• June 5, 2022

Top 3 reasons why you should say "Nope" to Box Perms (Box Relaxers) to relax hair

Although relaxers have; sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide, ammonium thioglycolate, lithium hydroxide, or calcium hydroxide as the active ingredient, most box straighteners contain calcium hydroxide. Now, there are a few reasons why boxed perms shouldn’t be a part of African American women’s hair care routine.

One reason is that, with frequent use, the calcium in these relaxers will coat the hair. This coating will seal your strands and keep moisture out, which is very bad news; especially if you’re putting on a relaxer and your hair is naturally coarse (coarse hair tends to be naturally drier, making this twice as bad).

Once the hair is covered, it will need to be removed to moisturize and revive your locks. Using off-the-shelf relaxers will eventually cause your hair to develop a reddish “tint,” never having color or highlights. The reason this is happening is because your locks are getting so dry that the color is starting to fade. People may think that they have some kind of natural highlights (they probably think this is due to the sun), but the truth is that this is not the case.

Depending on your hair texture and condition, anything that dries out your hair will make it weak, brittle, and extremely prone to breakage.

Although box relaxers have images of children, I STRONGLY suggest that parents avoid them at all costs.

Relaxing the head of a child who has not gone through adolescence does have immediate and long-term consequences.

Because boys haven’t gone through puberty, their bodies (and skin) are still developing, and as a result, they’re more likely to have long-term skin and scalp problems.

When this happens, instead of addressing and correcting the issues at hand, many people turn to cosmetic enhancements, and unfortunately any unresolved issues they have get worse over time.

Finally, the fact that companies sell chemicals over the counter at wholesale prices is VERY misleading.

It gives the public the idea that the entire process of applying chemicals to the head of an adult or child is so simple and easy that it can be done from the comfort of your home, without the presence of a professional.

It leads people to believe that there are no, or very few, consequences to straightening hair at home, when the truth is that the sooner you start using chemicals on children, the worse the long-term effects will be.

Problems that can arise from misuse or long-term use can be extreme. Skin and scalp problems mean more visits to the dermatologist, fake hair in the form of weaves or wigs, and not to mention the near-irreversible damage that can occur from self-esteem issues.

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