Relaxer

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A relaxer is a type of lotion or cream generally used by people with tight curls or very curly hair which makes hair easier to straighten by chemically "relaxing" the natural curls. The active agent is usually a strong alkali, although some formulations are based on ammonium thioglycolate or formaldehyde.

Contents

History

The first documented history of the relaxer began with Garrett Augustus Morgan in 1909. His hair straighten cream was found accidentally when trying to find a solution to ease friction on sewing machines in his tailor shop. Morgan tested his cream on a neighboring dog's fur. With the success of the cream, he established G.A. Morgan Hair Refining Company and began selling his product to Black/mixed people.

General usage

Hair relaxing, or lanthionization, colloquially known as a perm, can be performed by a professional cosmetologist in a salon, a professional barber in a barbershop or at home with relaxer kits. As with hair dye, the treated portion of the hair moves away from the scalp as the new growth of untreated hair sprouts up from the roots, requiring periodic retreatment (about every 8–11 weeks) to maintain a consistent appearance.

The relaxer is applied to the base of the hair shaft and remains in place for a "cooking" interval, during which it alters the hair's texture by a process of controlled damage to the protein structure. The hair can be significantly weakened by the physical overlap of excessive applications or by a single excessive one, leading to brittleness, breakage, or even widespread alopecia.

When the relaxer has worked to the desired degree, the hair is rinsed clean. Regardless of formula, relaxers are always alkaline to some degree, so it is prudent to neutralize or even slightly acidify the hair with a suitable shampoo immediately afterward. The prompt use of hair conditioner is also important in order to replace some of the natural oils that were stripped away by the process.

Types

Thio relaxers

Thio relaxers use ATG, or ammonium thioglycolate, which is also used in permanent waving, but at a much higher pH and concentration than used in permanent waves. It is usually higher than a pH of 10. These relaxers are also thicker with a higher viscosity, or thickness, which makes for an easier relaxer application. Thio relaxers break the disulfide bonds in hair, similar to the permanent waving process. When enough of the disulfide bonds in the hair are broken, the relaxer is rinsed from the hair and the hair is towel dried. After towel drying, a neutralizer of some sort is applied to the hair.

Alkaline and lye relaxers

Garrett Augustus Morgan observed that it is possible to change the basic structure of the hair shaft when certain chemicals penetrate the cuticle layer. Hair relaxing products often require washing and combing with soap which had been made with excess lye. The scalp can suffer severe chemical burns if over exposed to lye or no-lye relaxers.

A lye relaxer consists of sodium hydroxide (also known as NaOH or lye) mixed with water, petroleum jelly, mineral oil, and emulsifiers to create a creamy consistency. On application, the caustic "lye cream" permeates the protein structure of the hair and weakens its internal bonds, causing the natural curls to loosen out as the entire fiber swells open. No special deactivation step is required after washing the lye cream out, other than the routine pH adjustment and hair-conditioning.

Manufacturers vary the sodium hydroxide content of the solution from 5% to 10% and the pH between 10 and 14.

"Base" and "no base" formulas

Entirely distinct from the chemical concept of base as a wider definition for "alkaline", lye relaxers may be labelled as "base" or "no base". In this instance, the "base" refers to a preliminary coating of petroleum jelly onto the scalp to protect it from being irritated or burned by the lye cream. "No base" creams have a lower concentration of lye and may be applied directly to the hair roots without requiring the protective "base" layer, although these weaker products may still irritate the skin of some people who must therefore coat their scalps beforehand anyway.

"No lye" relaxers

Because of increasing awareness of the potential dangers of sodium hydroxide found in traditional relaxer formulas, many women have begun abandoning them. [1] "No-lye" relaxers have become increasingly popular. "No-lye" relaxers are of three main types. One type operates on the same general principle as lye relaxers but uses a slightly weaker alkaline agent, such as potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, or guanidine hydroxide. The last of these is not pre-formulated, but rather is generated at the time of use by combining a cream containing calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) with an "activating solution" of guanidine carbonate.

