A relaxer is a type of
lotion
Lotion is a low-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to the skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity, typically due to lower water content. Lotions are applied to external skin with bare hands, a brush, a clean ...
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
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.
Chemistry
Being the salt of a weak acid and weak base, ammonium thioglycolate exists in ...
or formaldehyde.
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
Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, non-permanent hair removal such as ...
in a salon, a professional barber in a barbershop or at home with relaxer kits. As with
hair dye
Hair coloring, or hair dyeing, is the practice of changing the hair color. The main reasons for this are cosmetic: to cover gray or white hair, to change to a color regarded as more fashionable or desirable, or to restore the original hair color ...
, 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
Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scar ...
.
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
Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a Viscosity, viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product ...
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
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
which had been made with excess
lye
A lye is a metal hydroxide traditionally obtained by leaching wood ashes, or a strong alkali which is highly soluble in water producing caustic basic solutions. "Lye" most commonly refers to sodium hydroxide (NaOH), but historically has been u ...
. 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
Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils.
The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...
, and
emulsifiers
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Although ...
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.
["Relaxer and Hair Loss In Women"](_blank)
retrieved November 26, 2009. "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
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash.
Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which exp ...
,
lithium hydroxide
Lithium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula LiOH. It can exist as anhydrous or hydrated, and both forms are white hygroscopic solids. They are soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol. Both are available commercially. While ...
, or
guanidine
Guanidine is the compound with the formula HNC(NH2)2. It is a colourless solid that dissolves in polar solvents. It is a strong base that is used in the production of plastics and explosives. It is found in urine predominantly in patients experie ...
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
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.
Chemistry
Being the salt of a weak acid and weak base, ammonium thioglycolate exists in ...
, which is also known as
perm salt
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.
Chemistry
Being the salt of a weak acid and weak base, ammonium thioglycolate exists in ...
for its use in
permanent waves
''Permanent Waves'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released January 14, 1980, through Anthem Records. After touring to support their previous album, '' Hemispheres'' (1978), the band began working on new material for a ...
. Perm salt is a chemical
reducing agent
In chemistry, a reducing agent (also known as a reductant, reducer, or electron donor) is a chemical species that "donates" an electron to an (called the , , , or ).
Examples of substances that are commonly reducing agents include the Earth me ...
which selectively weakens the hair's
cystine
Cystine is the oxidized derivative of the amino acid cysteine and has the formula (SCH2CH(NH2)CO2H)2. It is a white solid that is poorly soluble in water. As a residue in proteins, cystine serves two functions: a site of redox reactions and a mec ...
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
Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a ...
with a special solution of
hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3%â ...
or
sodium bromate
Sodium bromate, the inorganic compound with the chemical formula of NaBrO3, is the sodium salt of bromic acid. It is a strong oxidant.
Uses
Sodium bromate is mainly used in continuous or batch dyeing processes involving sulfur or vat dyes and as ...
.
Lastly, in most relaxers sold for home use, the active agents are
ammonium sulfite
Ammonium sulfite is the ammonium salt of sulfurous acid with the chemical formula (NH4)2SO3.
Preparation
Ammonium sulfite can be prepared by the reaction of ammonia with sulfur dioxide in aqueous solution:
:2 NH3 + SO2 + H2O → (NH4)2SO3
Ammon ...
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
Chemical free or chemical-free is a term used in marketing to imply that a product is safe, healthy or environmentally friendly because it only contains natural ingredients. From a chemist's perspective, the term is a misnomer, as all substances ...
in the 1990s, the
Rio Hair Naturalizer System The Rio Hair Naturalizer System was a hair relaxer distributed by the World Rio Corporation Inc. It was available in two types; "Neutral", and one that claimed to have a "Color Enhancement Formula" that contained a black hair dye. As a product desi ...
, led to a
class action lawsuit
A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class actio ...
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.
[Kurtzweil, Paula (March 1996).]
Hair relaxers destroyed after consumers complain – products sold by World Rio Corp
, ''FDA Consumer''. The product was eventually withdrawn from the market.
Down Perm
A Down Perm ( ko, 다운 펌) is a type of hair relaxing 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 (Asian hair tends to be round and Caucasian 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
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
and a complete list of ingredients is not mandatory; however many brands of hair relaxers list
phthalate
Phthalates (, ), or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid. They are mainly used as plasticizers, i.e., substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. They are used primarily to soften ...
directly as one of their chemical ingredients.
Phthalates
Phthalates (, ), or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid. They are mainly used as plasticizers, i.e., substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. They are used primarily to soften ...
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 23,000 African-American women showed an association between the use of relaxers and risk of uterine
leiomyomata
A leiomyoma, also known as a fibroid, is a benign smooth muscle tumor that very rarely becomes cancer (0.1%). They can occur in any organ, but the most common forms occur in the uterus, small bowel, and the esophagus. Polycythemia may occur due to ...
. 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.
["Chemical relaxers linked to high uterine fibroid risk among African-American Women? I doubt it"](_blank)
Retrieved August 14, 2014.
Breast cancer
A potential causal link between relaxers and breast cancer was found by researchers associated with the Black Women’s Health Stud
See also
*
Afro-textured hair
Afro-textured hair, or kinky hair, is a human hair texture originating from sub-Saharan Africa. Each strand of this hair type grows in a tiny, angle-like helix shape. The overall effect is such that, contrasted with straight, wavy, or curly hai ...
*
Hair iron
A hair iron or hair tong is a tool used to change the arrangement of the hair using heat. There are three general kinds: ''curling irons'', used to make the hair curly hair, curly, ''straightening irons'', commonly called ''straighteners'' or ''f ...
*
Hair straightening
Hair straightening is a hair styling technique used since the 1890s involving the flattening and straightening of hair in order to give it a smooth, streamlined, and sleek appearance. It became very popular during the 1950s among black males and ...
*
Hot comb
A hot comb (also known as a straightening comb or pressing comb) is a metal comb that is used to straighten moderate or coarse hair and create a smoother hair texture. A hot comb is heated and used to straighten the hair from the roots. It can b ...
*
Natural hair
The natural hair movement is a movement which aims to encourage women and men of African descent to embrace their natural, afro-textured hair. It originated in the United States during the 1960s, with its most recent iteration occurring in the 200 ...
*
Perm (hairstyle)
A permanent wave, commonly called a perm or permanent (sometimes called a "curly perm" to distinguish it from a " straight perm"), is a hairstyle consisting of waves or curls set into the hair. The curls may last a number of months, hence the ...
*
Garret Morgan
References
{{Reflist
*Garrett Augustus Morgan ''Cleveland Business Man and Inventor''. Rhode Island Colleg
External links
List of articles from National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health regarding relaxersHair Care: An Illustrated Dermatologic HandbookChemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair
Hairdressing
African-American hair