The first things first, I want to clear up a misconception. The tingly or burning feeling some people feel when they relax their hair is NOT a warning that it's time to get the relaxer out. At that point your scalp is probably already burned, your scalp should not burn or tingle when you relax your hair. If you are waiting to feel a little something, you are doing it all wrong! If your stylist waits until you report that you feel it tingling, get a new stylist!
Now let's get started on how to treat a mild* chemical burn caused by a relaxer. By mild I mean you find a scab on your scalp the next day or a few days after the relaxer process. If you know you have an open wound when you rinse the relaxer out, that's really bad and you should seek medical help. Get all the relaxer out of your head, cover the area with a sterile gauze and get to the hospital for further assessment. I mean that's all common sense and that's not the type of burn I'm talking about. MILD is when you didn't even know the burn occurred until you felt the scab.
1. Keep your hands off! Do not pick, scratch, or in any way try to remove the scab. Allow the scab to naturally heal and fall away.
2. Avoid combing, brushing, or massaging that area of your scalp until the scab has healed and fallen off on it's own. If you have to remove the hair that might be stuck to it, do it gently and honestly I wouldn't even do that.
3. Treat the scab. Treat your scab like you would any other scab, by applying antibacterial cream to the area. I would use Neosporin because it's clear and less detectable. Or you can use something more natural like a piece of Aloe Vera.
4. Prevent it from happening again. Use the tips and tricks I provided in this post to prevent relaxer burns in the first place and if you've tried it all and you still end up with burns maybe you body is trying to warn you. Some scalps just cannot tolerate relaxers and maybe you should just leave them alone and go natural!
*Please note this post is to provide general information, not medical advice. If you are in need of medical advice ask your doctor, do not turn to blogs for the information.
