5 Tips Before Getting A Relaxer After Taking Down Braids

5 tips before getting  a relaxer

Having relaxed hair is not hard, but it definitely requires work and effort to take care of it and keep it healthy. Many women with relaxed hair ask how soon they can get a relaxer after taking braids down. I recently had braids and was taking them down right before my relaxer so I wanted to share five tips before getting a relaxer after taking braids down.

how to safely take your braids down before relaxing

1. Do not scratch-Scratching irritates the scalp and makes it more susceptible to burning.  Relaxers should not burn, as that indicates it is on the scalp. If that is the case, and you have scratched, it will feel like your scalp is on fire and you will have to have the relaxer rinsed out immediately! You do not want this so, if your scalp itches within one week of the time you are supposed to get your relaxer either rub or pat your scalp instead. My scalp always seems to itch like crazy right before relaxer day! So, while I had braids I oiled my scalp 3-5 times a week with the by L. Jones Silky Regrowth Oil. It has ten different oils in it that not only help with growth, but also with itching. I also used the Cooling Hair Mister Braid Spray EVERY.SINGLE.DAY! I actually used it 3-5 times daily. This spray helps a lot with itching and it also cools my scalp which helped tremendously.
2. Keep your scalp moisturized-Keeping your hair and scalp moisturized will help to reduce shedding and breakage when you take your hair down. I use the by L. Jones Leave-In Conditioner at least twice a week and when I took my braids down, I did not have half of the shedding that I should have had.
3. Do not brush-You may be wondering how you can brush your hair when you have braids, but this also includes using the small brush to apply edge control. Many women do this to keep their braids looking fresh. Brushing gives you the same results as scratching.  Do not brush your hair before getting a touch up.  A burning scalp can lead to chemical burn so don't do this at all!
4. Do not shampoo- Do not shampoo your hair if you are getting a relaxer within that week. When you shampoo you end up scratching your scalp as well.  This also includes if you have just taken down braids or a sew-in. Do not shampoo your hair first if you plan on getting a touch up. Simply take down and detangle well.
5. Do be sure to have two inches of new growth- Be sure you have at least two inches of new growth before getting a touch up. Overlapping will lead to breakage and damage so to avoid it, let your new growth measure out to at least two inches so your hairstylist will clearly be able to see whee the new growth starts and stops. By the time I took my braids down, I had about three full inches of new growth! It's been almost nine months since my last relaxer.

How long should I wait before I relax?

Before taking my braids down I made sure to base my scalp really well. I normally use the base that is sold with the relaxer system that I use but I did not have that at home so I simply used vaseline. It works exactly the same way. I also oiled my scalp one last time with the Silky Regrowth Oil.

How to prep the hair before relaxing

Once I took my hair completely down, I combed through it with a wide tooth comb from the root all the way to the ends to ensure I get all of the hair that shed. This is what I looked like after removing all of the braid hair. Lastly, I simply put my satin scarf back on until it was relaxer time.

detangle hair well before relaxing

Check out the video below to see how I detangled my hair.