How to fixing your Relaxer damaged hair?

This blog post is about how to fix relaxer damaged hair

Have you noticed your hair thinning out and becoming weaker after getting the relaxer? Or do you notice scalp injuries after getting your hair relaxed?

Then your hair is most likely over processed from getting the relaxer and now you could be suffering from hair damage.

It is very easy to damage hair while getting the relaxer, especially if you’re doing it yourself at home and not a professional or if you’re doing it too frequently.

Lucky there’s always a solution, I have some tips that will help you rehabilitate your damaged hair and get it healthy again.

What is the relaxer?

The hair is made up of three major layers; the cuticle, the cortex and the medulla. 

The cuticle is the outermost layer and it it made up of scale like cells that regulate the moisture that is let into the hair.

The cortical cells make up the cortex and they are responsible for the color and shape of the hair. 

There are also protein molecules within these cortical cells that are held together by special bonds called disulfide bonds which which make the hair molecule curl into a different patterns.

The relaxer is a chemical that targets the cuticle layer by making the scaly cells rise so as to allow the chemicals get to the cortical layer where they break the disulfide bonds.

This results in the straight texture of relaxed hair.

Why get relaxed hair?

Hair relaxing has become very popular among individuals with very coily texture hair.

The resulting straighter textured hair requires less effort to manage and makes everyday styling much easier.

Relaxed hair is super versatile and easy to manipulate. So if you have thicker hair and you’re finding it difficult to manage you should definitely consider getting the relaxer.

Signs of relaxer damaged hair 

Scalp burns

The first sign usually noticed is scalp burns during and after the relaxer treatment . 

This could be due to the fact that your regrow isn’t long enough so the relaxer is comes in contact with the scalp or the relaxer was placed directly onto the scalp.

The harsh chemicals in the relaxers cause skin irritation that can even lead to injuries in severe cases.

Hair breakage

General relaxed hair requires a lot of moisture due to the drying agents that are presenting the relaxers.

Although, over processed hair is extremely dry, weak, brittle and prone to easy breakage. This is because the hair has been chemically fried.

Usually, the hair loss due to excessive breakage happens suddenly after getting the relaxer.

How do you repair your relaxer damaged hair?

Burning is an example of an irreversible reaction. This means when something burns it can’t go back to how it initially was.

You will grow new hair with its integrity intact. Although, the over processed parts of the hair are already compromised.

There are a few ways to avoid getting split ends and excessive breakage of damaged hair while trying to grow out your hair and retain your length.

Deep nourishing and moisturizing wash routine 

Ensure that your wash routine is centered on moisturizing your hair and nourishing your hair.

You don’t need a wash day routine that strips your hair of moisture because your hair barely has any.

Sulfate free hair shampoos and conditioner are the best kind of hair products for damaged relaxed hair.

You can even decide to skip the shampoo and just condition the hair if it feels extremely dehydrated.

Hydrating hair masks

Instead of a thinner consistency leave in conditioner I would highly recommend using a deep conditioning hair mask.

Hair masks are treatments that are applied to the hair before rinsing out after a period of time.

You can make these deep conditioning hair mask with household material and save yourself a whole lot of money.

Check out this blog posts to find DIY hair remedies for dry hair.

Protein treatments

The balance between the level of protein and moisture in your hair is an important concept in maintaining hair integrity.

Over processed relaxer damaged hair is usually deficient of proteins which are an important component of hair.

Protein moisture balance check: Stretch a few strands of your hair towards gravity.

If it bounces back up to its original length your protein moisture balance is normal. If it feels weak and lifeless you might have too much moisture. 

Lastly, If it stretches more than its original length and breaks you can either have too much or too little protein.

Avoid heat styling tools

Over processed hair have already lost their integrity due to the breakage of disulfide bonds, but excessive heat will also change the shape of the proteins molecules in the hair.

This will ultimately make the hair weaker and more prone to breakage. So if you want to damage your hair any further I would stay as far away from any heat as possible.

Avoid relaxing or chemically treating hair 

Do not to add on any more chemical treatments if hair is already relaxer damaged. This is because the hair is weak and will not be able to withstand it.

Avoid relaxing your hair or dying your hair until you have a considerable amount of new growth of at least 2-3 inches and the hair normally grows about half an inch per month.

So please wait at least four months before attempting to relaxing or dying your hair again.

Gradually trim off dead ends

Getting the big chop is not an easy decision to make. We all love our beautiful hair and even cutting just an inch of hair is emotional talk less of the entire thing.

That’s why I gave a bunch of tips on how to retain your hair length. 

