The natural hair movement has swept the black hair community by storm. More and more women are doing the big chop, cleaning out their cabinets, and investing in curl-centered products. Even celebrities are cashing in on the movement. However, there’s still a large percentage of Black women who continue to use straightening treatments, and rightfully so! No matter what the communal rhetoric is, it’s important to retain your sense of agency and do whatever you feel is best for your lifestyle and hair management. After all, going natural can be empowering, but it also takes a lot of discipline and dedicated time that you may not have at your disposal.
Amongst the many ways we’ve explored straightening textured hair, from perms and relaxers, to hot combs and silk presses, Japanese hair straightening remains the most mysterious yet alluring. While the effects aren’t always the healthiest, relaxers have long played a role in Black hair history, dating all the way back to the late 19th century. We use it because we know it works— but could Japanese hair straightening be an even safer bet?
What Is Japanese Hair Straightening?
Japanese hair straightening, also known as thermal reconditioning or thio relaxing, is a method of hair straightening invented in Japan in the 1990s, though it spread globally and became particularly popular in New York City.
A chemical process that restructures the hair bonds, Japanese straightening takes any curly, wavy, and frizzy textures to permanent pin-straight hair, promising sleek and flat hair without ever having to blow-dry or use any heat tools.
Just like traditional relaxers, there are varying strengths you can decipher between. If you want your hair bone straight without the promise of frizz ever again, there’s an extra strength option. But if you only want your curls to be more tamable, there are milder options available as well.
Japanese straightening is permanent, though like a traditional relaxer, you’ll still need to touch up your roots after at least 3 inches of growth. It’ll also ask for some financial investment: salon treatments range from $300 to $800, while home kits tend to cost around $30.
Is It Healthier Than Relaxers?
The short answer: Yes. While the thermal reconditioning method requires constant flat ironing during the process and the following first few days of treatment to avoid any reverting, its actual chemical process is healthier on your hair. This is because Japanese hair straightening uses the milder chemical ammonium thioglycolate, which doesn’t permanently break the disulfide bonds. In contrast, traditional relaxers use sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide.
Long term wise, Japanese straightened hair requires less day-to-day maintenance than relaxed hair. If you decide you want to go the extra strength route and never have to worry about upkeep, you’ll never have to deal with ironing any frizz, unlike lye and no-lye relaxers. Your curl would be literally straightened rather than relaxed.
With that in mind, there’s no such thing as a damage free chemical treatment, including this Japanese method. There’s always going to be risk, even if it’s less damaging than the alternative. With spreading out touch ups as much as possible, and investing in a good flat iron for those first few days, you can still maintain the health of your hair.
Will It Work On Black Hair?
To a degree, yes. A Japanese straightening treatment will certainly work on textured hair, but there are many things to take into consideration. First being, the tighter the coil or kinkier the hair, the less likely it’ll be to get dead straight, wash and go results. However, even if this treatment will only act as a texturizer on your hair, it’s still a healthier alternative to a relaxer.
Secondly, you risk some pretty severe damage if your hair is already chemically treated. Whether it’s been colored or relaxed, Japanese straightening overlapping with any processed hair can result in breakage if not done extremely carefully. As long as you’re honest with them, an experienced stylist would be able to confirm whether or not your hair is a candidate for treatment, and how to potentially work with your already processed hair. You’ll also have to be sure on the permanence of your choice, because if you’re a fan of protective styles like box braids or cornrows, it will be much more difficult for the new texture of your hair follicles to be able to hold this kind of styling.
Lastly, as your hair grows, the line of demarcation between the straightened hair and natural texture will become visible, which can be more difficult to disguise when you’ve got coarser hair. The promised wash and go lifestyle isn’t as suitable after a few months of new growth.
Taking all these notes into consideration, this treatment could definitely still do wonders for Black hair, as long as you’re aware of your texture and manage your expectations accordingly.
Is Japanese Hair Straightening In Your Future?
Japanese hair straightening is often not recommended on afro textured hair due to it potentially not rising to the promise of bone straight results, though the choice is ultimately up to you, your discernment, and your desired results. It’s a healthier straightening alternative, and with upkeep, you can still benefit from more manageable curls and easier to style looks. So if you’re in your chemical treatment era but want to be potentially kinder to your follicles, consider this alternative.