 Have you felt
that you would look prettier with your hair straight? You
are not alone. Millions of women each year undergo one of
several procedures available these days to make their hair
straight. The most recent and advanced method of permanent
hair straightening is known as Japanese hair straightening
(also called thermal conditioning). This system was
brought to the U.S. from
Japan in 1998. It's kinder to the hair than the old
treatments which used hydroxides and lye. (Related:
Hair problems)
How do I know if hair straightening will work for me?
According
to the staff at the Salon Cabochon in Sacramento,
California, look for a hairstylist who is specifically
trained to work with hair straightening. He or she will be
able to assess your hair and give you a recommendation.
Not all hair types are ideal for traditional
straightening, but the new Japanese hair treatment will
work well on almost everybody's hair. The first step is to
do a strand test of your hair. This will determine the
best strength of the relaxer to be used. Your stylist will
also examine your hair's texture, elasticity, and
porosity, and will assess any damage present.
What hair products are used?
There
are 5 kinds of hair products used and these will be
customized to your hair's requirements.
How long does it take?
Anywhere
from 3 to 6 hours.
Procedure
details
To
avoid any chemical burning, a protective petroleum
cream may be applied to protect the scalp and also
to your hair it it's been previously relaxed or
damaged.
A
chemical hair relaxer is then applied to
loosen, soften, and relax your natural curls. If
your hair is overly porous or slightly damaged
from being previously over-processed, your stylist
may use a conditioner-filler before applying the
relaxer. The relaxer is left on for the right
amount of time for your hair, and then thoroughly
rinsed out with warm water.
Then
a neutralizer is applied to your hair to oxidize
and restore its pH level. This is because if the
relaxer created too high a pH (too alkaline), your
hair could swell and break.
Next,
a conditioner is applied. There are two types, the
cream conditioners and the protein or liquid
conditioners. The best type will be used for your
hair, to restore some of its natural oils.
Post-relaxing
hair care
If a
mild hair relaxer is used, such as Ammonium Thioglycolate,
known as "thio," there is little risk of your hair being
damaged. However, any hair that has been relaxed will need
special ongoing care, both to protect the hair and to
retain the effects of the straightening.
Relaxed
hair becomes a lot more dry. So you should limit your use
of hot blow dryers and hot styling tools. And since
relaxed hair is also more porous, be sure and rinse all
shampoo out very completely. Use a shampoo that's designed
for relaxed hair.
Relaxed
hair tends to break more easily, so be sure and use a good
deep conditioner at least once a week. Also use a good
leave-in conditioner after shampooing. Conditioners will
coat the hair and restore oils and proteins that were
stripped by the chemical processing. This smoothes the
damaged outer surface of the hair and makes it more shiny.
When combing out tangles, do it very gently. Use a
wide-tooth pick and start at the ends, working in towards
the scalp.
What about touch-ups?
Many
people like to have their hair professionally straightened
at a salon, but like to do relaxing touchups at home. This
can work well, as long as you're very careful to apply the
touch-up only to the new growth. Don't apply it to the
previously relaxed hair because that will possibly cause
it to break.
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