How to Relax Your Hair Yourself

Want the luxury of relaxed hair without having to pay expensive salon prices? Relaxing your own hair is cost-efficient and convenient. Not only can you do your hair in the comfort of your own home, you don't have to worry about spending lots of money to do it.

Things You'll Need

• Cape
• Petroleum jelly (Vaseline)
• Relaxer kit
• Latex gloves
• Relaxer brush
• Rat-tail comb

Instructions

1. Do not scratch, comb or brush your hair for 24 hours before you apply your own relaxer. Irritating the scalp will cause burning and scabbing when you apply the relaxer. This can be painful, so avoid this at all costs.

2. Clean and prepare the area where you plan to apply the relaxer. If you are applying it in the bathroom or kitchen, layer the area with towels so that there are minimal spills. Wear a cape to protect your clothes from the chemicals.

3. Cover your hairline and scalp with petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Place about 1/2 tbsp. Vaseline around the edges, base of the hairline and throughout the scalp. This protects the scalp from burning.

4. Part your hair in four sections. Put on the rubber gloves. Mix the relaxer cream with the activator. Stir thoroughly until the activator and cream are blended. It will take about a minute of mixing to get a blended consistency.

5. With a relaxer brush (this looks like a paint brush), apply the relaxer to the top and middle sections first. Be sure to use short strokes (like you are painting) on the roots only. Do not use the relaxer on the hair shaft. After putting relaxer on sections of the roots on top of the head, proceed to the back. Finally, put relaxer around the edges.

6. Comb through the roots of each section with a rat-tail comb to make sure that the relaxer is straightening each section. Continue to comb through and add relaxer to each section until it is straight. The time needed will depend on the texture of your hair. Course hair should be relaxed in about 20 minutes, while fine hair may only need 12 minutes to relax. Do not go over the specified time.

7. Rinse the relaxer cream thoroughly out of the hair with lukewarm water. Any relaxer left in the hair may cause the hair to become weak and break. Then, use a neutralizer shampoo to complete the process. Use a deep conditioner and then style as desired.

Tips & Warnings

• There are clear directions to follow on most relaxer kits.

• Wear protective latex gloves. You are using chemicals and you want to minimize any damage that they may cause to the skin by using gloves. Do not over-process the hair. Leaving the relaxer creme in for too long (or relaxing the hair too frequently) will damage the hair.