Relaxer Talk: Signs Its Time to End Your Stretch

Most of us start our relaxer stretches with the intention of stretching as long as possible; if we normally stretch to 12 weeks we may push for 14 or 16, but sometimes the deeper we are into our stretch the more difficult it is to tame our tresses. At the start of my relaxer stretch I intended to stretch for as long as 20 weeks, and even mapped out a plan to get there, but around week 15 I noticed the following changes not only with my hair but with the way I looked at myself that lead me to relax soon than planned:

Dry Hair

Because of the increased possibility of breakage when dealing with excessive new growth and relaxed ends I decided to leave my hair alone as much as possible. This lead to washing weekly instead of twice a week,which inevitably lead to dry hair even with daily moisturizing.

Increased Shedding

I am not entirely sure of the cause, but I noticed that if I extend my relaxer stretch past 12 weeks my hair begins to shed like crazy!

Go-to styles no longer look good

My go-to styles were flexi rod sets and buns created on hair that has been set on curlformers but after 10 weeks flexi rod sets no longer looked good due to the increased frizz and new growth, and by week 14 I was sick of looking at myself in a style-less bun.

The urge to cut

Around week 15 I found myself looking at pictures of Rhianna with short hair and thinking of how cute I would look with a similar cut. I imagined shorter wash days and being free of buns and constantly looking good because my hair was cut into a style rather than hanging down my back like a cape.


I ended my relaxer stretch earlier than planned, deciding to relax at 16 weeks rather than 20 and once I saw how my hair had grown and flourished it was all worth it. I met my Fall length goal of MBL and I am excited to move towards WL. I plan to post about my relaxer experience in the next few weeks.

 

What are some signs its time to end your relaxer stretch?