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Do you co-wash the night before your touch-up?

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PeggyFair

PeggyFair

New Member
I am due for a touch up in June after a 4 month stretch. I co-wash every single night which is a must to keep my new growth under control. I don't want my hairdresser to have any problems touching up my hair so I am thinking it will be a good idea to co-wash the night before the touch-up. I am thinking that for the 3 days leading up to touch up day, just let the water run through my hair, and gently rub the conditioner through my hair and scalp that my scalp won't be sensitive to the relaxer, thus preventing burns. How do you all handle your co-washes in the days leading up touch up day??
 
plastic said:
What problems do you think she would have if you don't cowash your hair ?
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I'm afraid of the new growth being too hard to comb through. Some of the posters on here have complained of the touch up being a nightmare after a long stretch too. I am thinking it was because of not keeping the new growth moisturized at all times.
 
it's recommended that your scalp be dry for at least 72 hours before apply relaxer. when it's wet, your pores are open, possibly leading to burns:nono:

Why not stop washing about 4 days before hand, detangle your new growth and put your hair in a bun or braids until your appt.
 
Seems to me that you are setting yourself up to have scalp burns. I was always under the impression to not scratch my scalp for at least a few days before getting a touch up. I would normally wash with a Clairfying shampoo and deep condition with a protein conditioner on a Wednesday. I would wear a pony tail or bun for the next few days basing my scalp with oil sheen on Friday night and applying my relaxer on Saturday. I usually don't get any burns at all.
 
JLove74 said:
it's recommended that your scalp be dry for at least 72 hours before apply relaxer. when it's wet, your pores are open, possibly leading to burns:nono:

Why not stop washing about 4 days before hand, detangle your new growth and put your hair in a bun or braids until your appt.
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Yikes! I didn't know this. Thanks.
 
No girl not a day b4 I did and my scalp was burning!!!!! And that was a no lye kiddie perm wait like four to five days. Oh yes. Had a lot of burns thatis why I was looking for a porosity organic shampoo the other day!
 
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From the time i have been on my hair journey, i have cowashd my hair the night before. I clarify 5 days prior and the night before i apply Nacidt Aloe Rinse on my NG, detangle and put into plaits for the next day...so far i have not had any burning
 
I usually put my relaxers in on a Saturday. I wash my hair and do an Aphogee and deep condition the Saturday before the relaxer. Then, I do nothing else except base my scalp really good with vasoline the night before the relaxer. You do not want to risk having those pores open before a relaxer or :burning: else!

A friend of mine worked out right before she went in for a touch-up. Her stylist was about the base her scalp and asked her why her scalp was damp. She told him. He was like "aw hell naw" and refused to put her relaxer in. He rold her to come back the next week minus the pre-relaxer workout!
 
plastic said:
From the time i have been on my hair journey, i have cowashd my hair the night before. I clarify 5 days prior and the night before i apply Nacidt Aloe Rinse on my NG, detangle and put into plaits for the next day...so far i have not had any burning
Click to expand...

I'm assuming that you did little to no massaging of the conditioner in your hair?
 
PeggyFair said:
I'm assuming that you did little to no massaging of the conditioner in your hair?
Click to expand...

Yeh i rub it in real good to make sure all of my NG gets covered, i dont vigorously scratch my scalp if that's what you're asking. Im an odd bird though... i detangle my hair about once every two months so and i dont comb my hair inbetween the detangling times... maybe if i detangled more often I would not cowash before my relaxer
 
SmartyPants said:
I usually put my relaxers in on a Saturday. I wash my hair and do an Aphogee and deep condition the Saturday before the relaxer. Then, I do nothing else except base my scalp really good with vasoline the night before the relaxer. You do not want to risk having those pores open before a relaxer or :burning: else!

A friend of mine worked out right before she went in for a touch-up. Her stylist was about the base her scalp and asked her why her scalp was damp. She told him. He was like "aw hell naw" and refused to put her relaxer in. He rold her to come back the next week minus the pre-relaxer workout!
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing this. I was told this once before too but didn't understand why.
 
SmartyPants said:
I usually put my relaxers in on a Saturday. I wash my hair and do an Aphogee and deep condition the Saturday before the relaxer. Then, I do nothing else except base my scalp really good with vasoline the night before the relaxer. You do not want to risk having those pores open before a relaxer or :burning: else!

