Monica questions: What causes more hair loss straightening you hair with a flat iron or doing a relaxer at a salon?
Left Brain straighteners her out:
Great question Monica. A quick answer is that Relaxers lead to more hair 
loss than Flat Irons. Read on for why. If you want some additional options to flat irons and relaxers take a look at this post we did on 7 ways to straighten hair.
How Hair Straightening Processes Work
While relaxers and flat irons can give you similar styles, they work in completely different ways. To understand how they work, you first must know that hair is made up of proteins. Within these proteins are chemical bonds responsible for hair strength & hair shape. The two most important types include Hydrogen bonds and Disulfide bonds. (There are others but Sarah’s eyes are starting to glaze over so I’ll stop there.)
Hydrogen bonds are weaker, temporary and dependent on the amount of water in your hair. When you flat iron your hair, you remove curls/frizz by first mechanically forcing hair straight and then removing the water with heat. It works just like an iron on clothes. This locks hair into whatever shape it currently is in. It works great as long as your hair stays dry. But once hair picks up moisture from the air, it will start to revert to its more natural shape.
Hair’s natural shape is controlled more by the Disulfide bonds. These permanent bonds don’t depend on how much water is in hair. With relaxers, hair’s disulfide bonds get broken down making your hair permanently straighter. At least permanent until new hair grows back.
Both relaxing and flat ironing damage hair but relaxing is much worse because it actually degrades hair proteins.
3 Kinds of Hair Loss
When you ask about hair loss you could be talking about 3 different kinds; breakage, natural, and permanent. Since I’m not sure which you’ve asked about, we’ll look at all three.
- Breakage: Everyone’s hair breaks to some extent, but damaged hair breaks more. Relaxing causes much more damage thus leading to more hair loss via breakage than flat irons.
- Natural: People shed just like dogs & cats. Your hair has a natural cycle where you lose about 100 hairs naturally each day. Neither relaxing or flat irons will affect this hair loss. You might notice more hair loss while flat ironing but that just because you pull out hairs that would have fallen out on their own.
- Permanent: In this type, hair stops growing at the roots & there is not much you can do to get it to come back. It’s unlikely that flat ironing will cause this but it is possible relaxing hair can. If your scalp is exposed to the chemicals in relaxers for too long, it can burn you and cause permanent hair loss. This isn’t a problem when relaxing is done by a top notch, professional stylist but if you have an amateur, look out!
For more, see this information from the FDA about hair relaxer safety.
Should You Relax?
Despite the safety concerns and extra damage, there are some significant advantages of relaxing over flat iron straightening. These include
- More permanent
- Easier to do (if you have a stylist)
- More consistent results
- Less prone to negative humidity effects
On the other had, being more permanent might be a negative to some.
The Beauty Brains Bottom line:
Both relaxing and flat ironing damage hair, but relaxing is much worse. However, it does give some added benefits so you might decide hair relaxing is worth extra damage. If you don’t want to lose or damage hair, the best thing you can do is shampoo infrequently, condition each time, and don’t comb or style it much. Of course, that severely limits the type of looks you can get so these aren’t options for most people.
What do YOU think? Would you rather have hair relaxed or do daily flat ironing? Leave a comment below.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I also suffered from a huge amount of hair loss due to Flat Irons. I had straightened my hair a couple of months back and from then I’m suffering from this hair loss problem.
You says that relaxing hair actually makes it stronger and in this post relaxing contribites to damage that results to hair breakage. How come this?
@Creme – Great question! But if you notice in the previously sited strength study, that required that a silicone be included in the relaxer. The hair was still damaged but the silicone helped strengthen it.
Strengthened relative to how it was pre-relaxer, or just strengtheneed relative to conventionally relaxed hair?
Hi, I’m desperate to buy a pink hair straightener, but I’ve found all these brands that I’ve never heard of before, all promising to be fantastic. These are the ones I’m looking at: ISO, Chloche, Envisage and Corioliss.
Does anyone know anything about any of these brands, and which would you recommend I buy? Thanks heaps!!
