A 10-Step Pre-Relaxer Checklist for Black Women and Their Hair Stylist

If you ask the average black woman why she chooses to relax her hair, you will hear one response time and time again. Convenience. However, the convenience of relaxing black hair does not come to us without great consequence. Hair relaxing is by far the harshest process a hair strand will encounter in its "lifetime." Compromised from the start, relaxed hair is a challenge to keep in tip top shape. Imagine the trauma your hair endures! The hair cuticle is raided, and the bonds within the hair strand are seized, broken apart, and physically rearranged. The unique curl pattern, so typical of our hair, is forever destroyed. Yet nearly 70% of black female population undergo this service regularly (Gray, 2003). This article will give you a 10-point checklist of important questions and information you should consider before allowing a stylist to chemically treat your hair.

But first, why am I an authority on this issue?
Well first, I am a woman of color who has dealt with my own chemically relaxed hair for over 15 years. For the last several years, I have been into promoting healthy hair care strategies for women of color, and the Internet has allowed me and many others the opportunity to address these populations that would otherwise remain under-served in traditional media outlets. For me, hair was a problem, turned hobby, turned passion. Because of my experience and undergraduate background in science and health care, I regularly disseminate trusted and valuable hair care information and advice on hair care forums web-wide. Currently, I am in the midst of writing a manuscript for a more comprehensive work on black hair care and I maintain an online hair album that documents my hair success and progress!

If you choose a professional stylist to administer your relaxer, there are certain things you should be looking for during the application. If you find that your stylist is skimping on any of these relaxer precautions, as a paying customer, it is your right to bring these issues to his/her attention immediately. Your hair is what is at stake!

The Checklist: What should you be looking for?

1.) Does your stylist do a thorough assessment of your hair for breakage, shedding, and other scalp conditions before applying the relaxer?
Never relax breaking or otherwise compromised hair! Always let a stylist know about any medical conditions you may have that might affect relaxer turnout.

2.) Does your stylist ask you for a hair history including past chemical treatments, or inquire about your hair habits during the week prior to your impending relaxer application?
A good stylist will ask you pertinent questions about past hair treatments that may possibly have an effect on the one you are planning to do. Always let your stylist know the last time you washed your hair, whether or not you are color treated, and the date of your last relaxer application.

3.) Does your stylist show you the relaxer they will be using (from the actual relaxer container) prior to application?
Always know what chemicals and which strengths are being used on your hair! That way, if you switch stylists later or have to relocate, your hair maintenance plan does not become interrupted. Also, if you experience a negative reaction to that particular relaxer brand, you can avoid the mistake of using it again in the future.

4.) Does your stylist base your scalp or protect your previously relaxed ends with some type of protective petroleum barrier?
Always base and protect your scalp prior to a relaxer. Extra care should be given to sensitive areas such as the hairline, nape, tops of ears, edges, and the length of the hair to prevent chemical damage.

5.) Does your stylist consistently only relax your new growth, and when smoothing, do they maintain the relaxer only on the new growth (not inches up from it)?
Relaxing previously relaxed hair is extremely damaging. Relaxers destroy bonds in the hair, and the more exposure your hair has to these chemicals application after application, the more unnecessary bond breakage you will experience. Continuous exposure to relaxer chemicals over time can degrade the cuticle and result in dry, weak, breakage-prone, over processed hair.

6.) Does your stylist relax your hair for the length of time required for your hair type?
You should NEVER feel the relaxer tingling, burning, or otherwise working on your scalp during a relaxer application. Contrary to popular belief, tingling does NOT mean that the relaxer is WORKING. It means that your base and protective layers have been breached by the relaxer, and your hair and scalp are now vulnerable to damage. If you feel tingling, you've waited too long to rinse.

7.) Does your stylist give your neutralizer time to actually halt the chemical reactions taking place within the hair strand by allowing it to sit undisturbed for several minutes?
Neutralizing shampoos work excellently to stop the relaxer process; however, they must be given time to work! Rinsing neutralizer from the hair before it has a chance to penetrate the hair shaft and halt the chemical reactions in the hair can result in weak, dry, over processed hair. Make sure your stylist allows the neutralizer to sit on your hair for at least 3-5 minutes before she begins to rinse.

8.) Does your stylist explain post-relaxer upkeep to you?
You should not be a slave to his/her chair! A good stylist educates his/her clients on the basics of healthy hair care such as protein and moisturizing conditioning treatments. Healthy hair care happens at home BETWEEN visits to the stylist. It begins with you. A good stylist will help you maintain a healthy head of hair and is not afraid to share his/her knowledge with you. Why? Because they know that you will be back again!

9.) Does your stylist encourage you to limit your use of chemicals by stretching your relaxer applications to no sooner than every 8-10 weeks for a healthier head of hair and scalp?
Relaxer applications should be done no sooner than every 8-10 weeks for best results. Relaxing the hair too often weakens the hair and makes it susceptible to breakage and damage. Give your hair and scalp a chance to rest and recuperate after your relaxer applications.

10.) Does your stylist respect your hair, your time, and your other needs and concerns?
This is by far one of the most important questions you should ask. If you and your stylist do not communicate well, that can spell relaxer disaster. Always share your hair concerns with your stylist. If you do not like a particular relaxer brand, ask him to try something new. If you would like to process your hair for shorter periods of time, let her know. If you are done with relaxers all together and are considering a transition from relaxed to natural hair, your stylist should support you.

If you have answered "no" to any of these questions, you should reconsider your stylist. Mistakes like those outlined above may devastate your hair health and progress over time. Since hair is non-living, any damage you cause to it is cumulative and irreparable. Remind yourself of these questions the next time you prepare for your chemical relaxer service. Are you being given the royal treatment? Do not sit idly, and allow someone else to sabotage your hair success, especially if you are paying them to do so! Happy Hair Days!

Reference
Gray, J. (2003) The World of Hair. Proctor and Gamble. Retrieved from the world wide web: www.pg.com