When Is The Right Time To Relax Your Daughters Hair?
Deciding to relax your daughter’s hair is a serious decision. The consequences of making a hasty decision can be devastating, especially if the relaxer is improperly applied, and if the wrong type of relaxer is used. Using a no-lye relaxer or better known as a kitty perm, on your child's hair robs the hair of moisture and promotes hair breakage. A bad relaxer application can result in short and long term effects, ranging from minor scalp burns to severe hair breakage.
If you are already relaxing your child's hair, be aware that relaxing your child's hair with kitty perms, also known as no lye relaxers is absolutely the wrong relaxer to use on your child's hair because no lye relaxers under process the hair, robs the hair of moisture, and over a long period of time breaks the hair off. Use a lye relaxer better known as a sodium hydroxide relaxer and mix in a quarter size of conditioner. The conditioner will dilute the sodium hydroxide relaxer, and relax your child's hair without making it bone straight. When the hair is chemically relaxed properly, it will be soft and will accept conditioners and moisturizers.
Remember, sodium hydroxide relaxers (lye relaxers) are not harmful for the hair when they are applied properly. If your child feels any discomfort it should be minimum, and an off the scalp technique should always be used when applying the chemical. If you are confused about the best time to do your child's first relaxer, consider these rules first. "If the hair is baby soft and will not hold a curl, then chances are it should not be relaxed. If the hair is very resistant but it has a lot of stretch, and can hold a slight curl, you should use a light texturizer to reduce frizz (this should be done by a professional). If the hair is overly resistant, and the child is in agony while having her hair conditioned, shampooed, and styled; if there is excessive breakage when combing or brushing the hair; if it is excessively dry and brittle, then you should consider having the hair professionally relaxed using a sodium hydroxide relaxer. In most cases a child's hair is strongest during the puberty stages. If your child's hair is manageable without a relaxer, then it will be wise to wait until your child reaches puberty or receives her first menstrual cycle, this signifies the beginning of a mature head of hair, and is the best time to apply a virgin relaxer". In some cases, depending on your child's hair texture a relaxer may never be required. If this is the case, you can straighten your child's hair with a flat iron once a week after you shampoo and condition it.
Seek counsel from a professional cosmetologist, particularly one who enjoys working with young people. Together, the two of you can develop a healthy maintenance program for your daughter’s hair.
