Is Permanent Hair Straightening Good For Thin Hair?

Having straight and smooth hair is delightful both for our appearance and confidence. It makes us happy and excited to try various hairstyles to enhance our looks. But, rarely do we have naturally straight hair. Cue in- permanent hair straightening. Chemical straightening or permanent hair straightening has gained a lot of popularity these days for dealing with frizzy and unmanageable tresses.

More and more women are getting the treatment in hopes of getting the hair of their dreams. But, is it a good idea to go for permanent hair straightening if you have thin hair? Well, let's take a plunge into the intricacies of permanent straightening process and find out!

What Does the Process Of Permanent Hair Straightening

The process of permanent hair straightening involves using chemicals to alter the natural bonds of your hair. The natural bonds of your hair define the texture and type(straight, wavy or curly) of your hair. The bonds of your hair are very strong. To redefine these bonds, you need strong chemicals and high amount of heat. And that is precisely what happens.

The hairstylist first uses the chemicals to break the natural bonds of your hair. High heat is then used to press your hair and straighten them permanently [1]. The chemicals that are used to do the process are usually sodium thioglycolate, ammonium thioglycolate, sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or lithium hydroxide. The result of this process is smooth, shiny and poker-straight hair.

The process takes you anywhere between 3-7 hours depending on the length of your hair. The duration of the process largely depends on the texture of your hair. It usually latest between 6 months to a year.

Permanent Hair Straightening- How Does It Work, Types, Cost, Advantages And Disadvantages

Are The Chemicals Used In The Process Safe For Hair?

Permanent hair straightening sure changes the way your hair looks and makes it stunning. But, unfortunately, it comes with a lot of side effects. The strong chemicals used to alter the texture of your hair damages the protective layer on your hair(attached to your hair cuticles) and makes your hair more susceptible to damage and breakage. In adverse scenarios, people have reported hair loss, itching, burns and scars on the scalp, and weakening of the hair shaft after the permanent hair straightening treatment. Apart from these, the chemicals may cause allergic reaction to some [2][3]

From Hair Fall To Split Ends, Did You Know These Grave Side Effects Of Permanent Hair Straightening?

Is Permanent Hair Straightening Good For Thin Hair?

After getting to know about all the dangers of permanent hair straightening, it is suffice to say that permanent hair straightening is not good for thin hair. Apart from poor diet and genetics, using chemicals too often is one of the major reasons for your thin hair. [4] Exposing it more strong chemicals and high heat is only going to destroy your hair even more. It can lead to extreme hair loss and breakage. So, we highly advise against going for permanent hair straightening if you have thin hair.

The Do's And Don'ts After Permanent Hair Straightening That You Need To Know RN

What Can You Do Instead?

No matter how damaging permanent hair straightening is for your hair, we understand how lucrative the treatment can be. If you absolutely want straight, silky hair, you can opt for hair smoothening instead. Hair smoothening is not a permanent treatment and contains less strong chemicals. It is, therefore, less harmful for your hair. Or you can some natural ways to straighten your hair.

17 Natural Ways To Straighten Your Hair At Home