How I Prepare My Hair For A Relaxer 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.

10 Tips For Successful Relaxer Stretching

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.

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1. Detangle

Since I stretch my relaxers I tend to have several weeks of new growth which can mean some serious tangling. To start the detangling process I section my hair and slather my hair with a conditioner using as much as needed to get through the tangles. I then use my fingers to work through the tangles and finish up each section with a pass or two from my seamless wide-tooth comb.

Additionally, after fully drying my hair, I lightly flat iron my new growth. This makes it easier to finish detangling and keep my hair from tangling between my wash and touch-up. I've found that if I need to go through the detangling process a day or two before my touch up my scalp becomes agitated and doesn't make for a fun relaxer day.

2. Clarify

At least a week before my touch up I clarify my hair to start with a cleaner slate. Clarifying helps rid my hair and scalp of product buildup so the relaxer takes better. My current clarifying shampoo is the SheaMoisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo.

So my scalp isn't agitated during the time of my touch up I try to wash my hair no less than three to two days beforehand.

Related read: 7 Of The Best Tips For Shampooing Relaxed Hair

3. Deep condition

I deep condition to make sure my hair is moisturized and has elasticity. This happens either as a pre-poo for detangling or after clarifying.

4. Strengthen

I use some type of protein product whether it's a conditioner or treatment to amp up the protein in my hair since it loses some during the relaxer process.

Related read: Why You Should Infuse Protein Into Your Hair Regimen

5. Protect

Leading up to my touch up I avoid agitating my scalp. I do this by not scratching, rubbing, or touching my scalp. As mentioned earlier I also avoid detangling and washing my hair a few days before my touch-up.

The night before my touch up I base my scalp with a petroleum-based product which helps to protect it in case any relaxer gets on it.

On the day of my relaxer touch-up, I apply petroleum jelly or a non-penetrating natural oil to my relaxed strands to protect them from relaxer run-off. When the relaxer is rinsed from your hair it can touch the parts of your strands that are already relaxed causing the strands to weaken even more. I like to pay special attention to my ends because they are the oldest part of my hair and are most prone to damage.

How do you prep for your relaxer touch-ups?