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Hair Relaxers in Metro Detroit

A relaxer permanently restructures the hair to straighten it, which makes it the most consequential chemical service on the shelf. All four Kelly Beauty stores carry relaxers, neutralizing shampoos, protective bases and the conditioning treatments that go with them.

Lye and no-lye

Lye relaxers use sodium hydroxide, work faster and rinse out more completely, but are harsher on the scalp. No-lye relaxers use calcium hydroxide with an activator, are gentler on the scalp, and leave mineral deposits that dry the hair over time, which is why a chelating shampoo is often used alongside them. Neither is universally better.

Strength

Mild, regular and super describe processing strength, and stronger is not better. The correct strength is the mildest one that straightens your hair in the recommended time. Using super strength to save five minutes is how hair is over-processed, and over-processed hair does not recover.

The rules that matter

Apply a protective base to the scalp and hairline. Apply only to new growth, never overlapping onto previously relaxed hair, which is the single most common cause of breakage at the line of demarcation. Follow the timing on the instructions rather than the clock in your head. Neutralize thoroughly, several washes, until the shampoo runs clear.

What not to combine

Do not relax hair that has been colored with bleach, or bleach hair that has been relaxed, without professional advice. Do not relax and color on the same day. If your hair is already breaking, wait. For a first relaxer or a correction, a stylist is genuinely the cheaper option.