Hair Products
7 Steps To Applying A Home Relaxer
By Marquetta Breslin
Jul 8, 2005 - 12:23:00 PM

If you're relaxing your hair at home, make sure you buy a relaxing kit which includes everything you need. Now, are you ready to relax? Here are the steps you should follow:

1) It's very important to wear gloves to protect your fingernails and skin from the relaxer's chemicals. Latex gloves work fine for this purpose, and can be purchased in any beauty supply store. This is one basic step you don't want to skip.

2) Apply basing cream to your scalp. The best way to do this is by parting the hair into 4 sections and apply the base around the front and sides of your hair line. Use extra basing cream on your ears and the nape of your neck.

3) Using a "rat tail" comb, part your hair at the nape of your neck on the right side.

4) Using the teeth of the comb, apply the relaxer to the unprocessed virgin hair at about 1/8th of an inch away from the scalp. Continue to repeat this until you have completed the entire right side, then do the same on the left side until completed. Next, apply relaxer to the unprocessed hair line.

5) Gently comb through the scalp using the "rat tail" comb where the processed hair begins. Comb as if you're trying to lift the hair and relaxer away from your scalp and don't smooth with your hands. Smoothing with hands will damage your scalp and cause unnecessary burning.

6) Don't wait until your scalp is burning! If your hair starts to burn, the relaxer must be removed immediately. Begin to wash the relaxer out of your hair as soon as you have checked each side (left and right), parting diagonally. When new growth is smooth, the relaxer is ready to be rinsed out immediately. Make sure to rinse out the relaxer thoroughly before shampooing.

7) Make sure to shampoo with neutralizing shampoo (this will be included in the kit). Be sure that you don't use leftover shampoo from around the house. "Regular" shampoos are not a neutralizing formula; they don't contain the appropriate chemicals and using them may make your hair come out. Lather up your scalp and hair thoroughly about 3 times. After the neutralizing shampoo has been rinsed out for the last time, towel dry your hair.



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