If you’ve had your hair chemically relaxed, you’ll now have straight and smooth hair. Your new hair has faced a traumatic process and may now need some extra attention to ensure the longevity of your new relaxed look. To keep your hair growing thick and healthy, be mindful of your aftercare, be cognizant of your diet, and make an effort to prevent future damage. Sometimes it is difficult to make time to actually take care of your relaxed hair. It involves a lot of effort and most of the time we just slap on a weave or wig and call it a day.
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you out if you are hair is damaged and you want to have good-looking hair, or if you have decided to take better care of your hair to be long and thick.
- Hair Caring
Her, you make sure your hair is moisturized every day.
The most concern after relaxing is the level of dryness in your hair often especially if you live in a dry climate. You will need to take steps to add extra moisture to your hair to prevent dryness and breakage. You can use Cantu Daily Moisturizer or the ORS Daily Moisturizer and use it to feed your hair to avoid brittle hair.
You can use shampoos that have humectants in them or incorporate glycerin and natural humectants into your routines such as honey, shea butter, and jojoba oil. Humectants are great as they draw moisture from the atmosphere into your hair. And also when buying shampoo choose the sulfate-free shampoo.
Another way you can keep your hair healthy and moisturized is by stepping up your water drinking game. This helps keep your skin and hair hydrated.
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- Take Care Of Your Scalp
Scalps are often a neglected area of the body. During relaxation, your scalp will be surrounded by smelly, harsh chemicals. Don’t forget to show it some love in order to promote healthy hair growth.
If you are experiencing redness or itchiness, don’t scratch. Try applying aloe vera to your scalp. Aloe is known for its cooling and de-itching properties. Simply rinse the gel from your hair after your scalp feels refreshed.
Give your scalp an oil massage. Use a gentle oil such as castor oil to gently massage your scalp. This will help open and relax pores and will be calming to your skin.
Using castor oil on your scalp is beneficial because it lubricates and conditions the scalp, helping prevent flakes and dry scalp without the use of harsh chemical shampoos. It also strengthens the roots of the hair and nourishes the hair shafts, promoting new hair growth and strengthening current hair.
Get extra moisturized by using a deep conditioning treatment or hair mask. You can try a do-it-yourself mask of coconut oil. Gently massage two tablespoons of body temperature coconut oil into your damaged hair and wash with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner afterward. If you can’t bear the oiliness in the daytime, try sleeping with the oil in and rinsing come morning.
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- You Can Have a Healthy Hair Diet
Hair is composed of proteins and consuming low amounts can cause dry, brittle hair, or hair loss. Increasing your intake will help restore damaged hair after the relaxing process. Most commonly, meat sources such as beef, pork, chicken, and seafood are used as a protein source but if you are not a meat fan you can increase your rate of dairy intake such as milk and yogurt, and cheese. also, you can take beans, peas, and peanuts for they are high protein sources.
Increase your iron intake. Low iron levels are linked to poor hair growth. Iron is required for your nutrient-rich blood to keep hair roots stimulated. Many vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and other leafy greens are high in iron.
Be cautious about what you’re eating your iron with. Iron uptake can be halted by calcium, so don’t expect broccoli with cheese sauce to be efficient for your iron levels. Try eating iron-source solos, such as spinach salad loaded with fruits and vegetables.
Get your vitamins C and E for they aid in the growth of beautiful hair. They also increase the strength of nails and encourage clear skin and strong bones.
Collagen is a major component in hair. Vitamin C aids in collagen production which means your hair will be smooth and strong when you get more vitamin C.Vitamin C is most commonly associated with oranges, but try snacking on kiwi, blueberries, or strawberries.
Vitamin E can be taken as an oral supplement or applied as liquid mineral oil. If you want to keep it natural and eat your vitamin E, the most efficient way to eat it is through nuts such as almonds, sunflower seeds, or peanuts.
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- Wearing Protective Hair Style
The best way to grow out your hair is to make sure your ends are protected 80% of the time. Your ends are the oldest and weakest part of your hair, and having them exposed is definitely leading them to breakage. Something as simple as your hair rubbing the collar of your shirt can cause extreme breakage and thin ends. You will notice that your ends will become ‘see through’ once you start experiencing breakage. And at this point, there is no turning back.
That being said, protective styles are your best friend, you can try buns or up-do’s as protective styles. Braids and weaves are also great protective styles as long as they are done well. However, make sure you don’t keep your braids/weave in for more than 3 months at a time.
When wearing a weave, keep your hair underneath well moisturized as well, and make sure the braids and weave sew-in aren’t done too tight in the first place. This way, when you take out your braids/weave, your hair will be as good as new.
After relaxing, it is best to not use heat styling of any kind on your hair. It will amplify the dryness and can cause a large amount of breakage.
After washing your hair and allowing it to air dry till damp, blow dry on the lowest heat setting. Dry for as short of time as possible to prevent excess damage.
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If you must speed up drying time, use a soft t-shirt to squeeze the moisture out of your hair. The t-shirt will be gentler and more absorbent than your rough towel.
Use a protectant spray if you must use heat tools. A heated spray contains proteins to coat the sheath of the hair and act as a buffer between your hair and heat tools.
Styles such as braids do not need heat and allow braids one day, and beautiful waves the next. This cuts down on shampooing amounts and allows your hair to regain strength after the first few days of your relaxation.
Satin-covered rollers are a no-heat option. The rollers will lower the amount of frizziness, and the satin will prevent rubbing and tangling.
Whenever using hair elastics, try to use no-damage bands. Many hair elastics are designed for less damage and ripping when used.
Pick up some fashion-friendly clips.
Get regular cuts and trims. Split ends are a part of life, no matter how well you care for your hair. After tough processing like relaxing, already-beat-up ends can be brutalized. Regularly trim your split ends to prevent the damage from traveling up into your hair.
A professional can spot hair damage you might not be able to. Keep a pro on speed dial and get your hair trimmed regularly. Don’t be afraid to ask your stylist for tips and suggestions. After all, they are there to help you.
Don’t pull or tug at your hair, especially while wet. Your hair is vulnerable when wet and can face excess breakage from pulling or combing too roughly.
Keep your hair close to you. Floating in the wind may look majestic, but it also increases dryness. Use a scarf or hat to tuck your hair away from exposure.
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- Deep Conditioning
Deep conditioning is great because it allows you to restore all the moisture and nutrients that have been lost. It also gives your hair that extra tender loving care it needs!
I like to mix oils like Coconut Oil, Shea Oil in with my deep conditioner for added moisture, and a deep condition also gets rid of that frizzy look that some relaxed hair tends to have.
Each strand of hair on your head has an outer layer called the cuticle layer. This layer protects the inner layer called the cortex. Deep conditioning your hair keeps your it’s cuticle layer flat and properly sealed which keeps your hair looking smooth and shiny.
Deep conditioning also locks moisture inside your hair strands, shields the hair from damage, and repairs whatever damage it has already sustained.
