Here it is at long last. My relaxer touch-up update. The plan was to do a video, but between a busy schedule and bad lighting, it hasn't happened. It may still though. We'll see.
Now to the update. I got my hair relaxed at
18 weeks post which was the longest stretch I've ever done. This was my second touch-up of the year. I was surprised at how few issues I experienced.
I stink at wrapping my hair the traditional way. I always have and it seems like I always will. I've watched several videos, read many posts, and have had stylists walk me through it multiple times. Despite all of that help, I can't get my hair to wrap smoothly or stay in place. So imagine my great joy when I discovered cross wrapping.
I came across cross wrapping by reading some other relaxed hair blogs. One of those bloggers also had trouble with doing a traditional wrap so she started cross wrapping. This got my attention because I could relate. Another blogger noticed her hair thinning on the side she wrapped her hair when using a traditional wrap. This made her switch to cross wrapping.
You're probably curious about
how my touch-up went, well my recap is coming but for now I've recapped my last couple of wash days. Being that I'm one week post these were the easiest wash days I've had in a while. Because I had
sweaty hair from working out, I've washed my hair twice since my touch-up.
I recently had my second relaxer touch-up of the year and over time I've discovered a touch-up is more involved than just the day of the touch-up. To help retain my hair's length and health there is some preparation that my hair needs several days before the touch-up.
I start my preparation about a week before my relaxer touch-up because some of what I do can cause slight irritation to my scalp. So I want to make sure my scalp has some time to recover before I get a touch-up lessening the chance of scalp burn and irritation from the relaxer. Keep reading to see my blueprint for preparing for my relaxer touch-ups.
Price
I purchased the
Ambi Even and Clear Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 for about $11+ tax in big box store. It can retail for about $13+ tax, but I was able to find and use a $2 off coupon. This moisturizer can also be found online, sometimes for a little bit less than in the store.
Description
"This advanced moisturizer goes beyond nourishing skin to help even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of skin discolorations. This lightweight moisturizer is enriched with Even Blend, a combination of natural soy and vitamins C and E. It also contains advanced sun protection to help protect your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays."
I made it! Without doing it on purpose I made to 18 post my last relaxer touch up. This is the longest I've stretched so I couldn't believe it at first and had to count the weeks a few times before it sunk in.
While outside of a few weeks this stretch has been pretty easy I've decided week 19 will be touch-up week. I've booked an appointment with a new stylist after doing some online research on her. I'll be posting an update on my relaxer touch-up.
This wash day was all about
prepping my hair for the touch-up. So I focused on clarifying, moisturizing, and strengthening with protein.
Ah, summer. With it comes multiple opportunities to spend time outside. Time at the beach either lounging on the sand or playing in the water.
Yes, relaxed ladies. I said playing in the water. Just because you're relaxed doesn't mean you can't get your hair wet.
I wash my hair once a week sometimes twice. I swim and even shower without using a shower cap. Nothing bad happens to my hair. In fact, water adds moisture to hair so water can be a good thing.
While water can add moisture to the hair, saltwater combined with the sun can wreak havoc. So a day at the beach could be a setback in your quest for healthy hair. Don't let it! Take action and do some prep for your hair before you head out into the sun and sand. Here are my key tips for prepping relaxed or natural hair for a day at the beach.