Kick back and relax?
Did you know that sodium hydroxide will leave your drains sparkling? Did you also know that this same chemical is the main ingredient in hair relaxers?
Chemicals are serious business. Irritation, breakage and scalp burns are just some of the side effects that can occur when relaxers and perms go wrong. So how exactly do relaxers work to straighten the hair and is it really that damaging? Well, let’s take a moment to familiarise ourselves with some haircare basics. As they say, knowledge is power so it’s time to feel the force…
The Fuzzy Stuff
Our hair is made up of 90% keratin – a tough protein which also makes up our skin and nails. Hair consists of 3 main layers: the medulla, cortex and cuticle. The medulla is the centre of the hair shaft and is normally only present in coarser hair. The cortex is the powerhouse of the hair strand and is packed full of keratin-filled cells which give the hair its strength, suppleness and elasticity. Standing guard for the cortex are the overlapping scales of the cuticle whose duty it is to protect the delicate shaft from the everyday rigours of grooming and styling.
Now for a little more information about keratin. This stuff is the muscle of your hair. It is made up of amino acids which link together to form chains called polypeptides. These chains are in turn cross-linked with each other by side bonds (are you still following?). There are 3 types of side bond: hydrogen bonds, salt bonds and disulfide bonds. Hydrogen bonds are the most abundant and also the weakest. They are easily broken and reset by heat and water which is how we are able to achieve wet-sets, press n’ curls and similar styles.
Salt bonds are stronger, and are only broken in strong alkaline or acidic solutions. However, the strongest link is that of the disulfide bond. These are less frequently occurring than the other types of side bond but account for one-third of the hair’s strength. Disulfide bonds are normally only broken through chemical processes.
Ok, chemistry lesson over – now you know all about bonds, let’s move on to how perms and relaxers work to destroy them.
Tell it Straight
Say what? Did we say destroy the bonds? Afraid so. Both relaxers and perms work by breaking down the strongest bonds – salt and disulfide – in order to reshape the hair into the desired look. Perms are slightly less harsh as they actually reform the disulfide bonds during neutralisation (if you have ever had the…erm….experience of a curly perm, this is the watery solution which is applied after the initial mixture is washed out and your hair rolled into 101 curlers). Relaxers however, not only break down disulfide bonds but also destroy them – resulting in reduced elasticity, strength and flexibility of the hair. In effect you use at least one third of your hair’s strength following a straightening.
Tell me no Lye’s
So there you have it. Perms and relaxers actually break down the sturdy red-brick structure of your hair, and rebuild it using mud and water. Result? A fragile one-storey flat prone to getting washed away at any given moment.
But wait a minute. Flowery analogies aside – what about ‘No Lye’ relaxers? Aren’t they supposed to be more gentle?
Fair enough. ‘No Lye’ relaxers are generally more gentle on the scalp and have a lower pH rating than their traditional counterparts. However – and this is the crucial bit – the active ingredient in relaxers, namely the hydroxide ion, is the same in both types of product. In effect this means that even ‘No Lye’ relaxers still destroy those important bonds, but maybe just a little more quietly.
Get A-Head
Ultimately, the choice as to whether you use a relaxer or perm is yours. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to make an informed decision and take charge of your hair-health by gathering all the facts before you go ahead.