15 Weeks Post Relaxer Was A Tangled Mess

(In a movie trailer voice) It was a wash day that didn't go as planned. It was a wash day where things weren't as they seemed. What was the outcome?

This was my last wash day before my relaxer touch-up. Outside of some minor breakage and dry ends I haven't run into major issues. Naive me I thought this would be an uneventful and good wash like my previous ones. I was wrong.

It all started with me postponing my wash by a day because I was tired on the day I planned to do it. I knew if I washed my hair when I was tired I wouldn't want to be bothered any more than halfway through, I'd take some shortcuts and would regret it. This turned out to be the best decision ever.

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Pre-poo

Did this with L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Ceramide Conditioner for about 30 minutes without heat. I also detangled as the conditioner provided decent slip.

Cleanse

It was time to clarify so I used SheaMoisture Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo. I mixed the shampoo with some water in an applicator bottle. I guess I put more in the bottle than I needed and I didn't want to waste it so I ended up washing my hair twice. This is probably where things have started to take a wrong turn. My hair felt stripped and drier than it usually does after shampooing.

Deep condition

Because I was clarifying and stripping some moisture from my hair, I wanted to add back moisture with Eden BodyWorks Jojoba Monoi Deep Conditioner. I sat with it on my hair for a little over an hour without using heat.

Hair rinse

After I applied the dc I realized that I forgot to do my green tea/apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse. So I did it after rinsing out the dc. This was a mistake. While my scalp felt great, my hair felt didn't.

Drying

I did this by wearing a t-shirt for about an hour. Next, I applied the Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Leave-In Moisturizer followed by some grapeseed oil, and detangled again. I'm positive I fully detangled before I washed, so outside of the shampoo and green tea and apple cider vinegar rinse, I can't figure out where the tangles in my new growth came from. I spent about an hour slowly working out these tangles. Then I had to finish drying my hair.

Result

When I was done I was exhausted and done with my hair for the day. All I had the strength left to do was cross wrap my hair and go to bed.

When I woke up the next morning I thought the hair fairy had visited. My relaxed hair and new growth were tangle free, soft, moisturized, and shiny. Not a trace of the issues the night before to be seen.

I'll be protecting my ends for most of this week by wearing braided styles or buns.

How is your relaxer stretch going?