Is there really a difference between relaxers, ‘kiddy perms’ and texturizers and if so what is it? Keep reading to find out

Lye VS No Lye

Two relaxers commonly used are lye and no lye. Lye relaxers use sodium hydroxide and have a ph of 12-14 breaking down bonds quickly but also burning the scalp quickly, where as no lye relaxers use calcium hydroxide or guanidine hydroxide and have a ph between 9-11, taking longer to burn the scalp but also taking longer to achieve the desired effect. Hair has a ph of 4-5 which is why it’s essential to use neutralising shampoo after relaxing/texturizing. Either way neither are healthier or ‘safer’ than the other as both have to contain chemicals strong enough to penetrate the hair shaft and permanently alter the biological makeup of the hair strand by breaking down protein bonds, literally breaking your hair from the inside out to achieve straight hair.

 

So What’s The Difference?

The weaker or stronger a relaxer doesn’t have anything to do with the chemicals that it contains or doesn’t contain but rather how high the ph is. A lot of people believe that kiddy perms or texturizers are a softer alternative to ‘adult perms’ but this is far from the truth as they’re the exact same thing, just packaged and marketed differently (usually as healthier) to appeal to people looking for a ‘safer’ option (Kiddy perms are usually ‘no lye’).  When compared to regular relaxers, some kiddy perms have been shown to have a ph the same as adult relaxers, if not higher. The main factor in how straight your hair gets when using any of these straightening products is how high the ph is and how long the treatment is left to penetrate for.

 

Marketing and Advertisement to Trick You?

Studying Media and Graphic Communication has made me realise that you can sell people anything as long as you say the right thing, market it and advertise it right. This is why I always say research and read the ingredients, not the label. A couple drops of natural oils doesn’t make a product good or healthy when every other ingredient is five syllables long. Know what you’re letting seep into your blood stream and travel around your body. Also, don’t let the cute child on the box fool you, there’s no 100% healthy or safe way to chemically alter the biological makeup of someones hair strands and break down bonds. Would you put bleach in a child’s hair if bleaches were put in boxes with children on the front and advertised as a ‘kiddy bleach’? This is essentially the same thing.

 

Immediate and After Effects…

Damage from chemical treatments, heat and rough handling raises the cuticle (top layer) of the hair shaft leaving your hair porous and unable to lock in moisture or nutrients leading to dryness, frizz, breakage and unhealthy hair. Even if you use a mild/weak relaxer, ‘kiddy perm’ or texturizer, a chemical process has still happened within your hair shaft leaving you with damaged and weakened hair even if it doesn’t look or feel like it. Because of this there’s no such thing as 100% healthy relaxed hair although you can have relaxed hair that is as healthy as it can be in it’s chemically processed state when cared for properly. Protein treatments are beneficial for chemically treated hair as they help to strengthen hair after the natural bonds have been weakened or broken down.

 

Possible Long Term Effects?

Chemical treatments such as relaxers and hair dye’s are at the top FDA’s complaint list which isn’t surprising as the most active ingredients in relaxers also have the strength to disintegrate aluminium cans. When relaxers/texturizers are applied they often burn leaving open sores on the scalp allowing the chemicals contained to enter your blood stream and travel around your body. Some of the live chemicals in relaxers, ‘kiddy perms’ and texturizers can release small amounts of the hormone estrogen and so lead to early puberty in children which is associated with hormone imbalances resulting in growths such as fibroid tumors in the uterus.

 

Concluding this post, this wasn’t to put anyone off relaxers but to educate so that you know what’s going on the next time you apply some creamy crack 🙂

 

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