How To Style Short Relaxed Hair In The Summer

Summer in the South is basically Satan in-person.  It has already reached over 100 degrees on more than one occasion and we have yet to see the month of August. This is agonizing to someone who loves styling their hair, as I do.  It led me to face the issue of How To Style Short Relaxed Hair In The Summer?  Enjoy my pain, struggle and triumph below, as I answer that question.

I took 35 minutes and curled my hair perfectly and in a matter of seconds, it looked like shit on a stick. I can’t speak for anyone else, but where I live there seems to be a shortage of Uber drivers who can competently follow the directions their Waze apps are giving them.  Because of this foolishness, my Uber driver was 4 houses down from my house and blowing me up like I was Jesus and my phone was the main line.

Out of frustration, I walked out of my house to meet her so that I would have some chance of being on time.  Little did I know that Satan was outside waiting on me.  He blew his breath into the air and my hair found its way to my forehead and the backs of me ears, where it stuck, wet and limp.

Just like that the entire 35 minutes I had spent meticulously curling and perfecting my hair, was gone.  I got into the back seat and didn’t even bother to look in the mirror.  I knew my style had been laid to rest.

Late and incompetent Uber driver’s aside, it’s really the summer heat that ruins relaxed hair styles. More specifically, short relaxed hair styles.  In the summer you sweat and sweat destroys hairstyles because wet hair doesn’t hold its shape.  That’s fact. I live in Florida and today when I got into my car, the temperature gauge read 102 degrees. And yes, another hair style bit the dust. FML.

This heat is not playing, it is real, it is unavoidable and because of Satan’s breath in the air, my short relaxed hair struggles are real.  Today the temperature gauge in my car read 102.  What.Da.Fuq.Is.Life.  So now when I receive an invite to a summer fling, my thoughts are hijacked with images of me looking like a wet dog and still trying to hold it together and look summertime fine.

What is a girl to do? How can anyone style short relaxed hair if the sun literally throws balls of fire at you when you walk outside.

I WAS DETERMINED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEAT THIS SUMMER HEAT!

The key to combating sweat, when it comes to hair, is to work with it and not against it.  I wrote about how I came to this revelation in the post about HOW TO WORK OUT WITH SHORT RELAXED HAIR. You will never win against any moisture that your hair comes into contact with.  In order to still wear your hair out in public and look decent, you will need to learn how to create styles that take advantage of what your hair does when it gets wet. Below are some videos of styles that do just that.

For me, figuring out how to work with my hair when it’s wet was easy because I wore my nature textured hair for about 4 ½ years after my disdain for sitting in salons all damn day on Saturday drove me to find a solution. You can read about that here. Wearing my hair natural taught me about how my hair behaves when it is without product and chemicals.  Wet relaxed hair mimics some of those same behaviors.

I set out to create styles that would get me through the summer heat and not call for any drastic changes to my short cut.  Below is a list of what has worked for me.

GELS

Gels slick your hair down.  We all know that.  But, did you know that when you are heavy handed and layer the gel into your hair, you can create smooth styles that withstand heat and water and that last for days?  Be sure to choose a gel that is flake free and also use a leave-in conditioner that your hair responds well to.  In the video the NINJA BUN on short hair, you can see how I apply the gel to my hair in layers.  You can use this technique for lots of different styles, the bun is just an easy go-to for me.

       2. CURLS

Any texture in your hair is likely growing in with a curl or bend in it. The whole point of applying a chemical relaxer is to straighten out that curl or bend.  When summer time comes around, you can opt to stretch a little between relaxers so that you can take advantage of the texture and the volume that extra new growth provides. Using gels and doing curly styles will be super easy when you work with the curls you hair already has and the ones the devilish sun will create by making you sweat at your scalp.  I did this in the TAPERED FRO look I created.

         3. BRAIDS

Braids are a no-brainer.  Then why would I mention it here, right? Well, because braids don’t have to be the same ole same ole we’re all accustomed to.  Box braids, Marley twists, cornrows and other common styles are not the only options.  Play around with bigger braids, halo braids, or even mix it up with a bun and braided ponytail.

Braids work because sweat and moisture can’t disturb the actual style.  Even though your edges may curl up, the braids will remain intact and retouching edges is child’s play compared to trying to maintain and refresh a straightened style that has been attacked by the heat demon.

 HOW CAN YOU GET THROUGH THE SUMMER HEAT WITH YOUR SHORT RELAXED HAIR ?

Assess your hair, what looks good on your face and what you will be doing in the summer heat. Once you have that nailed down, you can choose a style that suits your lifestyle and you can make it through the summer without looking like a plucked, wet chicken. After you have decided on a style, you have to try it out inside.  Do the style, wear it and make sure it’s comfortable inside.  Then venture out for a short rendezvous in the heat.  If it holds up, then you know you’ve got a winner. If not, start over.  It may take time, but the cool thing is that summer comes every year and once you have what works, you simply recycle it and update it each year.  You only have to to the bulk of the work once.

If you opt for a style that calls for gel, purchase the one you like and get to work.  A big budget isn’t necessary.  You can get smaller sized gels and you can reuse tools such as perm rods and even braiding hair. When summer is over, store the gel in a cool place and wait for Satan to return in 11 months.  I used the same braiding hair for the HALO BRAID I created, as I did for the NINJA BUN.  Those packs of hair were 1.00 each and I still have them and I’ll reuse them again before the summer is over.

So save your money and your dignity and create yourself some summer styles that last and that actually work.

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