Don’t Believe Everything You Hear: Popular Misconceptions About Afro-Textured Hair And Haircare - Page 11

Calcium Hydroxide Relaxers are Better Than Sodium Hydroxide Relaxers

Lye has gotten such a bad name and understandably so. It is a heavy duty, caustic chemical that should be used with care… no, caution. You’ve probably heard it before, but the difference between a lye relaxer  and Draino (which eats through hair) on the pH scale is about 1 point (as in if Draino is a 13, than a relaxer is a 12). Somewhere along the way, people started touting calcium hydroxide relaxers as being less harsh than sodium hydroxide relaxers. Calcium is a good mineral though, right? Well the properties in calcium that makes it good for teeth and bones is precisely what makes it not so hot for hair. Calcium deposits can build up causing hair to be stiff, brittle and dry, almost like what happens when a hair gets too much protein. Sodium Hydroxide relaxers, if used properly, can usually be left on the hair for a shorter amount of time, which is better for your hair and scalp.

What are some misconceptions that you have run into along your hair journey?