Relaxing is a chemical technique that irreversibly alters the natural structure of the hair.

Whether curly, coily, or kinky, this process breaks the internal bonds that maintain the curl pattern in order to reorient the hair and achieve a permanently straightened or less curly texture.

Very harsh on the hair, this type of relaxing relies on a highly alkaline pH. If poorly managed, a single application can burn a child's still-fragile scalp and, even worse, irreversibly damage their hair follicles. This severely compromises their hair health and can permanently stunt the development of their future hair. In this article, we will outline the different methods of relaxing, look together at the risks associated with this practice, particularly in children, and then propose alternatives to relaxing to enhance children’s textured hair.

The history of hair relaxing:

Relaxing appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, in the midst of the segregation era in the United States.
It was initially seen as a way for people of African descent to conform to the Western standards imposed at the time. Relaxing began in the 1920s and subsequently spread through African American hair salons, mainly using lye-based products, which were very harsh but effective.

Around the 1960s/70s, several movements emerged to promote the "afro" and the natural texture of afro hair; nevertheless, relaxing remained a very common practice.

It was not until the 1980s/90s that brands industrialized the relaxing or straightening process and launched "no-lye" relaxers to reduce burns, marking the arrival of thioglycolate, another chemical family that is less harsh on the scalp.

The 2000s were marked by a growing awareness, thanks to numerous scientific studies that highlighted the risks of relaxing (irritation, weakening of the scalp, alopecia, and other endocrine effects...).

What are the different relaxing methods? How to relax textured hair?

1.     1. Lye relaxing (Sodium hydroxide)

This is one of the oldest and most powerful methods. It uses sodium hydroxide, a very strong base capable of breaking hair bonds quickly and effectively to soften and straighten it.

Lye has a very high pH (pH 12–14), which requires the application of a protective cream to the scalp to prevent burns.

2. No-lye relaxing

This is also a traditional relaxer, but "gentler" than lye. It uses calcium hydroxide (lime relaxer), lithium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide.

In this type of relaxer, oils (such as olive oil) and other ingredients are included that contribute to moisturizing and preserving hair health.

It is less irritating to the scalp, but significantly dries out the hair fiber and can promote hair breakage.

3. Thioglycolate relaxing (thioglycolic acid)

Also called thiol-based relaxing, this is a cold straightening technique that reduces hair curl by breaking some of the keratin bonds using a reducing agent (based on thiols), followed by the application of a neutralizer to rebuild these bonds into a new shape.

This includes ammonium thioglycolate or sodium/potassium thioglycolate.

It is not as strong as lye, but it is still permanent.

4. Texturizing (Softening only)

For this type of relaxing, the same products are used (lye or thioglycolate) but with a very short processing time and partial action. The goal is to slightly soften the texture.

5. Other techniques to relax or straighten textured hair

Brazilian/tannin/protein straightening, Japanese straightening, or flat ironing/blow-drying. These are techniques that coat the hair without permanently altering its structure. These are therefore temporary methods and are not considered chemical relaxing.

Relaxing and children's textured hair

Several questions arise: can you relax children's hair? If so, from what age? What are the risks, the precautions to take, and what alternatives exist?

There are several reasons for the desire to relax children's textured hair

When we talk about relaxing children's hair, we mostly think of little girls, who are affected by this practice much more often than boys. But whether it is a girl or a boy, the question of relaxing primarily concerns children with textured hair. It often ends up being considered either because the child wishes to change their look and discover their hair straight, or because the parent is considering this option.

Other reasons may also explain the desire to relax or straighten children's textured hair: the feeling of spending hours detangling and maintaining curls that are sometimes so tight they require a lot of patience, dreaded styling sessions that can quickly turn into moments of tension, or the idea that the child, who often seeks to blend into the group to feel "less different"—and inevitably, other reasons exist...

Relaxing children's hair leads to many consequences

Relaxing products break the hair's internal bonds. In children, whose hair fiber is finer and less resistant, this very quickly leads to many consequences:

Relaxing strongly weakens the still-immature fiber, causing significant breakage in the child, extreme dryness, and visible loss of thickness.

As a result, the hair becomes finer, less dense, and unable to retain moisture.

Furthermore, since the structure is modified irreversibly, the natural texture never returns unless the entire relaxed portion is cut off. This chemical treatment can also lead to hair loss (chemical alopecia) and make the hair too weak to support protective styles, which then increases breakage.

Regarding the scalp, relaxing can have even more severe consequences. Very harsh chemical relaxing products can cause burns, irritation, intense itching, and inflammation. The scalp, still immature and more sensitive in children, often reacts with persistent patches, scabs, or redness. These repeated aggressions permanently weaken the skin, increase the risk of infection, and can lead to cicatricial alopecia, which is permanent hair loss in certain areas.

In addition to the risks of relaxing to the child's hair or scalp, the use of chemical relaxers can have psychological consequences for the child.

Indeed, by modifying the natural texture of the hair, this action can subconsciously transmit the idea that their hair is "not good enough or not beautiful enough" or that they must conform to a norm to be accepted. Consequently, this can affect self-esteem, create discomfort regarding their appearance, or reinforce a feeling of being different.

Especially since some children may develop a dependency on relaxing or straightening, fearing the return of their natural curls, while others associate hair care with pain, stress, or negative remarks, which influences their relationship with their identity and beauty.

In children, the sebaceous glands, which are essential for strengthening the scalp's protective barrier, are not yet fully developed. Highly vascularized, the scalp can become permeable to certain potentially harmful components found in relaxers, which can then enter the bloodstream, with effects on health that remain uncertain.

Some parents and/or children insist on relaxing despite the established risks

In theory, no relaxing should be done before adolescence, as the child's scalp, sebaceous glands, and hair fiber are still immature.
Health professionals and hair specialists agree that relaxing should be avoided until at least 12 to 14 years of age, and ideally even later.

Nevertheless, some parents or adolescents still wish to resort to relaxing for the reasons summarized above. Therefore, there are minimum conditions to limit the damage of this practice.

Respecting the minimum age (around 14) is already the 1st step; at this age, the scalp becomes slightly more resistant and the hair fiber better formed.
The risks associated with relaxers persist, but they are lower than in younger children.

Relaxing is a technique that requires expertise, so a specialist hairdresser will know how to handle this technique better (choice of product, processing time, identification of sensitive areas, and all the necessary precautions). Therefore, if an adolescent wishes to resort to this practice, it is better to trust the precise expertise of a specialist rather than doing it yourself at home.

As explained above, "thioglycolate" relaxing is less risky than lye relaxing, although it remains the case that the former is a chemical process that is less aggressive and less irritating than the latter.

After relaxing, hydration becomes more than necessary because the hair fiber becomes dry, fragile, and porous, so the use of gentle products such as nourishing masks, light oils, or moisturizing shampoos is strongly recommended.

Even if certain precautions can limit damage, relaxing remains, at any age, a practice that is too risky for children. The fragility of their scalp and hair fiber makes it a highly inadvisable action. The essential thing is therefore to avoid relaxing altogether and to value all natural textures: curls, coils, and kinks... each is beautiful, unique, and deserves to be celebrated and protected.

What are the alternatives to relaxing for children with textured hair

The first effort to make is psychological: learning to value natural hair, regardless of the curl pattern, and helping the child love their own texture. This involves highlighting their uniqueness, but also the presence of strong models and symbols that truly represent diversity. These identification figures allow the child to see themselves as beautiful just as they are.

It is also essential to deconstruct the myth of straight hair as the only standard of beauty and to finally recognize that all textures—curly, coily, and kinky—are beautiful, legitimate, and fully worthy of being celebrated.

Then come the various gentle solutions to soften, define, or facilitate the styling of textured hair without ever resorting to relaxing. Discover in particular our hair care products for curly, coily, and kinky hair for babies and children.

A regular, moisturizing hair routine

The idea is to understand that the needs of textured hair are linked to proper hydration and to opt for a regular routine with products designed specifically for children's textured hair. Our hair routine for babies and children combines a moisturizing Detangling Spray and a Styling Milk to facilitate detangling, styling, and curl definition from 12 months on.

Curl definition to further enhance the hairstyle

Different techniques exist to highlight the natural beauty of children's curls: finger coils or scrunching... These methods help bring out the beauty of the curls and restore the child's confidence. Natural stretching using braids or twists also gives natural length to textured hair and allows for beautiful children's hairstyles. To facilitate these techniques, a styling milk for curly hair helps moisturize the hair and define curls without weighing them down.

Protective hairstyles adapted for children

Without pulling tight or using synthetic hair extensions, we can opt for protective styles from time to time to give the hair a break and protect the hair fiber while keeping the scalp healthy.

Self-esteem and accepting one's curls remains the best alternative to relaxing or straightening. This involves teaching children the beauty of their curls, whether wavy, coily, or kinky, by valuing their hair identity.