Although eight weeks is the standard recommended time frame to go between relaxer touch-ups, some people just seem to not want to wait that long. And we kind of get it: eight weeks is a general guideline, but the time between touch-ups needs to take into consideration both the length of your hair and how quickly it grows.
If you wear a short, tapered style, chances are the sides and back of your hair will need a touch-up prior to eight weeks in order to keep your look uniform and neat. In that case, if you trim your sides and back at the same time—and you relax only those areas of your hair—you likely won't sustain any hair damage.
Byrdie Tip
For short, tapered styles you may find that a touch-up every three or four weeks is needed to match the closely-cropped parts of your hairstyle to the longer crown area.
Hair grows an average of 1/2 inch per month, but some people report that their hair grows more quickly or more slowly than that. While most women will see 1 inch of new growth after eight weeks, if your new growth is closer to 1 1/2 inch? You may want a touch-up after six weeks to maintain that straight, sleek style.