Knowing that there's a high likelihood of heat usage on relaxer day and that I do my best to avoid heat tools, I'm often asked why I always flat iron my hair the week before my relaxer. As a fine haired lady, that much manipulation and back to back heat usage is a bit worrisome. Some might even say that I'm venturing into dangerous grounds by doing this. But I promise I have good reason for using double heat two weeks in a row.
Why Do You Flat Iron Right Before Your Relaxer?
Well first let me say that I stretch my relaxers for 13 to 15 weeks at a time which means that I always have at least an inch of new growth once relaxer day rolls around. Having that much new growth is always a struggle because it gets tangled before, during and after every wash day.
- Flat Ironing stretches my new growth so that there isn't a sharp contrast in textures at the line of demarcation. A smooth transition at the line of demarcation means that manual breakage isn't as big a fear during this week.
- Flat Ironing (and roller setting) requires that I thoroughly detangle my hair from root to tip, which makes keeping my hair relatively tangle free until relaxer day a lot easier. It also means that my shed hairs will have an easier time falling out of head instead of getting trapped and causing more tangles later on.
Having
stretched and
detangled roots on relaxer day, means that I won't be slowed down by tangles as I am applying the relaxer to my roots.
- Lastly, I can wear my hair down and I can give my edges a break.
I spend the last few weeks of each stretch brushing and gel-ing down my edges into smooth buns and ponytails. A curly roller set or flat ironed hair is easier to wear out and it allows my edges to be free.
But let me say this, I have heeded the warnings of my fellow healthy hair journeyers and for my last two relaxer prep wash days, I have been letting two weeks pass before I relaxing my hair. While I have done it back to back weeks without noticeable harm in the past, why push my luck. It doesn't hurt to wait an extra week and it probably is better for my hair in the long run.
