How to take care of relaxed hair

This picture was taken early 2014. My hair had been at this length for the longest time. A year later, I started my hair journey and never looked back.

Let me give you a bit of background about my hair. I have what we call “hard mashona”  type hair in Zimbabwe, which I believe to be type 4c . Its very tightly curled and gets very dry and unmanageable. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had relaxed hair . I guess it was so much easier for my mom that way. As I grew older, I continued to get it relaxed. The only problem is, I was not retaining length. My hair never grew beyond shoulder length. I think I had accepted it because they do say relaxed hair does not grow long! I had met a few people with long relaxed hair and I just thought they were the lucky few or they had good genes.

So early last year (2015) I started noticing that my hair was breaking a lot and it wasn’t as thick and as it was before and of course, it was not growing. I wanted long hair! but I did not want to transition to natural. I did my research. I found a lot of information online about taking care of relaxed hair. There are so many women out there in favor of relaxed hair. I commend all my natural sisters but it’s just not for me.  I decided to embark on a relaxed hair journey. I don’t have a goal length all I just want to see how long and healthy it can get. It’s been challenging. I don’t always keep up with my regime but I do try. I’ve definitely seen some good results so I’m not turning back!

Relaxed hair is more susceptible to breakage than natural hair. It’s weaker because of all the chemical processing, so it needs some extra tender love and care. Everyone’s hair grows, the reason why I was not be seeing much of a difference in the length of my relaxed hair is as it was growing, my ends were also breaking, so at the end of the day, I was not retaining length. So if you have relaxed hair and you’re wondering why you have not been noticing a difference in the length of your hair, or you’re suffering from hair breakage, or thinning hair, or you just want to take better care of your hair, this post is for you! Here are some of the things I’ve incorporated into my hair care regime:

I started my hair journey in 2015. Happy with my progress so far. But scared to get my ends trimmed.

1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize…
This is very important for both natural and relaxed hair. The drier your hair is, the more easily it will break and the greater the chances of getting split ends. Please note, a good moisturizer is one that has water/aqua as its first ingredient. If water is way down in the ingredient list, that product is probably not going to be good for your hair. I deep condition my hair once a week after shampooing. I use ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner. After deep conditioning, use a good leave in conditioner or moisturizer. I alternate between Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Hair Lotion  and the Elasta QP Moisturizer, Olive Oil/Mango Butter, applying it every day.

2. Seal in the moisture
After you moisturize, you need to seal in that moisture. Moisture = Water: Water evaporates, leaving your hair dry. To prevent that moisture leaving your hair, you need to seal it in. You can use oils such as Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil , Grape Seed Oil and Castor Oil. In addition to sealing the moisture they also make your hair stronger and healthier. When sealing your hair, try not to use too much, a little goes a long way. Too much oil will only weigh down your hair. Before I started my hair journey, I used to continuously oil my hair because I actually thought that by oiling I was also moisturizing. I was dead wrong! because oiling and moisturizing are two different things. Oils do not add moisture to your hair but they will seal in the moisturizer you apply to your hair. If you continuously oil your hair, without moisturizing first, the oil will create a barrier which prevents moisture from getting into your hair, leading to hair breakage.

3. Moisturize your ends
Your ends are the oldest part of your hair. They need some extra TLC! So when you moisturize and seal, don’t forget those ends. Put a little extra moisture and oil on them. Once you start taking care of your ends, your ends will be stronger, no breakage and you will definitely see a difference in the length of your hair. Moisturizing will also help prevent split ends. Split ends will continue to split along the length of your hair and when they finally break, longer strands of your hair will break. So try and get your ends trimmed. Not too often though, maybe twice or three times a year. As long as you moisturize and seal your ends, you won’t need to get them trimmed that often.

4. Keep your hair in protective styles
For example braids, cornrows, crochet braids, keeping your hair in a bun etc. Keeping my hair in protective styles has really worked for me. I credit crochet braids for my hair growth thus far. The two awesome things about them is I can easily do them myself!! and secondly,  because my hair is in cornrows, my ends are safely tucked away. I also find it so much easier to take care of my hair in crochet braids, compared to normal braids in singles. All I do is spray the cornrows with my DIY moisturizing hair spritz. With normal braids, I have to spray along of the length of the braid just so I can moisturize the whole length of my hair. It’s so easy to forget to take care of your hair when you have a protective style. Continue to moisturize and seal.  This will greatly reduce shedding.

