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!