Sodium Hydroxide is used to remove unwanted curl from the hair. The difference between the strengths depends upon the percentage of active ingredients. When the cuticle is opened, the relaxer penetrates into the cortex layer of the hair. Once that happens, the sodium hydroxide breaks the disulfide bond. The hair will smooth out to a straightened form due to the weight of the crème, the pressure of hand smoothing, or in extremely curly hair, reapplying more product.

A base is always applied to the scalp before the relaxer is applied and if the client has been exercising that day or wearing a hat (anything that will promote the scalp pores to be open) the client is always put under a cool dryer before the relaxer is applied. Right after I apply the relaxer we always spray the ends with a protein. To protect the ends from the relaxer, and this also helps protect the ends in the rinsing process. We always apply a conditioner to the hair before we neutralize, Remember, the cuticle is wide open at this time (the outer layer of the hair) and this is the best time to condition the hair and penetrate the condition into the cortex layer of the hair.

We follow with a rinse and neutralize the hair, finishing off with a moisturizing conditioner. We will never color on the same day and I refuse to do a relaxer with highlights on the root area when doing a retouch relaxer.

The cortex layer is the middle or inner layer of the hair shaft that provides the strength, elasticity and shape of the curly hair.

Depending on various factors and the condition of the hair to be straightened, the strength of the sodium hydroxide solution may vary anywhere from mild to super.  Also, the stronger the solution, the more potential damage can occur to the hair. Sodium hydroxide contains a high alkaline content and so special care should always be used when applying this chemical.

These relaxers do not defy frizz, and requires humidity control styling products.

Before coming in for your chemical relaxing treatments or a permanent wave, avoid scratching, excessive brushing or combing your hair. All of which might leave lacerations on the scalp causing “burning” if/when any of the chemical come into contact with the area. If newly chemically straightened hair is not given special treatment it can become brittle, dry, damaged and break. This is why we spray a protein on the ends of the hair. When combing this type of hair may be best to use a large toothcomb and start from the end of the hair up to the roots.

Thioglycolate is used to straighten as well as curl the hair. Therefore, the process is reversible. The same chemical reaction that puts curl in the hair during the permanent waving procedure, takes curl out of hair in chemical straightening. Thioglycolate is the main chemical ingredient in Japanese Thermal Reconditioning/TR systems, and permanent wave products. This process is much less drastic in its action than the sodium hydroxide.   It acts a little differently by softening and relaxing overly curly hair through changes to the hair's cystine linkage.

Thio works on the same formulation principles as Thioglycolate permanent waves. Thio relaxers are also considered to be less damaging, yet still require a neutralization step. Since Thio relaxers are considered much milder, the risk of hair damage is also reduced by comparison to the sodium hydroxide.

Today thioglycolate is the # one choice with stylists.

Keep in mind regular intense protein treatments are a must to replenish the protein that has been weakened by chemicals. This will maintain not only the look you want, but also the healthy hair we all desire.

In order for the hair to be reconditioned properly it needs to have the vital elements that have been eliminated by daily abuse.

A protein-based formula of the correct molecular weight and size range builds strength into hair to improve the way it responds to chemical services.

A moisturizing-based formula softens and adds flexibility.
Hair, when it looses many of its protein parts through combing, brushing, heat styling and chemical services becomes “tired” (loose protein) and must be fed with protein and moisturizers to replenish the supply. If this “food” (protein) is not present, the hair becomes badly damaged “sick”, no bounce, brittle and dry.

Keep in mind any time you use a protein you must follow with a moisturizer. And please be sure to rinse the protein out of your hair completely

Healthy hair gives the hair pliability that it needs to hold a style and lubricates the interior layers of the hair so it has bounce and body. Moisture imbalance happens when the cuticle is damaged. The hair can have too much or to little moisture that of to little is more common. The most common cause of moisture damage is thermal styling. Dryness is also a side effect of chemical services. Chemical services that alter the cortex may cause protein loss. Protein loss almost never occurs without moisture loss.

Although at times, Thermal Reconditioning doesn't make African American textured hair perfectly straight, the texture of the hair will be better than with any other chemical relaxing process you try. It is a wonderful tool to allow your hair to grow out of a relaxer. 

