Dark & Lovely Protective Styles Tension Tamer 4oz Scalp Soothing Lotion

A fresh install pulls. Braids, cornrows and twists put steady tension on the scalp for the first few days, and that tightness is why a lot of people take a style out earlier than they meant to.

Tension Tamer is a light lotion for that window. Peppermint gives it a cool note that leaves a tight scalp feeling comfortable again, aloe vera and botanical extracts moisturise the skin at the roots, and vitamin E covers the hair against daily wear. It absorbs rather than sitting on the parting, so it will not build up under a style you plan to keep in for weeks. Work it along the partings and down to the scalp rather than over the top of the braids, and concentrate wherever the pull is worst. 4oz bottle, made for anyone who wears protective styles on 2c through 4b textures.

There is a limit to what a lotion can do about a badly installed style. If the tension is bad enough that the hairline is still sore days later, the braids are too tight, and the answer is to have them taken down rather than to keep treating the scalp underneath. On a reasonable install, though, it makes the first week considerably easier to sit through.