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I thought this was kind of interesting so I thought I’d share. I was really surprised after reading the comment after extreme breakage after relaxing. I don’t remember a stylist ever leaving neutralizer in my hair for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
Why some hair will not relax:
Basically, this is due to the patron's body chemistry. If your patron is on certain medications or consumes large quantities of acid-laden foods or drinks such as lemon, lime, orange juice, carbonated soft drinks or is experiencing a nervous condition or in various stages of pregnancy, these and other conditions can lower normal body pH from 5.5 to approximately 3.5. This means that any scalp secretions, perspiration or sebum will be at the same lower pH. This, plus heavy hair dressings, coat the lower hair shaft causing a pre-neutralizing effect on the hair prior to contact with the relaxer. Combing a relaxer cream with a pH of 12 to 13 with sufficient scalp secretions at a pH of 3.5 to 4.0 may result in a pH of 8.5 or less. This pH is generally too low to relax hair.
Why Breakage Appears Sometimes On The Nape Of The Neck After Relaxing
Generally what happens is after you have rinsed the relaxer from the hair, you will lean the client back onto the bowl without first rinsing leftover from the neck of the bowl. Therefore, the relaxer re-contacts with the nape of the neck and overprocessing is possible. Be sure to rinse the relaxer from the neck of the bowl.
What Is The Cause Of Extreme Breakage Shortly After Relaxing?
If your hair was in good condition prior to relaxing, and then starts to break or shed after the relaxer treatment, this is probably due to improper neutralizing. (The shampoo was not left in the hair long enough to properly neutralize). The neutralizing shampoo must be in contact with th hair for at least 5 minutes regardless of how many soapings you give. It takes at least that long for the active ingredients in the neutralizer to penetrate all three layers of the hair shaft and bring the pH of the hair down to normal. If you rinse the neutralizing shampoo from the hair too soon, you may stop the action of the neutralizer while the pH of the chemical in the hair is still in a high alkaline state. This will cause breakage and shedding because some active ingredients from the relaxer are still in the inner-hair causing rapid deterioration.
Using Vitale's Revive Positive Conditioner prior to neutralization, helps eliminate all alkaline substances inside the hair shaft and thus prevent breakage problems due to poor neutralizing.
Can Plain Water Neutralize A Relaxer?
NO! Water may appear to neutralize the relaxer as you rinse all the relaxer off the scalp because any burning sensation ceases. The water also rinses away relaxer on the hair. However, it will not rinse away the relaxer that is in the hair. Only the active ingredients in the neutralizer can penetrate the hair shaft and stop the action of the active ingredient in the hair.
Why some hair will not relax:
Basically, this is due to the patron's body chemistry. If your patron is on certain medications or consumes large quantities of acid-laden foods or drinks such as lemon, lime, orange juice, carbonated soft drinks or is experiencing a nervous condition or in various stages of pregnancy, these and other conditions can lower normal body pH from 5.5 to approximately 3.5. This means that any scalp secretions, perspiration or sebum will be at the same lower pH. This, plus heavy hair dressings, coat the lower hair shaft causing a pre-neutralizing effect on the hair prior to contact with the relaxer. Combing a relaxer cream with a pH of 12 to 13 with sufficient scalp secretions at a pH of 3.5 to 4.0 may result in a pH of 8.5 or less. This pH is generally too low to relax hair.
Why Breakage Appears Sometimes On The Nape Of The Neck After Relaxing
Generally what happens is after you have rinsed the relaxer from the hair, you will lean the client back onto the bowl without first rinsing leftover from the neck of the bowl. Therefore, the relaxer re-contacts with the nape of the neck and overprocessing is possible. Be sure to rinse the relaxer from the neck of the bowl.
What Is The Cause Of Extreme Breakage Shortly After Relaxing?
If your hair was in good condition prior to relaxing, and then starts to break or shed after the relaxer treatment, this is probably due to improper neutralizing. (The shampoo was not left in the hair long enough to properly neutralize). The neutralizing shampoo must be in contact with th hair for at least 5 minutes regardless of how many soapings you give. It takes at least that long for the active ingredients in the neutralizer to penetrate all three layers of the hair shaft and bring the pH of the hair down to normal. If you rinse the neutralizing shampoo from the hair too soon, you may stop the action of the neutralizer while the pH of the chemical in the hair is still in a high alkaline state. This will cause breakage and shedding because some active ingredients from the relaxer are still in the inner-hair causing rapid deterioration.
Using Vitale's Revive Positive Conditioner prior to neutralization, helps eliminate all alkaline substances inside the hair shaft and thus prevent breakage problems due to poor neutralizing.
Can Plain Water Neutralize A Relaxer?
NO! Water may appear to neutralize the relaxer as you rinse all the relaxer off the scalp because any burning sensation ceases. The water also rinses away relaxer on the hair. However, it will not rinse away the relaxer that is in the hair. Only the active ingredients in the neutralizer can penetrate the hair shaft and stop the action of the active ingredient in the hair.