As you grow new hair, you can trim off the dead hair and maintain your original hair length.

How to prevent relaxer damage?

Prevention hair damage is a lot easier than fixing it. Here are a few tips to prevent you from damaging your relaxed hair.

Always get your hair relaxed by a professional 

As much as I love to DIY, there are just some things that you need to consult a professional for. And relaxing your hair is one of them. 

The inability to see your own head properly already puts you at a disadvantage because you can end up applying relaxer directly onto your scalp or on already relaxed hair and cause damage.

Damaging your hair is not worth saving up on cash.

Don’t relax your hair too often

Like I said earlier you only grow half an inch of hair every month, you have no reason to relax your hair every few couple of weeks.

You will inevitably damage your hair. 

So it is important that you space out your relaxer appointments. If you must relax your hair do it at least three months apart.

Coat relaxed hair in coconut oil 

A great way to protect your already relaxed hair for coming into contact with relaxed is by coating it in coconut oil.

Coconut oil can easily lift up the scaly cells of the hair cuticle and fill up the spaces in the hair cortex to prevent relaxer from penetrating the hair follicle and damaging the hair.

Don’t exceed the time stated

You might be tempted to leave the relaxer in you hair past the stipulated time especially if you have thick hair but don’t do it.

The longer you leave the relaxer on the more damage it will cause and before you know it your hair starts to fall out in large chunks.

Once it starts to burn take it off

I’ve always been tender headed so growing up, whenever I got my hair relaxed I always made a scene because the relaxer would burn my scalp and there was no way I was just going to sit still.

But the hair stylist always ignored me and told me I had to wait till the time was up and I always ended up with scalp burns once I washed the relaxer out.

The possible reason why your scalp would burn is because relaxer is in contact with it and it is not supposed to be in contact with your scalp. 

This could be a sign that your regrowth isn’t long enough and possibly overlapping of your already relaxed hair with relaxer can happen and we’ve eat that this can cause hair damage.

Protect your hair perimeter 

In order to ensure that the relaxer is not in direct contact with the skin on your face and neck ensure that your hair perimeter is covered with a hair base to prevent any burns.

Your baby hairs are called baby hairs for a reason. They are more fragile than the rest of your hair so they will require a less amount of time for them to relax.

Keep this in mind when relaxing your hair.

• Wash your hair after one week of getting the relaxer

It is possible that not all the relaxer chemicals were washed out from your hair after relaxing it.

So it is important to go in for a secondary wash a week later to ensure that all the relaxer chemicals are washed out.

• Space out your chemical treatments

It is important not to overwhelm the hair with harsh chemicals too often to prevent hair damage and loss.

Wait at least two months before getting your hair dyed after getting the relaxer.

• Only use heat occasionally 

We’ve already discussed the risk of using heat too often on your hair so I would advise restricting the use of head to only on special occasions if you must.

Additional hair care tips for the perfect washday

These are my tips to achieving a stress free hair care and wash day.

Apply leave in conditioner to your dry hair evenly so it is soft and easy to comb through. 

Using a wide tooth comb, comb in about 6 sections from tip to root gently. This is to prevent minimum hair loss. 

Twist those 6 sections to prevent them from tangling up again.

Concentrate shampoo at the scalp and lightly scrub roots with the pad of your fingers (not your nails). 

Ensure that that you’re massaging the scalp properly to allow proper circulation that will promote hair growth.

Rinse off the shampoo and repeat the process 2 more times and rinse with lukewarm water.

Concentrate the conditioner at the tip and body of the hair. 

Go through each section of hair with a wide tooth comb and ensure that there are no tangles or knots.

Re-twist hair and leave the conditioner in for the required time period as directed by the product. Then rinse hair with lukewarm water.

Use a cotton T-shirt instead of a towel to dry hair to prevent excess friction that can cause hair damage.

Massage your scalp with your favorite hair growth stimulant oils and apply your hair butters and creams to hair and allow hair to air dry.

What to know before choosing a relaxer brand

Before choosing the right relaxer for you there are alot of things to consider so ensure you do thorough research before selecting the right brand.

Make sure the relaxer is cohesive with your other hair products to prevent adverse reaction.

Chemical hair straighteners from different brands have recently been put into the public spotlight after findings showed that recent use could cause uterine cancer and other issues. 

Many women use it without knowing the risks, and a study finds Black women may be more affected due to higher use. Read more.

Conclusion 

There is nothing good about having short damaged uneven hair.

Here are the tips and tricks to fixing relaxer damaged hair.

Have you tried anything else to fix your relaxer damaged hair?

How did it go?

Tell me all about it in the comments below!