The preparation: (the following portion of this discussion is taken from an article written By Audrey Sivasothy a/k/a sistaslicks) My personal notes are in purple.
Step 1: Clean it Up! Your final shampooing should take place on the last 3-5 days before your relaxer. At this wash (particularly if you desire a straighter, more thoroughly processed result), you should use a clarifying shampoo to remove any deposits or product buildup on the hair. A clarifiying shampoo, or any "stripping" shampoo containing the detergents Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate or Ammonium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate will be strong enough to remove buildup and maintain a clean and clear head of hair.
Step 2: Toughen it Up!You should treat your hair to a protein treatment the final wash before your relaxer. Follow up the treatment with a good moisturizing deep conditioning. Giving your hair a protein treatment in the days leading up to your relaxer application gives your hair little more protein to work with going into the relaxer. This prevents the relaxing process from totally compromising the strength of your hair when your inner protein bonds are manipulated. To determine which strength of protein reconstructor to use, I would first do a breakage assessment of the hair. If you are already having some breakage, I would go with a moderate to heavy treatment for damaged hair. I recommend the Aphogee Treament for Damaged Hair (under $8) for heavy protein conditioning. If you don't have any noticeable breakage, then a lighter/milder treatment should be fine. I would recommend ORS Hair Mayo, Aphogee 2-minute or Nexxus Keraphix as mild protein treatments. After you have completed steps 1 and 2, do not wash, scratch, or do anything to disturb your scalp. (I like to use HB castor oil on my scalp daily up to relaxer day.
Step 3: Protect It! The day of relaxer, pay special attention to the length and ends of your hair. The hair shaft and ends are especially vulnerable to damage from the relaxing process unless you protect them. Applying a light coating of something like olive oil, my mix: roux porosity control, mane n tale original and castor oil , a thick conditioner, grease or vaseline to your scalp and hair past the new growth prevents the rest of your hair from being "re-relaxed" as a result of overlapping and runoff during the final rinsing of the relaxer. Protection for the length and ends of the hair is essential because the short, compact nature of the new growth makes it is virtually impossible to avoid overlap. This "chemical run" and lack of protection for the shaft and ends is one of the many reasons quite a few relaxed ladies have thinner, and thinner ends. Also remember, that oiling the new growth itself may leave you underprocessed because the relaxer has to penetrate through the layers you have put on. If you want a straighter turnout, be sure that you do not coat your new growth-- only coat your scalp and hair shaft past the new growth. As always, apply protective base (vaseline, oil, grease) to your scalp, tops of ears, and other sensitive areas . The base will give you an extra layer of protection between the relaxer crème and those areas.
Step 4: Stand Test It! Perform a strand test before applying any relaxer (or hair coloring chemicals) to your hair, even if you have previously used the chemical in question. Our bodies change, and so does our tolerance and allergies to certain products. Also, it is not uncommon for companies to alter formulas over the years as well. A chemical that may have worked well for you for years may suddenly fail to give you desired effect it once did. Performing a strand test will always let you know where you stand.
Pre-Relaxer Considerations: When you're ready to begin the chemical relaxing process, please take time to consider the following questions:
1.) How straight should my hair be? How far should I go? The obvious answer is as straight as possible right? Wrong! Do not rely on a chemical relaxer to take you to a 100% degree of straightness. Remember, you can always flat iron your hair for a bone straight look anytime without compromising the inner structure of your hair. I recommend that you relax your hair only to about an 80-90% degree of straightness I prefer 70-85%, where some natural texture remains. Relaxing the hair bone straight increases your odds of hair thinning and loss over time. Your hair will hold moisture better and maintain much of its natural strength if you do not relax your hair bone straight.
2.) Can I Lessen the harsh effects of my chemical relaxer? Chemical relaxers contain very harsh ingredients, but you can reduce the aggressiveness of your chemical relaxer. To reduce the harsh effects of your relaxer, simply add 1/8 - ¼ of a cup of your favorite oil or conditioner to the creme. This additional material will help to condition your hair. It will also buy you valuable application time during your self-relaxing process by slowing the processing of the relaxer. Any oil or lightweight conditioner will do! I use olive oil.
