How to develop a hair care regimen for healthy relaxed hair |
In order to have healthy relaxed hair you must develop a hair care regimen. Relaxed hair can be healthy, thick, and grow long! Developing your own personal hair care regimen for your relaxed hair is an important step when you are on a journey to healthier relaxed hair. It basically outlines everything you do to your hair, lets you visualize what you are currently doing (or not doing), and allows you to make improvements in areas that need it. Everyone has a hair care regimen even though you may not realize it. Your everyday hair care routine is basically your regimen. If your regimen needs improving, and you would like help in doing so, I definitely have something that can help you!
I created The Healthy Relaxed Hair Journal, which will help any woman with relaxed to have a hair care routine that is customized for you to end up with healthy, growing, relaxed hair. It outlines the recommended times you should get a touch up, when you should and should not apply heat, and much more. In this journal, you will write down the hair care items that you are using, what you are doing to your hair at night, and when you get your touch ups. When you physically write down what you are doing to your hair, it allows you see areas that may need improvement. It is also what I personally use for my hair care routine.
Weekly Routine
I recommend shampooing your hair once per week. Shampooing your hair once every two weeks is also acceptable as well but once per week is what is preferred. This is because after one week your hair not only has product build up, but it also has an accumulation of oils that your scalp produces on its own. Also after one week, your scalp can start do flake and get dirty. Shampooing weekly can remedy all of that.
What I use: To make sure my hair is as clean as possible, I use by L. Jones Extreme Clean Shampoo. This shampoo gives the hair a squeaky clean feel and removes all dirt, oil, and product residue from the previous week. After that I follow up with the Extreme Moisture Shampoo which starts putting moisture back in the hair. Then I move on to the conditioner and use the Replenishing Conditioner. Next, I use the Leave-In Conditioner to help me detangle, moisturize, protect from any heat.
At that point, I style as usual.
Normally I don't add any more oil but if I do, I only add a dime sized amount of Silky Serum Oil. After that, I typically do not add any more oil since I add so much moisture in the shampoo and conditioning process.
Your hair care routine may vary depending on what your hair needs.
Nightly Routine
Every night, I wrap my hair with two, yes I said two, things. I use my silk wrap cap first, and lastly I apply my satin scarf on top of that. This is what works for me, because I found that only using a silk scarf alone did not get the job done. I would wake up and it would either by half way off my head or completely off, which defeated the purpose. The mesh wrap cap that you see in a lot of beauty supply stores covers basically from ear to ear and connects in the middle of my forehead. This still leaves the top of the head and the nape exposed. Leaving the nape exposed leaves the hair more prone to rubbing against the pillow and sheets while sleeping, which can result in the ends splitting and/or breaking while the rest of the hair is protected. The silk wrap cap is much wider and also longer, so it covers everything the mesh cap covers as well as the nape. The satin scarf then covers my entire head. I do moisturize and seal, but not nightly. My method of moisturizing and sealing does not weigh the hair down, check it out here.
Relaxer Touch-Ups
I recommend not getting more than three touch ups per year. That equals up to getting your relaxer once every four months. I typically get about 1-2 relaxers per year, which equals me getting them every six months, or every 24-26 weeks. The last time I got my relaxer was my longest stretch, which I got at around ten months due to I was wearing braids and did not see a point in getting a relaxer until after I got my braids out. I do not do my own relaxers, instead I have another stylist do it for me. I would recommend getting a protein treatment about two weeks before a relaxer if your hair is damaged or colored, to give your hair the added strength to ensure no breakage when you get your relaxer.
Work Out Routine
While working out, I wrap my hair. I work out in the evening, so I keep my hair wrapped until the next morning. If you work out in the morning, and sweat profusely in your head to where your hair is soaking wet when you're done, I suggest pulling your hair in a high ponytail and wrapping your edges down. This will allow your edges to remain straight. Then you can blow dry the rest of your hair and wrap. Otherwise, you will need to shampoo it multiple times a week, just be sure to use moisturizing shampoo and deep conditioner (this is a great one).
Once you get used to developing your hair care regimen for your relaxed hair, you will notice healthier hair. If you need a crash course about how to get your relaxed hair healthier, check this out, it will help.
Check out the video for this post below:
Hey, LaToya, I like your regimen; I do have most of the products you mentioned, I will try to do what you do.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips....
Thanks, glad I could help! I try to keep it real simple..
DeleteHi Latoya,
ReplyDeleteHas your regimen changed at all since this post last year? Do you deep condition as well?
Thanks!!