Curly hair clients have been battling their hair since the beginning of time

Like all other products, different manufacturers have come up with their own formulas.  Liscio and Yuko were the first to come here from Japan and introduce our country this wonderful tool. When the American companies got wind of this, they decided to try to imitate their product. But, there were problems, their educators were not experienced enough. These same educators went into salons that had never before touched a relaxer, never mind, an extremely curly head of hair. Nor using a straightening iron/ Marcel straightening comb. (I still use my Marcel irons). It is the use of the straightening irons that makes Thermal Reconditioning radically different from past straightening services. The sectioning of the hair and the amount of time the iron is left on the hair is a very important factor as well for a successful TR.

The salon owners were also told they can make $100 an hour to do this process, but were never told how extremely damaging the process can be if done improperly. The educators didn't know themselves. They were taught only how to do the first initial TR and not how to follow with the retouch in 6 months. The retouch is more intense than the first TR. Many of these salons stopped servicing TR. They felt they wanted to be paid for the aggravation they endured, they over charged clients and ended up doing only a few TRs a year. And by doing this they didn't get enough hands on experience they needed. They didn’t continue advance classes or take the time to research and learn that a one-day TR seminar just isn’t enough education on this titius process. When I was in training, I not only attended a Liscio Class, I also went to Yuko, Bio ionic, I Straight, and Crystalizing Straight. Watch the CD’s on Rusk, Chi, and the Brazilian Straightening. I met Jason Chung from Kim Sung Young (at the time). He was the TR Master. We became friends and he offered to come into my salon in New Haven to work with me one day a week. I assisted him as he trained me on all hair textures . Because of this experience I understand the importance of hands-on education and now this is how I train my stylist before they start their first TR. I first teach them how to do a retouch and then a full TR,, since the retouch is so much more intense.

Please keep in mind that the success or failure of any chemical straightening is related to the knowledge and skills of the professional stylist that applies the product.
 Curly hair clients have been battling their hair since the beginning of time. 

I have always been the client with the opposite problem. I have naturally straight hair and I have been curling, teasing, drying it in braids to get that wild frizzy look, spraying with hair sprays, volumizors, and root lifters for years. When I started hairdressing I just loved working with curly hair, I loved the challenge. Back 20 something years ago, African American clients were a little nervous when they met me to be their new hairdresser. They would give me that look, and I knew they didn’t feel I could do their hair because I was this disco white girl. But to their surprise I had worked miracles. Of course I would always have to start off the conversation with “If you don’t like what I do, you don't have to pay me. And keep in mind, why would I tell you I could do your hair, if I can’t. Wouldn’t it be a waste of my time, seeing that I get paid when you pay the cashier.” Needless to say that would always work. From then on, I was chemically relaxing, straightening with Marcel irons and combs, conditioning treatments, cutting and styling African American Textured Hair. Years ago I was considered the hair doctor. My clients had gorgeous long hair! I was determined that AATH can grow and be healthy. Unfortunally, scrunches, finger waves and the big gelled up do’s came in style in the early 90’s. I refused to do them because I knew these styles would reverse everything I worked so hard to achieve. The gel was so damaging on the relaxed hair. Clients that styled their hair this way didn’t wash their hair for weeks to leave the style in for as long as they can, because they thought they could. But can you imagine sleeping on all this gel,when they finally washed their hair there was so much breakage. But little did I know that when the clients hair did brake off, they would go and throw in some weave. That was another process that I refuse to do because of the damage. For me, it was to important to have healthy hair. So at that time my clients left and went into other salons to get these new styles that I refused to do and when they were ready for their healthy hair back they came back to me so I could work my miracles. Now I am extreamly happy that I can offer them healthy, shiny straight hair with the Thermal Reconditioning process.

