by Nadege Lewis

Created on: July 18, 2008   Last Updated: May 15, 2012

What more can a sister ask for than a head of shiny, bouncy, healthy hair? Oh, and did I mention healthy? The first thing you must understand if you want your relaxed tresses to thrive is that the relaxing process is extremely harsh on your hair. This means you have to take extra care of your hair if you want to combat the damaging effects of a relaxer. Here are five shalls and shall nots which will have your relaxed hair in a healthy state in no time.

Secret #1: Thou shall keep thy heat styling to a minimum
One major barrier to having healthy relaxed hair is heat. Anytime heat is used on anything, it completely removes all moisture. That means that when you use your curling or flat iron, you are robbing your hair of any valuable moisture that it has. Why spend so much money on moisturizing products only to have your styling tool undo any good that you get from that product? When dealing with relaxed hair you must opt for styling methods that avoid direct heat. Instead of blow-drying and flat ironing, try roller setting or airdrying. Your hair will thank you

Secret #2: Thou shall use protective styling
Heat is not the only culprit that keeps your relaxed hair from looking its best. Air is another factor in the health of your hair. That's right, I said air. Think about it, anytime you leave anything exposed to air for extended periods of time, dryness starts to occur. Think of corn on the cob. The strands within the husk remain soft and silky while the strands outside the husk are dried and crispy. What's the difference? The dried up strands are exposed to air. If you want your relaxed hair to retain moisture, use styles like buns, weave ponytails, and even braids to help keep your hair from constantly being exposed to drying air.

Secret #3: Thou shall buy quality products
Trying to keep your relaxed hair healthy can be quite confusing with all the thousands of hair care products to choose from. When selecting hair products, stay away from those which are loaded with mineral oil and petroleum. These products will likely do more harm to your hair than good. These ingredients actaully coat the cuticle layer. When the cuticle layer is sealed with such heavy products, any beneficial ingredients are unable to penetrate. If that occurs, your hair will not retain moisture. Make sure to review the list of ingrediants in your hair products to make sure you are getting the best product possible for your money.

Secret 4#: Thou shall use natural plant oils
I cannot stress enough

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