What is ' Stretching your relaxer'? What does it mean to ' Stretch your relaxers'?

What is stretching your relaxer? How can I stretch my relaxer? How long should I stretch my relaxer for? Are there any benefits to stretching your relaxer?

Relaxed / Flat-ironed 4C hair

Stretching your relaxer is a term used to describe pacing your relaxers further a part. Spacing the time you get a relaxer further from each other.

In other words, if you usually relax your hair every 6 weeks, stretching would be pushing this to 7 weeks or more.

Why should I stretch my relaxer?

• It will allow your hair to regain it's strength before getting another relaxer resulting in healthier hair. Stronger hair at the point of relaxing will mean less damage and breakage due to the strong chemicals./
• It will reduce the chance of overlapping. Overlapping a relaxer often results in over processing your older hair (the parts that have already been relaxed before) due to having them be relaxed again. This results in breakage. B y stretching your relaxer you have more growth so you can see the difference in the hair texture a bit better and apply relaxer to THE GROWTH ONLY a little easier.
• Your hair will be thicker due to the fact that it isn't being exposed to the relaxer chemicals that often. it has more time to recover.
• The above advantages or benefits of stretching all result in LONGER HAIR because you retain more and loose less.

How long should I stretch my relaxer for?

It's been said that the longer you go without a relaxer before relaxing your hair, the better. Some girls get a relaxer every 3 months, others every 4 months others only twice a year (every 6 months)!!!
You need to concentrate on your hair, your hair type / texture and what works best for you. Slight increases every time you get a relaxer usually work.
Usually relax your hair after 6 weeks? Go 8 weeks next time. And then 10 weeks. And then 12 etc. Don't try and go straight from 6 weeks to 20 weeks; for example.

IMPORTANT!!!

It is important to note that everybody's hair is different.

What works for one person may not work for the next.

Though majority of the girls I have researched with long beautiful hair have stretched their relaxers quite a bit, there are a few with healthy hair that have been getting their hair relaxed at between 2 and 3 months with success too. There are many determining factors when it comes to how far you should stretch your relaxer. As mentioned above, it is best to stretch as long as YOU CAN!! Not as long as someone else can!.

Your natural hair texture also plays a role in the amount of time you can stretch for. Take for example the fact some some girls have type 3a/b hair and other 4 a / b /c hair. The curl pattern is completely different. it may be easier to blend and manage 3a/b hair with your relaxed hair stretching your relaxers further a part then tighter coiled type 4b/c hair. The more hair growth you have and the thicker or kinkier your growth / natural hair is will make it harder to comb through or manipulate your hair. Combing through thicker hair growth, trying to blend it or get it into a hairstyle might be strenuous on your hair and break it right at the point where the new growth and the relaxed ends meet (line of demarcation).

My hair in braids as a protective style

TIP

If you'd like to stretch your relaxer for a bit longer without risking breakage at the line of demarcation, use protective styles for the last stretch!!! Keep your hair in braids or cornrows for the last couple of weeks if you can BUT remember to still care for your hair while protective styliong!!!!

Moisturize and seal even when in protective styling - don't neglect your hair at all or you could experience major breakage / damage.

Good luck!!