Which is would you chose? Relaxer or Color.

[turnergirl]

I just wonder. Which of these do you all think is less damaging.

Is it less damaging to break the curl bonds in your hair (I think that is what relaxers do) than to lift the color off your hair shaft? This question assuming you do not have any other chemicals in your hair, which would process would cause less damage?

 

[RainbowCurls]

I think colouring is less damaging.

I have bleached parts of my hair twice, done 2 bleach baths, 1 colour stripper and 1 permanent colour and it's still ok.

 

[turnergirl]

Thanks. Anyone else?

 

[Aidenberry03]

I would have to say coloring...

Picture this,

Natural going bleach blonde = still has a head of hair
Relaxed going bleach blonde = might as well kiss it good bye, cause you are going to have to eventually relax it again.

 

[turnergirl]

Thanks Aidenberry. But is relaxer alone more damaging to hair than coloring. I know the double process is the kiss of death. What about relaxer on it's own.

 

[Aidenberry03]

Well as far as the relaxer, it depends on....

What the ph of the relaxer is

How long you are going to process it

IMO....Whether its lye or no lye (the actually straightening chemical)

Other ingredients....people are using a lot more buffers in their relaxer and pre relaxer treatment.

With relaxing you have to think long term. There is no way to prevent 100% overlapping.

 

[turnergirl]

^^^^ I get that. Good point.

 

[Syrah]

I'd say either one is pretty damaging to the hair, but color a little less so. It's like pick your poison.

Color strips the bonds of the hair and attaches new bonds to it. Relaxing totally strips hair bonds, to reduce the curl pattern associated with the hair follicle. NOthing gets replaced.

I'm natural right now. I'll probably relax one of these days (probably not for a couple of years) and then go back to natural, and then relax.

But recently I've had this SERIOUS itch to play with some color in my hair. I'm not sure what color to do for the winter. I don't want to go jet black, I'd like to have some fun but not sure how yet.

 

[turnergirl]

I'd say either one is pretty damaging to the hair, but color a little less so. It's like pick your poison.

Color strips the bonds of the hair and attaches new bonds to it. Relaxing totally strips hair bonds, to reduce the curl pattern associated with the hair follicle. NOthing gets replaced.

I'm natural right now. I'll probably relax one of these days (probably not for a couple of years) and then go back to natural, and then relax.

But recently I've had this SERIOUS itch to play with some color in my hair. I'm not sure what color to do for the winter. I don't want to go jet black, I'd like to have some fun but not sure how yet.

Yeah I have an itch to do something different, I am just not sure if color is worth it. I had my hair colored once since being natural but it was dry and annoying. I don't remember my hair having that many issues when I had a relaxer. I will probably still color.

 

[Incredible1ne]

I'm not sure if I should even answer because I've never colored and I'm natural now. I would think that color is not as damaging as relaxing. When I was relaxed I could never color. I was told by a number of stylists that I would have no hair if I did.
I want to color but I'm scared. I saw one lady's album (she was natural) who kind of went nuts with bleaching and coloring and had to BC again. I have no desire to BC again ever so that's holding me back.

 

[hothair]

I've been relaxed AND natural. My hair would break easily with a relaxer. On the other hand when I colour on natural hair including bleaching and colouring up to 4 times (wanted the right shade) within 2 days I still had quite thick hair on my head if a bit dry. Now I still colour on my natural hair but space it out btw 2 - 4 months and no problems not even dryness I couldn't even try that with a relaxer once every 8-12 weeks

 

[Missi]

Coloring is less damaging IMO cause you can color your hair w/o using chemicals. I think when coloring your hair a lighter color thats when the chemicals come in: but it clearly shows that Henna, Indigo, & Bigen are natural dyes that darkens the hair w/o any chemicals: thats why your able to relax and color the same day.

 

[schipperchow1]

I chose color -- highlights to be exact. I had been itching to texturize this summer, but about a week or 2 ago, I decided I wanted highlights...went to Walmart & picked up a box. Of course, i protected my hair w/a protein filler fisrt & added some condish to the mix...I am so happy..the urge to texturize is gone (well not completely) but the highlights bring a depth to my hair that it was laking before in its natural state. When i relaxed, many moons ago, my hair would lghten so I didn't have to think about highlights...so not only was it stripping my hair bonds, i was also stripping the color. I am not experiencing breakage or dryness with the highlighted hair.

 

[glamazon386]

I would think the color would be less damaging.