More and more women are trading relaxers for natural ringlets—but the in-between phase can take some work. A little background: There are three methods for permanently straightening or relaxing hair, and they all work by breaking the disulfide bonds in curls to smooth them into straight strands, says Boston cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer. The straighteners may be permanent, but new root growth disrupts the sleekness. The full grow-out process takes time (up to two years if you want hair to fall past the shoulders!), so you’ll have plenty of time to perfect your mediation skills.
Embrace the Flat Bottom
The lived-in wave (a curl toward the roots with boxier ends) is having a moment, so girls with a wavier curl pattern are in luck. To enhance your incoming curls, wrap sections of hair around a two-inch curling iron, leaving out three inches of your ends. Another pro trick? Book frequent trims and ask your stylist to texturize ends; it will soften the difference between the two textures, making the curly top and straight bottom more visually harmonious.
Get bigger, voluminous hair in seconds with this simple trick:
Go Deep
As your new hair grows in, don’t forget to give some TLC to the older strands, which can be weakened during the relaxing process, says Hammer. Once a week, apply an ultra-reparative, deep-conditioning treatment to the straight parts for 10 minutes to help heal damage, then rinse. Look for one with strengthening ingredients like vitamin B5, found in Pantene Gold Series Repairing Hair Mask ($11.50, amazon.com).
Source: Relaxed Hair Care Tips
General Health Magazine 