Another type of "no-lye" relaxer uses ammonium thioglycolate, which is also known as perm salt for its use in permanent waves. Perm salt is a chemical reducing agent which selectively weakens the hair's cystine bonds instead of disrupting the entire protein, but strips out the natural oils even more thoroughly than the alkali hydroxide products. Afterward, the thioglycolate must be oxidized with a special solution of hydrogen peroxide or sodium bromate.

Lastly, in most relaxers sold for home use, the active agents are ammonium sulfite and ammonium bisulfite (the two compounds are interchangeable, depending on the surrounding pH). These also selectively reduce the cystine bonds, but are much weaker and work more slowly. Nevertheless, their mild action minimizes (but does not entirely eliminate) collateral irritation to the skin.

Commercial sale

Early in the 1900s hair relaxing products emerged, such as "G.A. brandi's hair Cream." Sale of "lye relaxers" began in 1917 by companies such as Proline. They also produced the first commercial "no lye relaxer" using potassium hydroxide in 1919.

A product falsely marketed as chemical-free in the 1990s, the Rio Hair Naturalizer System, led to a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer, the World Rio Corporation Inc., when the acidic chemicals it contained caused scalp damage and/or hair loss to thousands of users. [2] [3] The product was eventually withdrawn from the market. [3]

Down Perm

A Down Perm (Korean : 다운 펌) is a type of hair relaxing product used in Asia with its origins in South Korea. [4] It is designed to relax Asian hair which tends to stick out, most noticeably after washing it. [5]

Risks

The hair of some Africans is elliptical in shape and therefore very tightly curled (east Asian hair tends to be round and European hair is in-between). The relaxer cream breaks down the chemical bonds of the hair shaft, disrupting the elliptical shape and reconstructing the bonds in a different way. Though hair follicles themselves are not damaged, the hair can become very brittle and break off. There is also risk of scalp burns if the relaxer comes into contact with the skin. Some professionals apply a scalp base cream or protector prior to application to protect the client's scalp from chemical burns. Cosmetic products are not subject to pre-market approval by the Food and Drug Administration and a complete list of ingredients is not mandatory; however many brands of hair relaxers list phthalate directly as one of their chemical ingredients. Phthalates from cosmetic products can be inhaled or absorbed by the skin and these have been shown to have estrogenic effects in cell models and experimental animals. It also can cause long-term damage that may not recover.

Uterine leiomyomata

A prospective cohort study of more than 22,000 African-American women showed an association between the use of relaxers and risk of uterine leiomyomata. The incidence of this disease is 2 to 3 times higher in African-Americans than Caucasian women. [6] However, the paper makes no causal connections between relaxers and uterine fibroids, even though some media outlets have reported otherwise. [7]

Breast cancer

A potential causal link between relaxers and breast cancer was found by researchers associated with the Black Women’s Health Study

The Food and Drug Administration is proposing a ban on using the chemical formaldehyde as an ingredient in hair relaxers, citing its link to cancer and other long-term adverse health effects. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium hydroxide</span> Chemical compound with formula NaOH

Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations Na+ and hydroxide anions OH−.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Base (chemistry)</span> Type of chemical substance

In chemistry, there are three definitions in common use of the word "base": Arrhenius bases, Brønsted bases, and Lewis bases. All definitions agree that bases are substances that react with acids, as originally proposed by G.-F. Rouelle in the mid-18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium carbonate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium carbonate is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield alkaline solutions in water. Historically, it was extracted from the ashes of plants grown in sodium-rich soils, and because the ashes of these sodium-rich plants were noticeably different from ashes of wood, sodium carbonate became known as "soda ash". It is produced in large quantities from sodium chloride and limestone by the Solvay process, as well as by carbonating sodium hydroxide which is made using the Chlor-alkali process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium hydroxide</span> Inorganic compound (KOH)

Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, and is commonly called caustic potash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perm (hairstyle)</span> Hairstyle

A permanent wave, commonly called a perm or permanent, is a hairstyle consisting of waves or curls set into the hair. The curls may last a number of months, hence the name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammonium thioglycolate</span> Chemical compound

Ammonium thioglycolate, also known as perm salt, is the salt of thioglycolic acid and ammonia. It has the formula HSCH2CO2NH4 and has use in perming hair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thioglycolic acid</span> Chemical compound

