Chemical Hair Straightening Facts
Introduction
When you have naturally curly hair you basically have two options. You can accept it "as is" or you can straighten it with a few different options.
If you decide to straighten it you can do it chemically or you can do it with products that promise to temporarily tame the curls on a day by day basis. If you decide to straighten your hair, both the chemical and day to day versions have positive 
and minus considerations. The purpose of this article is not to discuss the pros and cons of chemical versus non chemical straightening. The goal of this article is to present as much information as possible on the chemical straightening process. This article is neither for nor against straightening. It only presents the facts.
The most common reason that people decide to have their hair straightened is to eliminate curls. Sometimes this process will be used also to soften or eliminate wavy hair. Chemical hair straightening, also known as relaxing, involves a process where the basic structure of overly curly or wavy hair is changed into a straight form.
Both relaxing and permanent waving utilize fairly strong chemicals that are applied directly to the to the hair shaft. However, their objectives are reversed. While a perm is designed to add curls or waves, a relaxing treatment is designed to remove them.
Consult A Professional
Chemical hair straightening is not a difficult procedure, but it does require a thorough technical knowledge of the relaxing process. Therefore it should always be performed by a hair care professional with a track record of success with straightening.
It is best to have the relaxing process performed by a professional so that they can perform a strand test to determine the recommended strength of the relaxer that should be used. The stylist will also need to evaluate current hair texture, porosity, elasticity and the presence or absence of any hair damage.