Relaxer Stretching Benefits & my 16 week stretch

Hi ladies although I have been in protective styles ( braids & weaves) since starting my blog. I have relaxed hair underneath and have mentioned that I’m currently stretching my hair relaxer (16 weeks post). I realised however I haven’t fully explained or shared what relaxer stretching is about, why I’m doing it and the benefits of stretching for me.

My go to protective styles braids or weave

I am at the 16 week mark of my relaxer strectch now, yay I can’t believe it. It wasn't my first time stretching but it was the first time I stretched to 16 weeks. I usually do 12-13 weeks max. Most of my relaxer stretch I wore I wore protective styles (braids, net weave) to protect my hair. I took one week breaks in between styles to treat my hair and give my hairline a break.  So to those wondering what my stretching hair talk is all about here goes.

Here I was 14 weeks post stretch  the day I installing my weave 

                                                What is relaxer stretching all about?

Stretching your relaxer is simply extending the amount of time between how often you relax. Not relaxing for more than 8 weeks is considered stretching.  For example, rather than relaxing every 8 weeks, many ladies on healthy hair journeys stretch their relaxer touch ups to every 10 to 12 weeks, or longer.

 (Pic- Stretching me)

I am 16 weeks post my last relaxer this is the longest I have ever stretched and it was no joke and to be honest I am more than ready to end my relaxer stretch. Anything longer than this might be too long for me and my hair. I think 16 weeks might be my perfect cut off stretch time. If you’re wondering why I put myself and hair through this well there are benefits to this relaxer stretching thing.

                                                 Benefits of stretching your relaxer time   

1.It makes your hair grow faster- yes chemicals make your hair weaker. So for this reason it doesn’t allow your hair to grow as fast as it would if it wasn’t processed. This doesn’t make relaxers a bad thing it’s just learning how to use them to your hair health benefit     

2.The risk of drastically overlapping decreases. I personally hate it when my previously relaxed hair gets relaxed again. Stretching long helps makes the difference between new growth and previously relaxed hair more visible. Helps avoid over processing previously relaxed hair again. 

3. Your hair becomes healthier over time- a lot of women with relaxers get breakage and hair damage due to relaxing too often. I was one of these women hence I decided to stretch; my hair has been healthier and breaking much less.

Even though I managed 16 weeks which is 4 whole months, dealing with two textures can be difficult. And although stretching a relaxer has benefits and is healthy for your hair, stretching too long without proper care could cause your hair to break were the growth and previously relaxed meet (demarcation line). Here is a graphic to show you better.

The demarcation line get very fragile during a relaxer stretch.

                                                    Challenges of stretching your relaxer

1.       What I found most challenging was dealing with the two different hair types the longer my stretch. Managing new growth and relaxed hair at 8 weeks is a lot easier than managing my two textures at 14 weeks. Washing, conditioning takes longer and much more care and attention the further the stretch is.

2.       Shedding.  Some ladies who stretch their relaxer notice an increase in their hair shedding rates. However with the right care you can reduce shedding

3.       Breakage at line of demarcation.  The point where the relaxed hair and natural hair meets tends to be fragile and can break if not handled with care.

                                               Tips for first time stretching

If you’re not used to stretching your relaxer remember to start slowly and gradually increase your stretch period according to what your hair can tolerate. If you relax your hair every 8 weeks aim to start first by stretching to 10 weeks then maybe next time 12weeks and so on.

During this 16 week long relaxer stretch I did think about transitioning to natural. Only because my last salon visit was such a nightmare (inexperienced stylist burnt me) I'll save that for a whole other post. I know first hand that stretching can be a challenge ladies but I have seen real benefits for my hair health since I started.

So there you have it if there is anything that you want to know or share with me please just comment below. Have a healthy hair affair!