lye V no-lye

[mstasha]

which is best and why? I have heard so much about the lye relaxer being good but no one has said what it is they like about it. I use the no-lye and I hear it makes the hair dry. could that be the root of my dry hair horror?

 

[jrw]

You can't say that either one is better than the other. Some people prefer lye relaxers while others get better results with no-lye. You have to decide for yourself what you like more.

 

[nissi]

well a hair professional told me that lye is preferred because it is more natural chemically (sodium hydroxide). he said it causes the hair follicle to swell while straightening, so that it can receive moisture more efficiently. No-lye (calcium hydroxide) according to him strips the hair follicle while straightening, instead of swelling it. He says no-lye was created by hair companies as an alternative to lye back in the day when people were complaining about lye, but it's a harsher process. I personally have had bad results with no-lye and won't go back.

 

[jrw]

On the flip side to what you said Nissi, I have had great results with no-lye and would not think of using a lye relaxer. To each his own.

 

[AmilLion]

Well, the little bit I do know about Chemistry is, anything containing calcium leaves a deposit. Therefore, I would assume, a relaxer containing Calcium Hydroxide would leave a deposit on the hair hindering the ability to moisturize the hair strand.

 

[LondonDiva]

For me lye relaxers are better. I've used both and will stick with a lye relaxer.

One major plus is if you underprocess your hair when using a lye relaxer you can then relax on top of it again and it will get straighter. You can't do that with a no-lye.

You can also go to a lye relaxer from a no lye, but not the other way around.

 

[MzRhonda]

Personally, and everyone is different, I switched from no lye to lye about 1 1/2 years ago - the difference for me is that no lye was harsher and drying....my hair was lifeless, dry and dull. JMO!

Rhonda