Thioglycolic acid (TGA) is the organic compound HSCH2CO2H. TGA is often called mercaptoacetic acid (MAA). It contains both a thiol (mercaptan) and carboxylic acid functional groups. It is a colorless liquid with a strongly unpleasant odor. TGA is miscible with polar organic solvents.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair care</span> Hygiene and cosmetology involving human hair

Hair care or haircare is an overall term for hygiene and cosmetology involving the hair which grows from the human scalp, and to a lesser extent facial, pubic and other body hair. Hair care routines differ according to an individual's culture and the physical characteristics of one's hair. Hair may be colored, trimmed, shaved, plucked or otherwise removed with treatments such as waxing, sugaring and threading. Hair care services are offered in salons, barbershops and day spas, and products are available commercially for home use. Laser hair removal and electrolysis are also available, though these are provided by licensed professionals in medical offices or speciality spas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conk</span> Hairstyle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair straightening</span> Hair styling technique

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleaning agent</span> Substance used to remove dirt or other contaminants

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammonium sulfite</span> Chemical compound

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium bisulfite</span> Chemical compound

Sodium bisulfite (or sodium bisulphite, sodium hydrogen sulfite) is a chemical mixture with the approximate chemical formula NaHSO3. Sodium bisulfite in fact is not a real compound, but a mixture of salts that dissolve in water to give solutions composed of sodium and bisulfite ions. It appears in form of white or yellowish-white crystals with an odor of sulfur dioxide. Regardless of its ill-defined nature, sodium bisulfite is used in many different industries such as a food additive with E number E222 in the food industry, a reducing agent in the cosmetic industry, and a decomposer of residual hypochlorite used in the bleaching industry.

The natural hair movement is a movement which aims to encourage people of African descent to embrace their natural, afro-textured hair; especially in the workplace. It originated in the United States during the 1960s, and resurged in popularity in the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curly Girl Method</span> Curly hair maintenance method

The Curly Girl Method is an approach to hair care designed by author Lorraine Massey for textured hair in its natural state that has not been chemically relaxed. This method discourages the daily use of sulfate shampoo, which is considered too harsh for curly hair. Among other things, it calls for the use of a cleansing conditioner in place of shampoo, no silicones, the use of a diffuser when blowdrying, and no combs, brushes, or terrycloth towels. It also includes tips for using hair gel and other styling products. The aim in general is to treat naturally curly hair gently, minimizing damage to the hair cuticle; to keep it moisturized, since curly hair is more prone to dryness than straight hair; and to accentuate rather than interfere with the hair's natural curl pattern.

Chemical drain cleaners or openers are pure or mixtures of chemicals used to unclog drains that are blocked by hair, food, or other organic materials. They are often accompanied by other mechanical drain cleaners for the optimal effect. Chemical drain cleaners are available through hardware stores, although some may be intended for use by licensed plumbers. They may contain either strong acids or strong alkalis. These cleaners contain chemicals that dissolve at least some of the material causing the clog.

References

  1. ↑ "Relaxer and Hair Loss In Women" retrieved November 26, 2009.
  2. ↑ Ayana D. Byrd; Lori L. Tharps (30 November 2006). Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. Diane Pub Co. p. 95. ISBN   978-0-7567-6982-6 . Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  3. 1 2 Kurtzweil, Paula (March 1996). "Hair relaxers destroyed after consumers complain – products sold by World Rio Corp", FDA Consumer.
  4. ↑ "Style of Korea by Dusol Beauty: Hair Advice : Men's Down Perm". Style of Korea by Dusol Beauty. 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  5. ↑ http://www.hairplus.sg/latest/men-style-korean-down-perm [ dead link ]
  6. ↑ Wise, Lauren A.; et al. (March 2012). "Hair Relaxer use and the Risk of Uterine Leoimyomata". American Journal of Epidemiology. 175 (5): 432–440. doi:10.1093/aje/kwr351. PMC   3282879 . PMID   22234483.
  7. ↑ "Chemical relaxers linked to high uterine fibroid risk among African-American Women? I doubt it". Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ "View Rule". www.reginfo.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
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