According to Dr. U, women of African descent need to be mindful of the unique characteristics of their hair. This involves understanding which practices for relaxing their hair are safe and appropriate for achieving the effect that they want.

Why Choose Relaxers Over The Straight Iron?

There are many tutorials on how to properly use a straight iron for black hair. However, chemical relaxers can offer results that are more permanent and convenient. The choice is completely up the individual.

However, it is important to keep in mind that chemical relaxers have the potential to cause significant damage to the hair. Therefore, before making an decision on what product or professional to choose, it would help to have a general understanding of:

• options
• basic processes used
• do’s and don’ts

General Hair Relaxing Tips For Black Women : Should You Choose A Lye or A No Lye Relaxer?

Women of African descent are often faced with two options for choosing a chemical relaxer:

(1) Lye

• main ingredient is sodium hydroxide.
• higher PH compared to no lye relaxers: 12-14
• chemical bonds within the hair shaft are broken down more quickly
• due to its faster results, the relaxer can be rinsed out more quickly to avoid irritation to the scalp

(2) No Lye

• main ingredient is calcium hydroxide or guanidine hydroxide
• lower PH compared to lye relaxers: 9-11
• chemical bonds within the hair shaft are broken down more slowly
• may be preferred for those whose scalp is more sensitive to chemicals
• can dry the hair due to the buildup of calcium deposits

In general, switching relaxers on hair that has already been treated is not recommended. It does not matter if it involves:

(1) using a lye relaxer on hair that has been treated with a no-lye product

OR

(2) using a no-lye relaxer on hair that has been treated with a lye product

However, switching relaxer types can be done on new growth.

Dr. U advises that the use of chemical relaxers be entrusted to a reputable professional. This professional hair relaxer should be capable of:

1. assessing different types of hair textures
2. ascertaining what chemicals are appropriate for a specific hair type
3. knowing how much product to apply
4. determining how long the product can be left on the hair

This level of  expertise is extremely important for avoiding damage and breakage to the hair. Initial evaluations will be needed to formulate an appropriate treatment strategy. This will include:

• (1) discussing chemicals that have been used on the hair, including color
• (2) performing a strand test to see how the hair, or even the skin reacts to different relaxers

During your appointment, the stylist will apply the relaxer for an appropriate length of time. After this chemical is rinsed out, a neutralizing solution will be used to neutralize any traces of the relaxer left on the hair. Without this step, the relaxer will continue to break up chemical bonds within the shafts. And this will damage the hair.

As the last step, a moisturizing conditioner will be applied.

General Hair Relaxing Tips For Black Women : Avoiding Chemicals Or Heat

According to Dr. U, the use of harsh chemicals as well as heat can be very damaging to hair of all ethnic groups. However, this is particularly harsh for individuals of African origin. Although the hair strands are tightly curled, the actual diameter of the shafts are very thin and fragile.  Furthermore, black hair has very low moisture content. And this makes it even more susceptible to breakage.

It is understandable that many women would want to have chemical relaxers professionally applied. But individuals would also need to consider the long term health of their hair.

There are in fact various options available for achieving straighter hair without the use of chemicals or even heat. Here are examples of methods that are commonly used:

(1) roller setting: This involves the use of large rollers on damp hair that has been treated with a setting product. Larger rollers will help produce straighter results.

(2) pinning: The concept of pinning involves taking sections of hair and pinning them around the head to help achieve a straighter and more relaxed texture. As with the use of rollers, the hair should be slightly wet. And it can also be treated with some type of setting product. A hair cap can then be applied and left overnight.

If the use of a straight iron is still preferred, Dr. U recommends that it be used with minimal amounts of heat, only a few times a month.

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