Two Easy Tips for Healthy Relaxed Hair

Relaxed hair, by its definition, undergoes controlled damage in order to straighten it, but maintaining this hair in a healthy fashion is possible with some simple steps. All hair should be pampered, but relaxed hair requires even more special treatment due to its processed nature. Here are 2 easy tips that will keep relaxed hair healthy.

#1. Don't over-process. If you relax your hair more often than every 8 weeks, most likely you are over-processing your hair. It is best to relax every eight to ten weeks; if you can go a little longer without experiencing breakage--go for it. Over-processing your hair will definitely result in damage and will ultimately lead to breakage, even with the best hair practices. You CAN have healthy hair with a relaxer but remember: ONE bad relaxer job can flush all of your hard work down the drain, so make sure that your relaxer is done by a trusted professional.

#2. Stay away from "no-lye" relaxers. No-lye is one of the biggest lies the beauty industry has perpetrated on their customers and clients. Many people may disagree with me on this one but I will stand by this. When I was perming my hair, I used both lye and so called "no-lye" relaxers. There was a tremendous, positive change in my hair when I switched from no-lye , back to lye. Please by all means…..RUN away from box kits!!!!! These relaxers are promoted as being less damaging. While it's true that all chemicals are damaging, the ingredients (hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide, and lithium hydroxide) found in "no-lye" relaxers will dry out the hair over time by leaving mineral deposits on each hair shaft. Those deposits make it more difficult to moisturize, which results in constant dryness, split ends and dull looking hair.

If relaxing is your choice, I suggest using lye relaxers. I have tried both lye and no-lye relaxers. The no-lye relaxer was fine at first, but over time, my hair became dull, brittle and dry.....resulting in breakage. The breakage occurs because no-lye relaxers DON'T allow the cuticle to lay flat, causing microscopic indentations (or "pits") in each hair; these pits are like tiny cups that hold the mineral deposits in the hair, no matter how well you rinse.

Lye relaxers allow the cuticle to lay flat, resulting in shinier hair without the mineral deposits.

So......if you absolutely feel as though you have to relax with a no-lye relaxer, please use a chelating shampoo after neutralizing. A chelating shampoo contains chelates. Chelates attach themselves to the mineral deposits left by no-lye relaxers, and remove them. Quantum makes an excellent chelating shampoo that will wash away minerals, chlorine and hard water deposits, and revitalize dull hair.

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