STAGE 1: Prep Hair and Gather your Materials:
Be sure to gather your materials well before you actually begin the relaxer application. Having everything you need beforehand will enhance efficiency and save precious time.
STAGE 2: APPLY THE CHEMICAL RELAXER IMPORTANT! Before you start your chemical relaxer application, make sure that you have properly prepared your hair to undergo this process by following the 4 critical steps in this article.
Application Methods:
A.) Gloved Finger Method - Hands are gloved and chemical relaxer is smoothed onto sections with the fingers or the back of a comb. This method offers less control for applying the relaxer neatly. The heat from your hands may also cause the relaxer to process quicker.
B.) Applicator Paintbrush Method- The professional recommended relaxer application. The hair is parted and relaxer is "painted" or smoothed onto the newgrowth with the applicator brush. This method also gives the user more control of the relaxer application and best prevents overlapping.
C.) Applicator Bottle Method - some have reported that this method gives lots of control due to the relaxer being squeezed directly onto new growth out of a nozzle. But be careful not to place the bead of relaxer too close to/on the scalp and be sure to "pull" the relaxer all the way down all of the new growth.
Application Steps:
STAGE 3: The Mid-Relaxer Conditioning Protein Step
Several relaxer formulations come with a mid-relaxer protein conditioning step that involves the application of a mild protein treatment between the relaxer rinsing and neutralizing stages of the chemical relaxer process. This five minute step is done essentially to restore protein stores lost or compromised during the relaxer application. The great thing about this mid-relaxer protein conditioning step is that it can be safely performed with any chemical relaxer brand that you like and with any mild protein conditioner that you like! The steps are simple.
STAGE 4: The Neutralizing Rinse
The neutralizing step is the most important, yet surprisingly most misunderstood phase of the relaxing process. Unfortunately, this step is where many relaxer applications go terribly wrong. If the hair is not properly neutralized, the relaxer will continue to work on the bonds within the hair strand. If the amount of relaxer residue still left remaining within the hair strand after you have neutralized and moved on is significant, then permanent hair loss and thinning will result. Neutralizer should be allowed to sit undisturbed on the hair shaft for 3 to 5 minutes before it is rinsed. It must be given sufficient time to actually penetrate the hair shaft, adjust the hair's pH, and halt the chemical reactions taking place deep within the hair strand. A few quick latherings and rinses will not get this done satisfactorily.**Note: During the neutralizing process (mid-protein and neutralizing shampoo steps), you should make sure that you are not roughing up the cuticle layers of the hair in any way. Always work your post relaxer products down the shaft in one direction. No lathering, or scrunching the hair, etc. The straighter you keep your hair during the neutralizing process, the straighter the hair will turn out in the end. As your hair is neutralizing, your hair's bonds are "freezing" or falling into their final, permanent place. If you direct the hair downward in a straight orientation with care:
1.) You ensure a neat arrangement of bonds in the final turnout and
2.) Reduce permanent damage to the shaft as the cuticles begin closing.
A color indicator is extremely important!Using a neutralizing shampoo with a color indicator or color alarm will reveal many things to you about the neutralizing process. One is that, relaxer chemicals are not easily removed from the hair shaft. Another is that gentle scalp scrubbing during the neutralizing process will reveal even deeper traces of relaxer. Even with the best basing, some relaxer will breach your protective layer. You must get this deep penetrating relaxer out as soon as possible. You should insist on using a neutralizing shampoo with a color indicator for all of your relaxer applications. This color alarm acts as a "litmus test " that reads the pH of a particular chemical and produces a tell-tell color to inform you of any chemical change. Relaxers raise the pH of the hair in order to lift and open the hair cuticle for the straightening process. Neutralizing shampoo enters the raised cuticle to lower the pH of the hair and halt the relaxing process. This litmus test is the only way that you can be 100% sure that the hair's pH has been restored to normal levels and that the chemical action of the relaxer has truly stopped within the strand. Relaxers are not surface-acting chemicals that can easily be rinsed away. These chemicals penetrate the hair shaft very deeply, so one or two quick rinses with a neutralizing shampoo is not enough to halt the relaxer action. With a typical neutralizing shampoo it can take anywhere from 15-45 minutes and several vigorous rinses before the color alarm indicates that you have removed all traces of the relaxer from deep within the hair strand.
