Selecting the Right Hair Relaxer Brand, Do You Want a Perm?

You've decided to get a perm (also called a relaxer), but you've heard the horror stories about perm burns, hair falling out, how dangerous the chemicals are to skin and hair, and there are too many perm brands to pick from. Your beautician only uses one or two, but you have no idea whether that's the one that is appropriate for your hair type. So how do you decide which perm to use and avoid getting perm burns?

If you've seen Chris Rock's "Good Hair" and the scientist who put pop cans in different glasses and the aluminum disintegrated, then you know how powerful relaxer (i.e., sodium bromate) can be. And on someone's head and skin, it can leave real burns. Chances are that if you met someone with a perm, you've met someone who has experienced the pain of a perm burn, and there are multiple ways to get them-a small open sore already on your head or at the base of the neck, scratching your scalp with fingernails before getting a perm, using perm that is too powerful for your skin and hair type, not using proper preconditioner or Vaseline before perming hair, scratching your hair with a comb too hard while perming hair or medical skin conditions.

The issues with perm pulling out hair and leaving perm burns are why many people choose to press their hair with hot combs instead of using relaxer. People who use hot combs (also called "pressing combs" or "pressing iron combs" because these combs "press hair straight" with a heat mechanism a lot like an iron would) know when the pressing combs are too hot and can immediately yank them out, but perm is a lot more complicated. Neutralizing shampoo is used to get excess perm out, but once that perm sits on the scalp or hair too long, those with perms are just going to have to tough it out. And even if the perm is not visible, after your hair is dry, you may wake up the next morning with hard spots where the perm stuck to your hair. Combing out hard spots in hair from perm can be done, but be careful not to pull your hair too hard.

If any of the above freaks you out and makes you uncomfortable with the idea of getting a perm, you have every right not to. But also keep in mind that perm burns heal, and in all of 24 years of having a relaxer, I've only had two or three total--including one I inflicted on myself (see image above). I learned to perm my hair when I was about 12 or 13 years old and can count on one hand the number of times I've gone to a beauty salon to have my hair permed since then. One primary reason was because I still remember sitting in a chair crying with my hair on fire and the beautician saying, "You have to hold still so it can get straight." The beauty of perming your own hair is you can say, "Screw it," wash it out and you haven't lost $60 in the meantime. But not all beauticians are hardcore enough to believe "beauty is pain." If you have a beautician that examines your head before perming or you learn to do it efficiently on your own, you can avoid perm burns. Using the right type of perm helps too.

Try using a kid's perm the first time. Yes, it still uses the same chemicals, but it's not nearly as powerful as an adult perm. If you're able to tolerate a child's perm, then move on to sensitive scalp perm. Some people, like myself, continue to use sensitive scalp perms and never use original or regular perm. Others will use original or regular perm if the perm incorporates moisturizers like olive oil. But whatever you do, do not start out with regular perm the very first time you use perm and don't use perm without putting some type of moisturizer like Vaseline in your hair beforehand.

Your beautician may be trained to do hair, but nobody knows your skin like you do. Physicians who are not familiar with black hair care or different types of perm may tell you not to use it simply because of the sodium bromate in it.

And if you're really confused about whether you want a perm, try a very small area of your hair (maybe the back area to straighten out the "kitchen"). If you can handle a small part, then the next time try the rest of your head without perming the "kitchen" area again. Hair can also fall out if your hair is permed too frequently, but there is no set time. It all depends on how much new growth your hair gets in between perms. Some people wait four to six weeks while others go two to three months and even bi-annually.

Additional Notes: This entry was originally published by the Chicago Black Hair & Health Examiner.