I have been relaxing my hair for over 18 years and I have a full head of beautiful hair. It has not always been easy but I try really hard to keep it strong and healthy. Over the years I have learned so many tips and tricks to keep my hair looking it’s best. The most helpful out of all of these tips have been stretching my relaxers.

The first 13 years I did not stretch at all. Every 8 weeks, like clockwork I would get a relaxer. Even when I was away at college I would schedule trips home just to stay on my relaxer schedule. I only have gotten my hair relaxed but professionals. Thanks to my Mom’s foresight, I skipped the whole kitchen relaxer phase. This also a part of the reason why my hair has maintained length. Not that all professionals know what they are doing, but you should not be playing around with this chemicals on your own.

My real hair after I took my cornrows out.

Even though I deep conditioned and took care of my hair I did notice it started thinning once I was in graduate school. It was probably from stress but I need a strategy to keep my hair thick. This was back in 2012 which was the height of the “hair journey” era on YouTube. I learned about stretching from YouTube.

The idea of stretching comes from “stretching” the amount of time between each touch-up. Instead of the customary 6 to 8 weeks, waiting 10 to 12 weeks to get a relaxer. Now I personally don’t recommend randomly going from 6 weeks to 12 weeks or else your hair may freak out. They way I did it added an additional week each time. For example, my first stretch was 9 weeks then 10 weeks. Now I stretch my touch ups for 12 weeks.

So why should you stretch? The first major benefit is the increase in the thickness of your hair. Your hair will be become noticeable thicker after stretch your relaxer twice. Another benefit of stretching is less relaxer overlap. Since you will have more new growth, less of your hair will be re-relaxed. It’s vital to keep your hair moisture during this process so you should be adding moisturizer to your hair every other day. Overall, your hair will be healthier.

With the good comes some bad. Once you reach that 9-week mark you have what I like to call an “ugly phase”. Wearing sleek and flat hairstyles are out of the question. Instead, try to wear protective styles or styles with a lot of volume. Also, as you have more new growth it will take longer to style your hair. It helps to moisturize your hair at night. That way in the morning you can style it and go. The first time you stretch you may see more breakage and that is a sign your hair is dry. Using quality deep conditioners, hair lotions, and oils can combat that. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water too.