Step 1: Clean it Up! Your final shampooing should take place on the last 3-5 days before your relaxer. At this wash (particularly if you desire a straighter, more thoroughly processed result), you should use a clarifying shampoo to remove any deposits or product buildup on the hair. A clarifiying shampoo, or any "stripping" shampoo containing the detergents Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate or Ammonium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate will be strong enough to remove buildup and maintain a clean and clear head of hair.
Step 2: Toughen it Up!You should treat your hair to a protein treatment the final wash before your relaxer. Follow up the treatment with a good moisturizing deep conditioning. Giving your hair a protein treatment in the days leading up to your relaxer application gives your hair little more protein to work with going into the relaxer. This prevents the relaxing process from totally compromising the strength of your hair when your inner protein bonds are manipulated. To determine which strength of protein reconstructor to use, I would first do a breakage assessment of the hair. If you are already having some breakage, I would go with a moderate to heavy treatment for damaged hair. I recommend the Aphogee Treament for Damaged Hair (under $8) for heavy protein conditioning. If you don't have any noticeable breakage, then a lighter/milder treatment should be fine. I would recommend ORS Hair Mayo, Aphogee 2-minute or Nexxus Keraphix as mild protein treatments. After you have completed steps 1 and 2, do not wash, scratch, or do anything to disturb your scalp. (I like to use HB castor oil on my scalp daily up to relaxer day.
Step 3: Protect It! The day of relaxer, pay special attention to the length and ends of your hair. The hair shaft and ends are especially vulnerable to damage from the relaxing process unless you protect them. Applying a light coating of something like olive oil, my mix: roux porosity control, mane n tale original and castor oil , a thick conditioner, grease or vaseline to your scalp and hair past the new growth prevents the rest of your hair from being "re-relaxed" as a result of overlapping and runoff during the final rinsing of the relaxer. Protection for the length and ends of the hair is essential because the short, compact nature of the new growth makes it is virtually impossible to avoid overlap. This "chemical run" and lack of protection for the shaft and ends is one of the many reasons quite a few relaxed ladies have thinner, and thinner ends. Also remember, that oiling the new growth itself may leave you underprocessed because the relaxer has to penetrate through the layers you have put on. If you want a straighter turnout, be sure that you do not coat your new growth-- only coat your scalp and hair shaft past the new growth. As always, apply protective base (vaseline, oil, grease) to your scalp, tops of ears, and other sensitive areas . The base will give you an extra layer of protection between the relaxer crème and those areas.
Step 4: Stand Test It! Perform a strand test before applying any relaxer (or hair coloring chemicals) to your hair, even if you have previously used the chemical in question. Our bodies change, and so does our tolerance and allergies to certain products. Also, it is not uncommon for companies to alter formulas over the years as well. A chemical that may have worked well for you for years may suddenly fail to give you desired effect it once did. Performing a strand test will always let you know where you stand.
Pre-Relaxer Considerations: When you're ready to begin the chemical relaxing process, please take time to consider the following questions:
1.) How straight should my hair be? How far should I go? The obvious answer is as straight as possible right? Wrong! Do not rely on a chemical relaxer to take you to a 100% degree of straightness. Remember, you can always flat iron your hair for a bone straight look anytime without compromising the inner structure of your hair. I recommend that you relax your hair only to about an 80-90% degree of straightness I prefer 70-85%, where some natural texture remains. Relaxing the hair bone straight increases your odds of hair thinning and loss over time. Your hair will hold moisture better and maintain much of its natural strength if you do not relax your hair bone straight.
