So you’re struggling to keep up with your curly hair but aren’t sure that you want to take on a full-blown regimen to keep them in line. This might make straightening your hair and getting rid of those curls highly tempting. The fact is, there’s pretty much no way to straighten your curls that isn’t in some way damaging to your hair — or your health. Whatever any hair straightening treatments claim, they are pretty insane when you look at the nitty gritty details. Don’t believe us? See for yourself!
Brazilian Blowouts
Of all of the options for straightening your hair, the Brazilian blowout is perhaps the most dangerous one. In spite of its claim to the contrary, it’s been proven that the Brazilian blowout contains formaldehyde. Formaldehyde (you might remember it as that stinky stuff used to preserve a dead frog or pig fetus in biology class”> has been known to cause cancer. If you go with a Brazilian hair straightener, you’ll be subjecting yourself to inhaling those fumes and putting formaldehyde in your hair each time you do.
Even the FDA is concerned. The FDA sent out a warning letter to the makers of the Brazilian blowout regarding the level of formaldehyde in the product. While we don’t necessarily follow everything the FDA says, we trust their concerns about the dangerous levels of the chemicals in this product. In fact, even without their concerns, WE were concerned when we read that stylist and salon owner Mark Garrison said he “could tell the Brazilian Blowout had formaldehyde in it the very first time I used it,” he said. “Eye burn! Throat choke! And the smell was a tell tale giveaway — it smelled like formaldehyde!”
Not to mention, the Brazilian blowout doesn’t come cheap. You can realistically expect to spend a minimum of $250 to $450 or more for a blowout.
Relaxers
While they have been around a lot longer than some other options, such as the Brazilian blowout, hair relaxers aren’t all that safe either. Most whom have ever had a relaxer done can attest to the fact that there are some risks, the most immediate being chemical burns to the scalp and/or hairline.
There are two main varieties of relaxers: lye and no-lye.
Lye relaxers contain sodium hydroxide, mixed with several other ingredients including water and petroleum jelly. They require a minimum of two shampoos afterward, the first to neutralize the pH in your hair; otherwise, the relaxer will keep “cooking” long after you leave the salon, leaving you at great risk of having chunks of your hair fall out.
No-lye relaxers use potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide and guanidine hydroxide in place of lye. These chemicals actually do the same thing as lye, but they are slightly less harmful. Still, they can – and will – strip your hair of its natural oils and moisture. This is the reason why those with relaxed hair have to go to great lengths to put moisture back into their hair.
Want More?
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Final Thoughts
Some hair straightening treatments are a little less dangerous for your hair, but ultimately the best thing for your hair (and health”> is to embrace your curls! If you really want a new look or style, opt for wigs. They are harmless to your curls and give you the freedom to change your style as often as you want!