5. Shampoo and condition your hair
Wash your hair regularly. Some people wash their hair once every week and some twice every month. It’s a personal thing but make sure you wash your hair on the regular. This helps remove any build up and anything that’s clogging your pores, your scalp can then breathe and your hair can grow. I use ORS Olive Oil Creamy Aloe Shampoo. Remember washing your hair does take away from your hair, so deep conditioning is a must afterwards to restore moisture.

6. Protein treatment
You should add protein to your hair care regimen once a month. The proteins fuse into your hair making it stronger and less susceptible to breakage. I’ve seen some people using eggs and mayonnaise as a DIY protein treatment. Be careful not to do this too much as the protein may actually cause your hair to become dry and brittle leading to breakage. You don’t want too much of a good thing! Your hair is already made of protein. As you’ve already seen, I’m very loyal to ORS products. I use their Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise Treatment, once a month. But when I don’t have this one on hand, I use Africa’s Best Organics Hair Mayonnaise, which is an inexpensive alternative, but equally as good.

7. Oil your scalp
Don’t forget your scalp when you take care of your hair. Oiling your scalp helps promote hair growth. Pure coconut oil and pure castor oil are great for your scalp and are known to promote hair growth. A little goes a long way. After you wash and condition your hair always follow that up with oiling your scalp. Also don’t forget to massage those oils into your scalp for a few minutes. This helps blood circulate to your scalp promoting hair growth.

8. Hot oil treatment
So as the name suggests, all you’re doing is applying oils to your hair, from the roots to the ends, then you apply heat to your hair. You can sit under a dryer or if you do not have a dryer and you’re doing this on your own you can actually warm up the oils first before you apply them. Then cover your hair using a plastic cap for up to an hour to let the oils penetrate your hair shaft. Afterwards, shampoo and condition your hair as normal. This will leave your hair feeling so soft. I always suggest using the organic versions of oils; almond oil, coconut oil, or olive oil, just to name a few. Make the best of whatever oil you have on hand. You can use just one oil or mix them together.

9. Use a wide tooth comb
So when you comb or detangle your hair, use a wide tooth comb. Fine tooth combs snag and break your hair. You can also just finger comb your hair, which works really well for those with natural hair. A small tip when detangling your hair: detangle from your ends and work your way down to your roots. Never detangle from roots to ends.

10. Avoid excessive heat
Try and reduce the number of times you flat iron or blow dry your hair as this can result in excessive heat damage. Your hair starts getting thinner and thinner and will eventually break. You can prevent this by flat ironing less often, maybe once a month: and also flat ironing at a lower heat setting. Also using a good heat protectant before flat ironing or blow drying will go a long way. I usually let my hair air dry say 3/4 of the way then blow dry. I have not used a flat iron in ages. Another way to avoid using heat styling products often is roller setting your hair or using Twist-flex Rods.

11. Use a satin/silk scarf
Wrap your hair with a Satin Scarf when you go to bed. Not covering your hair will cause it to rub against your pillowcase causing friction and snagging which leads to hair breakage. The satin is soft and will prevent this from happening. I wrap my head with a satin scarf then I cover that with a Satin Bonnet, which I flip inside out because it seems it’s only satin on the outside. Also if you do not cover your hair, a cotton pillowcase will suck all the moisture out of your hair. In addition to covering your hair with a satin scarf or bonnet, use a Satin Pillowcase. That way your head easily slides against the pillowcase without any friction and without any pulling or snagging of your hair.

12. Stretch your relaxer
This means increase the time between relaxers. The recommended time is three months. If you are able to go beyond please do. I try and get my relaxers done three times a year. It can be very difficult because my new growth becomes harder and harder to manage. I apply a moisturizing spritz to my growth and it seems to help soften my new growth. I also put my hair in protective styles while I stretch.

13. Drink lots of water and eat well
Everyone knows drinking water is good for you. It keeps your internal organs hydrated and working well. Drinking lots of water will moisturize your hair from the inside out. Keeping hydrated is essential during your hair journey. More importantly make sure you’re eating well, by eating lots of vegetables and protein rich foods. Taking vitamin supplements also helps promote healthy hair. I’ve been taking the Spring Valley – Hair, Skin & Nails, since last year (2015). I stopped for a while and started taking them again In February of this year (2016). I must say my growth last year was pretty good. I’m not sure if I should credit all this to the supplements but I’m sure they played a part. When taking vitamin supplements, make sure you’re drinking lots of water.

This may seem like a lot, but it’s really worth it. Relaxed hair CAN grow long and healthy.
Share your experiences with me. How do you take care of your relaxed hair? Are you on a hair journey or would you like to join me? Let’s do this ladies. Your hair is your crowning glory after all!