2.) Can I Lessen the harsh effects of my chemical relaxer? Chemical relaxers contain very harsh ingredients, but you can reduce the aggressiveness of your chemical relaxer. To reduce the harsh effects of your relaxer, simply add 1/8 - ¼ of a cup of your favorite oil or conditioner to the creme. This additional material will help to condition your hair. It will also buy you valuable application time during your self-relaxing process by slowing the processing of the relaxer. Any oil or lightweight conditioner will do! I use olive oil.
STAGE 1: Prep Hair and Gather your Materials:
- Gloves - To protect your hands from harsh relaxer chemicals. Relaxer chemicals can irritate your hands and weaken or discolor fingernails which, like your hair, are composed of protein.
- Base/Oil - To protect your hair and scalp.Be sure to coat the entire length of hair to protect previously chemically relaxed portions from further damage.
- Relaxer - Choose your relaxer based on your own hair type and desired turnout. I use ORS lye normal for 15-20 minutes.
- Applicator Brush - Optional. For use if you do not wish to apply chemical relaxer creme with your gloved fingers, comb or mixing stick (that comes in no-lye kits).
- Towels - 1 Small hand towel for your face, 1 large towel to drape over your shoulders during relaxer application, 1 towel to drape during the rinsing stage, 1 towel to dry the hair, an extra clean towel just in case!
- Timer/Clock -To keep track of time
- Combs - After your initial four corner partings, a comb is optional. A comb can inadvertently scratch or irritate your scalp during relaxer application so use with caution. But, it lessens the additional heat from your fingers that can sometimes speed up processing. For a normal touch-up the back of a straight rattail comb can be used for application. For correctives ONLY, a wide-toothed comb may be used to comb the relaxer through the underprocessed sections.
- Neutralizing Shampoo - Select a neutralizing shampoo with a color alarm or indicator. Choose a chelathing neutralizing shampoo for no-lye relaxers to remove calcium deposits.
- Mild Protein Conditioning Treatment - for mid-relaxer protein conditioning step (optional). Aphogee 2 Minute Keratin reconstructor, Motions CPR, and Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Pacs are good protein conditioning treatments to use.
- Deep Moisturizing Conditioner - Select a thick, creamy moisturizing conditioner for following up your relaxer application. (See regimen builder)
- 4-8 clips/holders - To keep loose hair controlled while you section and apply relaxer to your hair. Plastic smooth clips are best!
Be sure to gather your materials well before you actually begin the relaxer application. Having everything you need beforehand will enhance efficiency and save precious time.
STAGE 2: APPLY THE CHEMICAL RELAXER IMPORTANT! Before you start your chemical relaxer application, make sure that you have properly prepared your hair to undergo this process by following the 4 critical steps in this article.
Application Methods:
A.) Gloved Finger Method - Hands are gloved and chemical relaxer is smoothed onto sections with the fingers or the back of a comb. This method offers less control for applying the relaxer neatly. The heat from your hands may also cause the relaxer to process quicker.
B.) Applicator Paintbrush Method- The professional recommended relaxer application. The hair is parted and relaxer is "painted" or smoothed onto the newgrowth with the applicator brush. This method also gives the user more control of the relaxer application and best prevents overlapping.
C.) Applicator Bottle Method - some have reported that this method gives lots of control due to the relaxer being squeezed directly onto new growth out of a nozzle. But be careful not to place the bead of relaxer too close to/on the scalp and be sure to "pull" the relaxer all the way down all of the new growth.
Application Steps:
- Step 1.) Divide your hair into 4 sections, parting your hair from ear to ear and then right down the middle. This will give you 2 sections in the front and 2 in the back.
- Step 2.) Work with one section of hair at a time. Use your clips to tie back the other sections of hair while you concentrate on the section you are working on. Begin working on the most resistant section of the four you have created, saving your edges and nape for last. You should either start an inch or two up from the neck line, or an inch or two back from the front hairline in the sections you are working on.