Straigthening really ruined my hair & practically my life. I once had thick wavy brown lock,nw due to constant ironing it has shrunk & its shape is less pronounced. Nw im having a hard time styling it. No drastic style could hide the bald spot. My hair is disappearing bt my forehead is growing.
Hey,
this was an amazing read. I never knew the basics on what really happens nor did anybody till now inform me about this. Thanks for this great read
Japanese straightening is the way to go for smooth, silky hair. It’s permanent and leaves your hair looking gorgeous! I just had it done for the second time and I’m sold.
Japanese straightening is NOT The way to go. It literally ruined my hair. You will wind up with, dry, broken, damaged hair. I had it done three years ago and I wound up having to cut all my hair off because of the damaged it caused. Use a flat iron or get a relaxer, much less damaging. A flat iron with a heat protector spray of course! I have had at least three relaxers since my nightmare (Japanese straightening). I highly recommend not getting that done, speaking from experience.
Reading this definately helped. I’m mixed so I have thick medium sized curly hair and I straighten almost every day with my chi flat iron. I’m seriously thinking about getting a relaxer because when I flat iron my hair it gets really frizzy and poofy the minute I step outside so I think the relaxeer would help me out by keeping it straighter longer. Does anyone know a good salon that does relaxers??
My daughter went to the most reputable salon in town. Her relaxer cost $150, so as you can see, it was a high end salon. So much of her hair fell out it is unbelievable. Now she has 1/4″ hairs sticking out all over her head mixed with long hairs. It has been a nightmare. She is only 16.
I bought a ceramic flat iron for $100.The company made claims that it would not damage my hair. At first, I thought it was the best thing in the world because it kept my hair straight but after a couple of months of using it, the elasticity has totally left my hair and now instead of my hair being very course and drawed up, it is now curly as though I have a mild relaxer and it has shed quite a bit however I keep it trimmed and I still have some length to it. I contributed part of the damage to the hair color I had on the ends of my hair but I believe the ceramic flat iron caused most of the damage. I was also using a product called Hair Culture solution on my hair. Can anyone give me more details about this product because I am not sure if the flat iron damaged my hair or the Hair Culture Solution did. Please advise. I must say for the record that my hair is completely free of chemicals and not when I press it it is thinner now as though I have a relaxer. Relaxers are out of the question for me because they totally damage my hair. I have tried too many times and I always end up with the same result–cutting it off and starting over.
Just wanted to get a second opinion. For the past year and a half I have rocked a fabulous afro. Recently, I flat ironed (only no chemical) my hair for 2 occasions. Excited about going back to my afro, I washed my hair but it is taking a long time transitioning back to its nature state. Why is this and how long will it take to go back to its original state?
Just to comment on both ends of the spectrum. I’m mixed and have both asian and african american hair …making my hair quite a difficult case. It’s naturally curly and super coarse and super SUPER thick. I’ve had everything. Relaxers. Blow dry and flat irons. Japanese bonding. Of it all, chemically unbonding my curls works the best. But I can definitely say it’s not for everyone.
I personally just can’t deal with the 1 hour of blowdrying time and 1 and a half hours of flat ironing. And relaxers only last for a few months with still those necessary styling times. Salonists have had their arms sore by the time their done with me! SO! To save the world (and myself)time and trouble, I get my hair permanently straightened once a year. It’s costly, but it’s the only solution. There is some damage, but I definitely make sure to condition, condition, and condition! Hair loss I cannot tell if its from the chemicals or if its natural because I still have plenty more where that came from. It’s a solution for me because it cuts down the density, thickness, and styling time, and I always keep on top of it to make sure its healthy. But to those with naturally fine, thin, and sensitive hair…DON’T DO IT.
I had the japanese straigthening couple of times now and i have been noticing that my hair is falling like crazy!. I went to the dermatologist but they dont give me any solution. I also noticed that my hair is not growing as it used to be. Can you please let me know what i am supposed to do to help my hair grow like before (apart from not doing the japanese straigthening?. Also what other method do you recommend to keep my hair straight?. Thank you so much for your help!.
