An attempt has been made in the following article to answer some common queries about the Japanese hair straightening treatment.
Straight hair always looks gorgeous, and can be styled in any way possible. In addition to this, it is much easier to manage as compared to curly hair. This is the reason why women are crazy about getting their hair straightened. For such women, a permanent hair straightening treatment, called Japanese hair straightening, has been introduced. It is known by several other names such as Thermal Reconditioning, Bio Ionic Straightening, Magic Straight, Yuko System, Liscio, and Rebonding. The name ‘Yuko System’ was given to honor the Japanese hair stylist who is known to have worked to popularize it. As is suggested by the name, the method would give you permanently straight hair. However, you may have to go for touch-ups, to get the new growth straightened up. The frequency of such touch-up sessions depends upon the growth rate of your hair.
Knowing if You Are Eligible
You are eligible for Japanese hair straightening treatment if your hair is strong and does not break easily. In other words, you are not suffering from problems like hair loss or hair thinning. Secondly, your hair has not been treated with any sort of chemicals like coloring agents. Lastly, your hair is not heavily damaged by sun or chemicals.
The Cost
This treatment does not fit into everyone’s budget; it is quite expensive. The cost depends on the length of your hair, the hair salon you choose, and the brand that you use. You may have to spend anywhere between USD 100 to USD 900 for a complete treatment.
The General Process
When you enter a salon to get the treatment done, you will be given a general overview of the entire process. The process will start with preparing your hair for it. The hair stylist will wash your hair thoroughly with a shampoo suitable for your hair. This step is necessary as the presence of chemicals, oil, dust, and dirt can react with the chemicals employed and interfere with the result. After washing your hair, he will apply a protein conditioner. Then, he will apply hair straightening products like a thio-based relaxer to your hair. This will soften your hair and dissociate the sulfur bonds present inside the hair shafts. He will leave your hair with the cream on, for a certain period of time. After the time period is over, the hair stylist will perform a test to check if the sulfur bonds have dissociated to the right extent. When a certain amount of sulfur bonds have broken down to the required limit, he will rinse the cream off your hair.
He will now dry your hair with a blow dryer, divide it into small sections of equal thickness, and tie them up with rubber bands to keep each section separate from each other. He will take one section of hair at a time and pull it down out as straight as possible, with a comb or another such tool and apply a neutralizer to it. Once all the strands of hair have been covered with the layer of neutralizer, he will leave your hair in this state for sometime, rinsing it in the end. He will flat iron your hair into the style you like to wear. The neutralizer will begin to re-associate the sulfur bonds. The entire process will take 4-6 hours. Your hair needs to absorb moisture. It will do so naturally from the air. After getting the treatment done, you are not supposed to shampoo your hair for 1-3 days. This is necessary to allow your hair to completely neutralize into current shape.
The Result
Japanese hair straighteners are easy-to-handle tools. You would get to see a new you with silky, soft, smooth, and of-course straight hair.
What About Side-effects?
There are numerous demerits associated with this treatment, its high cost being one. It is definitely an expensive treatment. Secondly, your hair looks overly straight. Any one can find out that you’ve got some kind of treatment done. Mistakes by the stylist can give you bald spots, scalp rashes, weakened hair, or scarring of the scalp.
No doubt that Japanese hair straightening treatment, being based on chemicals, obviously changes the chemical structure of your hair. However, the extent of damage can be minimized, and the outcome can be wonderful if done by an expert.
