This explains Hair Breakage from.......

[hairgirl]

...............relaxers with sodium hydroxide. I found this site as I am interesting in possibly going without relaxers........Well this has convinced me. Know wonder if we don't get the chemical neutralized in time we suffer, breakage, damage, dryness and some have even reported going bald. Don't want this to happen to me. Naturale is looking better and better as the days go by.

Check it out: http://www.taxidermy.net/BeginnersArticles/03/k/03CC24A0B.html

What do u guys think?

 

[hairgirl]

Ladies this has the same effect............it's calcium hydroxide and is also used for dehairing. This would explain why the chemical thin the strand out and over time the hair has become noticeably thinner and faint in some spots.......You guysss this is scary, but convincing. I spoke w/a lady from Irby's beauty supply and she said she stopped using relaxers for this very reason. She sells them though. She said as she go older her hair thinned so bad that she had to get all the relaxer cut and now she said her her is thriving. I'm following suit but will look for an alternative to hair relaxers and "natural relaxers."

http://www.mfa.org/_cameo/frontend/material_description.asp?name=calcium+hydroxide&language=1

 

[MeccaMedinah]

Good info. I hope that it helps some people.

 

[Candy_C]

yehh but...this guy:

Not Lye- LIME
This response submitted by Michael on 11/17/2003. ( [email protected] ) 12.43.89.166

I don't know if Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) will work- BUT, Lye is not the same thing as LIME, which is the usual dehairing chemical. Lime is Calcium Hydroxide. I would stick to using the Calcium, and probably you have access to that too, Roger.

Michael


He said that its lime, and i think hes right, if i remember back in chemistry. I think these are just guys who are experimenting with chemicals and dont have any solid facts, i wouldn't worry yourself.

 

[Amina]

Thanks hairgurl.

 

[BerrySweet]

Thanks hairgurl!

 

[hairgirl]

you all are welcomed.................to those that find it trivial keep using your trusty relaxers. Maybe this isn't for you right now..................Give it some time you'll see the effects.

 

[Candy_C]

you all are welcomed.................to those that find it trivial keep using your trusty relaxers. Maybe this isn't for you right now..................Give it some time you'll see the effects.

ok ... i know relaxers aren't the mildest thing on earth..what is the duration between gettin my 1st relaxer to going bald then? cuz many people have relaxers for like 30 yrs and their hair is down their back. actually 4get it, its gonna turn into some relaxer vs natural war again.

 

[MeccaMedinah]

Did you know that Sodium Hydroxide is the 2nd ingredient in Drano, the clogged drain remover? http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=79853&catid=78334&trx=PLST-0-SRCH&trxp1=78334&trxp2=79853&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-SRCH

I learned this FACT early in my transition from relaxers. The Drano is cheaper than many relaxers, might save some money :scratchch

 

[MeccaMedinah]

ok ... i know relaxers aren't the mildest thing on earth..what is the duration between gettin my 1st relaxer to going bald then? cuz many people have relaxers for like 30 yrs and their hair is down their back. actually 4get it, its gonna turn into some relaxer vs natural war again.

You're right. And, let's not let this turn into a "war".
I think that some people do need to realize that relaxer = chemicals. And it is a caustic chemical. It's not harmless lotion.

 

[sprungonhairboards]

You're right. And, let's not let this turn into a "war".
I think that some people do need to realize that relaxer = chemicals. And it is a caustic chemical. It's not harmless lotion.

Honestly though, who doesnt know this already? Especially on a hair board where we talk about this stuff all the time.

 

[Candy_C]

thousands of chemicals r used in thousands of things we put in and on our body. its not the like the air we breathe is pure? and the O zone layer aint brukkin out cos of our deolderants...its a thing that will never end, and i've seen more topics on this sort of thing recently than i've had hot dinners sorry but, i totally agree relaxers r not good, but hey! WHAT IS GOOD for you? the same thing in ciggarettes is found in rat poison...that dont stop smokers, and some smokers "give up" the chemicals and turn out just fine (not saying that the comparison is the same but its a chemical issue).

it applies for everything in this world, and i know its about making people aware and i respect everyones opinions otherwise i wouldn't be "arsed" to comment, its just a topic that will never cease..

 

[MeccaMedinah]

Well, if you read most of these ridiculous threads you'll have the answer, honestly.

 

[MeccaMedinah]

thousands of chemicals r used in thousands of things we put in and on our body. its not the like the air we breathe is pure? and the O zone layer aint brukkin out cos of our deolderants...its a thing that will never end, and i've seen more topics on this sort of thing recently than i've had hot dinners sorry but, i totally agree relaxers r not good, but hey! WHAT IS GOOD for you? the same thing in ciggarettes is found in rat poison...that dont stop smokers, and some smokers "give up" the chemicals and turn out just fine (not saying that the comparison is the same but its a chemical issue).

it applies for everything in this world, and i know its about making people aware and i respect everyones opinions otherwise i wouldn't be "arsed" to comment, its just a topic that will never cease..

I'm not gonna turn this into a war
The OP is trying to educate & you've obviously know these things. So...

