Chemical Hair Relaxing
This week, we'll be exploring the world of chemical hair relaxing, sometimes referred to as permanent straightening. The topic of chemical hair relaxing is a very complex and deep one, so this article will serve as a basic guide to the process of using chemicals to permanently straighten the hair. There is so much to learn about chemical relaxers that there are hairstylists who specialize only in this field.
Relaxing the hair is a way to alter the hair's texture. Texture refers to how curly or how straight the hair is. Perming the hair is also a method of changing texture. Sometimes relaxers are called texturizers. This term can often be misleading, since anything that makes straight hair curly or curly hair straight can be classified as a texturizer.
Instead of writing in typical paragraph style, I feel it would be best to arrange this article in a question-and-answer format. Relaxers can be very confusing to understand, therefore it would make more sense to break the information down into "bite-sized pieces", for the sake of simplicity.
Q: What chemical is used to relax the hair?
A: Most relaxers these days are sodium hydroxide based. Occasionally, calcium hydroxide is used, although most stylists agree that sodium hydroxide relaxers provide the best results. In the past, many relaxers were lye-based. As most people are aware, lye is a pretty harsh chemical. Stay away from any haircare products that contain lye.
Q: How can I relax some of my curl, without completely straightening it?
A: First of all, it is never advisable to relax the hair to the point that it's one hundred percent straight. This is the equivalent to bleaching dark hair until it is platinum blonde. I recommend a process that is called "curl reformation", which will permanently remove anywhere from 65 to 95 percent of the curl.
Q: What exactly is curl reformation?
A: Curl reformation is very similar to perming, except that the hair isn't wound around rods. Both services use a chemical called ammonium thioglycolate, which breaks the chemical bonds in the hair that make it curly. What we essentially do is perm the hair straight.
Q: Can I relax hair that has been colored or permed?
A: The answer to this question depends on exactly what chemicals your hair has been exposed to. It is okay to relax hair that has temporary or semi-permanent color on it. Never relax permed hair, hair that has been bleached or highlighted, or hair that has been previously relaxed.
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