Reader Question:
I get my hair relaxed, as i have afro hair and it was hard for me to handle thats why i had it relaxed in the first place when I was younger. I recently got my hair cut into a bob. Wrong choice as now my hair is breaking and one side is shorter then the other i really want my hair to grow but i dont want to cut it anymore, some people have said getting a weave could help growth but i don’t know! Help please!
Our Answer:
Hi ,
Thanks for contacting us. I’m sorry to hear about your hair breakage. Majority of the problems ladies experience with relaxed hair is breakage because of elasticity lost during the chemical treatment. For this what you need is constant moisture to the hair and by constant I mean daily. What you need to look for in a good moisturizer is something with a humectant (an ingredient that attracts moisture from the atmosphere) like glycerin or honey* but WITHOUT mineral oil*. Off hand I can suggest S Curl or Wave Noveau moisturizer as outstanding when it comes to keeping hair soft all day.
Remember also to leave texture in your hair when you next go in for a relaxer, do not relax bone straight as it is much more difficult to prevent breakage with bone straight hair than it is with hair that still has some elasticity left. Basically under-processing your hair intentionally which is called texlaxing. If your hair has terminal breakage now, good care of it will slow down the breakage but is unlikely to stop it all together. What it will do however is leave your hair on your head long enough to new hair to come through and if you treat your hair right from now on i.e. weekly deep conditioning*, protein treatments and daily moisture, you will start to see true length which will eventually give way to long hair with strength and elasticity.
Weave or any other protective style can only help as part of a healthy hair care regimen. After all there are plenty of ladies who wear weave through the year without much to show for it at the end. Any protective style works by limiting your access to your hair hence reducing manipulation. Learn how to take care of your hair first then use protective styles to compliment your regimen.
Good luck on your journey too long gorgeous hair!
