Most people desire frizz-free, straight hair, as it can do wonders. And Japanese hair straightening can get you permanently straight hair. But is it damage-free? Which sort of damage to expect? If you’re asking these questions, here is a guide you should read before going to a hair straightening salon.

What Is Japanese Hair Straightening?

It’s a permanent hair straightening treatment that can turn your hair from curly, coily, and frizzy to pin-straight and smooth. The treatment can last for 6+ months or until your hair grows out. Japanese hair straightening is also known as hair rebonding and thermal reconditioning.

Does Japanese Hair Straightening Cause Damage?

Yes, Japanese hair straightening can damage hair, but the extent of damage depends on factors such as hair texture and type, hair health, the stylist’s expertise, frequency, and aftercare. Let’s go through them one by one.

Hair Texture And Type

The ideal hair type for Japanese hair straightening is thick or coarse hair that is curly or coily. This is because the treatment has potent chemicals that thick hair can usually withstand without much damage. The result is stick-straight and smooth hair without much damage.

Medium hair that is curly or wavy also responds well to hair rebonding with minimal damage if the treatment is done by a professional stylist and the hair is not already damaged.

People with fine or thin hair are usually advised against getting Japanese hair straightening, as there is a risk of hair breakage and dryness. The hair may become even thinner or weaker. This can lead to hair fall if ignored.

Moreover, even if you take damage out of the equation, fine hair usually has lower volume to begin with and as you know that straight hair appears less voluminous, the hair might look thinner than before after hair rebonding.

If you have fine hair and you want to get a hair straightening treatment, consult a stylist who will first do a strand test to check if your hair can withstand the treatment.

Hair Health

The health of your hair is a critical factor to consider before getting any chemical hair straightening treatment.

For Japanese hair straightening, the hair should have shine, elasticity, bounce, and volume, as these are the signs of healthy hair. However, if your hair is dry and dull, or has split ends, the hair porosity is too low or too high, you’re noticing reduced growth, or the hair is bleached or dyed, then hair rebonding may not be right for you. But you can consult a hairstylist to get suggestions.

Keep in mind that bleaching and dyeing damage hair, so if you get a Japanese treatment soon after this, the damage will worsen. Therefore, after hair dyeing or bleaching, you should consider restorative treatments and avoid any other chemical treatment for at least two weeks.

The Stylist

The skill of the stylist has a huge impact on the final result, whichever treatment you get, and Japanese hair straightening is no different in this regard. Inexperienced stylists may make mistakes like applying the treatment directly to the scalp, leaving the treatment for too long, using heating tools incorrectly (using a flat iron on damp hair), improper treatment application, and others that can damage even the thickest and healthiest of hair.

An experienced hair stylist will avoid these mistakes and be careful throughout the process to keep the damage minimal. So, choosing the right stylist is critical.

Treatment Frequency

Just like if you bleach your hair too often, the damage will be noticeable, in the same way, getting Japanese hair straightening too frequently, such as every 3-4 months, can weaken hair and cause hair breakage and hair fall.

So, if you need touch-ups or want to get the treatment again, be sure to consult your stylist, who will assess your hair health to decide if it’s the right move.

Aftercare

Caring for your hair post-treatment also impacts its health. Not following the instructions of the stylist, washing hair too early, not using sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, using heat tools regularly, styling hair too tightly (high ponytails, etc.), not deep conditioning hair, sleeping with wet hair, and swimming without a swim cap can damage hair or fade the treatment too quickly.

Your hairstylist will tell you how to maintain your hair for damage restoration and treatment longevity. Make sure to follow them.

Ideal Hair for Japanese Hair Straightening

So, if we sum up, ideal hair for Japanese hair straightening is healthy, virgin hair that is wavy, curly, or coily, with thick or normal texture. On the other hand, already-damaged, dry, thin, and bleached hair is at risk of damage. In any case, a hair stylist consultation is important.

Why Does Japanese Hair Straightening Damage Hair?

We have learned that thermal reconditioning can damage your hair, even though there are many factors at play, which we discussed above. The question does arise: why does hair rebonding damage hair? Here’s the answer:

Strong Chemicals Are Used

Japanese hair straightening products contain potent chemicals and relaxers that break the hair bond that is responsible for the hair texture, and rebuild it differently. This is what changes your hair texture from wavy, curly, or coily to straight. But as they are chemicals, they can damage hair as well.

Bear in mind that one of these chemicals is formaldehyde that is a carcinogen.

Repetitive Use Of Heat Tools

Heat tools like blow-dryers and flat-irons are used once or twice each during the treatment. High heat coupled with strong chemicals causes breakage and makes the hair brittle and weak.

Loss Of Natural Hair Oils And Increased Porosity

The hair cuticle has a protective layer that acts as a barrier to protect the hair. It has natural oils and moisture for hair protection. Chemicals in the treatment and high heat disrupt this layer, which makes hair straight and smooth, but it strips hair of its natural oils and increases its porosity.

This is why it’s essential to get deep conditioning and hair restorative treatments after hair rebonding to restore hair health.

Don’t let the shiny and smooth hair right after the treatment lead you to believe that you don’t need to restore hair health. This is because the hair does appear smooth after the treatment, but may not appear as healthy a few weeks later. Therefore, proper hair care is paramount.

Frequent Touch-Ups Or Treatments

Hair treated with thermal reconditioning becomes straight, but new hair grows with its natural texture. This creates a demarcation line, which is managed through touch-ups where the roots get the treatment again. The treatment overlaps with the already-treated parts too and makes hair brittle and damaged.

Getting Hair Rebonding On Bleached Hair

As stated earlier, bleached or dyed hair won’t respond well to the treatment and the hair may experience much more damage than virgin hair, keeping all other factors identical. So, wait for two weeks or more after bleaching or coloring hair before getting Japanese hair straightening.

Conclusion

Japanese hair straightening is an excellent way to get permanently straight and smooth hair. However, damage may follow if mistakes are made before, during, or after the treatment. So, consult a Japanese hair straightening salon Rockville where a licensed expert can take a look at your hair to determine if it’s eligible for the treatment, apply the treatment without errors, and give you post-treatment hair care advice.