Chemical Services: Texture, Relaxers, and Color
Core concepts
Chemical services require a consultation, a patch test when the product label requires it, and a strand test. Relaxers break disulfide bonds; no-lye and lye formulas are both strongly alkaline and require a base or protective cream at the hairline and ears. Apply relaxer to new growth only during a retouch; do not pull it through previously relaxed ends. Rinse completely, then neutralize with the manufacturer’s neutralizing shampoo until the indicator shows the residual alkali is gone. Color services depend on the color wheel, developer strength, and the hair’s porosity. Lightening requires enough developer and lift; color does not lighten color. Semipermanent color deposits without lift; permanent color lifts and deposits.
Traps
Relaxer timing starts when application is complete, not when the first stroke touches hair. Overlapping causes breakage and burns. Neutralizer is not optional. A patch test is not a strand test: test strands predict result, patch tests check allergy. Mixing developers or brands is unsafe.
Worked example
A client with relaxed hair requests a permanent color two shades lighter. Check porosity and elasticity. If the hair is overprocessed, do not lighten. If sound, strand-test with the intended formula. Apply to regrowth first, then pull through the mid-lengths for the last few minutes, and follow with an acid-balanced conditioner.
Rule of thumb
Read the manufacturer’s label as the authority: mixing ratio, processing time, and neutralizing steps override habit.