Hair Straightening - Information on Hair Straightening

How do hair perms work?

Penning is a chemical process of changing the shape of hair, so that the new style is retained through several washes. Penning lotions contain chemicals which cause some of the bonds within the protein fibres of the hair to break. The lotions remain on the hair for the necessary development time during which the desired number of bonds (25-30%) are broken. A new pattern is then imposed on the hair by winding it on rollers. The lotion is then rinsed off the hair and a neutraliser is applied to enable the disrupted bonds to reform with a new pattern, giving the hair a new shape.

Penning can be achieved either by a cold process or by a hot process. In cold waving, thiogly collates are used to break the bonds, while in hot waving, alkalis are used. Soft perms are also available for home use - they act in the same way but contain bisulphites which act more slowly and to a lesser extent the
result is a softer penn which does not last very long. Normally the professionally given perms should last until the treated hair grows
out or is cut off.

What can go wrong with a perm?

A number of factors combine to make the penn successful: the correct strength of the lotion, the curler size, the degree of tension with which the hair is wound around the curlers, and the development time. Things can go wrong with any of these and
spoil the perm.

Hair Straightening can be a hard project to undertake because there are so many things that can cause your hair to frizz. Hair straighteners work by breaking down the hair's hydrogen bonds found in the hair's cortex, which cause hair to bend and become curly. Once the bonds are broken, hair is prevented from holding its original, natural form, though the hydrogen bonds can reform if exposed to moisture. A number of factors combine to make the penn successful: the correct strength of the lotion, the curler size, the degree of tension with which the hair is wound around the curlers, and the development time. Another method of hair straightening is the thermal japanese hair straightening technique, which acts as a sort of "anti- perm ". It is now available at many salons but is quite expensive and must be repeated on a regular basis. Hair straighteners should only be used on dry hair, unless they are specially made with vents to let the moisture out.

Hair Straightening Options

• Chemical straightening.
• Relaxing hair with chemicals.
• Temporary straightening.
• Non-toxic relaxing method.

Straightening hair tips

• You can curl your ends and pull them under with help of cool air from your blow dryer.
• If you are using a straightening iron to straighten your hair, use it with care, and use it sparingly. It can be very damaging if used often.
• Always use a protective product when styling your hair straight.
• For a temporary blow out of straight hair, the most effective way for a perfect finish is to apply straightening balm to each section as you go. A large paddle brush will give you poker straight hair, and a round brush will give you a softer curved finish.
• Wash with a regular shampoo that will remove buildup or at least prevent it.
• When using detangler solutions or sprays, put a little bit of the product into your palms and gently rub into the tangles.
• Apply a little bit of straightening gel before blow drying and in between towel drying.