As is known, women are absolutely creaturesunpredictable. Today a woman can look one way, and the next day – another. The same applies to hair. Those who have straight hair dream of curly hair, and those who were endowed by nature with beautiful curly locks, at all costs, want to have straight hair. They learned how to make straight hair curly many centuries ago. But it became possible to make straight hair from curly hair only recently. There are only two technologies for straightening hair:
- Chemical hair straightening
- Thermal hair straightening
For thermal hair straighteninghot combs and curling irons are used. Combs are usually made of steel or brass and can be electric or regular. Moreover, the more often the teeth of such a comb are, the better the hair is straightened. In addition to combs, there are also curling irons. The cheapest curling irons are made with metal plates. Such curling irons damage hair very much, especially if you use this tool often. And curling irons with ceramic plates are more expensive, but they are much less harmful. You can also use a regular hair dryer for straightening, but this method is the least durable. And chemical hair straightening is essentially similar to a perm, only the hair does not curl in the end, but on the contrary, it is straightened. First, a special chemical composition is applied to the hair, then a fixative and at the end of the procedure - conditioner. For this procedure, two chemicals are mainly used:
- Sodium hydroxide. This chemical drug helps to open the cuticle of the hair, penetrating into its cortical layer, and then softens the hair, changing its structure. The more sodium hydroxide there is in the chemical, the stronger the effect of smoothing, but also the more severely the hair will be damaged. Sodium hydroxide is used for very steep curls.
- Ammonium thioglycolate. Another chemical is called a relaxant. It acts similarly to sodium hydroxide, but the effect of ammonium thioglycolate is much less strong. Therefore, the products containing this chemical composition are used for straightening not too curly hair.
Chemically straightened hairwill remain straight forever. Except that the roots will curl as they grow, so you should correct the result every 2-3.5 months. Moreover, chemical straightening is repeated only on the regrown hair roots. Before going for chemical straightening, you should consider several important factors:
- This procedure is best entrustedprofessional, because chemical agents severely spoil the hair. A qualified specialist will be able not only to take into account the structure of the hair and assess their general condition, but also to choose the right means for chemical hair straightening and the time necessary for an effective procedure.
- For thin, brittle hair, only an easy version of chemical straightening is suitable, whereas hard, tight curls need a stronger effect.
- To straighten it is possible and a separate site of hair - for example, only a bang or a nape.
- Do not go for chemical straightening after a chemical wave, as chemical exposure severely damages the hair.
- After the procedure hair needs special care and restorative treatment.
- After chemical straightening, when washing the head, the hair should be dried without using a hair dryer, that is, in a natural way.
If you are interested in learning how to do chemical hair straightening, then read on.
How is chemical hair straightening done?
So, chemical hair straightening is doneas follows. First, dry hair is combed, divided into strands and then a chemical agent containing either sodium hydroxide or ammonium thioglycolate is applied to them. The choice of agent depends on the degree of curliness of the hair. If sodium hydroxide-based chemical hair straightening agents are used, then the hair does not need to be pre-treated with shampoo. But if ammonium thioglycolate-based agents are used, then the hair must first be washed with shampoo. The hair is treated starting from the back of the head. If a strong chemical agent is used, then a base is first used, which is Vaseline cream. This cream protects the scalp from chemical burns. And if a not too strong agent is used, then you can do without a base. In addition, a protective cream is applied to the hair with a special brush or comb, which protects the hair itself from excessive harmful effects of chemicals and only then the chemical agent is applied. After some time, the hair is thoroughly washed in a large amount of warm water, and then treated with a special agent that fixes the results of straightening and neutralizes the effect of the chemical agent. The neutralization process involves oxidation and restoration of the pH level, which increases significantly during the use of the chemical agent, which can cause swelling and further damage to the hair. Then the hair is thoroughly washed again and dried with a heated towel, and it is best to use a terry towel. And only after these stages do you start styling your hair.
What means are used for chemical hair straightening?
When straightening hair chemically, the following products are usually used:
- Chemical preparation for chemical straightening
- Neutralizer
- Shampoos, which are specifically designed for chemical straightening.
- Special protective cream.
- Conditioners for hair straightening.
