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Relaxers and Nair

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vtoodler

vtoodler

New Member
I occassionally use Nair to remove hair on my legs. Since it has a strong smell, I checked out its ingredients earlier this week.

It has chemicals like lye, calcium hydroxide and thioglycate--the same chemicals used to straighten our hair.

I just find it interesting that these chemical straighteners can also be used as depilatories.
 
Yep interesting indeed :yep: and it shouldn't be any wonder why relaxers cause scalp issues and do in fact remove hair women intended to straighten.

Those are some strong chemicals!
 
vtoodler said:
I occassionally use Nair to remove hair on my legs. Since it has a strong smell, I checked out its ingredients earlier this week.

It has chemicals like lye, calcium hydroxide and thioglycate--the same chemicals used to straighten our hair.

I just find it interesting that these chemical straighteners can also be used as depilatories.
Click to expand...

And don't forget PPD in hair dyes and toxic nature BKTs.

It's a risk we all take every single time we elect to apply a chemical to our heads.
 
Those same ingredients are found in lots of household products. Just use a relaxer properly and you'll be fine.
 
Just like anything else with harsh ingredients if used properly it will be fine. Its all about proportions and application.
 
I've always known that Nair had sodium hydroxide and I missing a tad bit of melanin on my leg because of it. Strangely, I connected the two being pretty much the same. Hm. I stopped using Nair in college because of adverse reactions but continued to use relaxers. Now I am noticing adverse reactions to relaxers. It now all makes sense. Thanks
For posting this
 
Sha76

You said that Nair caused you to lose melanin in your skin. I think that me and you might have the same problems. I've been noticing a few (about 2 or 3) very small white spots on my legs. I've always wondered what was causing it. Now that I read your post, I'm wondering if Nair is the culprit.


Sha76, would you mind sending me a PM that describes your missing melanin problems in a little more depth?
 
The thing is lye, calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide are used in many products and processes. It depends on the chemical interactions that it is used for. That is why nair doesn't straighten hair neither does a relaxer make you bald.

Also, as with everything, different people have different reactions to different products. I know old women with relaxers and do not suffer from alopecia etc.
 
vtoodler said:
I occassionally use Nair to remove hair on my legs. Since it has a strong smell, I checked out its ingredients earlier this week.

It has chemicals like lye, calcium hydroxide and thioglycate--the same chemicals used to straighten our hair.

I just find it interesting that these chemical straighteners can also be used as depilatories.
Click to expand...

I have ALWAYS thought Nair and relaxers were close cousins, which is why I had extreme paranoia about letting a salon relax my hair. I'm thinking "what if the stylists are beefin' and one of them decides to sabotage the other's tub of relaxer with some Nair?"

Yeah, extreme - I know. But the thought was always in my mind...
 
I agree with the other posters on this thread--when used correctly, relaxers are usually safe.

Nevertheless, I'm still amazed that depilatories contain the same chemicals that are used to straighten hair.
 
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Kindheart said:
thats why you have to remove it as quickly as the instructions says and rinse it very thoroughly or you might end up like this
http://thankgodimnatural.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/natural-chic-of-the-week-isabella-brooekhuizen/
Click to expand...

mEmYSELFaNDj said:
Interesting fact.



Kindheart OMG this is part of the reason why I keep my hair natural. I guess I'm scarey. It's horrible what happened to this lady.
Click to expand...

Reading that story brought chills up my spine. I guess this type of reaction is extremely rare. It almost seems like that particular batch of relaxer was tainted with more of the active ingredient, though this would have happened to more people if that was the case...
 
greenandchic said:
Reading that story brought chills up my spine. I guess this type of reaction is extremely rare. It almost seems like that particular batch of relaxer was tainted with more of the active ingredient, though this would have happened to more people if that was the case...
Click to expand...


Not a tainted batch of relaxer but a lack of knowledge. Notice how she states that she did not use a neutralizer.
 
Thioglycate is NOT in relaxer. That mess would leave you w/o hair.

vtoodler said:
I occassionally use Nair to remove hair on my legs. Since it has a strong smell, I checked out its ingredients earlier this week.

