Chemical hair straightening?

Question

Hi everyone someone i know has very thick ver curly hair. She has got really short layers, i was wondering about chemical straightening for her, and whether it would work, damage to hair etc.
She has very dry hair + doesnt use conditiner!!!but i can get her to use it now!!

So if anyone has any recommendations of what to do, advice and info about chemical staightening for me?would be much appreciated thanks!!! also how long does it last??her hairs very stubborn!

also a price??thanks!

Answer 1

Chemical straightening is really tough on the hair and should only be done as a last resort. Take her to a professional salon and have her talk with a hair stylist before anything happens!

Answer 2

I am a stylist, here are some thoughts. For really dry ,coarse hair ANY chemical is going to damage it. You can use a flat iron ( available at any prof. salon , I recommend the prof. ones because the heat is stronger and better and they last longer ) or , you can get a perm, as some have suggested, using the black perm rods. They are about an inch wide and will change the chemical bonds in your hair. However, if your hair is already dry, I would recommend using a product like Joico Intense reconditioner for at least 2 weeks BEFORE you attempt the perm. Put the product on and wear a shower cap and leave it on overnight , then rinse it out in the morning. )
The monothioglycolate in chemical straighteners is very harsh. You can try a salon where they have alot of experience in Arfrican hair, but if you are starting with dry damaged hair, ANY chemical will be a bad idea. Spend some time getting your hair into shape first, then try the heat iron. You would be surprised at the difference healthy hair makes.
No matter how expensive your perm is or how awesome the stylist, your hair will be damaged by ANY chemical.

If her hair is really stubborn... then the cuticle is tightly closed... again...... get it into shape first. I cant stress this enough.

Answer 3

the salon I work in does the Chi permanent straightening. It is pretty expensive but it will get your hair straight! The upkeep on it is just touching up the roots, I think most people come like every 4-6 months just to do what has grown out...what has already been done will always be straight. As for how it is on your hair-a good salon will take a test strand to see if the person's hair is a good candidate for this service, if they are then there should be no prob.
**I noticed people's answers-there is a big difference between chemical straighteners and relaxers- relaxers are more like $50-70 and only relax the curl partially...a straightener takes all of the curl out and will cost you a few hundred
if you live in fl....
www.foilssalonandspa.com

Answer 4

I had the same problem (but i did use conditioner!) and got my hair chemically straightened which cost about £30 for me and I have medium length hair. Obviously, the price depends on the length of your hair. I didn't get mine done at toni and guy or anything like that! My local salon luckily did it. I didn't really notice that much difference and was really disappointed but it didn't seem to cause that much damage to my hair which was surprising. I got it done a second time which cost £45 at the same salon and it worked so much better. The reason being, the chemical straightener was a different make. My hairdresser says it lasts up to 6 months but I only noticed a difference for about 3 months. I now have GHD's which are BRILLIANT! It is better value just to get GHD's as they are £90 and if you are going to spend a lot on getting your hair chemically straightened, you may as well just go for the miracle workers and buy some GHD's. Hope this helps your friend!

Answer 5

chemical straighteners are damaging to the hair, but work better on mixed or Black hair because the vortex is twice as thick. The chemicals actually break down the molecular structure, and thinner caucasian hair can easily be damaged by the process. Perhaps she can use a ceramic flat iron of good quality to straighten instead, more work, but a lot less damaging. The chemical straightener is permanent and once done, will need to be retouched at the roots as it grows out (every 8 weeks) or will have to be cut off to regain the natural curl once again.

Answer 6

God no. Do not get it chemically straightened. Unless you're thinking of maybe a wavy perm. the reason i say this is because getting it permed straight requires straitening everyday (or at least every other day). Plus, you wont notice how dry it looks with waves. I recommend getting it deep conditioned directly after the perm. Then getting deep conditioning done at least once a month. I have the same type of hair (except the short layers). I straighten my hair with a 1 1/2" curling iron every other day and get it deep conditioned once a month. and use conditioner regularly. Question: how often does she wash her hair? if she has hair like mine, she shouldn't be washing it more than three times a week because it will dry her hair out even more. It takes time and get's expensive, but i dont know what i would do otherwise.
Good luck to your friend.

Answer 7

Hi I have very coarse, dry, thick and curly hair too. Also I am a beautician.. I have tried everything possible and let me tell ya my hair had about ten years of abuse till I finally gave up.. Nothing will straighten her hair.. Everything will damage it and therefore make it more frizzy. I would reccamend a good heavy deep conditioner EVERY DAY!! Not conditioning is the worst thing she could do. Using a heavy conditioner will weight the hair down and help control the frizz. I also use a gloss, applied to wet hair, like biosilk silk therapy. Then if she really wants it strait she'll have to use a chi flat iron only doing very small sections at a time or it won't take out the frizz.. You said she has short layers... This is very bad for curly frizzy hair.. She needs to grow it out past her shoulders so the weight of the hair will help tame it down.. If you want more advice or info feel free to email me..

Answer 8

It totally depends on the professionalism of the stylist or the quality of the chemicals being used to show if chemically straightening is bad for your friends hair. It's not necessarily good for your hair and since she has thick, curly hair it would take a long, I repeat long, time for it to be straightened. I had mine straightened over the summer and I had thick wavy hair. Overall, it took about 3-4 hours. Your hair has to be healthy to be chemically straightened. You have to use conditioner and take care of it. My stylist told me that once in a while, you should use a deep conditioner to replenish the proteins in your hair. A sign of unhealthy hair? Split-ends. I hope my information has been useful to you and your friend

Answer 9

No, don't even try it. I've got the same type of hair, and I've tried to straighten it but it just doesn't take. So don't waste the time and money on it. Instead, try to maintain the look of the curls. Try Redken. Their products work best for me I learned over the last 4 years and will not use anything else. I also blow dry my hair with a brush to wave out the curls in the morning, it helps with the Redken products.

Answer 10

You are rolling the dice when you are chemically straightening your hair. Some people get great results and some do not. I have seen people with damaged hair as a result of the process and that is not a fun scene. If you really want your hair to stay straight, I suggest that you use Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine shampoo and conditioner. Use a couple of drops of Kerastase Oleo-Relax serum. Blow dry your hair completely and then use a Chi Iron to straighten your hair. Your hair will not be permanently straight but it will remain healthy.