Jan 05, 2022

HOW TO CHOOSE A RELAXER TO PERM YOUR HAIR

Relaxers are known to make the hair soft, shine and silky. It makes hair easier to straighten as well. However, knowing the right relaxer to give your hair the bounce and all that I have mentioned above is key.

 

It is no news that there are several brands of relaxers available in the market. This makes it even more difficult for some ladies to make a choice whenever they need to perm their hair. We also know the thing with wanting to try out new products, right? Once a friend uses it and it’s good on her hair, we all want to try it out, regardless of the differences in our hair texture. Always remember that what is good for “A may not be good for B”.

 

As important as it is to take care of your hair and look your best always, we should not throw caution to the winds when it comes to picking out a relaxer to use on our hair because as good as it might make our hair look, it can also damage the hair when a wrong choice is made. Hence, the need for this post… It’s time to stop moving with the crowd when selecting a relaxer for your hair.

 

Here, the two main categories/types of relaxers are discussed to help you make a better choice next time.

We have:

 

Lye Relaxer

This is a mixture of sodium hydroxide, water, petroleum jelly, mineral oil and emulsifiers.

These mixtures are absorbed by the hair protein and weakens the hair bonds, which loosens the coil of the hair and straightens it. The amount of Lye used in hair differ with each brand of relaxer. Lye relaxers normally have pH level of between 12 and 14, which can cause much more damage to the hair than the no lye relaxers.

Lye relaxers are used on

  • Curly hair
  • Closely coiled hair
  • Wavy hair

 

                           Photo of a natural curly hair

 

No Lye Relaxer

Since the Lye relaxers have high pH level and can cause damage to the hair, No-Lye relaxer is introduced.

 In No Lye relaxer, sodium is replaced with other ingredients, though the hydroxide is included in it. Since sodium is removed, the pH level of this relaxer is between 9 and 11 which is less harmful then the Lye relaxer.

No Lye relaxers are suitable for:

  • sensitive scalp and
  • finer hair textures.

 

              Photo of a chemically straightened or relaxed hair

 

So, when next you want to get a relaxer, look out for:

 The ingredients of the relaxer as mentioned above, depending on your type of hair.

 Those that contains natural plant extracts like chamomile, sage help in minimizing irritation on hair and scalp and they can help soothe the scalp.

 Labels that say “made for sensitive scalp”.

 Lastly, consider seeing a professional hair stylist for help with knowing your hair type, which will in turn determine the type of relaxer to be used.

 If you do not have a professional stylist, please, feel free to walk into 10x10 Salon located at shop G11 Landmark Event Center, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru Victoria Island, Lagos for the most indebt knowledge of your hair and products to use to achieve that desired result.

 

 From your favorite team

10x10 (pronounced as ‘10by10’)