Now that I've had about a month to see how my hair has been doing, I thought this would actually be a better update. Instead of just sharing my salon results, I can also talk about how my hair has held up afterward, what products I've been using, and what I'm planning next.
Why I got my relaxer touch-up at 9 weeks
I normally stretch my relaxers anywhere from 10 to 12 weeks, but this time I scheduled my appointment at 9 weeks post-relaxer.The biggest reason was vacation.
I knew I didn't want to deal with another week or two of new growth while traveling, especially with spending time outside in the humidity and around the pool.
By the middle of my stretch, I actually thought I was farther along than I was because I had so much new growth.
I had been:
- Washing my hair once a week
- Balancing moisture and strength during every wash day
- Working out regularly
- Spending more time outdoors
- Taking my hair vitamins consistently
The biggest difference from previous stretches was probably my consistency with taking my hair vitamins. While it's impossible to say exactly what caused the increased new growth, that's one thing that had definitely changed.
Related read: What I Used On A Relaxer Touch-Up Prep Wash Day
How I prepared my hair before my relaxer appointment
The week before every relaxer touch-up is important for me because I want my hair to be in the best condition possible for the appointment. Here are some of the things I did.I made sure my hair was thoroughly detangled
I started with a pre-poo treatment, which made detangling much easier. This is something I highly recommend before a relaxer appointment.If your new growth is tangled or matted, it can make it harder for the relaxer to be applied evenly. On the other hand, you also don't want to aggressively detangle immediately before your appointment because irritating your scalp can increase the risk of scalp burns.
Years ago, I actually had a stylist point out that I came in with tangled new growth. Ever since then, I've made it a point to thoroughly detangle my hair during the wash day before my appointment.
I focused on moisture and strength
Normally I clarify my hair the week before a relaxer, but this time I skipped it because I was between clarifying shampoos and didn't want to experiment with a new one right before my appointment.Instead, I focused on moisture. My wash day included:
- A moisturizing shampoo
- A bond treatment
- A strengthening conditioner mixed into my moisturizing conditioner
- A moisturizing deep conditioner
- A moisturizing leave-in conditioner
My goal was to make sure my hair felt soft, smooth, and well-moisturized before getting a relaxer. Thankfully, it did exactly that. I share more about this wash day, including the results, in my video Relaxer Touch Up Prep Wash Day | First Use Of Garnier Sleek & Stay Serum.
My relaxer touch-up appointment
The appointment itself went well. The only unusual thing that happened was that my stylist actually ran out of relaxer during the service and had to mix a little more.That doesn't normally happen, so it probably confirmed what I had already suspected. I had more new growth than usual.
Once everything was finished, my hair looked sleek, healthy, and felt incredibly smooth.
How I protected my hair on vacation
Just a few days after my appointment, I headed out on vacation. I spent time outside in the sun, in humid weather, and around the pool (without submerging my hair).Since I knew my hair would be exposed to plenty of sunshine, I used the Pantene Sunkiss Glow Spray UV Hair Protection Leave-In Spray before heading outside. To use the Pantene Sunkiss spray, I would
- Put my hair into a high bun
- Lightly mist the spray over my hair and bun
- Head out for the day
One thing I noticed was that my hair actually felt softer after using it. I also didn't experience any noticeable dryness or frizz during the trip.
I packed everything I would need in case I decided to wash my hair while I was away, but thankfully it wasn't necessary.
The only heat styling I did was using my flat iron for one dressier evening.
My relaxed hair one month later
It's now been about a month since that touch-up, and my routine has mostly returned to normal.I've clarified my hair twice. The first clarification was right after getting home from vacation.
The second happened after spending quite a bit of time outside working in the yard and sweating. During that second wash day, I finally tried the L'Oréal EverPure Clarifying Shampoo <https://liketk.it/6ia7C> for the first time. So far, I've been happy with it and plan to continue testing it before sharing a full review.
One thing that has worked really well for my relaxed hair is continuing to balance moisture and strength every wash day. Several of my wash days have looked something like this:
- Moisturizing shampoo for the first lather
- Strengthening shampoo for the second lather
- Bond or protein treatment
- Moisturizing deep conditioner
This moisture and strength combination has been keeping my hair soft without feeling overly moisturized or weak.
As you can see, I’ve been using bond treatments more. That’s mostly because I've been trying to use up several bond treatments that have been sitting in my stash.
I’ve started to like bond treatments more than I had been. I think that’s because instead of using them as before shampooing (which is what the instructions say to do), I've been applying them after shampooing. This has worked a lot better for my hair, and I feel I’ve seen some positive results since using them this way.
The two bond treatments I’ve been rotating between are the L'Oréal EverPure Bond Repair Pre-Shampoo Treatment and the BondBar Bonding Pre-Shampoo Treatment.
What's next for my hair
Over the next few months, here are some things I’m planning to do with my relaxed hair:- Getting back to a longer relaxer stretch: Since I don't have any trips planned, I want to get back to my normal 10 to 12-week stretch between relaxer touch-ups
- Continuing UV protection: I'll keep reaching for the Pantene Sunkiss Glow Spray whenever I'm working in the yard, going for long walks, and spending extended time outdoors. It's become an easy step that gives me a little extra peace of mind when my hair will be exposed to the sun
- Using up my product stash: If you could see my linen closet lately, which is where I keep my hair products, you’d see I have plenty of hair products waiting to be used. Before I buy many new products, even favorites, I want to work through what I already own.
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