Various means used for chemicalhair straightening, there are many. But they can all be divided into several main types. We have already talked about two of them in this article - these are products based on ammonium thioglycolate and based on sodium hydroxide. Such products are used most often. But there are several more types of chemicals - based on caustic soda and based on guanidine hydroxide. Products based on caustic soda are the strongest. And they cause a lot of harm to hair, although the results from the effects of such products are most noticeable. The concentration of caustic soda solution during chemical straightening can vary from 5 to 10%, which depends on various conditions and factors of hair straightening. The pH level when using products based on caustic soda can vary from 10 to 14, and the higher this indicator, the faster the product will work, but the greater the harm from straightening will be. Guanidine hydroxide-based products cause slightly less damage to hair than caustic soda, but their effect is also weaker. Such products degrease the scalp, so when using such products, you should use special conditioners both before and after applying the product. As already mentioned in this article, a protective base is used for chemical straightening. Protective creams are applied to the entire surface of the scalp using your fingers. Moreover, the areas of the back of the head, around the forehead, under the ears and above them are necessarily treated with cream. The protective cream acts as a protective barrier that protects the skin from chemical burns. Also, in the process of chemical hair straightening, neutralizers are used, which are designed to stop the action of chemicals and restore the normal pH balance in the hair.
What is Goldwell?
If you decide to straighten your hair withchemistry, then you have probably already read a lot about this procedure and encountered such a concept as chemical hair straightening Goldwell. What is this concept? So, Goldwell is a Japanese-German concern that has developed a special technology for chemical hair straightening. This technology is also called permanent. Thanks to permanent hair straightening, smoothness and shine of straightened hair is achieved, and the effect of chemical hair straightening Goldwell lasts up to 9 months. If you decide to resort to permanent hair straightening, then you can ask in the salon where chemical hair straightening is carried out for photos before and after this procedure. You will surely notice that the hair not only does not look worse, but on the contrary, pleases the eye with a healthy shine and perfect smoothness. Goldwell implies a fairly gentle hair straightening, due to which it becomes possible to dye the hair on the day of the straightening procedure. The only disadvantage of hair straightening using Goldwell technology is the duration of the procedure. So, between the first hair wash and the last, as much as 9 hours can pass. Here everything depends on the length of the hair - the longer, the longer the straightening procedure takes. Hair straightening using Goldwell technology:
- It can be used both with naturally curling hair, and after a chemical wave.
- The hair after this procedure becomes perfectly straight and smooth, their natural healthy shine remains.
- Hair that has undergone chemical straightening, again curly will no longer.
- Absolutely disappears "furry" hair. They look heavier.
The composition of hair straightening products using Goldwell technology includes the following therapeutic and caring components:
- Proteins of silk
- Vitamin C-DT
- Panthenol
- Cationic polymers
- Essential oils
- PH control system
- Betaine.
Goldwell products are suitable for all hair types.These products also easily cope with coarse brunette hair. From the series of products of this technology, qualified specialists can select a formula that will be optimal for your hair.
Straightening the hair at home
Unfortunately, chemical hair straightening at homeIt is impossible to do, since this procedure should be done exclusively by a professional. But for home conditions, the thermal straightening option is perfect. For these purposes, it is best to use ceramic-coated curling irons, especially if you have to straighten your hair this way regularly. After all, ceramic-coated curling irons not only straighten hair more gently, but also the straightening effect is much better than that of metal curling irons. The use of curling irons has its own nuances:
- Use ironing on wet hair should not be - it will severely damage the hair.
- If your irons are equipped with a thermometer, do not forget to make sure that the temperature of the instrument does not exceed 120 degrees.
- It is better not to use ironing more often 2-3 times a week.
- Do not forget to use thermal protective hair care products.
Let's say, of course, chemical hair straightening at homeunavailable, but this method is also quite acceptable, isn't it? In addition, straightening hair with a flat iron or a hair dryer at home has one undeniable advantage over chemical hair straightening: reviews from many women will show you that straightening at home is undeniably cheaper. About 15-25 thousand. On the other hand, you won't be able to achieve perfect smoothness and shine at home. Here, of course, chemical straightening wins. In general, before you decide to finally get rid of curly locks, think three times: do you really need it? Read on the Internet on women's forums. After all, chemical hair straightening reviews from women who have gone through this procedure are of a different nature. So, some write that hair after chemical straightening becomes simply unusually beautiful, smooth, shiny and well-groomed. And others - on the contrary, that the hair becomes very thin and tangles more, creases appear on it, it gets dirty faster... In general, how chemical hair straightening is done, what is needed for this, what effect such "chemistry" has, we told you, and whether to subject your hair to this procedure or not - it is up to you and only you! But regardless of your choice, we wish you to always remain beautiful and attractive. We advise you to read:
