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Hair relaxers are synonymous with permanent perms and straightening and if you are a frequent user of such products, then there is something you really should know.

Have you ever wondered what makes your hair curls up of straightens permanently? Do you know about the inner workings of your hair shaft and how certain chemicals can permanently damage and change its structure? One of the most potentially damaging hair treatments lies in overusing hair relaxers, a very strong group of chemicals that can leave you in distress for a very long time.

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Let's Take A Look at Your Hair Shaft

Basically, 90% of your hair is made up of protein known as keratin, a very robust and tough structure that your nails are made of too. Your hair is mostly dead cells and protein deposits bonded together and it's also one of the strongest parts of your skin. Your hair is so resilient that it can stay the same and doesn't deteriorate for a long time even after you have long gone.

The reason for its robustness lies in a bonding power known as 'disulphide bonds' that holds the hair proteins (keratin) together. Disulphide bonds are very stable composition of oxidized sulfur and hydrogen molecules fused together. That is also why when you burn your hair, there is a hint of an unbearable sulfur smell in it. In lay man terms, your hair structure is really tough and sturdy and doesn't change shape simply.

Now, let's look at your hair shaft

Hair cuticle The hair cuticle is the outermost layer of your hair formed by concentrations of keratins overlapping each other. It provides protection to the inner part of the hair and it's also one of the toughest parts of your body. Cortex The cortex is the inner part of your hair made of up dead cells that gives your hair its shape, flexibility and elasticity. It stores the much needed oils and water to keep your hair looking healthy and moisturized. The pigment melanin which provides your hair color is also located in the cortex where it's shown through the cuticle. Medulla The core of your hair shaft is the medulla, which usually appears hollow and empty. The medulla provides depth and allows the supply of oxygen to your hair.

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The Mechanism of Hair Relaxers

To obtain a permanent perm or to straighten a curly hair, you will need the help of hair relaxers. The basic mechanism of most relaxers are simple, to break the disulphide bonds that are holding your hair proteins together.

This usually requires an alkaline agent strong enough to loosen and temporarily break the bonds so that you can restyle your hair. Hair relaxers are strong and should be used under supervision because without proper care, the chemicals can permanently damage your hair shafts.

There are mainly 2 types of hair relaxers regularly used today which are

Lye Relaxers

Lye is a very strong alkaline solution that is also used in a huge variety of cleaning products like laundry detergent, pool cleaning supplies and drain de-cloggers. Some formulas are so strong that I can basically dissolve anything in its way.

Basically a lye hair relaxer is made up of the same strong corrosive alkaline solution known as Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) that is mixed with water, petroleum jelly and other ingredients. Upon application, the lye relaxer floods through the protein structure of your hair and breaks the disulphide bonds causing the hair to loosen up for reshaping.

As your hair is made of dead cells, you usually won't feel the burning sensation but when lye comes in contact with your skin of scalp, it can really hurt your skin. That is why there is a need to apply a coating of petroleum jelly to prevent this from happening.

Usually after treatment, it's important to use a neutralizer like an acidic shampoo to remove the lye and rebalance back the PH levels of your hair or else the lye can continuously break up the hair structure leading hair breakages and brittleness. Lye is also capable of stripping moisture from your hair, therefore, after application, frequent moisturizing is required.

There are mainly two types of formulas for lye relaxers known as base or no base. The base concept requires you to apply a layer of petroleum jelly onto the scalp to protect it from irritations and burns while to non base formulas are actually just milder concentrations that don't require coating but it still can irritate you if you have sensitive scalp.

No-Lye Relaxers

As the name says it, No-lye denotes the absence of Sodium Hydroxide but instead replaces with a slightly milder kind of chemical agent like

• Potassium Hydroxide
• Lithium Hydroxide
• Guanidine Hydroxide

All of the above chemicals share the same method of action like lye but they are just milder and supposedly to be less damaging compared to lye relaxers.

There are another group of acid based hair relaxers known as

• Ammonium Thioglycolate
• Ammonium Sulfate
• Ammonium Bisulfate

These relaxers are mainly known as perm salts that instead of breaking up the disulfide bonds totally, it seeps through your hair cuticle into the cortex and weakens the internal structures of the bonds.

You can say that this method is much milder compare to other chemical agents but perm salts can strip more natural oils and moisture from your hair compare to the alkaline counterparts. Furthermore, after using Ammonium Thioglycolate, you will still need a mild alkaline solution like Hydrogen Peroxide to infuse back your hair shaft to fix the perm.

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Lye or No-lye, if it's Safe it's a Lie

No matter what kind of chemical relaxers you use, whether lye or no-lye, the basic mechanism is the same. To permanently shape your hair, chemicals must enter into your hair to break or modify your hair structure for reshaping. Therefore, excessive or unsupervised using of these relaxers can and might cause problems to your hair and scalp like

• Scalp irritation
• Dry, brittle and damaged hair
• Burns if chemical contacts with the skin
• Potentially toxic fumes from the chemicals
• Chemical induced hair loss (Anagen Effluvium)

You might want to take a look at this FDA's article about the dangers of using hair relaxers here.

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Over-Processing

A common and serious complication when it comes to using relaxers is known as over-processing. This happens when you apply too much of the chemical to your hair in a single session or if you repeat the same treatment to the same part of your hair.

Usually, it's only recommended to treat the hair once and only repeat treatment after 3-4 months only on the new grown part of your hair. Repeat treatment may further damage your hair and can lead to mass hair breakages, something you definitely won't want as it might lead to the appearance of hair loss.

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If You Still Want to Use Hair Relaxers..

I won't recommend you if you have thin looking hair or a hair loss problem to chemically treat your hair with hair relaxers because it only adds to the damage and might further cause more appearance of hair loss. If there is a chemical that is strong enough to burn your skin, what do you think it will do to your hair in the long run?

However, I know that you might not be able to resist a new perm or hairstyle and you might want to try using hair relaxers, so let's get preventive.

A few important factors to know before you even try using are

1. Make sure that your hair is healthy and in the top condition first.
2. Do not use hair relaxers twice on the same area of your hair.
3. Avoid hair coloring or other treatments if you are considering hair relaxers.
4. Make sure the hair stylist has a history of good results handling hair relaxers.
5. Use hair conditioners regularly to moisturize your hair.

The idea is to be careful and attention when it comes to hair relaxers. Use it with moderation and make sure preventive care is taken to prevent further damage to your hair.

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Other Safer Alternatives

The safest way to style your hair is use home straightening or curling appliances instead. Although the style are not permanent, heating tools made of ceramic or tourmaline are much safer than treating your hair frequently with hair relaxers. Furthermore, you can have different styles more regularly as you wish compared to a permanent fix.

Another point to consider is that home styling appliances are much cheaper in the long run. Some least expensive models are only within USD30-40 per piece but some can hit a few hundred.

The main idea is to find a heating appliance that can have an adjustable heating element to only the required heat is applied on the hair. Overheating is another cause of permanent hair damage as well so honestly the best way for healthy hair and prevent further hair loss is to keep your hair as natural as possible.

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