Hair Care Regimen: Later weeks of a relaxer cycle

I am getting to the point in my relaxer cycle where it’s all about being creative when it comes to hairstyles, where the sight and feel of my scalp are distant memories, and I am counting down the days... and possibly weeks until my next touch up. It has been almost 6 weeks since my relaxer and this is usually when my hair starts to crave a slightly different regimen.

For the first weeks post relaxer, I use lighter conditioners like my beloved ORS Replenishing for my deep conditioning treatments as they give me great conditioning without weighing my hair down too much. However, as my new growth starts to kick into high gear, my hair craves more moisture. I am still sure to get some protein in as well; since the point where your new growth meets you previously relaxed hair (the line of demarcation) is the weakest point of the hair.

So, this is an example of what my reggie looks like in the last few weeks leading up to my relaxer:

Prepoo (15-20 mins with heat or 30-45 mins without heat)
Mizani Fufyl (this conditioner is a good mix of both moisture and protein- love multitaskers!) or Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner mixed with ¼ cup of EVOO or coconut oil (the oil helps to make detangling your new growth easier)

Wash
Keracare Hydrating Detangling

Deep Condition (15-20 mins with heat or 30-45 mins without heat)
Giovanni 50/50 Balancing Conditioner or Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner

Though I may normally be able to stretch washing my hair to every 5 days, during the later weeks of my relaxer my hair likes to be washed no later than every 4 days. If your hair still craves even more moisture, you can always add in a conditioner wash. I also like to do a light to moderate protein treatment with the Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor or Nexxus Keraphix every other week. I just apply it to my hair as a pre-shampoo treatment (prepoo). I find that doing these light protein treatments regularly eliminates the need for me to ever do a heavy duty treatment like the Nexxus Emergencee or Aphogee Two-Step Protein Treatment. I would just keep a close watch on your hair, though, as what is a light protein for me might be a heavy one for someone else and you don’t want to go overboard.

I have been relaxing my hair every 8 weeks but I’ll probably stretch that to every 10 weeks in the winter when hair generally grows more slowly. I more gauge on how much new growth I have; as long as I have a good inch of growth where you can easily see where the new growth ends and previously relaxed hair begins, I’m good to go as far as I’m concerned.

As far as hairstyling, I choose styles that allow to me to manipulate my hair as little as possible and allow my new growth to blend in better with my relaxed ends. So, braidouts, twistouts, and flexirod sets are my best friends. I continue to rollerset as well, but I just use smaller rollers so my hair will have more curl to it. This is the time where retention really becomes the name of the game because these weeks are primetime for increased shedding and breakage. So, I would recommend being extra gentle with your hair at this point and these styles are great for that. Also many of these styles also lend themselves very easily to air drying which is as gentle as you can get.

That’s all I have! Be sure to share your tips in the comments!

Hot Hair, Hot Body

One of the most frustrating things about beginning a new workout routine is trying to figure out what to do with your hair. You certainly don’t want give up your new healthier lifestyle but you don’t want to walk around looking a HAM either. So, what is a girl to do? Well, don’t put away those running sneakers just yet; your hairmakeuplove guru has a few quick tips just for you.


1) Align your workout routine and your hair routine- You probably already have set days for cardio and weight training with some days slated as high impact versus low. So, plan to do your high-impact cardio (your longer runs, kickboxing classes, etc.) before your wash days and save your lighter routines for just after your wash.

2) Bump up your shampoo frequency to at least every 3-4 days - It is very important for your overall hair health and appearance that you clean your hair and scalp frequently. Allowing the sweat to sit in your hair for an extended period of time can lead to dry, brittle hair and slow your hair growth by clogging your scalp. Frequent washing need not be drying to your hair either. On the contrary, it can actually improve the health of your hair by keeping your moisture levels high and keeping your scalp clean. Just be sure to take advantage of the increased chances to deep condition by doing so, with or without heat, at least once per week. If you find the frequent shampooing to be too much for your hair, you can just alternate with conditioner washes and use a cheap conditioner to cleanse your scalp instead. You will still get a clean, refreshed scalp and you hair will get an extra conditioning boost.

Even if you can’t manage shampooing this often, try to at least cleanse your scalp with a dry shampoo such as T3 Refresh Volumizing Dry Shampoo. Dove and Aveda also make great reviving mists to freshen up your hair those days in between your washes.

3) Go with the flow- Since the constant sweating will cause your hair to be a little more voluminous, shall we say, than usual, don’t fight it by going for super sleek, straight styles. Embrace styles with more texture, such as rollersets, braidouts, and flexirod sets. These styles can also be beneficial to your hair in the long run as they do not require the use of direct heat (as in blow dryers and flat irons).

4) Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! – There is no better excuse to explore hair accessories. Headbands, clips, and scarves can hide a multitude of sins. Just let your inner Carrie Bradshaw out and have fun!

