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TR
Procedure
The following will help you evaluate the correct procedures.
- The application Step:
Application must be quick 10 to 15 minutes with gentle manipulation. —
Processing time: 20 to 55 minutes on natural and natural resistant hair.
10 to 20 minutes on sensitized hair.
Caution: Temperature alters and accelerates the permanent
straightening process 10% for every degree up or down from 21.11 Celsius
or 70 Fahrenheit degrees. As a result, if the stylist processes your
hair with heat under a steam machine or a hair dryer, and if the
temperature gets above the normal requirement, steam will form inside
the hair shaft which in turn will affect the hair, causing the hair
shaft to fragment and/or burst. The naked eye cannot see this, what
you’ll see, and/or notice is breakage of the hair or severe hair
breakage.
- The elasticity test Step: Since we can’t see the molecules, the
stylist must have a way of judging that the molecular rearrangement has
taken place. This is done via taking a small strand of hair between
the fingers and gently pulling in outward direction. When the protein
has softened and moved sufficiently to take on the new straight shape,
it is judged to be completed and the solution is rinsed from the hair.
- The straightener rinsing Step: Once the test has been taken and
has reached its desired configuration, the straightening solution is
rinsed from the hair. Rinsing is as important to the success of
straightening as chemical neutralizing. Hair must be rinsed for not
less than 3-5 minutes, depending on the length of the hair. If the
water is too hot, it may cause the relaxed hair to revert. If the
water too cold, it will not stop the processing action. If the unreacted
straightening solution is not thoroughly rinsed or trapped within the
hair, it can cause premature reversion. In addition you may notice an
odor during shampooing or thermal styling.
- Blow-dry Step: Dry the hair down to 80%-95% or so.
- Ceramic flat iron Step: The qualities of the flat iron are of
ceramic elements and ceramic plates, and not just metal plates. Because
to get it hot enough, the metal would just fry the hair. Parting,
sectioning and pressing the hair with the thermal ceramic flat iron is
a very complicated process and creates a special challenge especially
on hair that’s very frizzy. When ironing the hair it is important to
maintain the proper tension in the hand that is guiding the section.
Using uneven tensions during the ironing process or taking too large
of a section and pressing the hair at the wrong degree of dampness will
cause bends. If bends appear on the First Slide, they cannot be easily
removed as the hair still contains water.
Note: Do not confuse a “90 degree bend” with “new growth”. As the
hair grows, you will notice a contrast (a slight wave or bump) between
your natural curl pattern meeting the previously TRd hair. This is
perfectly normal.
Can a bend/ be corrected? This is almost like ironing wrinkles
from clothing. The bends can be corrected, but we must go through the
complete TR processing steps. Be careful, because most of the time the
stylist creates more bends during the repair. Therefore, I do not
recommend it. Instead, recondition and moisturize the hair to stop further
damage. If the bends are not severe, they can be corrected with the
up-coming TR retouch.
Warning: There is another type of bend that can occur. The
reforming chemical step1 should not be applied to the scalp because it
could penetrate the pores and cause reduction. When the hair is
stretched or combed, the new growth could be pulled out of the pores
causing the hair to bend and break at the roots. This type of bend
will be noticeable as prickly small bumps in the areas where the chemical
touched the scalp as soon as you comb, brush or pull the hair.
This is very important: If you notice a bend, a reduction, a
prickly small bump in the scalp area, it means the hair bulb is loose
and had been slightly pulled out prematurely. DO NOT shampoo, comb or
brush your hair for at least 3 to 5 days. Treat your hair very gently
without pulling or tugging. Keep in mind that a TR repair specialist
cannot correct this kind of bend. This is not a mechanical bend. The
best thing to do is to Wait. On shampoo day, make sure you do NOT use
an alkali shampoo. Use only acid balanced, protein and moisturizing
hair care products. Redken’s All Soft Shampoo, All Soft Conditioner and
All Soft Heavy Crème, Color Extend Total Recharge and Extreme Deep Fuel
is a great choice. Or, the ID CARE Shampoo and Treatment.
Why ceramic heat? Ceramic conducts and maintains heat far
more efficiently than other material and retain consistent heat with
more even heat distribution, eliminating damaging hot spots. It will
provide moist heat, compared to traditional metal plates which have
dehydrating effects on the hair, resulting in more damage and loss of
moisture. The highest quality of plates and elements are manufactured
with the highest quality of ceramic and not just coated ceramics.
- Applying neutralizer/oxidizing lotion Step: Now the disulfide
bonds must be neutralized to lock the hair into its new straight shape.
Scientists call this step oxidation. Application must be quick 5-6
minutes with gentle manipulation. Maximum processing time is 5-20
minutes, or according to manufacturer’s instructions.
If the neutralizing solution remains on the hair too long, the hair
becomes weak and can break easily. If the neutralizing solution is not
timely, the cystine bonds which have been disconnected during the
straightening process cannot be re-connected. Hence, the hair becomes
totally confused and reverts back. The majority of stylists think that
the reforming solution cause hair damage and are afraid to leave the
reforming solution #1 long enough, therefore, the protein chains are not
disconnected and will revert back. In fact, interestingly enough the
neutralizing step #2 is the most damaging.
Neutralizing and Oohiro’s Vivian machine. In his article, one of my
colleagues stated that: “Normally high-quality neutralizer products
revitalize the hair only 60%. However, using Vivian (after immediately
applying the neutralizer) it revitalizes 98%. Without Vivian you have
to wait 48-72 hours before washing, because your hair needs to settle
down to its normal state”. I don't believe that "high quality neutralizers
only revitalize by 60%". In my limited study, so far I have found about
85% regeneration which is lower than a traditional perm but acceptable.
I don't know this machine but it's very unlikely it has any effect on
the degree of neutralization. I would stick with my instincts and
experience on this one.
- Rinsing the neutralizer/oxidizing lotion Step: The oxidizing
lotion should be thoroughly rinsed from the hair, not less than 3 minutes
for alkaline perms and 4-5 minutes for acid perms; depending on the
length of hair.
- Blow-dry Step: Style hair and smooth the ends. Generally, there
is no need to use a brush.
- Finishing Step: Some manufacturers may exclude this step. Different
companies have different rules, but they set their rules based on experience.
The TR stylist should IGNORE the manufacturer’s instruction and iron the
hair one final time. Having contact with water is the last thing you
want to do for the first 48 - 72 hours. Without getting the water all
the way out, the hair could possibly revert back a little. Skipping
this step just because the stylist had been lucky so far with good results,
it means “not finishing the TR process correctly”.
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