If you have natural hair, you may have considered getting a hair relaxer service at one point or another. The salon treatment can be incredibly useful for those looking to embrace straighter strands or streamline their haircare routines. However, the process—which involves the application of strong chemicals that break your hair’s bonds to smooth out kinks and coils—can be damaging. If you decide to relax your hair, having a proper aftercare routine is a must to help keep your strands looking (and feeling) as healthy as possible. Here, we’re outlining what to do—and what to avoid—after getting your hair relaxed. Plus, discover some of our favorite products for hydrating, nourishing, and strengthening chemically-treated natural hair.
1. Avoid Heat Styling Your Hair
The first thing you’ll want to do after getting your hair relaxed is retire your blow dryer and flat iron. While these styling aids can be helpful for achieving super-sleek strands, exposure to high heat can weaken your already damaged strands. Opt for heatless hairstyles (like space buns or bubble braids) when possible. If you must heat style your hair, be sure to prep your mane with a heat protectant to help mitigate damage. We love the Mizani Heatscreen Heat Protectant Spray, which helps protect against temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Good hair day by @lennygstyles.
2. Use Bond-Repairing Products
Chemical hair relaxers work by breaking down the hair bonds that give your strands their unique shape and structure. This allows your hair to be “molded” into a straighter shape but is also inherently damaging. Damaged bonds can contribute to a host of concerns, including breakage, fragility, dryness, and frizz. Using bond-repairing haircare products, like those in the Matrix Instacure Build-a-Bond collection, can help mitigate some of these concerns and promote healthier-looking hair. This four-piece system includes a sulfate-free shampoo, a nourishing conditioner, a liquid hair mask, and a leave-in balm. When used as a system, the collection helps repair damaged hair from the inside out, leaving the hair up to eight times stronger and 94% smoother. The conditioner and mask also help nourish the hair to promote soft, silky-feeling strands.
*System of Instacure Build-A-Bond Shampoo, Conditioner, Mask & Balm vs non-conditioning shampoo.
3. Embrace Your Natural Color
We know how exhilarating dyeing your hair can be, but it’s a habit best avoided when you have relaxed hair. Hair bleaches and dyes can damage your hair bonds—which, as we mentioned, are typically very fragile after a chemical relaxing service. Subjecting your hair to more chemical treatments may worsen existing damage or even lead to breakage.
Instead, rock your natural hue, use wash-out dyes, or tint your strands with a semi-permanent dye, as these tend to be gentler than permanent options.
4. Deep Condition Regularly
Hair relaxers can strip your strands of their natural oils, leaving your hair feeling dry, rough, and straw-like. To help replenish some of that lost moisture, we recommend incorporating a deep conditioner into your weekly routine. Look for one designed for chemically treated hair, such as the Mizani Strength Fusion Recover Mask. This innovative overnight hair mask helps target damage caused by chemical processing, including hair relaxer treatments. Use it weekly or as needed to help nourish your hair, fight frizz, and promote smoother, stronger strands. If you’re in need of more heavy-duty repair, reach for the Mizani Strength Fusion Intense Night-Time Treatment, which aims to dramatically strengthen and condition hair overnight.
Good hair day by @beigeandsimple.
5. Protect Your Hair at Night
It’s a good idea to protect your hair while you sleep, as tossing and turning can cause your strands to catch and snag, which may contribute to breakage and frizz. Before hitting the sheets, cover your hair with a silk or satin headwrap—these materials are slippery, so they’re less likely to snag on your hair as you’re getting comfy. For extra overnight care, apply an overnight hydrating serum, like the Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Hair Serum, to your mid-lengths and ends before wrapping your hair.
Next Up: What Is “Hair Pineappling”? Here’s What To Know About the Curl-Preserving Method
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