The Science and Beauty of Hair Straightening

By Rita Lambros-Segur

If you have fought curls all your life and look at others with their long straight hair with envy there is hope. There are many kinds of hair straighteners available that will tame that mass of curls. Balm, conditioners, sprays, and gels are available for helping you to achieve the straight look.

Women and men both seem to want what they don't have. If they have curly hair they long for straight. People with straight hair spend a small fortune for perms to curl their hair and try to achieve the naturally curly look. It is not known why unless it goes along with the age old reasoning that people want what others have. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.

Chemical straightening can be one of the best hair straighteners if used properly. These should only be used by someone who knows what they are doing. If not, you can damage someone’s hair beyond repair. If your hair has been chemically color changed, it may require a weaker straightener than someone who has their natural hair color. A test strip of hair should always be straightened first to determine what strength hair relaxer to use.

Some professionals use a petroleum based cream to apply to the hair before to hair that has been straightened before. Hair that is damaged and not in top shape may need to use this cream. After the chemical relaxer has been on the hair for the required amount of time it is rinsed thoroughly. A neutralizer must be put on the hair immediately following this rinse. The neutralizer regulates the hair’s PH level. A high PH level can cause your hair to swell and break off.

Normally a conditioner is put on the hair after the neutralizer. Sometimes it is used before the relaxer and after the neutralizer depending on the shape of the hair. If your hair is really curly and you have used heat to straighten it periodically this is the recommended number of times to use conditioner. If your hair is badly damaged you should wait to put a relaxer on it because this will just cause further damage.

The three basic types of hair straighteners are sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide, and ammonium thioglycolate. Basically the higher the PH in the product you use, the easier your hair will relax. However, stronger chemicals can cause more damage to your hair.

The number of times you can use a hair straightener really is based on the condition of your hair, the strength of the relaxer you are using, and how recently your hair has been straightened. Usually straightening your hair is not recommended more than a couple of times a year.

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