Hair Relaxer Side Effects

A hair relaxer is a hair care product used to relax tightly curled hair. It consists of various chemical substances that break up the protein structure of the hair follicles and realign them in order to straighten up the hair. This hair treatment is very popular among black women as it makes their hair flexible and easily manageable. The side effects that are observed after regular use of these products are mainly because of presence of lye or sodium hydroxide in them.

Side Effects of Hair Relaxer

People go for hair relaxing as it can straighten their excessively curly and wavy hair strands. Thus one can try out so many different hairstyles which are impossible with a curly, frizzy hair. However, prior to opting for such a treatment one should be aware of the possible side effects of using relaxer on hair, which are as follows:

Burns on Scalp: When the chemicals in hair relaxers comes in contact with the scalp skin, it may cause burns and irritation on the scalp surface. If there is severe chemical burns, then red, itchy skin rash may appear on the scalp. Therefore, while applying the relaxer, care should be taken so that it does not touch the scalp.

Dryness of Hair: In hair relaxing treatment, the chemical solution is allowed to sit on the hair for about half an hour. During this time, the chemicals strip off the natural oils and moisture from the hair. They also destroy the natural proteins of the hair. At the end, you find that your hair have become extremely dry. Such harmful effects can be avoided if the treatment is followed by deep conditioning of the hair. Hot oil treatments and application of hair masks are also proved to be highly beneficial for hydrating the hair.

Hair Damage: Hair relaxers have a damaging effect on the overall hair health. After all, it robs off the oils and essential proteins from the hair and make them delicate. The natural elastic properties of the hair strands get adversely affected which make them susceptible to breakage. Sometimes, hair shaft may sustain chemical burns that make them rough. Some people may suffer from hair loss problem after using hair relaxers.

Tips on Use of Hair Relaxer

Here are a few simple tips that can help you to control common hair relaxer side effects and you will be able to enjoy healthy hair:

• Do not try to use hair relaxers on your own at home. Hair relaxing should be done by experienced and reputable professional stylist only.
• Hair relaxer should not be used if there are minor cuts and wounds in the scalp. For this reason, try not to comb the hair too much prior to hair relaxing.
• A special kind of base cream should be applied before relaxing the hair. This will minimize the contacts of the chemicals with the scalp skin.
• After rinsing off the relaxer with warm water, use of neutralizer is recommended. This will bring down the pH level and reduce the chances of hair breakage.
• Hot hairstyling tools, harsh chemicals of hair dye and swimming pools should be avoided on relaxed hair.
• A gap of six to eight weeks should always be there in between two consecutive application of hair relaxers.

Thus you can see most of the side effects can be avoided with correct usage of the product and proper hair care. However, it is advisable not to use hair relaxer during pregnancy. If you are looking for an alternative to chemical hair relaxers, then you can try out some natural hair relaxers which can be safely used by anyone and everyone.