How to Relax Black Hair

How to Relax African American Hair

If you are thinking to relax your hair for the very first time, then it is advisable to seek professional help.  However, if you are convinced that you can do it yourself at home then make sure you do it right.  Relaxed hair done right looks great; relaxed hair done wrong can create havoc.

Discover the best product for your hair type.  Do some research first on what kind of hair you have and what is the best product for you.

Base the entire area of your scalp with Vaseline or any kind of petroleum jelly.  Better yet, use a protective cream.  Most chemical hair treatments are very harsh to the skin.  Your scalp is covered with a very thin layer of skin, it can burn easily

Before you apply the treatment, put on some rubber or plastic gloves. Usually the relaxer comes with a pair.

Read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.  Make sure you do not miss out on anything.

Part your hair into four sections with a rat-tailed comb.  Start from the middle top down and horizontally from ear to ear.

Apply the relaxer evenly to all partitions making sure that you cover the entire hair area.  Note: if this is just a re-touch, then apply the treatment to the new growth hair only.  You do not need to finish the whole bottle.  If there is some cream left, discard of it immediately.

The kit would also provide instructions on how long the process time would be.  It really would depend on the texture of your hair.  If you have extra fine hair, 15-20 minutes will be sufficient, 20-25 for normal hair, and 25 to 40 for coarse hair.

While waiting for the process to finish, gently smooth your hair with a comb, this will help the treatment out in straightening your hair

Shampoo and conditioner are also normally provided in the kit.  After the treatment process, rinse your hair with running cool water and shampoo.  Rinse off thoroughly and apply the conditioner evenly.  Leave this on for at least 15 minutes. Again, thoroughly rinse off and gently squeeze your hair dry with a towel.

Run your fingers through your hair to remove tangles before you comb it with a wide-tooth comb

Style as usual

Remember to follow each step carefully in the instructions.  If it is possible, ask a friend to help you out so you can thoroughly cover the entire hair area.  If you want to relax your hair again in the future, do it 8 to 10 weeks after this perm. Also, do not use any more chemical treatments to your hair like relaxers or dyes.  Excessive chemical treatments to your hair will undoubtedly cause major hair damage. Be sure to care for your relaxed hair by keeping the protein moisture balance. Enjoy your relaxed tresses!

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One Response to “How to Relax Black Hair”
  1. Amina says:

    Hi Lisa, thanks for the post!

    Remember readers, if it’s a “touch-up”, applying an oil to the length of the hair (avoiding the new growth) will keep you from over-processing the already relaxed hair.

    Also, I have very coarse hair and I never needed to leave a relaxer on for 25-40 minutes for it to take (neither had my stylists); that runs a high risk of over-processing the strands. I’d say that may be a bit misleading. If the texture of your hair requires a stronger treatment, you may want to go for a regular treatment instead of a mild relaxer (or use lye instead of no-lye), but I wouldn’t leave any relaxer on for longer than 15 minutes (and for me that included application time). Just my thoughts though…happy healthy hair growing!

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