The Next Thing for Soft and Longer Hair

Linda Hanson (Hair APT)
4 min readFeb 18, 2022

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Moisturize Properly

After rinsing off your deep conditioner, dry your hair with a microfiber towel as seen above.

Or you can use an old t-shirt. Here is a video that shows how to dry using an old t-shirt.

Your hair should still be damp after drying. Now, the next step is to “moisturize properly". You need to do this step because relaxers remove the natural moisture your hair had. And dry hair breaks. Which is not what you want of course.

Moisture makes your hair soft. It enables you to retain length by preventing breakage. Your hair thrives on moisture. It’s a plant.

Moisture is water

Your hair gets soft when water touches it. But it gets dry afterwards. Why?

When your hair dries and it becomes hard and 'strong' because the water was not sealed into your hair strands. So it left as it came.

To solve this issue you need to seal in the water by moisturize properly.

Moisturizing Properly is the process of sealing in moisture into your strands using oils and creams to prevent loss of moisture.

Products you need to moisturize properly include

  1. water
  2. leave-in or cream or butter
  3. oil.

Once you moisturize and detangle (first step on wash day) properly, you will be able to comb freely.

Your stylist will be able to part your hair easily and you won't experience pains.

HOW TO MOISTURIZE PROPERLY
You can use the LOC or the LCO methods or any other moisturizing method that works for you.

It is important to layer your products to seal in the water properly. So don’t mix them and apply at once.

Use the method below

- If you are using the LCO method

  1. You should start off on clean hair. Dry off excess water using a microfiber towel or an old clean t-shirt. Your hair should still be damp.
  2. Divide your hair into sections. Clip down each section with sectioning clips or twist up.
  3. Pick one section. If it is dry, spray water and massage into hair. Apply the leave-in conditioner, massage into the hair only. Don’t put it on your scalp.
  4. Then apply your oil on that section. Focus especially on your ends. If you have high porosity, use heavy oils on your ends.
  5. Twist-up then repeat for all the other sections.
  6. Finally, oil your scalp. Please use only penetrative or light oils to avoid buildup.

Pour a small quantity of oil into your fingerpads. Rub together then massage your scalp with it.

Finally you are done with moisturising

- If you are using the LOC method

Repeat everything above. The only difference is that you’ll apply your oil before the leave in.

-Important things to note

  1. If your unmoisturized sections dry out before you get to moisturize them, spray water on it to make it damp before you apply products.
  2. If your scalp itches when you apply oil on it, you should discontinue oiling your scalp.
  3. Your leave-in Conditioners or butters should not touch your scalp. If they do, they will clog the pores on your scalp and cause you to itch like a mad person.
  4. The only things that should touch your scalp while moisturising are water and light oils.
  5. Don’t use heavy oils on your scalp. It will cause buildup which will itch. Use penetrative or light oils on your scalp. You can use both penetrative and heavy oils on the hair
  6. Pay extra attention to your ends while moisturizing. Add extra creams and oils there. You need to do this if you want longer hair.

Why you should moisturize in sections?

  1. Working in sections will make things easier
  2. You will lose less hair.
  3. Your products will effectively moisturize/reach all your strands. This of course cannot happen if you apply only on the surfaces.

After moisturizing your hair is still damp here is a video from my trusted OG on how to air-dry your relaxed hair.

She also showed us how to moisturize before air drying.

I recommend air drying because it’s a healthier method for your relaxed hair and natural hair. It takes time but it’s better.

Summary

  • If you are experiencing breakage, check how you moisturize. If you don’t do it properly, you will still experience breakage.
  • Please don’t use cream/butters on your scalp, it will itch if you do. You can oil your scalp.
  • If you want soft, long hair, focus on your ends while moisturizing.

Two things you can do now

If you learned something new

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Linda Hanson (Hair APT)

JW. Healthy Hair Expert. Do you need help with your hair or scalp? Send a message here wa.me/2348141351409