5) Be a multi-tasking beauty! – Try deep conditioning your hair while you work out. Simply apply your favorite deep conditioner to your dry hair, pin your hair up in a loose bun, and get your workout on. The heat your body produces while you’re working out will actually help the conditioner penetrate your hair better. Then once your workout is done, rinse the conditioner out in the shower, and style.

Share your tips on keeping both your hair and your body bangin' in the comments!

40% Off Sale at Trade Secret and Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner Review (updated)

I went to the mall on Saturday with my husband, since he actually wanted to go shopping (minor miracle probably due to the fact that he wanted buy Rockband). So, while he indulged his obsession at Gamestop, I indulged mine at Trade Secret. I don't usually shop at this store, however, I was lured in by the word "clearance." Before I could even make it to the clearance rack, I saw that they had all of their liter sized shampoos and conditioners on sale for 40% off.

Even though I have my set regimen, I am still curious about a few products that I have always heard rave reviews about. Two of these products are the Joico Moisture Recovery condtioner and the Kenra Moisturizing conditioner. So, I picked up a liter of both of these conditioners, originally $29.95 and $30.00, respectively, for about $38.00 after tax. I can't resist a deal!

Since, today was wash day, I decided to try out the Joico. This conditioner is specifically designed for dry hair and contains Hydramine Sea Complex, Quadramine Complex and jojoba oil to provide the ultimate in moisture replenishment. It promises to leave dry hair revitalized, hydrated, smooth and manageable with increased elasticity.

My two cents:

My hair already felt wonderful after doing a pre-shampoo treatment with Mizani's Fufyl conditioner. I applied the Joico to my hair after rinsing and lightly towel blotting as usual. The smell is pleasant, nothing particularly outstanding or offensive. After deep conditioning my hair for 20 minutes under my hooded dryer, my hair felt wonderful. It felt really hydrated and my hair was extremely easy to detangle. I always use high quality products for my hair, so I wouldn't say this was an enlightening hair experience but it worked very well. The true test will be in the coming days. I will have to see how long this well moisturized feeling lasts before I fully give it my stamp of approval.

Either way, this sale is great opportunity to stock up on some staples or try something new.

Update:

Well, it's been a few days and this stuff is the truth! My hair is still incredibly soft and moisturized and I have only applied my moisturizer once since I washed my hair. Tomorrow is supposed to be wash day, but my hair feels so great I think I can go another day. Joico Moisture Recovery has officially achieved hairlove status.

Post-relaxer hair care regimen

I just got my hair relaxed on Saturday, so you know I am feeling myself right now a la gorgeous Gabrielle Union in this photo (well, at least in my own head). But then comes time for the often dreaded first wash. Will the same shine and "swang" I had after I left the salon still be there? Should I do anything special for this wash? Well, your hairmakeuplove guru has come to the rescue with my battle tested post relaxer hair care regimen.

You all know that with the added ease and versatility that relaxing our hair gives us comes the need for greater diligence in caring for our hair. In order for relaxers to “relax” our hair’s natural curl pattern, they must break the protein bonds in the hair. If you do not attempt to restore some of this lost protein, you will be left with weak, dry, brittle hair. In order to combat this problem, I have come up with a special wash regimen that I use for the first wash after my relaxer.

I normally wash my hair every 3-4 days depending on how it feels. I will do a pre-shampoo treatment (or prepoo… yes, I said poo), shampoo my hair, do a quick in shower conditioner, then deep condition my hair and set it. For the first wash after my relaxer, I do a pre-shampoo treatment with a mild protein based conditioner. Last night I used Aphogee’s 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor. This stuff is wonderful and restores some of the protein lost in the relaxer process while not leaving your hair hard, as some other protein conditioners can. I then wash my hair with a neutralizing shampoo to ensure that there is no residual relaxer still active on my hair. I follow that with a shampoo with a clarifying shampoo to remove any other buildup from the relaxer process. Since, the neutralizing and clarifying shampoos can be so harsh and strip your hair, I then use a moisturizing shampoo to restore some of the hair’s moisture. I like Nexxus Therappe and Keracare Hydrating Detangling shampoo. While I finish the rest of my shower I apply Nexxus Humectress to my hair for a quick in shower conditioning step. I know this process sounds long and possibly unnecessary but I have had great success using this method.

Now that I am a mere pruney shadow of my former self, I hop out of the shower and apply my deep conditioner. I like to use the Organic Root Stimulator Replenshing conditioner as my deep conditioner. (I just did a review on this conditioner.) I apply this to my hair in sections, cover my hair with a plastic cap and sit under my hair dryer for 20 minutes. If you do not have a hooded dryer, you can wrap your hair with a moist, hot towel prior to placing the plastic cap on your head and then let it sit for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Once, this is done, I rinse out the conditioner, apply my leave-ins and style.

For your hard work and dedication, you should be rewarded with soft, strong, and shiny hair and a new appreciation for your hair stylist. Oh, the things we do for beauty.