A friend of mine worked out right before she went in for a touch-up. Her stylist was about the base her scalp and asked her why her scalp was damp. She told him. He was like "aw hell naw" and refused to put her relaxer in. He rold her to come back the next week minus the pre-relaxer workout!
Click to expand...

Thats a great stylist for you!!! My stylist would have not cared less and slapped it right in. How do I know this?? Before a retouch sometime last year I had twists with gel in my hair and she actually sprayed water on my scalp to loosen the twists so she could apply the relaxer!!! Believe it or not i suffered no burns but my hair was underprocessed in the front until my next touchup. So a couple of weeks later I went to her for a wash and wrap and she was noticing that I had newgrowth already. I told her what I knew to be the truth, that it was underprocessed. She claimed my hair was just growing faster.:rolleyes: WHATEVER!! Maybe if I knew about MN back then but uh NO, you just messed up lol. If I experienced some trauma to my hair from this situation I would NOT be able to laugh about it.
 
No, I don't. Because the massaging/or scratching of my scalp would irritate it the next day while I'm getting my touch up.

Plus, my pores would still be open from the water that was on my scalp the day before. It just seems like a disaster to me. :( I try not to manipulate or wash my hair at LEAST 4 days before my touchup.
 
plastic said:
Yeh i rub it in real good to make sure all of my NG gets covered, i dont vigorously scratch my scalp if that's what you're asking.
Click to expand...

See, this is what I was going to try to do. Just let the water run through my hair and just saturate the hair with conditioner and rinse out. But with everybody talking about open pores...idk.
 
SmartyPants said:
A friend of mine worked out right before she went in for a touch-up. Her stylist was about the base her scalp and asked her why her scalp was damp. She told him. He was like "aw hell naw" and refused to put her relaxer in. He rold her to come back the next week minus the pre-relaxer workout!
Click to expand...

Not to mention, the sweat would make the scalp itch too. I co-wash at night and go to the salon after work, my hair is dry way before I get to the salon, so it seems like the problem here is just the open pores.
 
PeggyFair said:
I am due for a touch up in June after a 4 month stretch. I co-wash every single night which is a must to keep my new growth under control. I don't want my hairdresser to have any problems touching up my hair so I am thinking it will be a good idea to co-wash the night before the touch-up. I am thinking that for the 3 days leading up to touch up day, just let the water run through my hair, and gently rub the conditioner through my hair and scalp that my scalp won't be sensitive to the relaxer, thus preventing burns. How do you all handle your co-washes in the days leading up touch up day??
Click to expand...


Hello PeggyFair,

I am a Lye relaxer user and I self relaxe and I have co-washed or clarified my hair many times (a day prior) to a touch up and been lucky and did not have any burning. :look: But that is just me and my scalp. There have been time where I had to do it b/c of an event approaching or hair just acting a mess or just needed to do it.

For example, I just relaxed my hair this morning with Optimum Multi Mineral Lye and I co-washed my hair Wednesday night to deal with my 11 weeks post newgrowth. But I based my scalp very well with Dudleys Hair and Scalp conditioner and added 1/2 tablespoom Jojoba oil to the relaxer and it did not burn at all. And done this many times with my favorite kiddie no-lye relaxer Just For Me and Gentle Treatment.

All the ladies have given you the best advice...which it is not recommended to wash at least 4 to 5 days prior to a touch up. Just wanted to let you know I do it often and a few others too. I wish I could find the thread.
 
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JLove74 said:
it's recommended that your scalp be dry for at least 72 hours before apply relaxer. when it's wet, your pores are open, possibly leading to burns:nono:

Why not stop washing about 4 days before hand, detangle your new growth and put your hair in a bun or braids until your appt.
Click to expand...

ITA! Just thinking about getting my scalp wet close to touch-up time makes it burn.
 
I stay away from water and any form of harsh scalp manipulation at least 3-4 days prior to a relaxer....'cause girl, that scalp is gonna burn otherwise! :burning::burning:
 
*LOL* Where was this thread when I needed it last night? :rolleyes: I was contemplating the same thing before getting a touch-up today. ;) I just decided to leave well enough alone because I didn't want to risk irritating my scalp. I've never had that problem (irritation) before, but I've also never washed my hair before getting a touch up.
 
My scalp must be made of cement, because I always cowash the night before a relaxer and I never burn.

I MUST soften up my ng the night before. Otherwise my hair will not be able to get parted for relaxer application.
 
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