By default (with nothing done to either), NATURAL hair is stronger than relaxed hair. But TRULY understanding hair and its strength requires you to know and understand the organic chemistry behind your hair. (Now I'm not saying everyone go out and buy an organic chemistry textbook, work in a lab, and memorize all the reactions lol). Basically, organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds and how they interact with other atoms/molecules in nature. EVERYTHING, including your hair, is made up of these organic compounds.
In the simplest terms, hair is made up of proteins (ie keratin), which are made up of amino acids, which are made up of an amine and carboxylic acid functional groups. So a carbon is bonded to a -NH2 (amino) group, -COOH (carboxyl) group, hydrogen, and fourth variable side chain group (which could be a sulfide or something else). Bottom line, your hair is not some magic material; it's pretty much just a bunch of different bonds interacting together. These bonds can be broken and new ones can be formed to replace the ones which were destroyed. Broken bonds lead to an atom or molecule becoming unstable.
Atoms do not like to be unstable! When atoms interact with other atoms or molecules, they lose and gain the necessary electrons in order to remain stable. When an atom is missing an electron, it becomes positively charged (cation) and when an atom has too many, it becomes negatively charged (anion).
If you're still with me, you're probably wondering "Ok, what the heck does this have to do with my hair?" In its normal state, hair is positively charged and acidic (which like everything else, depends on the correct makeup of the bonds) but there are several things that can throw off this state.
Now IMAGINE. Here comes little ol' relaxer. Relaxer is going to break off an atom or complete molecule from an otherwise stable compound, which leads to causing the hair to become alkaline (and screws up the bonds, that's why you have to use a neutralizing shampoo to restore the hair's normal acidic pH after a relaxer). The remaining compound is not happy. However, when it comes into contact with something that has the necessary atom or molecule to restore those lost electrons/bond, it's going to grab it and become stable again.
Now, if you use products that are rich in the amino acids that make up your hair, they will interact with lone molecules or groups that may have had their bonds broken by chemical damage and form a new bond. One of these main products is a hair RECONSTRUCTOR.
The purpose of hair reconstructors is to perform the necessary organic reaction to restore the protein bonds that were broken or destroyed by heat and chemical damage. Although sometimes, heat (with a very good protectant) can be good because heat is a catalyst in many reactions and can speed up the restorative bonding process.
While relaxing the hair DOES weaken or destroy bonds, it does NOT destroy the hair STRAND. If that were the case, when your hair was relaxed or colored, the strands would completely disintegrate after the chemicals touched them. Because it's just the bonds that are destroyed and not the atoms of the complete hair strand, if your hair comes in contact with a product containing the necessary keratin protein/amino acid compounds, those bonds will be restored or new bonds (same ones that are in your hair in its natural state) will be made. With that said, properly reconstructed relaxed or colored hair is JUST AS STRONG as natural hair. Organic chemistry backs this up with FACT.
Now as for the question of thriving, hair thrives when it's being taken care of properly and has the necessary compounds, doesn't matter if it's relaxed or natural.
In the simplest terms, hair is made up of proteins (ie keratin), which are made up of amino acids, which are made up of an amine and carboxylic acid functional groups. So a carbon is bonded to a -NH2 (amino) group, -COOH (carboxyl) group, hydrogen, and fourth variable side chain group (which could be a sulfide or something else). Bottom line, your hair is not some magic material; it's pretty much just a bunch of different bonds interacting together. These bonds can be broken and new ones can be formed to replace the ones which were destroyed. Broken bonds lead to an atom or molecule becoming unstable.
Atoms do not like to be unstable! When atoms interact with other atoms or molecules, they lose and gain the necessary electrons in order to remain stable. When an atom is missing an electron, it becomes positively charged (cation) and when an atom has too many, it becomes negatively charged (anion).
If you're still with me, you're probably wondering "Ok, what the heck does this have to do with my hair?" In its normal state, hair is positively charged and acidic (which like everything else, depends on the correct makeup of the bonds) but there are several things that can throw off this state.
Now IMAGINE. Here comes little ol' relaxer. Relaxer is going to break off an atom or complete molecule from an otherwise stable compound, which leads to causing the hair to become alkaline (and screws up the bonds, that's why you have to use a neutralizing shampoo to restore the hair's normal acidic pH after a relaxer). The remaining compound is not happy. However, when it comes into contact with something that has the necessary atom or molecule to restore those lost electrons/bond, it's going to grab it and become stable again.
Now, if you use products that are rich in the amino acids that make up your hair, they will interact with lone molecules or groups that may have had their bonds broken by chemical damage and form a new bond. One of these main products is a hair RECONSTRUCTOR.
The purpose of hair reconstructors is to perform the necessary organic reaction to restore the protein bonds that were broken or destroyed by heat and chemical damage. Although sometimes, heat (with a very good protectant) can be good because heat is a catalyst in many reactions and can speed up the restorative bonding process.
While relaxing the hair DOES weaken or destroy bonds, it does NOT destroy the hair STRAND. If that were the case, when your hair was relaxed or colored, the strands would completely disintegrate after the chemicals touched them. Because it's just the bonds that are destroyed and not the atoms of the complete hair strand, if your hair comes in contact with a product containing the necessary keratin protein/amino acid compounds, those bonds will be restored or new bonds (same ones that are in your hair in its natural state) will be made. With that said, properly reconstructed relaxed or colored hair is JUST AS STRONG as natural hair. Organic chemistry backs this up with FACT.
Now as for the question of thriving, hair thrives when it's being taken care of properly and has the necessary compounds, doesn't matter if it's relaxed or natural.
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I still had tangles and breakage... now that I am relaxed I still get breakage.. I think our hair is the most fragile hair of all cultures IMO... regardless if its natural or relaxed.
