In 2024, studies reveal that chemical damage accounts for a significant percentage of issues faced by textured hair, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing this specific type of damage. While it is the most known damage, the consequences and healing solutions are not as widely understood. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the intricacies of chemical damage specific to textured hair. You'll learn how to identify the signs of chemical damage and discover effective strategies for protection and maintenance to keep your hair healthy and resilient.
What is Chemical Damage?
Chemical damage refers to the harm caused to hair strands as a result of exposure to various chemical treatments, such as relaxers, perms, hair dyes, and bleach or excessive hairstyling. These treatments & heat can weaken the hair's structure, leading to dryness, breakage, split ends, loss of elasticity, and overall deterioration of hair health. Overprocessing or improper application of chemicals can exacerbate these effects, resulting in significant damage to textured hair. Understanding the signs and causes of chemical damage is essential for effective prevention and restoration of hair health.
Causes of Chemical Damage:
1- Relaxers and Perms:
Relaxers and perms work by altering the protein bonds within the hair shaft to achieve a desired change in texture. Relaxers, typically containing alkaline chemicals like sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide, break down the disulphide bonds in the hair's protein structure, allowing the hair to be straightened. Perms, on the other hand, utilize reducing agents like thioglycolic acid to break and reform the disulfide bonds, creating curls or waves.
Relaxed hair alters the hair's nature
Chemical processes, while often sought after for their transformative effects, can pose significant risks to textured hair. These processes, such as relaxers and perms, disrupt the hair's disulfide bonds, compromising its structural integrity and rendering it more susceptible to breakage and damage. Additionally, the alkaline pH levels in many chemical treatments can disrupt the hair's natural acidic balance, causing the protective cuticle scales to lift. This lifting, in turn, swells the hair shaft and increases its porosity. As a result, moisture can easily escape from the hair, leading to dryness, frizz, and increased breakage.
With repeated exposure to relaxers and perms, this damage can accumulate, leaving the hair dry, brittle, and prone to breakage, a condition commonly known as trichorrhexis nodosa.
Microscopic analysis of the hair shaft showing trichorrhexis nodosa (hair shaft defect caused by chemical damage)
2- Heat Styling:
Heat styling, including the use of flat irons, curling wands, and blow dryers, can also cause chemical damage to textured hair. High temperatures can break down the hydrogen bonds that hold the hair's protein structure together, leading to structural deformation and weakening of the hair fibers.
Additionally, prolonged heat exposure can strip the hair of its natural moisture, resulting in dryness, brittleness, and increased susceptibility to breakage.
Heat damage is reflected through dryness, brittleness & breakage in hair
3- Hair Dyes:
Hair dyes, another common cause of chemical damage, can have detrimental effects on textured hair.
The chemicals present in hair dyes, such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, penetrate the hair shaft to alter its natural pigment. While this results in a change in hair color, it also disrupts the hair's structure and moisture balance. Ammonia, for instance, raises the pH of the hair, causing the cuticle to swell, leading to damage and increased porosity. Hydrogen peroxide, on the other hand, acts as a developer, oxidizing the hair's melanin and weakening its protein structure. Over time, repeated dyeing sessions can strip the hair of its natural oils. Additionally, the harsh chemicals in some dyes can cause scalp irritation and allergic reactions, further exacerbating the damage to locs, curly and coily hair.
Recognizing the Damage:
Now that we dived deep into the damage and science behind it, here is a quick list you can use to recognize the different symptoms of chemical damage directly on your coils, curls & textured hair:
Chemical Damage Visible Symptoms:
- Dry and brittle hair
- Excessive frizz
- Hair thinning or loss
- Thinning locs
- Scalp irritation or burns
- Dullness
- Uneven texture
- Tangles and knots
- Split ends
- Loss of curl, coil pattern
- Scalp sensitivity
Protect your hair from chemical damage with these proactive measures:
- Limit Chemical Treatments:
Whenever possible, opt for natural styling methods and limit the use of chemical treatments like relaxers or perms. Embrace your hair's natural texture and explore protective natural hairstyles that minimize the need for harsh chemicals.
an example of healthy, spread-out tension protective hairstyle
- Deep Condition Regularly:
Incorporate deep conditioning treatments into your haircare routine to replenish moisture and strengthen the hair from within. Look for nourishing ingredients like jojoba, coconut and keratin to restore vitality and resilience to your hair. The SRG Serum from HumanKin contains a well-balanced formula to nourish hair follicles while sealing moisture at the top.
- Use Heat Protectant Products:
Prior to using heat styling tools, apply a heat protectant product to shield your hair from thermal damage. These products create a barrier between your hair and the heat, reducing the risk of protein degradation and moisture loss.
- Limit Chemical Treatments: Reduce the frequency of chemical treatments such as relaxers or perms. Embrace natural hairstyles that require minimal chemical intervention to minimize the risk of damage.
- Choose Professional Salons: If opting for chemical treatments, choose reputable salons with experienced professionals who use high-quality products and follow proper procedures to minimize damage.
- Patch Testing: Before applying any chemical treatment, perform a patch test to assess the hair's reaction and minimize the risk of adverse effects, such as scalp irritation or burns.
- Follow Instructions Carefully: If using at-home chemical treatments, strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure proper application and minimize the risk of over-processing or damage.
If you are working on healing and repairing your coils, curls or locs from mechanical damage:
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Deep Conditioning Treatments: Incorporate deep conditioning treatments into your haircare routine to nourish and hydrate the hair, restoring moisture lost due to chemical damage. Look for products containing ingredients like keratin, green tea extract, or moringa seed oil to strengthen and repair damaged strands.
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Protein Treatments: Use protein-rich treatments to replenish lost protein and strengthen the hair's structure. Protein treatments help repair damage caused by chemical processes, improving elasticity and reducing breakage. However, be cautious not to overuse protein treatments, as excessive protein can make the hair brittle.
- Scalp Oiling: Regularly oiling the scalp can help maintain its health and stimulate hair growth. Choose treatments that include jojoba, coconut, or castor oil which are known for their moisturizing and nourishing properties. Gently massage the oil into the scalp using your fingertips to improve blood circulation and distribute the oil evenly. This practice can help alleviate dryness, reduce scalp irritation, and promote stronger, healthier textured hair from the roots.
By incorporating these preventative and healing measures into your haircare routine, you can effectively protect your hair from chemical damage and promote its overall health and vitality. Remember, textured haircare is a process, and HumanKin is here to support you along the way. Through time and education, you will find your way in this natural, healthy & healing journey.
