Let’s be real for a second. The "big chop" usually gets all the glory in the natural hair community, but there is a massive, quiet resurgence of people returning to chemical relaxers specifically to achieve those sharp, molded, and effortless short relaxed hair hairstyles that a natural texture just can’t replicate without three hours of heat styling. It’s not about "hating" your curls. Honestly, it’s about the geometry of a pixie cut. When you remove the bulk, you see the bone structure.
Most people think going short and relaxed means you’re stuck with one look. That’s a total myth. I’ve seen stylists like Larry Sims or the legendary Vernon François transform a basic crop into something that looks like high fashion with nothing more than a bit of foam wrap and a finger wave technique. If you’re looking at your hair in the mirror and wondering if you should cut it all off, you’re in the right place. But don't just hack it off yet. There’s a science to the "chemically straightened short look" that determines whether you look like a 90s R&B star or someone who just had a bad day at the salon.
The Reality of Maintenance for Short Relaxed Hair Hairstyles
Short hair is high maintenance.
There. I said it.
People think "short" equals "easy," but when you have a relaxer, you’re dealing with the regrowth at the nape and the edges every four to six weeks. If you let that kitchen get fuzzy, the silhouette of the haircut is ruined. You basically have to become best friends with your stylist. Unlike long hair, which can hide an extra month of new growth in a bun, short relaxed hair hairstyles demand precision. You need a 1.5-inch ceramic flat iron—something like the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium—because a standard 1-inch iron is too clunky for those tiny pieces behind your ears.
The scalp health is another thing. You're putting chemicals directly on a scalp that is now more exposed to the elements. You can't just ignore the skin under the hair. Many women deal with "relaxer burn" or dryness, but if you’re using a base like petroleum jelly or a specialized scalp protector, you can avoid the scabbing that ruins a fresh cut.
The Tapered Cut: Why It’s the Gold Standard
If you want the most versatile look, go for the taper. It’s longer on top and buzzed or closely cropped at the back and sides. This is the ultimate "cool girl" look. You can curl the top for volume or slick it down for a sleek, glass-hair finish.
The magic happens in the transition.
A good stylist uses shears for the top to keep movement and clippers for the bottom to create that sharp contrast. If the blend is off, it looks like a mushroom. No one wants to look like a mushroom. You want that "S-curl" pattern molded onto the sides with a heavy-duty foaming mousse. Lotabody is a classic for a reason—it’s cheap, it works, and it gives that crunch-free hold that keeps the hair close to the skull.
Finger Waves and 20s Nostalgia
Finger waves are back, but not in the way your grandma wore them. We’re seeing "deconstructed" waves. It’s less about the stiff, gelatinous ridges and more about soft, touchable curves. To get this right on short relaxed hair hairstyles, you need a fine-tooth comb and a lot of patience.
You apply the wrap foam to soaking wet hair. You use your index finger to hold the hair in place while the comb pulls the rest of the hair in the opposite direction. It’s a rhythmic motion. It’s almost meditative. Once it sets under a hooded dryer, you hit it with a light oil sheen—maybe something with Marula oil or Argan oil—to break the cast. The result is a sculptural masterpiece.
Color Risks You Need to Calculate
Can you bleach short relaxed hair? Technically, yes. Should you? Well, that’s where things get dicey.
Chemical relaxers break the protein bonds in your hair to straighten them. Bleach strips the melanin out. Doing both is like hitting your hair with a 1-2 punch. If you’re going for a platinum blonde pixie, you are playing a dangerous game with your hair’s elasticity.
- The Golden Rule: Never do both on the same day.
- The Wait: Wait at least two weeks (and several deep conditioning treatments) between relaxing and coloring.
- The Alternative: Try a high-lift tint instead of bleach if you only want to go a few shades lighter.
I’ve seen too many people end up with "chemical haircuts" (unintentional breakage) because they wanted that icy blonde look overnight. If your hair feels like wet spaghetti when it’s washed, you’ve over-processed it. Stop everything and load up on protein rebuilders like Aphogee 2-Step Treatment.
Heat Is Not Your Friend (Mostly)
The irony of short relaxed hair hairstyles is that we use heat to make them look "effortless." But since the hair is already chemically altered, it’s more porous. It soaks up heat like a sponge.
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Use a heat protectant. Every. Single. Time.
Something lightweight like the Silk Elements MegaSilk spray is perfect because it won't weigh down the hair or make it greasy. You want bounce. You want the hair to move when you walk. If you use too much product, the hair becomes stiff and "wiggy."
The Night Routine That Actually Works
You can't just sleep on a cotton pillowcase and expect to wake up with your style intact. You’ll wake up looking like a startled bird.
- The Wrap: Use a silk or satin scarf to "wrap" the hair around the circumference of your head. This keeps the cuticles flat.
- The Bonnet: If you have curls on top, a loose satin bonnet is better than a tight scarf.
- The Sides: If your sides are tapered, use a velcro headband to keep the edges flat while you sleep.
Navigating the "Relaxed" Stigma
There’s this weird tension sometimes in the hair community about "going back" to relaxers. Honestly, life is too short to manage a hair texture that doesn't fit your lifestyle. If you love the look of short relaxed hair hairstyles because they save you forty minutes in the morning, own it.
The "creamy crack" era had its issues with over-processing and scalp damage, but modern formulas are much more sophisticated. We have "no-lye" relaxers that use calcium hydroxide and "lye" relaxers (sodium hydroxide) that stylists prefer because they rinse out more cleanly. Knowledge is power here. Knowing which one your scalp prefers is the difference between hair growth and hair loss.
Beyond the Pixie: The Short Bob
If you aren't ready to commit to the clippers, the "blunt cut" or "chin-length bob" is your best friend. This look relies entirely on the health of your ends. Relaxed hair can get thin at the bottom, so you need frequent trims—every 6 to 8 weeks.
A blunt bob on relaxed hair looks incredibly expensive. It’s the "Old Money" aesthetic of the hair world. It requires a flat iron finish and maybe a tiny bit of edge control (like 24 Hour Edge Tamer) to keep the flyaways in check.
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Next Steps for Your Transformation
- Consult a Professional: Short hair reveals everything. If your stylist isn't comfortable with a razor or clippers, find one who specializes in "short hair artistry."
- Analyze Your Face Shape: Oval faces can pull off anything. If you have a rounder face, ask for more volume on top to elongate your features.
- Update Your Toolkit: Toss the old, rusted flat irons. Invest in a high-quality, small-plate iron and a salon-grade hooded dryer for setting your molds at home.
- Moisture, Moisture, Moisture: Since the natural oils from your scalp have a shorter distance to travel, you might think you don't need to moisturize. Wrong. Use a water-based leave-in conditioner daily to keep the hair pliable.
- Schedule Your Touch-ups: Mark your calendar. Short relaxed hair loses its "edge" the moment the new growth starts pushing the hair up and out. Stay consistent with your chemical touch-ups on the perimeter to keep the silhouette sharp.