Ask Karen - January 2009

January 1, 2009
Curly Hair & Chemical Hair Straightener?

Question

Dear Karen,

I am Japanese American and have long, thick, naturally curly hair.  On the traditional Andre Walker Natural Curl scale my hair would be classified as either a 3B to a 4.  My hair is tightly curled but tends to be very dry, very frizzy and hard to handle. 

I want straight, sleek and shiny hair but nothing seems to work permanently.  Although I have had two different chemical strengtheners applied by hairdressers over the past two years, they look good until my hair starts to grow out at the roots. 

Then I have to deal with dry, fuzzy, frizzy hair again.   The chemical strengtheners really do work but only on a temporary basis.  I want my hair to be permanently straight.

Someone told me I would like the results of a hair relaxer better than a chemical straightener.  I thought they were the same thing which involved making hair straight.  Does a chemical relaxer leave hair permanently straight?  Would I be happier with a chemical relaxer than a chemical straightener? 

Are chemical relaxers only used on African American hair?  Can it be used on Japanese American hair like mine?  Should I do the relaxer at home or have a hairdresser apply it?  Will it grow out like the chemical straighteners did or will it be permanent?

I have heard really great things about the Rusk Relaxers but am unsure whether I should apply it at home or have a hairdresser apply it.  I also need to know whether I should use Rusk #1,#2 or #3?

Are chemical relaxers safer for the hair in terms of damage than a chemical straightener?  I really don't want my hair to be impacted by the relaxer in a way that will leave it dry, damaged and with lots of breakage.

Any thoughts that you might have would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Kiki

Answer

Dear Kiki,

Thank you very much for your email and for visiting HairBoutique.com. I appreciate it very much.

Chemical relaxers and chemical straighteners are both designed to alter the texture of naturally curly and/or wavy hair. 

The difference between a chemical straightener and a chemical relaxer is basically in the results.  Chemical straighteners will straighten the hair and is considered permanent.  This means the chemical straightener will keep naturally curly hair straight until the hair grows back at the root level.

Chemical relaxers will relax natural curls and waves but will not necessarily straighten the hair.  It will relax it which means some of the curls and waves will remain.  Relaxers are not permanent which means that the impact of the relaxers will not last more than several weeks of a few months.

Chemical straighteners and chemical relaxers, whether classified as permanent or temporary will both lose their impact when the hair starts to grow.  There is nothing that can currently be applied to naturally curly or wavy hair that will permanently straighten it, even after the roots grow in.

Chemical straighteners should always be applied by a licensed hair professional to guarantee the best results and the minimum amount of damage.  Chemical relaxers should also be applied by a hair professional, at least the first time they are applied.  Home relaxers may under some circumstances be applied at home, especially if you have someone who can help you with all the necessary steps.

Chemical straighteners and relaxers are not specifically designed for African American hair.  They can be applied to every ethnicity. 

Anytime you apply a chemical to your hair which alters the color or the texture, damage is a strong possibility.  This is especially true with hair that is naturally sensitive or dry such as naturally curly or wavy hair. 

Chemical straighteners often use ammonium thioglycolate to first break the bonds in the hair that create the curls and waves.  A neutralizer is applied to reform the previous curls into straight strands. 

The best way to deal with chemical straighteners or relaxers when they start to grow out at the roots is to do a chemical root touchup.

After any type of chemical treatment it is important to restore natural oils and moisture.  This can be accomplished to some extent by using deep conditioning treatments and oiling the hair in between cleansing periods. 

When hair has been chemically straightened or relaxed it is recommended that hair be washed as infrequently as possible or as a maximum, once or twice a week.  It is also best to dilute any moisture enriching shampoo with warm water.  Another great option is to wash hair with Conditioner Only (CO)

Other ways to pamper chemically treated hair includes:

1.  Cleanse only with lukewarm water.
2.  Apply a moisture enhancing rinse out conditioner.
3.  Always do a cool or cold water rinse to close the cuticle.
4.  Apply a leave-in conditioner mixed with a defrisant.
5.  Allow hair to air dry as often as possible.
6.  Towel blot hair, never rub to avoid breaking delicate hair.
7.  Avoid using hot tools, especially flat or curling irons.
8.  Use soft rollers instead of hot rollers. 
9.  If hair must be dried, use a hood dryer or a hair dryer set on the coolest, slowest setting.    

Please let me know if you have additional questions. Thank you again for thinking of HairBoutique.com.

Good luck to you in whatever endeavor you undertake and Happy Holidays.

Karen

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