Over the years I’ve learned that it’s very important to refrain from frequently relaxing your new growth. Take it from me—overprocessing new growth every 6-8 weeks can lead to dry, thin, limp hair we don’t want.
I like to stretch my relaxer to 10-12 weeks because it gives my hair a break from the chemical processing, allowing my hair to increase in thickness and strength. The importance of stretching is to allow your new growth to grow more than 1-inch so that it’s visible enough when applying the relaxer. The more new growth you see, the less likely you are to overlap previously relaxed hair.
Through the years I’ve discovered that bone straight relaxed hair lacks elasticity, making it easier to snap off and break. Within the first three months of stretching my relaxers, I noticed a huge increase in the thickness and strength of my hair. Seriously! My breakage decreased and my hair felt resilient to daily manipulation.
Stretching my relaxers is one of the best things I’ve done for my hair while on my hair journey. My hair thanks me for it, and your relaxed hair will too!
Valerie Bremang founded Hairlista Inc. Social Network in 2008 as a platform to educate, inform and encourage women that they can achieve healthy hair.