I have flat ironed my hair every 2 weeks for 4 years. I stopped permining 1 1/2 years ago and stopped flat ironing too. I only flat iron if I have a special occassion or event to go to (which is not that often). Now I’ve noticed thinning on the top and one side of my hair. My hair texture is curly around the sides and back, more wavy on top. I guess it’s 3a or b. I am of European, Indian, and Black descent. What can I do to help re-grow my hair in the thinning sections of my head and how can I care for my hair without using heat? It’s getting too cold to wear it wash n go. My hair is almost shoulder length but draws up when it’s dry so I’m self consious when I try to wear it out (I mostly wear it back in a ponytail which I’m sure is also damaging my hair). Also which products are good to use that won’t dry or damage it? HELP!!!
Hair advice is very hard to give and take, because its different with every person. If there’s one piece of advice, someone might follow it and be fine, the other it might leave them with burns and make them bald.
The best advice anyone can give is to talk about it with your hairdresser. Someone who has previously seen and styled your hair, because they can give you the best advice for YOU.
I stopped relaxing a year ago. I had a scissor happy stylist cut about 2 inches off my hair and since no more relaxers, my ends have not been so healthy and I have lost about 4 inches in total of length. My current regiment is every two weeks I go to dominican salon and have it blow dried. Occasionally I go to a salon that flat irons after blow drying. I like getting the flat iron when it’s really hot because it helps keep the hair from frizzing up. I am depressed about the length I have lost, but I am hoping that over time I will have better hair since I refuse to put relaxers in it. The reason I stopped was because my hair was thinning out really bad on the sides and I am only 30. I felt that even though my hair was long, if I lose all my side hair it wont matter. I firmly believe that blow dry and/or flat iron is all that is needed to straighten the hair and is extremely less damaging. Since I am transitioning, I deep condition every two weeks when I wash and notice a lot of shedding. I am taking hair skin and nails vitamins along with b complex vitamins to help combat any hair I may lose in the process.
My hair was flat and my ends used to be dead most of the time.
I was referred Shielo Hair Products by a friend and I after trying it for a few weeks, I absolutely love it. Specifically, the Shielo Volume Conditioner. My hair looks more full and healthy. I used to lose two handfulls of hair in the shower and now I can barely fill up one hand. My hair is smoother and softer. It even still looks good after using the blow dryer and curling iron on it. I love the way that the conditioner leaves my hair feeling clean without stripping all of the natural oils out.
My hair isn’t frizzy anymore either. On top of the way this product makes my hair look and feel, the conditioner smells great. My hair smells fresh and clean all day long.
My hair grew faster and longer when had a mild relaxer. I rarely used a blow dryer with my relaxer..I would let it air dry natually and lightly flat iron or curled. It was thick and healthy. However, when I started to need to cover gray and began using color, I grew my relaxer out. In the beginning had a great curl pattern and my hair seemed healthy and thick…then i started to get it flat ironed weekly for a more polished looked and now it has thinned and is damaged. I can not get my natural curl pattern back and I was told that I would need to cut and start again with virgin hair. A flat iron eventually strips the hair and tames it so eventually it will not revert to its natural state. So if you want your hair to stay natural you should not put regularly flat iron to it. I think I may go back to a relaxer in where I will only need to get it professionally done every 9 weeks verses flat ironing weekly for the same look.
Reading all these comments is disheartening. Mainly because you ladies have naturally beautiful curls but you can’t see it. Has it ever occurred to you that if straightening is causing hair loss, that maybe you shouldn’t straighten your hair? If you try to unlearn the negative associations society has brainwashed you with and open your eyes to the real natural beauty on your heads, you will spare yourself a lifetime of pain and worry. I would suggest visiting tightlycurly.com for advice on how to properly care for your curls so that they look their best.
