I just got my hair relaxer put in yesterday, so how long should I wait to wash it?

Question

Does it have to be a week? My first day of school is in 5 days and my hair is incredibly dry.

Answer 1

OK, I'll start over here.

I'm a black girl, 28 years old, and I have had a relaxer for the last ten years of my life.

Real relaxers that black people use (AKA your hair goes from India Arie  1970s afro to Queen Latifah's kinda-straight kinda-not hair) is a thick white cream that smells and burns.  If your scalp didn't become uncomfortably itchy, thats not what you got.  If your hair texture is more like Tia and Tamera Mowry, this stuff isn't generally for you-there are gentler solutions to use.  Fair warning, but people who do not have African-textured hair usually don't know how to do a relaxer.  Ethnic hair styling evidently is not taught in most traditional beauty schools.

This is how you get a relaxer:

1) Apply generous amounts of the white cream to your hair-your head should be almost COMPLETELY white after this.

2) Let sit for about 15 min-it will itch/burn.

3)Wash THOROUGHLY and dry immediately

4)Apply moisturizing cream-your hair really shouldn't need much more of this until you wash it next.

5)In the US, this typically costs anywhere between $60 and $80 dollars, with a free style and trim/cut if you want it.

After this, African-textured hair should only be washed once a week at the most because it naturally dries out instead of getting greasy.

I don't know without seeing your hair, but what it really sounds like to me is that this lady used a relaxer that was to harsh for your texture of hair.  If she used the heavy duty stuff, which I hope she didn't, I have no idea what that would do to Puerto Rican textured hair.  Matting is probable.  On African-American hair, the effects are irreversible, but maybe on your hair a licensed beautician can recommend something to help.

Hope that helps-if you have an African-American friend, I'll bet you that she or her mother can tell you just what happened.

Answer 2

More than likely your hair is dry because you used the wrong products on your hair. If you don't have ethnic hair, you shouldn't be using a relaxer.

Ok...so with that said, you can wash it in a couple days and make sure you use really good professional products when you do.

Hope that helps ya!

Answer 3

you wash it out like after a half hour, but you can try deep conditioner everyday and it should help alot.