 

[baglady215]

I think people who relax, especially the ladies on here, are pretty much aware of the dangers of relaxing.

 

[MizaniMami]

I think people who relax, especially the ladies on here, are pretty much aware of the dangers of relaxing.

This is extremely true. I have read probably hundreds (seriously) of articles about this subject and hair ingredients and guess what, I STILL choose to use relaxers. Why? Because it is my choice and I really don't think anyone should be questioning/schooling anyone's motives.

I understand the original poster's intentions but, this whole "relaxers are bad" phenomenon is starting to get played out.

 

[so1913]

Ok...how about this...

Read the info if you choose to, take from it what you'd like to...and lets keep it moving, especially if we aren't going to be civil with this discussion.

(this comment is not directed to a "hair type"...this comment is for EVERYONE)

Thanks for sharing the info

 

[Candy_C]

it does scare me though! i aint lookin to go bald, natural or relaxed, permed or texlaxnatrelax wateva..!
I'm goin natural in the future, but not yet..lol why do i see these things when i'm in love with relaxers...i'll be blind to this for another couple years then read whilst givin them up.

 

[czyfaith77]

Honestly though, who doesnt know this already? Especially on a hair board where we talk about this stuff all the time.

Honestly I was just thinking this in my mind...

 

[so1913]

Yeah....but then again we can say the same thing about the MTG threads popping up constantly with no new info, lol. Just the same with this and other topics, topics will continue to be brought up, and just like you handle the rest of them that aren't of interest to you...move on to the next thread and save YOURSELF the hassle...

No need to get defensive or offensive here.

 

[hairgirl]

You guys this was new info. for me and I was just sharing it for those, like myself, who may not be aware. Like the above post, if you already knew this info. then keep moving on, but if it's new to you then just count it as something to add to your memory bank. I have received relaxers for 20 years, since I was 9 years old. So now you know my age.......lol. And boy do I notice a huge difference. My once think full of body hair has become thin and not as full. I don't have major hair breakage problems or hair that's too short but my hair has thinned out over the years. I remember being in high school and getting a relaxer from my mom and my hair would be so dang on full, yet straight. Now I just have medium length, extra t-bone straight hair that I don't care for as much as when I was younger. I've gone a whole year without a relaxer and then let a stylist put a relaxer in my hair 2 years ago. BIG MISTAKE. She left it in too long and "accidently put a super in." yeah right!! I had shoulder length hair with a comb-over. My sister could not stop laughing at me and my husband joked too. I'm just saying chemicals over time, FROM MY EXPERIENCE can thin out and eventually lead to permanent thin hair. I'm choosing not to go through this and will transition. Knowledge is good, but to use it is WISDOM. And this is what I'm doing!!

 

[hairgirl]

I read this from Cathy Howse's website:

News and Product Reviews (latest update coming 2005)
2/12/2005 I know you have all been waiting for my updates. Well here they are:
Cathy is giving up chemical relaxers (See below - Scroll down)
36 NEW customer testimonies - Click here
New customer Before and After pictures (Still coming)
(thank you sisters and keep them coming)
Updated hair tips (Still coming)
New hair questions answered (Still coming)
New book reviews - Click here
My 2005 hair pictures - Click here
The latest gimmick that claims to have come up with a “breakthrough system for black hair growth” (See below- Scroll down)
My last retouch was May 14, 2004. After 35 years of relaxing my hair I have decided to give up chemical straightening for 3 reasons:

Aging brings with it its own complications. (Alzheimer’s, dementia and cancer) I have no interest in becoming a test dummy for relaxer products and the fewer chemicals I expose myself to, the better.
I am afraid of losing my hair to chemical relaxing. With so many sisters experiencing balding and thinning hair problems I found myself asking, what really causes Black women’s thinning hair? Do I think chemicals are the culprit? Chemical relaxers are one of the problems. Especially when they are constantly pushed on to the scalp with the back of the stylist hand, repeatedly throughout time. To help us understand this issue my next book will be on “Saving our hair after giving up chemical treatments”, thus the reason for my Thinning Hair Survey (another first for African-American women). One thing you should know is that no-lye relaxers are not the problem because even sisters who wear lye relaxers are having the same issues! It also has nothing to do with dry hair!
I want to demonstrate to sisters everywhere that you CAN stop relaxing your hair and keep it on your head! Going natural now after 35 years is a chore. The maintenance doesn’t change except now I HAVE to comb my natural hair wet to detangle and stretch it out or I end up with one big hard ball of hair roots with straight ends! Constantly, I am asked about what styles I wear. Now with the two textures of hair, I have opted for five styles:

Here's the link for the styles she uses: http://www.ubhpublications.com/News.html

 

[napgurl]

I read this from Cathy Howse's website:
Chemical relaxers are one of the problems. Especially when they are constantly pushed on to the scalp with the back of the stylist hand, repeatedly throughout time.[/I] To help us understand this issue my next book will be on “Saving our hair after giving up chemical treatments”, thus the reason for my Thinning Hair Survey (another first for African-American women). One thing you should know is that no-lye relaxers are not the problem because even sisters who wear lye relaxers are having the same issues! ]

Perhaps a new topic to generate revenue is Cathy's motive for not relaxing.

