Brazillian Straightening Treatment

The top two rows of pictures were taken on the same day. First row, my natural hair. Second row, right after the class (didn't love the very straight). The other pictures scattered around this post are from the class. They are in no particular order. The after shots of the models are grouped

The Brazilian Straightening Treatment is one way to relax and manage overly curly or frizzy hair. For someone who loves curls and helps teach women how to make the most of their curls, why even go there? Several reason: first, I have seen in my career in the hair industry, curls that are very tight and coarse in texture which is hard to work with and live under. The clients with this type of hair feel oppressed by it and burdened. The way this type of curl grows is more horizontal than vertical. It turns more into an afro than a ringlet. I embrace all types of curls but I have seen the women who would like a looser curl than what they have naturally. So a relaxing product for this type of hair can actually weigh the curl down enough to make it more wearable. Second, not everyone who has curly hair wants to wear it that way. I love curls but not everyone does. How to help the curly girls who just don't want to learn how to make it work for them. So these are the reasons why, let's talk about the different types of curl relaxing products.

A little chemistry lesson. Skip this part if you are not interested but I believe knowledge is power and the more information a consumer has, the better decision they can make for themselves.

There is more than one way to straighten or relax hair. There is the good old fashioned roller set or blow out. This is a way to rearrange the shape and size of a curl by using heat. A roller set is achieved by applying a setting lotion or gel while the hair is wet and tolling it on rollers. The larger the roller, the more relaxed the curl. This is usually done for an event or special occasion. It is time consuming because the hair must be completely dry and cooled before the rollers are removed. This involves sitting under a hooded or bonnet dryer, sometimes for hours. The results are beautiful but short lived. As soon as the hair is wet (or even exposed to humidity) it begins to revert, which means return to it's naturally curly state. That looks like frizz or puffiness. If you wish to bypass chemicals altogether, this is your best option. It is the least damaging to the integrity of the hair but it is temporary and time consuming. Blowouts are the second non chemical option. You can do them yourself at home or have it done in the salon. A straightening gel is usually a good idea and then blowing hair dry in sections using a large round brush or a paddle brush. Also a temporary solution but non damaging.

Chemical Relaxers

There are several different brands and strengths of chemical relaxers or straighteners. The strongest is Sodium Hydroxide. This is a chemical used to relax or straighten very coarse , kinky and curly hair. It is used mostly on ethnic hair. It is very strong and caustic. If not applied properly it can easily cause chemical burns, scarring and permanent hair loss. It works by penetrating the cuticle and breaking the chemical bonds within the hair. The hair is manually straightened (by combing and pulling on it) and the bonds are re-established in a straight arrangement by finishing with a neutralizing shampoo. It does create straight hair but the damage is obvious. This also doesn't mean the hair dries straight by itself. It still has to be blown dry and styled with heat (a flat iron or curling iron).

The second strongest chemical relaxer is a Ammonium Thioglycolate based product. This chemical is the same one used to "perm" hair to create curls. The difference in using it as a straightener or a curl producing chemical is how the hair is arranged when the solution is applied. For example, to create curls, hair is rolled on perm rods, to straighten , hair is combed out or held (by boards, or sometimes papers) in a straight position. The bonds of the hair are broken then reshaped by the addition of a neutralizing chemical into whatever position the hair is held in. Japanese straighteners fall into this category. The hair is flat ironed into a straight position with the chemical in it.

Both Sodium Hydroxide and Ammonium Thioglycolate straighteners are permanent which means the curly hair will grow back in but the straight hair will remain straight and the new growth will have to be retouched. Overlapping when retouching can cause breakage.

The third type of hair relaxer is one that coats the hair as opposed to opening the cuticle and rearranging the bonds. This is the least invasive of the chemical type straighteners. It has no line of demarcation which means it wears off over time as opposed to growing out. There is never a need to retouch, the entire head would be done again. This is an off the scalp treatment. Many companies make products like this and they are commonly referred to as Brazilian Keratin Straighteners or Treatments. Keratin is what makes up hair. The chemical which actually causes the straightening or relaxing effect is Formaldehyde. The product we used, La Brazilia, has 2.6%, the lowest percentage on the market. The treatment never comes in contact with the skin. The product is applied to hair that has been treated with a clarifying shampoo then blown dry. The application process is very meticulous and tedious. The hair is then blown dry and flat ironed. There are fumes from the Formaldehyde and it is recommended the stylist wear gloves and a mask. The client can wear a mask or use a towel to cover the face. The fumes are the real concern but a well ventilated room and proper precautions minimize the risk. We have a seperate well ventillated room used for this service. You may not want to use this type of treatment if you have asthma or are prone to respiratory problems. After the process is complete, the hair must be kept in a straight condition for four days. This means no pulling it back in a headband, ponytail or even tucking it behind your ears. I was told to not even sweat if I could avoid it (which meant no working out). If the hair does get wet or starts to revert, it should be dried and flat ironed again as soon as possible. After the four days, it is shampooed out and styled as normal.

So what's the verdict?

The first picture is before the treatment, the second picture is two weeks later after a blowout.

Why would I, a stylist who loves curls, want to use such a product on my hair? It's simple, I can't advocate or use a product on any of my clients that I wouldn't use on myself. I needed to see how it felt and affected my hair before I could, in good conscience, use it on the people who trust me with their hair. So what was the outcome? Well, at first it was too straight for me. The four days of wearing it super straight were weird. I kept looking in the mirror thinking "Who is that?" After I was able to shampoo and diffuse my hair again, it was just wavy. I shampooed it a couple of days in a row and diffused, trying to get my ringlets back. I was having an identity crisis. After the third day of that, I decided to blow it out straight and see how it looked. I was shocked at how soft and healthy it looked and felt. I don't usually straighten my hair because it takes at least an hour and it never stays straight. This time it took 25 minutes and I wore it for 6 days. By then I was kind of grossing myself out so I shampooed, but not because my hair looked bad I just thought "it must be getting dirty by now". The humidity didn't affect it at all.

I kind of miss my curls but I just decided this will be the summer of straight hair for me. My husband loves it and I must say, it's nice to have my hair feel long and swishy for a change. I am still trying to figure out who I am without my big curly hair but I know it will come back as the treatment wears off and I am looking forward to having curls back.

I think this is a great solution for women with unmanageable curls. It can be particularly helpful in relaxing coarse tight ringlets. It's not for you if you have respiratory issues