How to Apply a Hair Relaxer

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Amelia and I'm going to show you how to apply a hair relaxer. For all intensive purposes, we're going to pretend like this mannequin has never had a relaxer before. So, first we're going to apply a base. A base is basically a petroleum based product that you apply to the hairline and to the scalp, and that protects the skin from any burning from the chemical. We're using a sodium based relaxer today, there is another kind that you don't really need a base with and I think that's called guanidean based, and then of course, the traditional immoniumsyigaliate which is your basic perm, you don't want to mix that one with any other kind, or the hair will fall off. So you just apply the base and you do apply it all the way through, each section, about a quarter of an inch sections, you apply it to the scalp. Keep going like that through all of the sections, and then this is when you apply your relaxer. First, I always like to apply the relaxer first to the areas where it tends to be the curliest, except the hairline, the hairline around the front since it tends to be the weakest, I always leave that out first. And, you see I'm using a flat brush, I like to use a flat brush cause it doesn't get the product caught in the bristles and it's really good for smoothing out that hair. Now, with a relaxer, it's all about speed, because with a relaxer, as soon as you start applying the product, your timing begins, so I have with this particular clients hair about thirteen minutes to get this product on all over. Now that I've applied the relaxer to the area that I want it to be in, I'm just going to work the hair for the amount of time that I have left. If I have no time left, then it's done. You don't want to leave it on any longer than the manufacturer directs. So, at this point, I'm going to take her to the shampoo bowl and apply a neutralizing shampoo. A lot of neutralizing shampoos have got color coaters in them, so that way it tells you if the relaxer is completely out of the hair. You shampoo two, three, four times, as many times as is needed, in order to get the relaxer completely out to stop the processing. Then, once you've shampooed, you're done, you style and your client is ready to leave and that's how you apply a relaxer."