It has chemicals like lye, calcium hydroxide and thioglycate--the same chemicals used to straighten our hair.

I just find it interesting that these chemical straighteners can also be used as depilatories.
Click to expand...
 
Lye and thioglycolate are NOT to be used together on your head. The combination is for hair removal, NOT relaxing.

If you remember back in the Jheri curl days if you wanted the curl you had to wait awhile if you wore a relaxer to cut the relaxed portion off. If you had this process done without cutting it off you would have had a chemical cut. The hair would definitely dissolve.

Either way, relaxers are not your friend. Be careful. We on LHCF know that....wait, we do right? :look:
 
Last edited:
Honi said:
Lye and thioglycolate are NOT to be used together on your head. The combination is for hair removal, NOT relaxing.

If you remember back in the Jheri curl days if you wanted the curl you had to wait awhile if you wore a relaxer to cut the relaxed portion off. If you had this process done without cutting it off you would have had a chemical cut. The hair would definitely dissolve.

Either way, relaxers are not your friend. Be careful. We on LHCF know that....wait, we do right? :look:
Click to expand...

I'm not being sarcastic but, are you joking?

I'm wondering because it says waistlength relaxed in your siggy LOL.
 
Myjourney2009 said:
I always knew Nair contained lye.


As long as a relaxer is applied correctly a person should not go bald
Click to expand...

Even if it is applied correctly, you may still go bald. How do you not know if it was made right at the relaxer factory? Then send to the store with one or more chemicals missing out of the recipe? then you put it on your head.
 
Natural Hair Stylist said:
Even if it is applied correctly, you may still go bald. How do you not know if it was made right at the relaxer factory? Then send to the store with one or more chemicals missing out of the recipe? then you put it on your head.
Click to expand...

How do you know any item you put on your head or anything you put in your body is safe? People get sick and die every year from bacteria on fresh fruits and veggies, etc., but we don't need to stop eating fruit. (an e. Coli outbreak just made thousands sick in Europe and killed dozens) Let's not turn this into a far-fetched scenario relaxer-bashing thread.

We can think of a long list of "dangers" for anything in life. Bottom line is, if a person is uncomfortable using relaxers, they don't have to use them. It's a choice and there is plenty of info out there these days to assist women in making an informed choice without demonizing relaxers.
 
Sodium Hydroxide is in some relaxers.
Sodium Hydroxide is in Drano.
Water is in Drano.
Our bodies are mostly water.

I have no point. I'm just typing. Don't mind me. I'm bored.
 
Natural Hair Stylist said:
Even if it is applied correctly, you may still go bald. How do you not know if it was made right at the relaxer factory? Then send to the store with one or more chemicals missing out of the recipe? then you put it on your head.
Click to expand...

how do we know anything really we go by faith that a product is made accordingly.

Am I going to be scared when I put it in fearing the formula may be off "NO" I am not.

If your scenario happens my hair will grow back and I will be paid. I cant live my life in fear.
 
Lye is in alot of products, soaps lotions, nair.... My ntm silk touch leave jn lists sodium hydroxide as an ingrediant.

I doubt she'll win a law suit because she obviously didnt know anythong about applying a relaxer. She never neutralized... Thats the most important step of applying a relaxer. That and dont get it on ur scalp....

Tbh I didnt understand why it took her hair so long to fall out... She said it started falling out a few months later. That leads me to believe she did some more touchups like that before it all fell.

Sent from my ADR6400L
 
There is lye in all kinds of products. But I don't see anything wrong with using a relaxer, I just don't use them because I am not good at self relaxing so I will stay natural.:look:
 
well chlorine is the #1 disinfectant for tap water... just saying its all about the concentration of the chemical. sodium hydroxide is a corrosive chemical meaning its job is to break things down, it does its job breaking down your body hair to the point where it dissolves with Nair; and with relaxer that concentration is designed to break down your natural curl to the desired wavy/straightness, if its burning rinse it out, neutralize and don't let it dissolve ur scalp lol... im relaxed and always knew there was lye in Nair cuz i always for some reason, read all of the writing on everything i buy, even when i was little lol
 
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