In the past we have usually used a chemical solution, which had the chemical "Thioglycolate" (Thio), as it's base ingredient. This is the main chemical found in Permanent Wave solution; you know the one that smells like rotten eggs. The Thio separates the Sulfur bonds (the bonds which control the hairs shape) in the hair allowing the hair to take on a new shape, usually a perm rod. Later in the neutralizing phase of the procedure the Sulfur bonds are reconnected into this new shape and we then have curly hair. It works great when we want to make straight hair curly because we use the perm rod, which creates tension and a new shape for the hair to reform on. Originally Thio based products were only found in a liquid form thus making them not very practical to be used for hair straightening. The liquid would run all over the place creating a mess and would not allow the correct tension to be applied to the hair for straightening. This is still used today to remove or loosen permanent waves but is usually not very successful in straightening naturally curly hair.

In the 1970's a cream based Thio became popular and were used mainly on AATH to get what has popularly been called "The Jheri Curl". The cream based Thio allowed the hair designer to control the application and to later apply tension to relax the hair. However, keep in mind that even with the Jheri curl the hair was placed on perm rods to get the tension and have a firm base for the hair to reform on. Nevertheless, this was a major breakthrough for the hair industry and added a very valuable salon service, which could be offered to the client with African type hair. And need I tell you, I loved to do Jheri Curls and I still do them with my own formula. "THE GINA CURL."

Back when I first researched TR and began to work with this process I was told that TR is not recommended on African American Textured hair nor is it recommended on hair that has been relaxed. I later realized that the reason this was told to us by our educators was because the Thermal Reconditioning companies did not want to be responsible if the stylist were to serviced TR on AATH or relaxed hair and had problems. "Thermal Recondition cannot be done on African American hair or hair textured as that of AATH. Thermal Recondition cannot be done on relaxed hair."

I have found these two statements to be false.
Keep in mind that the success or failure of any chemical straightening is related to the knowledge and skills of the professional stylist that applies the product.

have found GREAT success doing Thermal Reconditioning on African American hair ( Black Hair.) There are times I just want to tell everyone. Although it is very important that you come in for a visual consultation, because the condition of the hair determines if you are a candidate or not. I have also, on many occasions done a Thermal Recondition over relaxed hair as well. These are the conditions:

Hair has to be healthy and strong. You have to realize the hair that is not strong will be cut off for a finished look.
You have to have at least 4 inches of regrowth.
It’s a must that you keep up with PPT’s.

Thermal Reconditioning on this textured hair is something I CAN DO- Keep in mind I am not talking for other stylists. Milbon and DY International both know that I do Thermal Recondition on African American Hair and on Relaxed hair and know that I am highly qualified through my experience on this textured hair. It is absolutely incredible how beautiful the hair comes out. How healthy the hair will be after the relaxer is completely grown out. This is a great way to grow out a relaxer even if you want virgin hair at some point. What tends to happen to hair that has 4 inches of regrowth and relaxer on the ends is that the ends will still be a little swollen. So, I advise my clients to dry their hair naturally and when it is completely dry to go over the ends with a flat iron, of course always to protect the hair first. Follow up Protein Treatments are a must. When the hair begins to grow out you may find that you will come back any where from 4 months to 6 months for your retouch. By the third retouch clients have gone as far as 6-8 months for their next retouch. The reason is because the hair is much more healthier, all those short edges are grown out, you are used to styling it and working with your hair at this point and your not terrified to let a perm grow out because of the previous damage that was caused by growing out your old relaxers.

That’s when it is very important to get PPT’s, also, you have to keep the roots straight. So you may have to wash and blow-dry your hair professional or if you need to do it, do it more then once or twice a week. You want to be very gentle with your hair at this point. The best time to do this would be during the winter, of course,and then have your TR during springtime. Thermal Reconditioning can be done!

I have also done many TR’s on biracial children.The mom’s are amazed of the difference in their child's attitude and confidence and how much easier it is to do their hair after they have TR. The moms that have straight hair have no idea how much curly hair controls lives.

We also service TR on a lot of men.

A lot of my male clients have told me that all their lives they wanted long hair, wanted to be able to style their hair differently, but because of the curly strong texture, they had to wear their hair in the same style all their lives. It’s funny when a male client first come in the salon they are so quiet, they think I’m going to say they can’t have Thermal Reconditioning done. Most of the time I will give them a blow dry to prove how straight I can get their hair and that will do it, they then trust me.
I love the feeling I get when I make a difference in someones life.

Please always feel free to email me or call me with any questions you have.