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Hydrogen bonds are the most abundant and also the weakest. They
are easily broken and reset by heat and water which is how we
are able to achieve wet-sets, press n’ curls and similar
styles.
Salt bonds are stronger, and are only broken in strong alkaline
or acidic solutions. However, the strongest link is that of
the disulfide bond. These are less frequently occuring than
the other types of side bond but account for one-third of the
hair's strength. Disulfide bonds are normally only broken through
chemical processes.
Ok, chemistry lesson over - now you know all about bonds, let's
move on to how perms and relaxers work to destroy them.
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| Tell It Straight |
Say
what? Did we say destroy the bonds?!
I’m afraid so. Both relaxers and perms work by breaking
down the strongest bonds – salt and disulfide –
in order to reshape the hair into the desired look. Perms are
slightly less harsh as they actually reform the disulfide bonds
during neutralisation (if you have ever had the…erm…'experience'
of a curly perm, this is the watery solution which is applied
after the initial mixture is washed out and your hair rolled
into 101 curlers).
Relaxers however, not only break down disulfide bonds but also
destroy them – resulting in reduced elasticity, strength
and flexibility of the hair.
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| No More Lye's |
So
there you have it. Perms and relaxers actually break down the
sturdy red-brick structure of your hair, and rebuild it using
mud and water. Result? A fragile one-storey flat prone to getting
washed away at any given moment.
But wait a minute.
Flowery analogies aside - what about 'No Lye' relaxers? Aren't
they supposed to be more gentle?
Fair enough. 'No Lye' relaxers are generally more gentle on
the scalp and have a lower pH rating than their traditional
counterpartes. However - and this is the crucial bit - the
active ingredient in relaxers (namely, the hydroxide ion)
is the same in both types of product. In effect this
means that even 'No Lye' relaxers still destroy those important
bonds, but maybe just a little more quietly.
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| Time To Get
A-Head |
So, what now?
Arrange a national burning of relaxer-kits on every street
corner? Well...nope. Not only would that speed up global warming
tenfold (which we could really do without right now), but
at Foundationz our mission is not to start a revolution (well,
not until later in the year anyway) but to promote natural
haircare where possible, and to provide you with the facts
to enable you to make a considered, informed decision about
how to style and maintain your hair.
So, don't stop here. Take charge of your hair-health and check
out our resource links below to find out more info. Remember
too, that we are here to answer any questions or look into
any issues which you may have, so get in touch if you want
us to don our Columbo mac and start investigating...
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