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 that 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.

Related read: 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.

(This post contains affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission.)

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-ironed 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 up my scalp becomes agitated and doesn't make for a fun relaxer day.

2. Clarify

At least a week before my touch-up 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 ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo because it cleanses without drying out my hair. I only use this shampoo for my first lather, as my hair is never dirty enough to need to be deep cleaned twice in one wash day.

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. Restore moisture

After clarifying my hair, I want to make sure I add some moisture back to it. To do that, I do two things. The first is to use a moisturizing shampoo for my second lather. I'll use either the TGIN Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo or the Joico Moisture Recovery Shampoo. Both provide my hair with some deep moisture, or as deep as a shampoo can. 

The second thing I do is deep condition, which makes sure my hair is moisturized and has elasticity. This is a really important step if I use a clarifying shampoo. My top deep conditioner is the TGIN Miracle RepaiRx Deep Hydrating Hair Mask.

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. Back in the day, I would use the Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment, which is a hard and heavy protein treatment. Now I use the Aphogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor, which is a lighter treatment.

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

5. Protect

Leading up to my touch-up 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 up I base my scalp with a petroleum-based product like Vaseline, 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?