In this article
A hair relaxer is a chemical treatment that breaks down the natural curl pattern in your hair to make it straighter; permanently, at least for the parts it touches. People go for it for all sorts of reasons: easier detangling, sleeker styles, less shrinkage, or just to try something new.
Now, if you're thinking about relaxing your hair or already have, there's a lot more to it than just that first smooth moment. In this article, here is what happens before and after a relaxer. We’ll talk about the changes, the care, the little surprises, and the absolute must-do tips to keep your relaxed hair healthy, shiny, and strong.
What really happens when you relax your hair
The creamy chemical formula goes in and shifts the internal structure of the hair shaft. That’s why it stays straight. It's not like flat ironing where your curls come bouncing back after a wash. Once it's relaxed, it's relaxed. That section of hair won’t revert. No amount of water, prayer, or curly-girl method is going to bring those coils back. But only the hair that’s been treated is altered.
What people don’t always realize is how fragile relaxed hair becomes afterward. It might feel silky and strong on day one, but it’s gone through a transformation, and transformations come with stress. The hair has less elasticity, it’s more prone to dryness, and it can snap real fast if you’re not gentle.
Before and after: Realistic expectations
Before you relax your hair, it's easy to imagine your "after" will look like a commercial — bone-straight, shiny, flowing like water in slow motion. And sure, that can happen. But there’s a process your hair (and you) go through that doesn’t always get talked about. Texture, thickness, porosity, all of that plays into how your hair responds. Some people get pin-straight results, others still see a soft wave or puff at the roots.
|
Stage |
What you might expect |
What actually happens (Most times) |
|
Right after relaxing |
Bone-straight, shiny, zero frizz |
Straighter, but texture varies. Might still have puff at roots or slight wave |
|
First week |
Low maintenance, just wake up and go |
Needs TLC: moisturizing, wrapping at night, careful combing to avoid breakage |
|
1 month later |
Still smooth, maybe even silkier |
New growth starts peeking through. If your curls are tight, you'll notice them early |
|
3 months later |
Long-lasting results, no big changes |
1.5 inches of curly or kinky new growth is here. You’ve got two textures now |
|
Wash day |
Easy, fast, detangled in minutes |
Can still tangle, especially at the line of demarcation (relaxed vs natural hair) |
|
Styling with heat |
Any style holds effortlessly |
Holds style well, but overusing heat = dry, brittle hair fast if you’re not careful |
|
Overall hair health |
Looks healthier because it’s “tamed” |
Relaxed hair can look healthy, but is more prone to dryness, split ends, breakage |
Expert tips for caring for relaxed hair
Don’t skip your scalp
Everybody’s focused on the ends, but if you’re not taking care of your scalp, your new growth is going to come in dry, flaky, and irritated. And when that happens, people start scratching and over-washing, which just makes everything worse. A clean, moisturized scalp = better growth and less breakage where the natural meets the relaxed.
Stretch, but know your limits
Stretching between relaxers is great, less chemical overlap, more time for your hair to recover. But there’s a fine line. Once you start getting past 10–12 weeks, that demarcation line (where natural and relaxed textures meet) becomes real sensitive. That’s when the breakage sneaks in. If your new growth is dense or tight, and detangling starts feeling like a fight, it’s probably time to touch up.
Don’t trust the shine, trust the strength
Relaxed hair can look healthy and still be one wash away from a setback. It might be smooth, flowy, even shiny but that doesn’t mean it’s strong. Shine comes easy with a flat iron. Strength takes care, time, and real treatments. You want elasticity, not just gloss. Do the strand test every once in a while: if your hair stretches and bounces back, you’re good.
Laifen SE hair dryer supports relaxed hair health
The thing with relaxed hair is: it already went through enough. You don’t need heat tools that act like they’ve got something to prove. That’s where the Laifen SE hair dryer makes a real difference. It doesn’t blast your hair into submission with dry, harsh air. Instead, it uses ionic technology to smooth the cuticle while it dries, which means less frizz, more shine, and way less moisture lost in the process.
What I noticed most is how the Laifen doesn’t make my ends feel like paper. You know that feeling when you finish drying your hair and your roots feel okay, but the ends are just screaming for help? Yeah, none of that. And it’s fast, too, which means you’re not standing around dragging heat through your hair forever. Especially during those stretch weeks, when you’ve got new growth coming in and two textures to deal with, this dryer makes the whole wash day feel less like a battle.
Final thoughts
Relaxing your hair can be a total game-changer but only if you go into it with realistic expectations and a good dose of care. The before-and-after photos might show the shine and the sleekness, but what they don’t show is the routine, the moisture, the patience, and the quiet little wins along the way.
