Relaxing Hair Q&A

Introduction

Not all of us are born with perfect hair and we are often required to spend hours getting our hair to look just right. If the gods of the weather are not smiling then the minute we walk out the door we are subject to humidity and temperatures that turn our newly smoothed tresses into a wild mass of crazy locks.

Listed below are the most common hair questions about hair relaxing. This article will continue to grow over time as more questions are added and consolidated.

Question - Ideal Candidate For Relaxing?

Is there an ideal candidate to have their hair relaxed?

Answer

There are always exceptions to every rule but ideal candidates tend to be people with healthy, undamaged, curly, frizzy or unmanageable hair. People with super thick hair can also benefit from relaxing treatments. Paul Mitchell Senior Educator Barbara Lhotan strongly recommends that people with unmanageable thick bushy locks have a light relaxer applied to help hair "bend and take on a softer shape".

Question - Can I Relax My Hair At Home?

Where can I buy the relaxing products like ARTec and Paul Mitchell so that I can apply the formula to my own hair at home.

Answer

If you have never relaxed your hair before then I strongly suggest that you have a professional do the straightening in their salon. Many of the relaxing treatments like ARTec's texturesmooth are ONLY sold to licensed professionals.

Remember that whether you select the softest or strongest relaxing formula you are changing your hair with chemicals.

As always, there are exceptions to every rule. Some hair consumers will try relaxing products on their own. A HairBoutique.com visitors, Lisa, tried the Rusk relaxing product and loved the results.

Question - Can Teenagers Have Their Hair Relaxed?

Can a teen with "virgin hair" have a relaxer applied?

Answer

Virgin hair is hair that has never had any sort of chemical or color product applied to it. Times are changing quickly but it used to be true that teens often had "virgin hair".

Teens are good candidates for relaxing if they have the product applied by a professional with their parent's permission. Many teens are very concerned about their image and hate unruly or unmanageable hair. A properly performed relaxing treatment will give a teen an escape from out-of-control hair that tends to get frizzy.

Relaxing treatments are definitely a benefit to teens and adults alike when they don't have the time or willingness to blow dry their hair straight everyday before they leave the house.

Question - Can Males Have Their Hair Relaxed?

Do guys have their hair relaxed?

Answer

Males of all ages are definitely having their hair chemically altered in a variety of ways. A very popular treatment is relaxing either curly or excessively thick and bushy hair.

Question - Can People Only Have Their Hair Relaxed At The Salon?

Is hair relaxing limited to salon treatments? Can hair be relaxed at home?

Answer

Although a large number of hair consumers have their hair relaxed at at the salon by a professional, it is possible to buy a number of different kits such as PhytoRelaxer or Rusk and do the relaxing at home. It is not recommended that relaxing be done at home unless the consumer using the kit takes the time to read all of the instructions and be prepared to follow all the steps without deviation.

Question - Can Hair Be Damaged By Relaxers?

Can relaxing the hair cause short or long term damage? What are some of the potential damage risks to hair that can result from relaxing it?

Answer

Males of all ages are definitely having their hair chemically altered in a variety of ways. A very popular treatment is relaxing either curly or excessively thick and bushy hair.

Hair relaxing can cause potential hair damage just by the fact that the process of relaxing hair requires the breaking down of the hair protein to change the structure of the hair. Chemicals used in the relaxing process are often a combination of mineral based ingredients and high volumes of peroxide oxidizers. Hair breakage and scalp irritation may be the most common side effects of the relaxer process. It is possible to minimize as much damage as possible with proper application, rinse out and post relaxer hair care.

Question - What Causes Frizzy Hair From Relaxing?

One of the common side effects of relaxing, especially when the application has not been as successful as possible, is frizzy hair. What causes this and what can you do to minimize it?

Answer

Natural oils and moisture are essential to smooth and healthy hair. Most human hair is made up of approximately 10-12% moisture. If the natural moisture level in your hair drops below normal levels, dryness and frizz can be the result.

Frizzy hair can plague all types of hair types and textures from thin to thick, straight to curly, Besides the lack of natural oils and moisture, frizzy hair can be the result of protein deficiencies either in your diet or in the cortex of your hair.

Hair that is naturally curly, wavy or is a combination has cuticles that are shaped in such a way as to prevent the cuticle from completely closing. This fact allows the moisture in the hair shaft to be lost.

Hair that has been bleached, colored, permed or straightened, the chemicals may well have damaged the hair's natural ability to absorb and retain moisture. This is also true of hair that is often exposed to sun, chlorinated and salt water.

Externally applied silicone products can instantly help neutralize frizzy hair. Although it can and does help hair attain a smoother look, it is only a temporary fix for a long term reoccurring issue. The ideal frizzy hair fix is to identify and discontinue the causes of the problem rather than simply applying a band-aid to the symptoms.

Good moisture enhancing products contain some form of humectants that not only moisture back but attracts moisture and retains it in the cortex of the hair.

Summary

Hair relaxing can be both a blessing and curse for hair. The key is to understand the risks before proceeding and minimizing those risks in order to take advantage of some of the many benefits of having relaxed hair.

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Original Publication: 7/20/2001 - Revised Publication Date: 03/12/10

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