Top 9 Challenges for Relaxed Hair Junkies and the Best Solutions

Posted by Alisha Lawson on July 15, 2018

Contents

Relaxing hair treatments are popular among women who have textured hair. The sleek and smooth appearance never fails to captivate everyone. While it is easier to manage relaxed hair, maintaining its sleek and smooth style is not so relaxing after all. You have to maintain the smooth texture of your hair while giving it body. Relaxing treatments can increase hair damage as well.

Nevertheless, these hair concerns should not keep you from going for relaxers every now and then. Here are the top 9 challenges for relaxed hair junkies and tips on how you can deal with them. These tips help protect the sleekness and smooth texture of relaxed hair. Enjoy a shiny and bouncy hair with these easy hair hacks.

Relaxed short bob

#1 Managing Root Growth

For relaxed hair, the number one concern is new root growth. It takes effort to maintain the sleek and smooth look of relaxed hair after relaxing treatments. New growth is not as smooth as relaxed hair, making it hard to comb through your locks. There is a part of your hair where new growth and relaxed tresses meet. This part of your hair is very brittle and prone to breakage. Combing or pulling hair can make the strands snap. Breakage can make relaxed hair dry, frizzy, and rough. It is important to keep this part of your hair tamed in order to protect the shine and texture of relaxed hair.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Try cowashing. Everyone knows that shampooing makes your hair dryer. Since new roots have more coils compared to relaxed hair, it is harder for the scalp to moisturize natural hair. Cowashing is the method of washing hair using a conditioner. This method ensures that your hair is hydrated and manageable. There is a small amount of surfactant in conditioners that help get rid of dirt and flakes from hair.

TIP 2: Pick a suitable hairstyle to camouflage new growth. Buns, braids, twist-outs, and cornrows are some great choices to hide new growth. These hairstyles make it easier to manage relaxed hair as well. Most of these hairstyles prevent the tips of your hair from becoming frizzy as they brush against your skin and clothes.

#2 Detangling Hair

You might think that detangling relaxed hair is easy due to its smooth and sleek appearance. However, dry hair becomes rough and harder to comb through. Without a proper hair care routine, relaxed hair can become frizzy and tangled. Hair tangles are very painful and they often lead to breakage. The more tangled your hair becomes, the harder it is to manage it.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Apply conditioner or oil five minutes before combing hair. This allows moisture to penetrate and coat the strands to reduce hair damage and breakage. Conditioners or carrier oils such as castor oil make it easier to detangle the roots and the rest of your hair too. They make hair smoother to make the comb slide easily through hair. You can use leave-in conditioners infused with oils to strengthen hair and avoid breakage as you comb it. Castor oil products are recommended for detangling hair.

TIP 2: Use a detangling spray mixed with a carrier oil. You can just use water or mix rosewater with a few tablespoons of argan oil. This mixture keeps your hair moisturized all throughout the day while gently detangling the tips of your tresses. A spritz or two is enough to release tension on tangles and knots. Comb your hair starting from the bottom and going upwards. This helps minimize the damage caused by combing.

#3 Strengthening Weak Hair

If relaxed hair becomes prone to breakage, it might be because of increased porosity and brittleness. Chemical treatments tend to do this to your hair. Chemicals applied to hair break the disulfide bonds to give your tresses a straight texture. However, this damages the natural barrier of hair and increases the porosity of hair strands. Without a proper hair care routine, your hair can become dry, rough, and weak. Weak hair falls and breaks easily.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Switch between moisture and protein conditioners. Hair shaft expands and contracts every time it gets wet and it gets dry. This ability of your hair is called hygral property. This shows how elastic your hair is. However, frequent expanding and contracting of the hair shaft can lead to hygral fatigue. This is a condition where your hair loses elasticity and proteins, making it more brittle and prone to breakage. A moisture conditioner ensures that your hair holds moisture all throughout the day. The protein conditioner replenishes lost nutrients to fortify hair and reduce breakage. Alternating between moisture and protein conditioner helps hair recover from hygral fatigue.

TIP 2: Deep condition hair every week. Deep conditioners do not only moisturize hair – they help replenish nutrients and other substances that your hair needs as well. Deep conditioners repair hair damage in order to make it more resilient against daily wear-and-tear.

#4 Getting Rid of Split Ends

If your hair becomes frayed at the tips, you need some serious hair treatment. Never underestimate the effects of split ends on your hair. Split ends are a sign that your hair is damaged. It opens up the shaft as well, which increases the chance of your hair becoming dry and brittle. Split ends happen when you use too much heat on hair. Heat can destroy the protein layers of hair, making it brittle and prone to breakage. The friction as the tips of your hair brush against your skin and clothes can increase split ends too.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Sleep on silk or satin sheets and pillowcases. Cotton, polyester, and nylon cause friction which can lift up the cuticles of relaxed hair. Friction is a common enemy of chemically-treated hair. They aggravate the cuticles and make hair frizzier. Meanwhile, a silk or satin sheet reduces the friction, allowing hair to rest. Now, you have a reason to get your hands on some luxurious sheets!

TIP 2: Apply heat protectant products before blow-drying hair. Blow drying hair or ironing relaxed hair can increase the risk of having split ends. A heat protectant formula or oil seals the cuticles to hair and moisturizes it to keep it smooth all day long.

