Why You Should Stretch Relaxed 4a Hair for 1 Year

Introduction

During my relaxed hair journey , I have discovered that my 4a hair is fragile and cannot be relaxed as often as other women. After researching online, I have found that most relaxed women stretch their relaxers only for up to 12 weeks. This is a massive no-no for me. If I were to relax as often as every 12 weeks, I would be bald.

So this blog post is for those who would like to stretch for a more extended time.

Personally for me, I can stretch my relaxer up to 1-year maximum. Anything after that will not work for me as I cannot handle the new growth I get.

Also, another note that I can stretch for so long is that I am texlaxed or texturized. Caring for 4a hair that is semi-relaxed. I accomplish this by diluting the relaxer with conditioner, splitting the conditioner to relaxer ratio by 50:50. My 4a hair loves it and flourishes when it is texlaxed. It is also still very thick and easier to manage.

In this blog post, I will go over some of the reasons why you should stretch your relaxer and how to care for hair in between relaxer stretches

Prevents Damage to the hair

I’m not sure about you, but if I were to relax my 4a hair texture every 8-12 weeks, I would have lost much hair. I learned this through trial and error a few years ago. I am not sure what the culprit was. However, after relaxing my 4a hair after waiting the typical 12 weeks, when I neutralized it, I had to sever breakage. So I had to start from scratch and cut my hair into a short bob.

I then vowed to figure out the cause of my hair loss and tried stretching my relaxers out. At first, I took a complete break from relaxers. I thought that relaxers were the main reason for my hair loss. However, after about a year, I returned to relaxing . Also I tried a mild texturizer after growing my hair past bra strap length.

I love the curls that the texturizer would give and vowed to relax my hair only when necessary. I believe that relaxing less often will prevent Damage to the hair. This is mainly because those harsh chemicals will not come in contact with the hair as often as they would if you were to relax more often.

Stretching my relaxer to the maximum length of time my hair can tolerate saves my hair. I aslo know that I am maximizing my hair’s potential and limits.

Encourages Hair Growth

While I have learned to extend my relaxers to prevent Damage to the hair, I have also learned that stretching my relaxers, is that it encourages hair growth. This is obvious that because there is a lesser amount, the hair comes in contact with the hair. Because the relaxer comes into contact with the hair less often, it prevents hair loss and encourages hair growth.

I relax my 4a hair once a year, and I believe you can too! The idea of stretching relaxed 4a hair may seem impossible, but if I can do it, so can you.

I am a true believer that if you leave your hair alone, it will reward you. However, this time the reward will be more growth.

Caring for Relaxed 4a Hair in Between Relaxer Stretches

Wash Hair at Least Once a Month

When I stretch my relaxer, I usually wear my 4a hair in a protective style such as cornrows, and cover it with a v-part wig. I love the look it gives, leaving a small portion of my hair near the v-section for a more natural look.

After wearing this protective style for around three weeks, I get ready to wash and deep condition my hair. This is also a process that I love because my 4a hair has grown at least ½ an inch, and I love to see it when I straighten out my hair freshly washed hair.

Use gentle shampoos on the hair, such as a good moisturizing shampoo, followed by a good quality deep conditioner.

It is also essential to deep condition your hair after leaving it in a protective style for weeks.

This will improve the hair’s overall condition and strengthen it back for heat styling.

Oil the scalp

Another tip I wanted to share to help you go for the long stretch is oiling your scalp daily. One of the reasons I wear a v-part wig is that I oil my 4a hair and scalp in between protective styling for one month.

I like this method because if I wear my natural 4a hair in a straight style, as soon as the hair oil touches my hair, it gets really greasy and cannot hold a style. Not to mention it also becomes very stiff and unappealing. So by wearing v-part wigs, I can cover my hair and not worry about the hair getting greasy and weighed down.

Oiling the scalp has many benefits, and in another blog post, I talk about how oiling my scalp with the recommended oils my 4a hair growth rate has doubled!

This is not a necessary step, but if you’re in the mood to oil your scalp daily, I recommend it to you.

Also, when I oil my scalp, I alternate the different types of oils on different days. For example, wild growth oil is one of the oils I use, and it is recommended only to use this three times per week.

On the days between, I will use two other oils, castor oil, and another oil blend. You can read more about them here.

Trim hair

This step is detrimental to maintaining healthy hair. It may slow down the amount of growth you typically get, but it is a crucial step in hair health.

Before I started to get more serious about my hair and the health of my 4a hair, I thought that trimming my hair was a massive no-no because I thought that it would shorten the length of my hair and prevent hair growth.

Little did I know that trimming can boost hair growth after watching several YouTube videos and following other women who have healthy hair and taking their advice on maintaining healthy hair.

So, I like to dust my 4a type hair ends after every wash, every three weeks. Then, I will do a significant trim when it is time for a relaxer. On a side note, I want to mention that I am now dusting my hair after trimming many of my bad ends. So, try to trim your hair at your discretion.

Other Tips To Help Stretch Relaxers

– Straighten roots and hair for a silk press after washing hair

– how to style 4a hair: Wear protective styles in between stretches

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog post on stretching relaxed 4a hair care! We went over some of the main benefits of relaxing less often and discussed how you could stretch your relaxer for up to one whole year instead of only every three months. I also discussed how relaxing less often can prevent hair loss and Damage.

I also discussed various ways to care for your relaxed 4a hair in between relaxer stretches. Such as washing and conditioning your hair once a month, oiling your scalp daily, and trimming the hair when needed. By implementing these steps, you can stretch your relaxed 4a and 4b hair for a more extended period.