 

[so1913]

Perhaps a new topic to generate revenue is Cathy's motive for not relaxing.

Hee hee....I do agree...

I just get this feeling she's full of it and it's not a genuine plight...gotta hit up the new market, ,lol

 

[baglady215]

Perhaps a new topic to generate revenue is Cathy's motive for not relaxing.

Good point.

 

[Trini"T"]

Hairgurl, had your relaxers been overlapped over the years?

 

[Mystic]

Perhaps a new topic to generate revenue is Cathy's motive for not relaxing.

Totally agree with you on this one. In her "many and constant research on hair", she stressed in her book constantly that relaxer is not the problem - it's how it's applied to the hair. Now all of a sudden, relaxer is SO bad. She needs to show me all the prove that relaxing the hair can lead to cancer and alzheimer's disease. To the many people she produce, I can also produce many that have relaxed for 40+ years with no problem whatsoever. I relax my hair every 6 months and the relaxer is applied inches away from the root for <15mins. I cannot see how doing that will have any negative consequence to my health. It is no more worst than running hot iron and heat near my scalp every day to get the same effect. My friend's mother is 67 years old and has been relaxing her hair since she was 25 years old - she is one of the healthiest old woman I know. Everything must be done in moderation.

 

[Plenty]

I read this from Cathy Howse's website:

News and Product Reviews (latest update coming 2005)
2/12/2005 I know you have all been waiting for my updates. Well here they are:
Cathy is giving up chemical relaxers (See below - Scroll down)
36 NEW customer testimonies - Click here
New customer Before and After pictures (Still coming)
(thank you sisters and keep them coming)
Updated hair tips (Still coming)
New hair questions answered (Still coming)
New book reviews - Click here
My 2005 hair pictures - Click here
The latest gimmick that claims to have come up with a “breakthrough system for black hair growth” (See below- Scroll down)
My last retouch was May 14, 2004. After 35 years of relaxing my hair I have decided to give up chemical straightening for 3 reasons:

Aging brings with it its own complications. (Alzheimer’s, dementia and cancer) I have no interest in becoming a test dummy for relaxer products and the fewer chemicals I expose myself to, the better.
I am afraid of losing my hair to chemical relaxing. With so many sisters experiencing balding and thinning hair problems I found myself asking, what really causes Black women’s thinning hair? Do I think chemicals are the culprit? Chemical relaxers are one of the problems. Especially when they are constantly pushed on to the scalp with the back of the stylist hand, repeatedly throughout time. To help us understand this issue my next book will be on “Saving our hair after giving up chemical treatments”, thus the reason for my Thinning Hair Survey (another first for African-American women). One thing you should know is that no-lye relaxers are not the problem because even sisters who wear lye relaxers are having the same issues! It also has nothing to do with dry hair!
I want to demonstrate to sisters everywhere that you CAN stop relaxing your hair and keep it on your head! Going natural now after 35 years is a chore. The maintenance doesn’t change except now I HAVE to comb my natural hair wet to detangle and stretch it out or I end up with one big hard ball of hair roots with straight ends! Constantly, I am asked about what styles I wear. Now with the two textures of hair, I have opted for five styles:

Here's the link for the styles she uses: http://www.ubhpublications.com/News.html

What about the white women I see who are thinnink...I thing thinning hair is apart of the aging process some get and some don't.

 

[kizzylonghair]

. She left it in too long and "accidently put a super in." yeah right!! I had shoulder length hair with a comb-over. !!

Sorry Hairgirl,
I read this and I couldnt help cracking up I laughed because I am sat behind a man with a comb over right now.

No offence aimed at you, just thought I would share​

 

[so1913]

My last two cents (I know some of you are tired of my change, lol, ignore me if that is the case)

I think we all can agree here that Cath Howse is full of **** as far as her motives. I think she's taking advantage of the "boom" of natural heads emerging in our community. HOWEVER, what she states as well as a lot of this other information regarding relaxers is a POSSIBLE reality for anyone that chooses to use them. Please do not get deffensive over these facts, like many of you stated, you know these challenges exists and you are making a conscious decision to relax. That is YOUR decision and I don't have a problem with it...why should I? It's not up to any of us to make you feel differently, however, it is up to all of us to enlighten each other on hair care in general. Some people here, as the OP mentioned, are not aware of this info, no matter how well educated some of us are on this and other matters. We get new members everyday. I do appreciate this information being kept on the surface of discussions because it is real. We've all seen beautiful heads of thick, long relaxed hair on older women, but we have also seen the very opposite. I guess we can same the same about uncared for natural hair. This board all about hair care, the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY and no matter what the subject matter is, if it is relevant it should continue to be up for discussion (no matter how much it annoys me to see a new MTG thread pop up, LOL). It's easy for all of us to become defensive when something contridicts something we love to do, but in the big picture, it doesn't hurt to know. Use and process the info as you will or disregard it. We all have a lot to learn from each other...but these underlying negative tones in our comments from all participants to one another is really unecessary and hindering. People here start paying more attention to the battle rather than the cause when they read these posts.