HOW SODIUM & NO-LYE RELAXERS STRAIGHTEN THE HAIR?
Understanding Sodium and No-Lye
Perms and Relaxers
by Dr. Willie Morrow
Sodium Destruction Time Table
Compare the hydroxide-based relaxers to that of the thio. The
first and foremost difference in the two is that the acid perm has a scientific
reaction on the hair. It affects the genetic structure from the outside to the
inn-most part of the hair and neutralization is recommended to stop the action
once it has been started by the acid. Because it penetrates so deeply into the
hair.
By contrast sodium, which is a surface-base reaction perm, only
dissolves and deteriorates the structure as it enters the hair. The first
casualty of sodium is the cuticle. Once the cuticle is dissolved, the hair is
left naked.
When sodium based relaxer is applied to the hair for 10 minutes,
the strand of hair is cleansed and it becomes more flexible with increased
elasticity and tensile strength and is in overall better health. After 10
minutes, the destruction begins with the dissolving of the strands at one
percent of the overall strand per minute. For example, from 10 minutes to 25
minutes, the strand has been reduced by 15 percent.
All hydroxide based relaxers dissolve the hair in the same
manner. If you want to know what this looks like, place a piece of striped
peppermint candy in your mouth for 2 minutes. In a couple of minutes the stripes
are gone. Break the candy in half and you will see that the inside will still be
dry. Thus, the hydroxides will destroy the outside before they affect the
inside.
Alkaline perms from sodium to calcium to potassium to lithium
are metered on the alkaline side of the meter from 8 to 14. Most of these perms
contain such high percentages of caustic chemicals that they cannot be metered
by the normal pH metering process.
Stopping the action of these alkaline products is impossible.
You stop the action by simply shampooing and cleansing the hair. The destruction
does not grow back, and cannot be replaced: Once destroyed, it is always
destroyed.