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Page 1 of 4 For those of you who have taken the natural route, like myself, this article will seem out of place, but remember, OurHair is about all of our hair and the truth remains that 95% of the population of African American women still relax their hair. While straightening ones hair is as much a political as cultural debate, we seek to educate, not persecute those who make certain choices. Our goal is to make sure that if you are going to use a relaxer, that you use it in the right way to minimize damage and hair loss.
Relaxing the Right Way
by Ms SNIPS
"Mamma, I want blow hair! Swinging, swaying, shining in the sun hair!" Such was my refrain whenever my mother had gotten her hair freshly done," I want a 'perm!"
Like many young girls of color, at the tender age 12, I was finally allowed to get my hair "permed". My grandmother was a licensed and practicing hairdresser at that time, so finding someone to do it was easy. The problem was, grandma was one of those old fashioned hairdressers. One who would die with a straightening comb in her hand and looked down on chemical processing. But, I had to have a relaxer; I was 12 after all! So, after a few false starts, we finally hit on what worked. And, yes, I thank my stars each and every day that our hits and misses didn't make me go bald!
Since that time, relaxer knowledge and product availability have made achieving and caring for relaxed hair far easier than when my grandmother and I dealt with it. However, there are still cautions you should follow, as with any permanent chemical process, that will go a long way towards maintaining your hair's vitality. The structure and chemical make-up of highly textured hair is unique, resulting in special conditioning and styling needs. In particular, highly textured hair has fewer cuticle layers, making it somewhat less dense than other hair types. If not properly cared for, it will be prone to dryness and breakage. Add regular styling, relaxers, colors or other chemical processes and it quickly becomes damaged, unmanageable, and loses it natural shine.
Types of Relaxers
Sodium hydroxide alkali relaxers are thick creams containing 1.5-2.5% active and have a very high ph range of 12-14. Because of their aggressive nature, these relaxers require scalp protectors, such as petrolatum, to protect the skin and hairline. The relaxer is followed by a neutralization process, which oxidizes and restores the hair's ph because high ph can cause the hair to swell and break.
Guanidine hydroxide relaxers tend to be less damaging than sodium hydroxide relaxers. These products, however, still damage the hair and de-fat the scalp and therefore require conditioning treatments before and after. Guanidine hydroxide relaxers are formed in situ by mixing calcium hydroxide cream with guanidine carbonate "activator" solution.
Thioglycolates work on the same formulation principles as thioglycolate permanent waves. With a ph of 9-9.5, these are also considered to be less damaging, yet still require a neutralization step. Thioglycolate relaxers are usually in cream or gel form and can be preceded by a pre-softener.
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