If you are bored with the curly hairs and want to change your outlook, you can take a look at the best hair relaxers that can straighten your hair in a quick time. Even though there are some disadvantages to doing this regularly, many people still use such methods to straighten the hair.
The natural curls get relaxed due to chemicals in the hair relaxers, and it gives a straightening effect. However, you need to understand that this lasts only for a few weeks at max, as the natural curls will come back. In this way, you have to repeat the process once every few weeks to maintain your look.
Dermatologists suggest that using such methods can be harmful to the health of your hair as it can leave it brittle and dry in the long run. You can try to use natural alternatives that can slightly straighten your hair without doing much damage in the long run.
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How Do Relaxers Work?
The hair that has a natural curl pattern is straightened by using chemicals in most hair relaxers. These chemicals penetrate the cuticle and loosen the natural curl pattern of the hair shaft. It also enters the cortex layers to loosen the natural curls and gives a straight outlook within a short time.
Such relaxers have immediate effects, and you can easily straighten the hair within a matter of a few hours. It is important to choose a professional for this task as improper usage can have other effects. The hair relaxers need to be used carefully as they can damage the skin and scalp when it is not used properly.
It can also lead to permanent hair loss in some cases when your hair does not respond well to such relaxers. For this reason, it is always essential to do a patch test to see if you are allergic to such chemicals. A trained professional will be able to handle the process effectively and can safely straighten the hair in a quick time.
Is it possible to permanently straighten hair?
The simple answer is no. You will not be able to straighten your hair permanently, and even the best hair relaxers can do it only for a few weeks. In the best-case scenario, you can straighten the hair for about six to eight weeks.
After that, the natural curls will slowly return, and it depends on your hair type. Some people have strong curls that come back within the first few weeks, and others may have straight hair for a long time. Using relaxers is only a temporary solution, and it will keep your hair straight only for a few weeks.
Is keratin a good hair relaxer?
Even though keratin is widely used in hair spa procedures and during the hair straightening process, it is not exactly a hair relaxer. It smoothes the hair follicles and strengthens the hair by inducing keratin into the hair.
This keratin does not stick naturally to the hair, and flat iron may be used to relax the hair strands during keratin treatment. In this regard, you may not be able to use keratin as a relaxer, and it is considered an alternative for chemical-based relaxers in some cases.
While chemical-based relaxers do a lot of harm to your hair as they make the hair weak and brittle, keratin is used to strengthen the hair, and you will benefit a lot from such treatments. It is safe to go with keratin treatment once in a while as it nourishes the hair and provides strength to the hair follicles.
Using natural hair relaxers is good for your hair
The best hair relaxer is milk as it nourishes the hair and also relaxes the curls to some extent. It does not cause any harm to your hair and nourishes it in a healthy manner. The milk can be used directly on the hair, and it does not harm the skin or the scalp during the process.
It is better to use natural milk if available, as it contains many nutrients for your hair. The usage of milk on the scalp and hair can provide sufficient moisture to the hair and scalp. You can relax the hair in this manner and leave the milk for about half an hour on the hair.
After this, you can wash the hair with a normal shampoo and use a conditioner to get some straightening effect. However, this is not as effective as chemical relaxers, and you may not get a completely straight look. But it is the best option if you do not want to damage your hair with chemical-based relaxers.
Coconut oil and olive oil
These are two other ingredients that work as hair relaxers, and many people with curly hair will benefit a lot from such methods. Even though it does not completely straighten the hair, it makes the curly hair manageable, and you will be able to easily run the comb across the length of the hair with the application of coconut or olive oil.
Apart from relaxing your hair, they provide enough nourishment for the hair follicles and keep the hair healthy and shiny for a long time. You can leave the application of coconut oil on the hair overnight so that the hair can absorb the oil in a better way.
If you want to relax the hair instantly, you can apply aloe vera gel, and this is an easy way to manage curly hair. You can put some aloe vera gel into a spray bottle, add some water, and mix it thoroughly. This mixture can be sprayed on hair whenever you feel it is dry, and this moisturizes the hair in an excellent way.
It provides various health benefits and keeps your hair healthy and strong in the long run. Avoid chemical-based relaxers even though they provide a complete staring outlook as they damage the hair in the long run, and you may even suffer from permanent hair loss in many cases.
Eugene Blaze is a practicing family physician and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of Functional Medicine. After receiving his Bachelor’s in Art History from the University of Chicago, he went on to receive his medical degree from Rush University Medical College. To learn more, he began a 10-year wellness journey during which he studied energy healing and yoga therapy and became a practitioner of the 5,000-year-old ancient healing tradition known as Ayurveda. He is also an expert in the field of natural health, fitness, functional movement, and nutrition.
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