- Step 3.) Make ½ inch partings* in the section you are working on and apply the relaxer to the curly newgrowth. Take care not to overlap the crème onto the previously relaxed areas, and keep the relaxer away from your scalp. (Hopefully you will have already based your scalp so that if you do touch your scalp-you'll have a buffer to prevent damage). When you complete this section, unpin another and repeat.*Do not attempt to part through your hair perfectly with a comb, especially if you are several weeks post relaxer. This is unnecessary manipulation. Finger parting will work just as well. You want to part, lift, and apply to both sides. Be sure that you coat both sides of the hair strand with your mixture!Switch it Up! It is good to alternate your starting point with subsequent relaxer applications if you do not have any painfully resistant areas. For instance, if you begin with the back left section each and every time you relax, relax this section last the next time around. If you consistently relax a section first each time, this section of your hair becomes compromised because it is always exposed to chemicals for the longest periods of time. Years and years of relaxing this section first may begin to thin it out. Switch up your starting point from time to time, so that particular sections are not over exposed time and time again.
- Step 4.) Your relaxer should be processing your hair at this point and starting to break down your disulfide bonds. It is now your job to do the actual "straightening." Gently smooth and work the relaxer creme into the hair, making sure that you are not overlapping the chemical relaxer creme onto previously relaxed sections. Work the relaxer in a downward motion, making sure that you are keeping the cuticle layers pointing downward at all times. Your fingers should be smoothing the hair in ONE downward direction. Do not work the relaxer "against the grain," past the newgrowth, or down the shaft. DO NOT COMB THE RELAXER THROUGH THE HAIR. Keep your eye on the clock. Chemical relaxer timing depends on the texture, porosity, and condition of your hair in addition to the look you want to achieve. You should follow the time frame instructions for the relaxer you are planning to use. Speed is the key to a successful application. Do NOT wait until the relaxer begins to tingle or burn your scalp! Many of us have been raised to believe that the relaxer is "working" when it begins to tingle. This is far from the truth! The chemical relaxer is indeed working, but working on eating through your scalp and hair making it weaker by the second! Relaxers should never burn. Ever! You should never allow your hair to even reach the point of tingling. A tingling/burning relaxer is a sign that: a.) The chemical has been in contact with the scalp for entirely too long and b.) The relaxer has breached the protective base barrier that was placed on the scalp and is now working on breaking down the hair even further. By this point, you've waited too long to rinse and usually you can expect some scabbing, watering, or oozing of the scalp in the affected areas several days after the relaxer. These chemical relaxer burns are not "the cost of doing business." They should not be taking place period. Scabbing is a sure sign of improper relaxer application, and if you, a stylist, or someone else is applying your relaxers only to result in scabs later, drop them. LET THEM GO! They are causing you much more harm than good.
- Step 5: Thoroughly rinse the chemical relaxer crème from your hair with warm water. Ensure that all physical traces of relaxer have been rinsed. Your hair is still extremely vulnerable to relaxer damage due to the unstable, high pH pf the hair and your swollen, lifted cuticle layers. Handle your hair with extreme care!
STAGE 3: The Mid-Relaxer Conditioning Protein Step
Several relaxer formulations come with a mid-relaxer protein conditioning step that involves the application of a mild protein treatment between the relaxer rinsing and neutralizing stages of the chemical relaxer process. This five minute step is done essentially to restore protein stores lost or compromised during the relaxer application. The great thing about this mid-relaxer protein conditioning step is that it can be safely performed with any chemical relaxer brand that you like and with any mild protein conditioner that you like! The steps are simple.
- Thoroughly rinse the relaxer crème from your hair with warm water after processing.
- Apply your mild protein conditioning treatment to your hair for three to five minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly and proceed with the rest of your neutralizing procedure.
The Benefits: The main benefit of this mid-relaxer protein procedure is the maximum penetration of the protein molecules deep into the hair shaft that it permits. As you have read, relaxers disturb and destroy the protein bonding structure of our hair. This is the same structure that is responsible for our hair's strength and elasticity. The point after the relaxer is rinsed, and right before the neutralizing phase is the most critical point in the relaxing process for the hair shaft. It is here that the hair cuticle is most open and receptive to treatments. Yet another benefit of this mid-relaxer protein conditioning step is the increased body, strength, and volume it gives the hair following a chemical relaxer. The hair does not exhibit that limp, thin lifeless look that it typically has after a fresh relaxer. This mid protein step actually increases the body and thickness of the hair shaft!Why this worksBecause of the relaxer's high pH, the cuticle layer is the most open it will ever be. Introducing the protein at this phase allows for maximum protein penetration and replacement due to the extreme lifting of the cuticle layer following the relaxing process.But Will the relaxer still continue to process my hair? The relaxing process is a chemical reaction that is not compatible at low pHs. Relaxers work in the 10-14 pH range. It is the low pH of the neutralizer that stops the neutralizing process, nothing special. Any and all of the products you apply following the rinsing of the relaxer help to gradually bring the pH of your hair back down to its normal pH of about 4.5 to 5.5. The water from the initial warm water rinsing of the relaxer has a neutral pH of around 7. The water's neutral pH helps bring the relaxer pH down a bit from its usual 10 to 14 pH range to a range of about 8 or 9 . The protein conditioner has a low, normalizing pH of 4 to 6 as well so it also brings your hair's pH down so that your hair isn't processing at full strength. The neutralizer finishes and seals the process. It typically bears the lowest pH of any product used during the relaxing process, so it helps bring down pH of the hair even more. This step is where the cuticles close back down the tightest. Doing the protein before this happens is the key, however, do not allow the protein treatment to linger on the hair longer than five to seven minutes. You still need to quickly move on to the rest of the neutralizing phase. This five minute protein step is optional, but it works!
STAGE 4: The Neutralizing Rinse
The neutralizing step is the most important, yet surprisingly most misunderstood phase of the relaxing process. Unfortunately, this step is where many relaxer applications go terribly wrong. If the hair is not properly neutralized, the relaxer will continue to work on the bonds within the hair strand. If the amount of relaxer residue still left remaining within the hair strand after you have neutralized and moved on is significant, then permanent hair loss and thinning will result. Neutralizer should be allowed to sit undisturbed on the hair shaft for 3 to 5 minutes before it is rinsed. It must be given sufficient time to actually penetrate the hair shaft, adjust the hair's pH, and halt the chemical reactions taking place deep within the hair strand. A few quick latherings and rinses will not get this done satisfactorily.**Note: During the neutralizing process (mid-protein and neutralizing shampoo steps), you should make sure that you are not roughing up the cuticle layers of the hair in any way. Always work your post relaxer products down the shaft in one direction. No lathering, or scrunching the hair, etc. The straighter you keep your hair during the neutralizing process, the straighter the hair will turn out in the end. As your hair is neutralizing, your hair's bonds are "freezing" or falling into their final, permanent place. If you direct the hair downward in a straight orientation with care:
1.) You ensure a neat arrangement of bonds in the final turnout and
2.) Reduce permanent damage to the shaft as the cuticles begin closing.
A color indicator is extremely important!Using a neutralizing shampoo with a color indicator or color alarm will reveal many things to you about the neutralizing process. One is that, relaxer chemicals are not easily removed from the hair shaft. Another is that gentle scalp scrubbing during the neutralizing process will reveal even deeper traces of relaxer. Even with the best basing, some relaxer will breach your protective layer. You must get this deep penetrating relaxer out as soon as possible. You should insist on using a neutralizing shampoo with a color indicator for all of your relaxer applications. This color alarm acts as a "litmus test " that reads the pH of a particular chemical and produces a tell-tell color to inform you of any chemical change. Relaxers raise the pH of the hair in order to lift and open the hair cuticle for the straightening process. Neutralizing shampoo enters the raised cuticle to lower the pH of the hair and halt the relaxing process. This litmus test is the only way that you can be 100% sure that the hair's pH has been restored to normal levels and that the chemical action of the relaxer has truly stopped within the strand. Relaxers are not surface-acting chemicals that can easily be rinsed away. These chemicals penetrate the hair shaft very deeply, so one or two quick rinses with a neutralizing shampoo is not enough to halt the relaxer action. With a typical neutralizing shampoo it can take anywhere from 15-45 minutes and several vigorous rinses before the color alarm indicates that you have removed all traces of the relaxer from deep within the hair strand.
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