Many clients want to know the difference between sodium hydroxide relaxers and no-lye (calcium hydroxide) relaxers. Well, the difference is the chemical makeup of the two. The sodium hydroxide relaxers are the more commonly used in professional salons. Sodium Hydroxide is the main chemical ingredient that straightens the hair, these relaxers have a less drying effect on the hair and they are usually only sold to licensed professionals. Although they are less drying on the hair, they do tend to irritate the scalp a bit more, causing the scalp to itch and burn faster than the calcium hydroxide (no lye) relaxers.
The No Lye Relaxers contain Calcium Hydroxide and are less irritating on the scalp, causing less itching and burning during the relaxer process. Most Stylist's use no lye relaxers if a client informs them that they have a "sensitive scalp". I am personally not a fan of using no lye relaxers and do not offer them to my clients because the Calcium Hydroxide causes a build up on the hair shaft, which causes a drying effect on the hair and make the hair dryer and dryer and dryer, depleting much needed moisture from the hair, which eventually causes breakage, brittle hair and damage; the build up is ever present and can not be removed. Our hair needs moisture, just like a plant needs water.... When a plant goes a long time without being watered, it will become brittle and will eventually break and die. The same happens with hair.
So called "organic relaxers" such as Phytospecific, claim to be organic, which is very misleading to the lay person (non stylist), because although the Phyto relaxer has soy and egg in it, it still contains a chemical which is needed to get hair straight; egg and soy definitely will not straighten hair. Therefore Calcium Hydroxide is present and contained in the Phytospecific Relaxer. Any time you have to open a bottle of liquid "activator" and pour it into the relaxer and stir it up, that means you are using a Calcium Hydroxide Relaxer (no lye) and those types of relaxers can be purchased by non-licensed people. Due to that fact, women tend to think that no lye relaxers are less damaging, when in fact that is the opposite. I definitely recommend sodium hydroxide relaxers over calcium hydoxide (no lye) relaxers any day. And whenever my clients inform me that they have sensitive, easy to burn or easy to irritate scalp, I simply base their scalp heavily with a protectant and/or have them to base their own scalp the day prior to their relaxer and I will base it again with a scalp protector when they arrive for their service. Do you have questions??? If so, email your questions to info@sugarsalon.net. I will respond with answers. Thank you for reading!
The No Lye Relaxers contain Calcium Hydroxide and are less irritating on the scalp, causing less itching and burning during the relaxer process. Most Stylist's use no lye relaxers if a client informs them that they have a "sensitive scalp". I am personally not a fan of using no lye relaxers and do not offer them to my clients because the Calcium Hydroxide causes a build up on the hair shaft, which causes a drying effect on the hair and make the hair dryer and dryer and dryer, depleting much needed moisture from the hair, which eventually causes breakage, brittle hair and damage; the build up is ever present and can not be removed. Our hair needs moisture, just like a plant needs water.... When a plant goes a long time without being watered, it will become brittle and will eventually break and die. The same happens with hair.
So called "organic relaxers" such as Phytospecific, claim to be organic, which is very misleading to the lay person (non stylist), because although the Phyto relaxer has soy and egg in it, it still contains a chemical which is needed to get hair straight; egg and soy definitely will not straighten hair. Therefore Calcium Hydroxide is present and contained in the Phytospecific Relaxer. Any time you have to open a bottle of liquid "activator" and pour it into the relaxer and stir it up, that means you are using a Calcium Hydroxide Relaxer (no lye) and those types of relaxers can be purchased by non-licensed people. Due to that fact, women tend to think that no lye relaxers are less damaging, when in fact that is the opposite. I definitely recommend sodium hydroxide relaxers over calcium hydoxide (no lye) relaxers any day. And whenever my clients inform me that they have sensitive, easy to burn or easy to irritate scalp, I simply base their scalp heavily with a protectant and/or have them to base their own scalp the day prior to their relaxer and I will base it again with a scalp protector when they arrive for their service. Do you have questions??? If so, email your questions to info@sugarsalon.net. I will respond with answers. Thank you for reading!