Best regards,
Carlie
I just relaxed my hair last saturday..and today is monday.. after being relaxed, i noticed that my hair is not that good.. the end is starting to be curly..my hair is better before it gets relaxed.. ugh! i just wish that i didn”t relax my hair.. sigh
Its a shame all the stories that I’m hearing. I am a licensed cosmetologist and i believe that a lot of what im reading is overprocessed hair in all forms (breakage, balding, etc). I myself have stopped relaxing my own hair just because over time its not as coarse as it used to be when I was younger, I am 39 now, and I can maintain it with just a wrap, or blow dry and flat iron. My hair is past my shoulders, always has been. I am into hair care as well as style. When I do my hair as well as my clients before I do anything I give them a hot oil treatment, with natural oils, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil, being the foundation of all of the oils that I use. Message it into the scalp, distribute it over the entire hair shaft and sit under the dryer for a half hour then wash out with a mild shampoo, if your experiencing hair breakage, I would suggest a moisturizing shampoo, at this point you can’t really worry about style too much until you get your hair into a healthy state again. That doesn’t mean you have to walk around looking tack headed or with a mushroom, but you have to be more proactive with haircare than the style until your hair gets back in order. Try styles that will eliminate a lot of heat, wraps, roller sets, rod sets, Dominican salons are ok, but not for long term usage with the high content of heat and that roller brush and blow dryer up on your scalp definitely is not good, especially after long term usage, just like anything else. You can keep it wrapped if you flat iron, use a heat protectant always, drink plenty of water, take vitamins, eat right, exercise a little if you can as healthy hair starts from the inside out, try to eliminate stress in your life.
I used to have naturally curl/wave to my hair when i was younger. I got a perm when i was 16 im 19 now and my hairdresser did a good job with it and it looked good. I got a second perm before this past summer and it was horrible! She left it in too long and had to cut of 3 inches, and i cut off 2 more after due to the damage. I have thin fine hair so its held the perm very well..unfortunately thats not what I want, the perm didnt turn out so i look like a wet dog if i dont blow dry and re-curl my hair. Im sick if my hair getting curly in the humidity and always having to blow dry and curl my hair everyday. Would it be a good idea to try getting a very mild relaxer? I dont want my hair to be completely straight, i would like a bit of a wave i just want the perm loosened a lot!
I have tight thick thick thick curly hair. I have had relaxers but they have always been far in between. I am 28 and I have had about 6 relaxers. They are usually years apart. I like to wear my hari both naturally curly and straight. But I cam only wear it curly after a mild relazer (or no lye relaxer). Because it tames the curl and its not so puffy. But after it grows out I go back to blow dry and flat iron. I go back and forth. My main concern is keeping my hair healthy. I am not one to want to put style above whats best for my hair. I would love to know some products for curly hair that could help me along with shampoos and conditioners that any of you would recommend…??? I know i should deep condition but I never get recomendations from anyone? what do you use???
My black-colored hair is just like actress Julianne Margulies when she had her hair naturally curly back then. Anyway, relaxing my hair 10 years ago was an epic fail. My hair was breaking off AND it caused me to go bald in an area of my head near my temples. It is a little larger than a quarter. The hair never grew back. I never got another relaxer since. I have accepted my curly hair and now when I want to wear it straight sometimes, I flat iron it with the Sedu flat iron. I LOVE confusing people. I just love wearing my natural boticelli curls for 2-3 days at a time, THEN wearing it straight for 2 days at a time, etc. Then I do some other change in the pattern. lol. I get amused at how people get confused about me and they think I get curly haired perms alot.
I don’t recommend this type of straightening treatment, it has harmful chemicals that can severely damage the hair, that’s why I prefer the flat iron which is safer and cause less damage, I use a good one, it’s the Karmin G3 Salon Pro that has tourmaline ceramic plates which leaves the hair soft, shiny, healthy and very straight.
I agree with ava. My very thick fine stranded hair I believe has to be the most fragile, but in my experiences, my hair being washed blowed out and flat ironed at a salon does my hair good. Relaxers made my hair thin and caused split ends.