How to Relax Afro Hair
Relaxing afro-like (extremely curly) hair in order to make it straight is part of the academia of several beauty schools. This is especially true in urban areas. Because of the diversity in the area, it’s important to understand how to deal with several types of hair. So, it’s important to understand how to transform curly hair into a variety of textures. In regards to afro-like hair, there are a few steps to follow in relaxing it in order to get the best results. These are steps that will relax it, but also preserve its health.
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Instructions
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Exam the hair and scalp. You need to check to things: health and general condition. If the hair is broken off and the scalp full of scratches, you don’t want to put a relaxer on it. This will lead to further damage including bald spots, blisters and scaring. So, you will need to offer the client an alternative to relaxing their hair. Be sure to explain that it’s for his or her own good.
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Select a relaxer that fit’s the hair type. Even if hair is extra curly, it can be fine. As a result, you don’t want to apply a relaxer to it that is for extra-thick hair. It will break it off. So select a relaxer that will straighten the client’s hair at the level of strength that is appropriate.
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Wrap a covering around the client’s clothing. This usually is some type of smock or plastic layer that you can easily use to cover the client’s clothing. Be sure to do this before you apply the relaxer. You don’t want to damage the client’s clothes from relaxer that drops accidentally as you apply it.
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Apply Vaseline to your client’s scalp in order to protect it from burns. This area includes the entire scalp, hairline and ears. The chemicals in a relaxer are strong and can burn the skin easily. As a result, you want to add extra protection to it to thwart the effects of harsh chemicals.
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Part the hair into four sections. One part should go directly down the middle of the head. The other part should go straight down the middle from side to side. This will create four equal sections.
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Mix the relaxer. Get it prepped to be applied to the hair. The final product should be creamy and easy to manipulate.
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Set your timer. Most relaxers can only sit on hair for a few minutes. The maximum amount of time is normally 15 minutes and this is for really coarse hair. Keep this mind.
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Apply the relaxer with an application brush. You should apply the relaxer evenly and one section at a time. Since the hair you are doing is afro-like, you need to be sure the relaxer penetrates it, otherwise it won’t work.
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Smooth out each section of hair. With your hands covered with gloves, smooth out the hair. It is the smoothing part that usually helps straighten the hair the most. Work fast. Remember, you have a time limit you are following.
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Rinse the relaxer out of the hair. You should rinse the hair after it is sufficiently straight within the set time limit. Make sure you use a lot of water pressure because it will further straighten the hair. Then, wash and condition it.
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Dry and style the hair. You will know that you did a good job because of the lack of curl in the hair, so towel dry it and style as usual.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask your client about their hair history. You should know if they've dyed their hair or applied some other type of chemical to it.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Jyn Meyer with Sxc.hu
