Relaxer

For other uses, seeRelaxer (disambiguation).

Arelaxeris a type oflotionor cream generally used by people with tight curls or very curly hair which makes hair easier tostraightenby chemically "rela xing" the natural curls. The active agent is usually a strongalkali,although some formulations are based onammonium thioglycolateorformaldehyde.

History

The first documented history of the relaxer began withGarrett Augustus Morganin 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 rela xing, orlanthionization,colloquially known as a perm, can be performed by a professionalcosmetologistin a salon, a professional barber in a barbershop or at home with relaxer kits. As withhair 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 widespreadalopecia.

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 suitableshampooimmediately afterward. The prompt use ofhair conditioneris 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 Morganobserved that it is possible to change the basic structure of the hair shaft when certain chemicals penetrate the cuticle layer. Hair rela xing products often require washing and combing withsoapwhich had been made with excesslye.The scalp can suffer severe chemical burns if over exposed to lye or no-lye relaxers.

A lye relaxer consists ofsodium hydroxide(also known as NaOH or lye) mixed with water,petroleum jelly,mineral oil,andemulsifiersto 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 ofbaseas 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."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 aspotassium hydroxide,lithium hydroxide,orguanidinehydroxide. The last of these is not pre-formulated, but rather is generated at the time of use by combining a cream containingcalcium hydroxide(slaked lime) with an "activating solution" of guanidine carbonate.

Another type of "no-lye" relaxer usesammonium thioglycolate,which is also known asperm saltfor its use inpermanent waves.Perm salt is a chemicalreducing agentwhich selectively weakens the hair'scystinebonds instead of disrupting the entire protein, but strips out the natural oils even more thoroughly than the alkali hydroxide products. Afterward, the thioglycolate must beoxidizedwith a special solution ofhydrogen peroxideorsodium bromate.

Lastly, in most relaxers sold for home use, the active agents areammonium sulfiteand 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 rela xing 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 aschemical-freein the 1990s, theRio Hair Naturalizer System,led to aclass action lawsuitagainst the manufacturer, the World Rio Corporation Inc., when the acidic chemicals it contained caused scalp damage and/or hair loss to thousands of users.The product was eventually withdrawn from the market.

Down Perm

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

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 theFood and Drug Administrationand a complete list of ingredients is not mandatory; however many brands of hair relaxers listphthalatedirectly as one of their chemical ingredients.Phthalatesfrom 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 uterineleiomyomata.The incidence of this disease is 2 to 3 times higher in African-Americans than Caucasian women.However, the paper makes no causal connections between relaxers and uterine fibroids, even though some media outlets have reported otherwise.

Breast cancer

A potential causal link between relaxers and breast cancer was found by researchers associated with the Black Women’s Health Study[1]

The Food and Drug Administrationis 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.

See also

• Afro-textured hair
• Hair iron
• Hair straightening
• Hot comb
• Natural hair
• Perm (hairstyle)
• Garret Morgan

References

• Garrett Augustus MorganCleveland Business Man and Inventor.Rhode Island College[2]

External links

• List of articles from National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health regarding relaxers
• Hair Care: An Illustrated Dermatologic Handbook
• Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair