What You Need To Know About Permanent Hair Straightening

If your hair is slightly frizzy, slightly kinky or even downright curly wurly - and you're just begging for it to be straight for longer than it takes for you to wash your hair, it's definitely worth considering permanent hair straightening. Although there are a myriad of a products that promise to keep your hair straight for three days, seven days and sometimes even longer (and believe us, some of them are really very good), nothing - but nothing will keep your hair as sleek and as straight as a permanent hair straightening solution. Here, we share everything you need to know about permanent hair straightening.

The Science Of Straight

Firstly, let's get down to the facts: how does it all work?

That's because the solutions used to straighten the hair actually relax the protein bonds that determine the structure of hair and instead of keeping it wound into a curl, relax it out into a straightened strand.

Protein bonds determine whether the hair is straight, curly, wavy or anything in between and when we alter these bonds using a combination of chemicals, conditioning treatments and heat - for example, by blow drying the hair straight or by using a straightening iron. When treatments use an alkaline chemical to break these protein bonds, the alkaline solution is first applied, followed by an acidic solution to stop the reaction from going to far, rendering the hair limp and brittle. Other chemical treatments involve chemicals, followed by the application of deep conditioning treatments.

Brazilian hair straightening, sometimes known as keratin hair straightening for example, uses a keratin-based solution to soften and smooth hair, coating each individual strand with the protein, strengthening it whilst also improving the condition of it.

If you've dyed or bleached your hair, regular chemical straightening treatments won't really be too kind on your hair - in fact, they can quite literally dissolve your locks, so you'll want to stay away from them, although keratin treatments might be suitable. Visit your salon and they'll do a strand test to determine which treatment would suit you best - but rest assured, something will work. Never fear, curly girls!

See Also: Cool And Quirky Autumn/Winter Hair

Benefits Of Permanent Straightening

Believe it or not, permanent hair straightening does actually have some major benefits, particularly if you're one of those gals who uses hot irons every day along with hair straighteners and all of the pressing, pulling and hair treatments used to tease curly hair into a poker straight style. All of that heat and chemicals used constantly will do more damage to hair than a treatment every few months. The treatment also means that hair is typically much easier to wash and style, which tends to mean that fewer breakages occur, improving the overall texture and feel of hair - and this means that you'll use less product. But there are a few downsides, too.

What's Not So Good About Permanent Straightening

Although permanent solutions are brilliant for those who don't want to have to straighten their hair everyday - and who don't want to have to fight the frizz every time there is the merest hint of rain in the air - they do come with some problems.

Some people's hair tolerates the chemicals extremely well. Other people's hair does not. Generally, if you have "virgin" hair, you'll tolerate it better, which is why your stylist will do a strand test, but this isn't always the case. It also depends on the scruples of your hairdresser. Some will willingly pay less for cheap chemicals knowing that they'll make a larger profit. It's unfortunate, but it's true. Also, chemical straightening solutions are put on at scalp level, rather than from a few inches down from the roots to the tips, which means that it can cause dryness and flaking and in severe cases, can even lead to burning and hair loss. Relaxers work more quickly in hotter temperatures than in cooler temperatures, which means that they have to be monitored very closely in order to ensure that hair is not damaged. Also, if the relaxing solution is left on for too long, mass hair breakage can occur - which can be extremely difficult to remedy. 

Caring For Permanently Straightened Hair

It's really important that you care for permanently straightened hair in the same way that you would care for permanently permed hair. Washing it too often, using too many hair products and using heated appliances too frequently will simply strip the chemical solution from the hair, which means that it won't last as long - which will eventually result in more damage. Not only that, but if you apply heat to hair that doesn't really need heat applied to it - for example, hair that is virtually straight but not quite poker straight, you'll cause damage that'll be really quite hard to fix without a good cut.

See Also: How To Tame Curly Hair

Wash your hair as infrequently as you can get away with so that your hair hangs onto all of those nourishing natural oils (we promise, they're good for your scalp - and the more you wash, the more you lose and the more your scalp tries to replenish them, so the greasier your scalp gets), and so that your hair doesn't get stripped of the chemicals that you've just spent a fortune putting onto it. Try not to use too many hair products as they will just interfere with the chemicals already on your hair, and if you must use them, keep it to something really simple and natural like a dry oil mist spray or a dry oil serum just to nourish the tips of your hair and to lock in extra moisture.

Happy straightening, girls!