Growing out relaxer

Hi,I'm growing out my relaxer and I have decided to use COPA products while I'm doing this. I've found that it helps to stop the breakage thats occurs by making the hair softer and easier to comb. Anyway, this has been very hard, I had braids in for 6 mos. and now I've had them out for several mos. I'd just like to know the average time it takes for an African-American woman with medium to long hair to grow out her relaxer and what can be done to help. Any advice would be helpful my natural hair is actually very pretty and I'm willing to work to get it the way I want it, it'd just be nice to have something to look foward to.