Modern Salon - September 2008 - (Page 68)

PROCESS USING SAFE CHEMICAL COMBINATIONS Speed primer gets you ready for chemical work of all kinds. By Victoria Wurdinger ducators say nearly 90 percent of younger stylists have never done a chemical service beyond hair color since they left beauty school. But even seasoned pros have seen a chemical skills’ erosion, thanks to the “use it or lose it” factor. This means all stylists could benefit from a refresher in how to safely combine multiple chemical services. It all comes down to the hair’s condition, the chemicals used and the operator’s acumen. CONDITION FIRST Whatever chemical service you’re performing, porosity and elasticity tests are musts because the biggest issue is the hair’s integrity. Even the most accomplished chemical specialists perform a strand test on previously sensitized hair before coloring. E “Poor elasticity and poor porosity go hand in hand,” says Steve Sturman, owner of Transformations in Middletown, New York, and a chemical specialist/educator. “After any chemical texturizing service, we check the hair for color-suitability with the sinkor-swim test. Snip a piece of damaged hair, put it in water and wait a few seconds. If it floats, you can color; if it sinks, it’s too porous and will absorb color too quickly.” Also, be sure to analyze the scalp for signs of irritation prior to any chemical combo. If you are seeing a new client who has relaxed hair and now wants color, establish a thorough written history, perform a complete hair and scalp analysis and take extra precautions with deep conditioning. The most common mistakes, says Sturman, include failure to perform a proper strand test for degree of straightening or curl pattern, leaving too much space between perming tools (unless the wrap is a condensed one) and improper rinsing. Leave too much of any thio-based product on the hair and add a neutralizer, and the peroxide in the neutralizer will cause a heat reaction that both dries and lightens the hair. Before you consider combining chemicals, start with this refresher: GOING STRAIGHT Today, straightening and smoothing chemicals fall into three groups: Traditional sodium relaxers; ammonium thioglycolate lye,” high-alkaline relatives—potassium, lithium or calcium hydroxide, or guanidine carbonate—are for clients who are sensitive to sodium hydroxide. The percent of sodium hydroxide and the pH determine the product’s strength. The higher the pH, the faster it will act. As a rule of thumb, use a mild-strength product for fine or permanently colored hair; a medium-strength product for most medium-textured hair and super-strength for extremely resistant hair. Hair that’s been relaxed with one of the hydroxide-family products has permanently straight bonds and cannot be exposed to any thio-based product. A few musts to follow: • Don’t relax hair that’s bleached or colored with metallic dyes. • Select a product with the right strength for the curl configuration. • Always base the scalp and hairline and protect previously relaxed hair. • Work systematically, in sections, smoothing on the product. Then smooth the product with the back of the comb. Avoid relaxing the hair 100 percent—leave some body. • Work fast—the average relaxing service takes less than 15 minutes. After relaxing the hair, it’s important to remove all the product. Use a neutralizing shampoo followed with a pH-balancing treatment and a conditioning service. Moisture and protein rebalancing keeps relaxed hair healthy. You can use demi- or semipermanent color the same day as a relaxing service, but wait two weeks before using permanent color. For a client who wants both services, apply the relaxer first because it will lighten color-treated hair. NEW ALTERNATIVES Some straighteners rely on old perming chemicals. They use thio to break the hair’s disulfide bonds plus mechanical straightening. The bonds rearrange themselves in a straight configuration reinforced with flatironing. Then, a neutralizer secures the Continued on page 70 or thio-based straighteners, used in services like Japanese Thermal Straightening or Reconditioning; and Keratin-based straightening “treatments.” Relaxers that contain sodium hydroxide work for anyone with curl. Their “no 68 SEPTEMBER 2008 www.modernsalon.com http://www.modernsalon.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Modern Salon - September 2008

Modern Salon- September 2008 Contents Behind the Cover Notebook Contributors Modernsalon.com Modersalonlearning.com New-Now-Next Modern Portfolio Modern Reports Ask the Experts Games Women Play News and Trends Using Safe Chemical Combinations Ask Beth Toolbox Haute Heads Fall Fantasy Fit for Fall Modern Hair Modern Beauty Modern Education The Goods Personal Style

Modern Salon - September 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.