First of all the process of relaxing hair involved the
application of Chemicals (Relaxer) to your hair. This permanently relaxes the
hair and eliminates any form of curls or kinks. The common issues women with
relaxed hair face includes:
Brittle
hair, extremely dry hair, Extreme hair breakage, Unmanageable hair, Hair loss
and extremely frizzy hair.
So I have been
having lots and lots of problems with my relaxed hair. The damn thing has not added any more length
since I turned 16 and that’s a “loooooooong” time ago. I did a little research
on how to take care of my hair in its natural state and this is what I found.
Hope you find it useful.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR
HAIR
Caring for your hair is a process. It’s somewhat of a lifestyle
you have to adapt to. This process includes Cleansing, shampooing and styling
your relaxed hair.
CLEANSING: A lot
of us are used to washing our hair once a month or even longer for some. This
is not good for your hair.
You should
wash your hair 1 to 2 times a week. Though it is true that shampooing
frequently is not good for relaxed hair, the sulphates contained in them strips
your hair of its natural oil leaving it dry, dull and brittle. You can shampoo
your hair one a Month and CO-WASH 1 to 2 times a week. CO-WASH simply means
washing your hair without using shampoo, instead use just conditioner.
CONDITIONING: The
secret to healthy hair is to find the perfect balance between moisture and
protein in your hair. You will need leave in conditioners, regular
conditioners, deep conditioners and protein treatments.
·
Leave in conditioners should be used once a day
after you apply leave in conditioner to your relaxed hair, you can seal in the
moisture with an oil of your choice eg. Coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil,
castor oil, etc
·
Regular conditioners are the type you use to
Co-wash your hair with. Co washing helps to keep your hair moisturized.
·
Deep conditioners are more intense than regular
conditioners and should be used 1-2 times a month. You apply the deep
conditioner to your hair and cover with a shower cap and apply heat for at
least 20mins. Always remember to Wash
off conditioner with lukewarm water or cold water. This will help to close the
hair cuticles and lock in moisture.
·
Protein Treatments are very important when it
comes to hair that has been chemically altered.
STYLING: While
Most of us like to style our hair using flat irons, thongs and other type
of heat styling tools, Fact is it causes even more damage to your hair. The
best way to care for relaxed hair is to leave it alone! You can do cold roller
setting to maintain your hair.
Hope most or you find this useful. In the next post, I will
be talking about some dos and don’ts for relaxed hair and how to grow relaxed
hair.
Stay fabulous my belles.
Love
Maureen.
PS don't forget to leave your questions and comments below. I'll be happy to answer them.
