for me to start from the back and work my way to the front. Having my hair already sectioned makes the whole process so much faster. I apply to my edges and nape after applying everywhere else and then I smooth in the relaxer using my hands. It is at this point as well that I remove the twists in my hair. Once my timer goes off, I head on to the sink and wash it out. I apply the neutralising shampoo that comes in the box and let it sit for 5minutes then I rinse it out. I repeat this step and rinse it out to make sure there is no more relaxer left in my hair. Next step is the conditioner. I also use the one that comes in the box. After a...

Relaxing your hair is a choice you make. Personally having relaxed hair is more manageable and fits with my lifestyle.  I mentioned previously that as your hair grows out you  would have to retouch the new growth if you want to maintain the relaxed look. This step is also your choice. Some only get a retouch twice a year and that works for them.  I am still learning my hair and trying to find that sweet spot. You don't want to do it too often that your hair gets over processed. You also don't want to leave it too long that your hair is too hard to manage. Both lead to breakage.  While it is your choice when to retouch,  knowing your hair enough to tell that you've waited too long is important.  Knowing that you have enough new growth for the relaxer to be applied too is important.  There's no need to keep up with what other people are doing because everyone's hair is different. You can watch and learn from what they are doing and there's no need to jump on every...

A few thoughts on what a relaxer treatment is. I  am no professional just my experience.  A relaxer is a chemical treatment where relaxers reduce the curl by breaking down the hair strand and chemically altering the texture of your hair leaving a permanent effect on the hair.   Typically, the treatment does not straighten the hair completely. Rather, it softens very tight or kinky curls. Many find they still need to straighten their hair after having it relaxed if they want it to be completely straight. As your hair grows out you would need  a retouch to apply relaxer to the new growth. When to retouch varies for each person. Some over the counter straighteners can not be used on color treated hair. Personally it really makes my hair more manageable. Less tears and tangles. There are other kinds of hair treatments out there but this is more accessible to me. Have you tried other kinds of straightening treatments before?