Chemical straighteners are commonly used to permanently straighten wavy or tightly curled hair. These chemicals work by reducing the number of disulfide bonds in the hair, thus making curly hair straighter. Although chemical relaxers may improve the manageability of your hair, they can also cause damage over time. The good news is that regular moisturizing and gentle, protective hair handling can help keep relaxed hair healthy and strong.
Moisturize
Chemically relaxed hair tends to be dry and prone to breakage. According to the website Treasured Locks, saturating the hair with moisture on a regular basis will help prevent breakage and damage. Relaxed hair needs to be conditioned after being shampooed. For extra moisture, use an inexpensive conditioner in place of shampoo. The hair and scalp will be gently cleansed without the loss of natural hair oils. Vitamin E gel can be combined with coconut oil and applied to the ends of hair for longer-lasting moisture after conditioning.
Hair Care Techniques
Keeping relaxed hair healthy also depends on your hair care techniques. Handling the hair roughly or improperly is a sure way to damage relaxed hair. When detangling relaxed hair, use a wide-toothed comb to prevent ripping and snagging. Always gently comb the hair from the ends to the roots. The website Daily Glow cautions that you should never reapply chemical relaxers to hair that has been previously relaxed because this causes extreme dryness and breakage.
Protecting Hair
Relaxed hair is very susceptible to damage from daily wear and tear. Hair styles should not place unnecessary stress on the edges or ends of hair. Very small or tight braid styles can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia, and should therefore be avoided. Keep the ends of relaxed hair off of your shoulders to maintain their health. Keeping the ends intact also reduces the need for hair trims, unless you are actively maintaining a certain length. Between applications of chemical relaxers, keep new growth and previously relaxed ends in low maintenance styles like loose braids, twists or buns. This reduces the risk of hair breaking at the line of demarcation between normal and chemically altered hair. According to Treasured Locks, when you do relax your hair, do not over-process, or leave the relaxer in for too long, because the hair may end up irreparably damaged.
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