Thankfully, I've never gotten a relaxer burn or if I did it was only once and so tiny that I don't even remember. Unfortunately, there are tons of women out there that get relaxer burns every single time they relax. In my eyes that's completely unacceptable. A relaxer should only straighten your new growth not burn your scalp. Remember, a healthy scalp is essential for healthy hair growth, a consistently burned scalp is not a healthy one. There are a different reasons why a relaxer might burn your scalp, use these tips to make relaxer burns a thing of the past.
1. Relax only new growth - this seems like a no brainer to me, but unfortunately some people don't realize that a relaxer never belongs on the scalp. Relaxers should ONLY be applied to the new growth.
2. Scalp Irritation - If your scalp is irritated for any reason, do not relax! This includes but is not limited to scratching and rough combing. If you can't stop scratching your scalp, it's usually because your scalp is dirty or it can be caused by other things so if you have itching, start by washing your hair and try to find out the cause of the problem, until you know and the problem has been corrected do not relax.
3. Self Relaxing - Just because you read the directions included in the relaxer kit and watched someone else applying a relaxer you are not a pro and you should probably leave the relaxing to a professional. One of the most common causes of relaxer burns is leaving the product on too long, if you are doing your own relaxer you need to do it quickly, keep it off your scalp, keep it off you previously relaxed hair, and make sure you completely relax all your new growth. Self relaxing is trickier than it seems and even though I've done it myself with no problems I still prefer to leave that to the pros. If you must do it yourself at least have a someone who can help you, but remember you've been warned.
4. Skipping the base - A majority of drugstore kits contain a base like Vaseline to protect the scalp, the skin around your hairline, and the tops of your ears.... USE it! Don't skip this important step and don't let a professional skip this step either, insist that your scalp be based first.
5. Choose the correct strength - If you have fine hair, do not use a SUPER strength relaxer. In fact, I don't think anyone truly needs a super strength relaxer, it's overkill. Even the most kinkiest hair will be straightened with a regular strength relaxer it just depends on how you smooth it through. Start with the mildest relaxer you can find, and don't be tricked into thinking Children's Relaxers (ie Just for Me) are gentler than adult brands, it's just not true.