#5 Air Drying Without Excessive Shedding

For relaxed hair, reducing the number of times that you expose it to heat helps prevent hair damage. Air drying might seem like a good idea until you brush your hair – several strands fall out, some short and some are long. The method of drying your hair makes a difference in its shine and volume. However, when you don’t air dry properly, it can make your hair break and fall. Rubbing your hair with a towel can increase frizziness and split ends. You should also dry 80% of your hair before you leave. Wet hair attracts dirt and toxins, which cling to the strands.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Dry hair with a microfiber towel. Using an ordinary towel on hair increases hair damage leading to breakage. Normal towels aggravate the cuticles and make hair frizzier. A microfiber towel helps reduce damage to hair when air drying. It is important to dry hair properly and thoroughly with a microfiber towel.

TIP 2: Apply oil to hair after showering. Hygral fatigue can be the reason why your hair falls or breaks easily. Air drying leaves your hair drier and frizzier than normal. Applying oil to hair when damp locks in the water to hair to prevent drying. It keeps hair volumized as well.

#6 Moisturizing Hair

Even when you relax your hair, there’s no guarantee that it will stay soft and smooth. Moisture is essential to keep hair healthy and strong. Relaxed hair may feel soft and smooth; however, this does not mean that it is moisturized. While using conditioners help make hair look smooth and shiny, it is not enough to moisturize relaxed hair. Relaxed hair treatments damage your hair and the cuticles. It dries faster due to the chemical treatment.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Try pre-shampoo conditioning. Pre-shampoo conditioning is the practice of applying a carrier oil or moisturizer to hair before you shower. Put it on 5-15 minutes before you shower to allow the moisture to absorb through the strands. This fortifies the natural barrier of hair strands to prevent the shampoo from removing the moisture of hair.

TIP 2: Use a rich moisturizer or conditioner. It is better to moisturize hair with powerful products than apply moisturizer several times. This prevents the loss of protein content. It improves the ability of hair to hold moisture as well. A rich moisturizer conditions hair far longer than a light formula.

#7 Building Body

There are many benefits to getting a relaxing treatment. It makes hair straight, smooth, and sleek. But there are downsides to relaxing hair. Loss of volume is a common concern for relaxed hair junkies. Relaxed hair can look flat and limp especially the first few weeks after the treatment. Applying mousse, hairspray, and gels to relaxed hair can make it dry and more brittle. They can also further damage the cuticles of hair by robbing it of moisture.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Get a haircut. Make sure that the haircut suits the shape of your face. The shape of your face can make your hair look too limp or too big. You can also opt for layers to create that volumized look. If relaxed hair looks lifeless, opt for a haircut that creates the illusion of body and bounce.

TIP 2: Tease the roots of your hair. This method gives your hair body easily. You can do this by taking a small section of the roots of your hair and combing it back and forth. Make sure it does not look too messy. You should also use oils or creams when you do this to make the roots of your hair more manageable. Only apply the oil to the roots and tips of your hair.

#8 Retaining Length

Relaxed hair will look longer because the strands are stretched. However, keep in mind that due to increased breakage and shedding, your hair will feel like it is not growing as much as you would want. Without a proper hair care routine, the new roots will grow curly, which is equal to hair growing a few centimeters a year. The length of relaxed hair may seem shorter as time passes after the treatment. This is because breakage at the tips of your hair is common. Excessive breakage leaves your hair noticeably shorter.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Monitor your hair ends and trim every week. Trimming might seem like a contradictory action when you’re trying to maintain the length of your hair. However, removing frayed ends save you the trouble of hair breakage. Split ends start from the tips of your hair and it crawls up through the hair shaft. You can prevent chipped and broken cuticles by trimming hair regularly. The trick is to use sharp scissors to get rid of split ends.

TIP 2: Make sure to stay consistent. This is important in keeping your hair healthy and smooth. Consistency means following a strict hair care routine to nourish and protect your hair. You should also remember your hair stylist’s reminder of when you should go back for another treatment. Stick to a schedule to prevent hair from snapping off at the point where relaxed hair and natural hair meets.

#9 Preventing Hair Breakage

Hair breakage prevents your hair from achieving its best form. If you feel like your hair is not growing at all – consider the chances that your hair is prone to breakage. Dry and brittle hair tends to lose volume and shine over time. Simple habits such as tying your hair or using a blow dryer can make your hair break. It is important to be careful when handling relaxed hair because it breaks easily. Even the products that you use can affect the strength and health of relaxed hair. Sulfate is a big no-no for relaxed tresses. It leaves your hair dry and rough. The same goes for equally harsh chemicals.

How to Deal With It

TIP 1: Use dry shampoo a few times in a week. Other than limiting the number of times you wash your hair, you can also use a dry shampoo instead. It removes the dirt, excess oil, and flakes on the scalp, without getting rid of necessary moisture. Dry shampoos leave your hair and scalp fresh and clean after!

TIP 2: Switch to nutrient and protein-rich hair products. Relaxed hair needs different products that restore its strength after the treatment. You might need to get rid of your entire collection of hair products in order to maintain your hair’s sleek and smooth appearance. Castor oil is a good source of nutrients and protein that strengthen hair. It fortifies your hair to reduce breakage while promoting growth of resilient strands. You can use shampoos and conditioners infused with castor oil to keep relaxed hair shiny and manageable. Get these products at great prices here.

Bonus Guide:

Fighting these relaxed hair challenges isn't always easy. But if you know the right products to choose and to avoid, you'll never be wrong. Here's a quick guide to help you find out which ingredients to avoid when looking at different products for your relaxed hair.

Worst Ingredients for Relaxed Hair

Achieve the sought-after smoothness of relaxed hair with suitable hair products. Remember that nourishment and moisture are the best friends of healthy hair. Jump through these hair hurdles with tips that ensure your hair stays lustrous even after relaxing hair treatments.

Hair Care

← Previous Next →