Hola chicas! Dr. Phoenyx here and today we’re going to be chatting a little about similarities and differences in caring for relaxed vs. natural hair. Now contrary to popular belief, “caring” for relaxed hair is not that drastically different than caring for natural hair. And I can say this from personal experience. I’m a natural haired woman, and have been for over 6 years. But there was also a time when I had relaxed hair. Yes, it’s true that my natural hair doesn’t exactly “behave” the same as my relaxed hair did. For example, my natural hair responds differently to things like styling products, heat, and even water. But in the general sense, whether I was working with relaxed or natural hair, I made sure to follow certain basic principles- especially since my ultimate goal was to have long, healthy hair.
What are those basic principles? Well they are, in my opinion, the five essential elements of any hair care regimen- relaxed or natural. They are: cleansing, daily moisturizing, regular deep conditioning, low manipulation/protective styling, and nightly hair wraps. Each step can be tweaked a bit, depending on whether hair is natural or relaxed. But overall, the principles are the same. So if your goal is to have long, healthy and full hair, you may want to check out these steps. And take note of the special suggestion depending on whether your hair is natural or relaxed.
Here are the Five Essentials of Relaxed and Natural Hair Care:
1. Cleansing
Cleanse your hair to remove things like product buildup, bacteria, dead cells, and other contaminants that can clog pores, hair follicles, and stunt your hair growth. Cleanse regularly (i.e. at least once a week) and with a product that’s formulated for your hair needs. There are many excellent shampoos/cleansers to choose from so take your pick. And when you do, here are a few suggestions:
Relaxed Hair: Relaxers drastically dry and alter the pH of your hair. So look for shampoos/cleansers that are specifically designed for “dry/damaged hair,” “color treated hair,” and/or “chemically treated hair.” These products will have special moisturizing and pH balancing effects- which will be very beneficial for relaxed hair.
Natural Hair: If you’re going to wash your hair daily, then pay special attention to the shampoo you use. Regular shampoos contain sulfates- which are very drying. So for daily cleansing, switch to a sulfate free shampoo. And another option is to start co-washing your hair (i.e. washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo).
** Bonus tip- You can go even further with caring for your relaxed hair by also using sulfate-free shampoos and co-washing. This is something a lot of natural haired women do- but it also works great for relaxed hair too!
2. Daily Moisturizing
Moisturizing combats dryness and makes hair more “elastic.” Elasticity is important because it prevents things like hair breakage and damage from everyday styling. Unfortunately, Black hair tends to be least elastic and the driest of all hair types. Now that doesn’t mean our hair is bad. It just means our hair is different- and needs a certain level of TLC. 🙂 So it’s very important that we moisturize our hair daily- whether relaxed or natural. And when selecting a moisturizer, look for those that are “water-based.” Avoid those products with petroleum and mineral oil.
Relaxed Hair: Many relaxed hair women complain that using water-based moisturizers make their hair “frizzy” or less “sleek.” This is because water tends to make relaxed revert back to its curly or kinky state (Don’t you just hate when water and humidity mess up your nice straight ‘do?!). So to counteract this effect, just moisturize your hair at night before going to bed. Apply the moisturizer, set/wrap your hair, and allow it to dry overnight. This way you won’t have to worry about working with “wet” hair in the morning.
Natural Hair: Natural hair really gets to shine with water and water based products. So moisturize as often as you can (or need) during the day. I actually carry around a small spray bottle in my purse to mist my hair. And during these hot, dry summer days, I will actually spray my hair with moisturizer up to 3 times a day. It keeps my curls looking even hotter!
3. Deep Conditioning
Deep conditioning is important because it can significantly reverse the effects of daily styling and wear and tear. Now deep conditioning is different from regular conditioning because it involves using heat- which allows the conditioner to penetrate the hair shaft. So for deep conditioning relaxed and natural hair, make sure you have time (at least 25 minutes), a plastic shower cap, and a heat cap (or hair steamer). Deep conditioning should be done once a week (especially if your hair is relaxed) or it can be pushed to once every 2 weeks (if your hair is natural). And overall, there really isn’t a difference in what deep conditioning does to relaxed hair versus natural hair. The effect is the same and similar products/techniques can be used.
** Bonus tip: When deep conditioning, don’t skimp on the conditioner and make sure to really focus attention on your ends- the oldest and usually most damaged part of the hair.
4. Low Manipulation/Protective Styling
All hair goes through normal wear and tear. But the more you manipulate hair, the quicker it’s going to become damaged. This applies to both natural and relaxed hair. The less stress you put on hair by manipulating it with things like combing, brushing, and styling, the less likely it will become overly damaged. With relaxed and natural hair it’s best to use wide tooth combs and minimize brushing (brushing can actually lead to hair loss). And if you’re not aware of what protective styling is, it’s just simply when you don’t wear your hair out. Wearing your hair in a protective style means that the ends, the oldest part of the hair, are usually tucked away and protected from damages elements like weather and daily wear and tear. Below are a few protective styles you can try for relaxed versus natural hair. And feel free to mix and match. Bantu knots aren’t just for us natural ladies. Relaxed haired women can look just as hot with them too! 😉
Relaxed hair: Buns, ponytails, braids, weaves, wigs, etc…
Natural hair: Braids, two-strand kinky twists, braids, weaves, wigs, shrunken afros, etc…
5. Nightly Hair Wraps
And finally, let’s close with the biggie- wrapping your hair at night! As I wrote before, our hair (natural and relaxed) is the driest of most hair types and highly prone to damage. And one of the times our hair is most prone to damage is when we are rolling around in our sleep. The damage occurs because our pillowcases and linens (especially those cotton ones) literally suck moisture out of our hair. The linen fibers can also “catch” on our hair and cause breakage. So wrap your hair at night with a silk or satin scarf/cap. These types of wraps will help hold in hair’s moisture and are very effective at protecting your hair while you sleep- relaxed and natural.
And that’s all ladies! I hope this article was helpful. And if you want more hair articles/advice, you can find me on Facebook, my blog, and Twitter.
Have a happy hair day! 🙂 – Mauh!
Dr. Phoenyx Austin has been featured on numerous natural hair blogs and in print publications for her gorgeous natural hair. She is a lifestyle writer, media personality, and physician.
