Taking care of relaxed hair? Tips? How to grow them?

Tips on taking care of relaxed hair

1. Trim your hair regularly 

Your hair ends are the oldest as well as the most fragile and thus need proper care or else you will get split ends. In order to prevent this, make sure that you trim your hair at least once every two months or so.

2. Wash your hair properly:

  1. Wash your hair at least one to two times a week so as to prevent drying out and retain the moisture in your hair. Also make sure not to over wash as it will dry out your hair. So stay on the middle ground and don’t go to either extreme.
  2. Condition your hair properly after shampoo: As you know the hair relaxing involves chemicals and use of this will strip the hair of its natural oils which are responsible for moisturising the hair, so use moisturising or nourishing conditioner to maintain the moisture in your hair.

3. Try to either reduce or avoid heat styling

Try to avoid hair styles that involve the use of heating tools like straighteners or blow dryers. You can occasionally use them but if you can avoid it. Instead you can opt for other alternatives to heat styling like wrapping, satin covered rollers, and curl formers. Allow your hair to air dry instead of using a blow dryer to dry your hair. If possible try to avoid tight hair styles and those styles in which the end is curled, yet again you don’t have to completely avoid it but instead reduce it.

4. Use coconut oil 

Apply and massage a small amount of coconut oil into your scalp and apply it to the end of your hair as well. 

5. Hydrolyzed Proteins

Adding hydrolyzed proteins to your shampoo and conditioner. This is useful and helps your relaxed hair be healthy. These when added to your shampoos or conditioners will fill in damaged areas of the cuticle layer. 

6. Brush your hair carefully

While brushing try to use a wide tooth comb or you can use our god given fingers to comb and detangle your hair. Restrain from using a brush while the hair is wet. 

7. Hot oil Treatment

Jump on a weekly habit of hot oil treatment for the better condition of your hair. For this you can just warm up oils like olive, jojoba, coconut oil etc. Massage this gently into your scalp and leave it on for about half an hour and rinse it off. 

8. Ensure you get touch ups when it’s due

Get touch ups when it’s due. Do not wait till your hair is dry or damaged to get the touch ups. Some hairs may need re application of hair relaxers to keep them relaxed.

9. Be careful with what goes into your hair

  1. Do not use permanent hair dyes after relaxing your hair. If you can avoid dying your hair altogether then that is better. But if you can’t avoid it then opt for semi-permanent or temporary dyes.
  2.  If you are going to get your hair relaxed make sure to get one that suits your hair. Do not exchange the health of your hair for money by using cheap products. Your hair and you deserve the best.

10. Protect your hair while sleeping

Cover your hair with a silk scarf or sleeping cap to bed. This will avoid friction which in turn will prevent breakage.  

11. Love your proteins

Consume more protein for better care. Sometimes the things essential for your hair should be provided from inside.

What is relaxed hair?

Hair relaxers aka chemical straighteners, as the name suggests, are a hair treatment in which a chemical lotion or cream is used to straighten naturally curly or wavy hair.

The straight hair formed as a result of this chemical treatment is called relaxed hair.

The cream or lotion penetrates your hair cuticles and the cortex and breaks down bonds that make hair strand curly or wavy.

How do relaxers work?

The chemical relaxers (classified into Lye and no-Lye relaxers) break the disulphide bonds of the hair. In case you didn’t know, disulfide bonds in the hair are responsible for how curly your hair is.  This stage is called the reduction stage. After this stage comes the second stage which is the neutralisation stage, at this stage a neutralising agent is used to reclose the disulphide bonds into a new configuration. Afterwards the hair is rinsed using a shampoo and is positioned into the desired shape.

Even though you might want to touch up your hair from 8-10 weeks on average, you can consider your relaxed hair to be permanent because the only way to undo a relaxer is to cut it out.

Here is video about relaxed hair regimen.

Hair care products for relaxed hair

1. Avlon KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo  

  • Removes excess oil without over stripping.
  • Consists of natural botanical extracts.
  • It cleanses and moisturises and conditions your hair.
  • Suitable for relaxed, permed or colour treated hair.

2. Design Essentials Calm Soothing Scalp Protection       

  • It is formulated in a gel-like consistency.
  • It can be used as a base and can even protect the scalp from irritation as a result of chemical treatments on your hair.
  • According to a reviewer on Amazon this is great for sensitive scalps too.

3. Mizani Thermasmooth 33.8-ounce Shampoo & Conditioner Duo Set

  • It is creamy in texture and has a conditioning effect.
  • It cleanses the hair thoroughly
  • Features an advanced C3 smoothing complex that  deposits pure, nourishing coconut oil which helps moisturise as well as detangle your dry and brittle hair.
  • It softens and smooths the hair cuticle.
  • Inner cellular fortifying ceramide along with an advanced C3 smoothing complex will help preserve elasticity.
  • It also protects your hair from heat styling and chemical treatments.

4. Aphogee’s Deep Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner

  • Consist of extracts of the evening primrose.
  • The evening primrose extracts are rich in essential fatty acids and natural humectants.
  • Help maintain the moisture balance of your hair, which inturn helps your hair styles last longer.
  • They also help give elasticity to dry hair.

5. Avlon Keracare Humecto Creme Conditioner

  • A reviewer said that the product helped to make hair feel soft to touch.
  • The product has a great scent, says another interviewer who was not satisfied with the product’s conditioning effect.

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