I'm a big fan of relaxer stretching! There are a few drawbacks, but the positives far outweigh them. We'll compare
them in a minute, but first of all...
What is Stretching?
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| 20 weeks post relaxer |
This is the act of extending the time one waits between getting relaxers. That is, if you are accustomed to retouching your hair at 6 weeks posts, then going a 7th week without it is considered stretching. Many stretch for anywhere from 10 weeks to 12 months and some go even longer. Prior to my hair journey, I never stretched my relaxers. I retouched at the first hint of new growth to keep my hair looking 'fresh'. These days however, I stretch to 7 and 8 months at a time with the help of my long-term protective styles. When I get closer to my goal of "below the waist" length though, I intend to stretch to 12-16 weeks.
In my experience with stretching, I have encountered the following drawbacks:
