Relaxer Touch-Up on a Client With a Prior Burn
A client requests a relaxer touch-up. She had a chemical burn at the nape 7 weeks ago from a different salon; the area is healed but slightly pink and tender to touch. Her last relaxer was 9 weeks ago, and she has about 2.5 cm of new growth. She used a sulfate shampoo this morning and scratched her scalp while shampooing. She wants the relaxer 'strong' because her hair 'doesn't take' otherwise, and she wants it left on the full processing time regardless. She also asks for a color rinse in the same visit.
1. Is this client a candidate for a relaxer today? What would you check and decide?
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Not today as described. Red flags:
- Recent burn site: pink and tender tissue is not fully recovered; chemical insult can re-injure it.
- Scalp trauma: scratching and a fresh shampoo this morning increase irritation risk.
- Same-day color: combining services raises exposure and makes it hard to attribute a reaction.
Check the scalp under good light, ask about the burn's healing and any current sensitivity, and confirm no open lesions. Recommend rescheduling the relaxer until the nape is no longer tender/pink and the scalp is intact (often a few weeks), and defer the color rinse to a separate visit. Offer a conditioning service today. Document the refusal and the reason.
2. The client insists on a 'strong' relaxer and full processing time. How do you handle the request?
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Explain that 'stronger' and 'longer' are the two fastest routes to overprocessing and scalp injury, especially near a recent burn. The product strength and timing should follow the manufacturer's directions and the hair's test result, not a preference. You can:
- Perform a strand test to choose the appropriate strength.
- Process per manufacturer timing, checking frequently and removing product promptly.
- Use a protective base and keep product off previously relaxed hair except during the brief smoothing phase.
If she will not accept a safe protocol, decline the service. A documented refusal is better than a burn and a complaint.
3. She returns 3 weeks later, healed, for the relaxer. Outline your application plan to protect the nape and previously relaxed lengths.
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Plan:
- Assess: scalp intact, no tenderness; confirm no scratching or shampoo that morning; note any medications.
- Protect: base the scalp and the nape especially; apply a protective cream around the hairline and ears.
- Section: work in four sections; apply to new growth only, starting at the crown and finishing at the nape last (least processing time there).
- Timing: follow manufacturer directions; do not exceed; check and remove promptly. Smooth only briefly and do not pull through previously relaxed hair.
- Rinse and neutralize: rinse thoroughly, then neutralize per manufacturer, checking that the pH is reduced; shampoo and condition.
- Aftercare: advise no shampoo/heat/scratching for the recommended period, and schedule the next touch-up at the appropriate interval. Document products and timing.