Hello girls, I have not ever relaxed my hair, because this is what you are talking about, but in theory.....
Relaxer is always alkaline and you apply it to your acid liking slightly acid hair. If you put alkaline on your hair, on any hair, your cuticles will lift from your cortex and this will damage your hair. This has nothing to do with any particular system, this is the chemistry of the hair.
If your relaxing has gone wrong and it often does, then it might be for several reasons, it is hard to pin point the guilty one. But one thing is for sure, your hair will be weaker as a result of alkaline treatment and your hairdresser should recommend regular protein treatments if you decide to relax your hair. And remember, this is like nails, once you have it done, you have to keep doing it, because the new growth is officially stronger and if you don't do your roots, they might break. If you have any doubts I will give you a good advise....if your hairdresser does not have lots of experience on relaxing the hair, go and talk to afro hairdressers. They usually do it quite a lot and they could give you the accurate and correct advise on how to look after it and which products to use.
Me, I love my curls and would never think swapping them into a straight hair.

hello nora.. thank you for your explaination..

can i please ask then... why is it that after 6 constant years of using the Ukon system on my hair.. it is still strong.. smooth and shiny....?? i accept the fact that chemicals are damaging to the hair... but im also eager to know why ukon chemicals are not damaging my hair.. is there a chemical explaination for this....??

there are 3 steps to the ukon process -
stage 1 - apply weakening ( relaxing) lotion
stage 2 - straighten hair using special straighteners
stage 3 - applying neutraliser to 'set' the hair

are the stages in straightening afro hair exactly the same...?

The Ukon system can be used on every single type of hair except afro hair.. can it be then that the chemicals used in the ukon system is different to afro hair relaxers and straighteners....? that they work a different way considering the fact that ukon can not be used on afro hair...??

Sorry Anna, I was on the holiday and could not reply to you. I have never used Ukon system, so I am not aware of the chemistry of the product, but I assume that the process is the same than any other system. When you relax the hair, it is the same process than the curly perm, but officially you want to have an opposite effect. In order to change the shape of your hair permanently, you need to use alkaline that penetrates the cuticle, and this goes to afro, european, asian, any hair. If you have after 6 years still strong and shiny hair then you are very lucky, I have washed hair that literally falls off when washing it because the hair gets weak after repeated relaxing. Officially as in any treatment in the industry aftercare is really important. I would think that you are following your hairdressers instructions exactly, which is good. Enjoy your hair and if it is shiny and shaft then well done, I do not comment on systems that I don't know. AS it goes to chemicals in the system, I would not think that the are that much different, but the hair types are different. I would think that on the natural virgin state afro hair is much stronger than european hair and the relaxers that are used then would be stronger ( this is only a gues, so if anyone knows better, please correct me). But when relaxed repeatedly, it gets really weak and does break easily.
I will be a hairdresser so I will do any hair european or afro, I am a white chick braiding.....which turns some heads around.

I use the wellastrate on afro Caribbean hair
and also on the regrowth which I prefer to be 6-8 inches as you have to straighten the hair in little sections with the hot irons too , but this is optional depending on how curly your clients hair is.
It takes a long time,but he results are fantastic
the condition and shine is great
my clients just love it.

Price wise is the yuko or ukon dearer than the wellastrate?
because the opinions on the internet a while ago, said wellastrate is just as good in all aspects , minky

just a few stories about YUKO that i have seen with my own eyes (i am a trainee hairdresser and qualified beautician)

1.) my cousin (fine, abundant, arm length, wavy hair)
looked great for 1st 3 months, then hair started to break off- she wouldn't touch it again with a bargepole !!!! she looked after her hair perfectly after YUKO as she is very much a perfectionist (just to give an idea of how meticulous she is- she now has been havin extensions for 2-3 years and even the hairdressers cannot believe how well hers last compared to other peoples, not to mention the extensions haven't damaged her hair one bit!) she contacted YUKO headoffice who wouldn't refund but just looked at her hair and said the system wasn't applied right- even though she had it done at a registered YUKO salon.

2.) my best friend (medium coarse, abundant, below shoulder length)
hair broke off after 5 months, the middle section mostly- looked like it had been club cut in the middle- there is not way she would do it again either!

3.) my cousin's friend (coarse, dry, wiry abundant hair)
loved YUKO system and had no probs with it- she had it done a couple of times with no contra-actions.


i hav heard quite a few horror stories of hair breaking within months of having the YUKO system done. in my opinion from the cases i have observed, i would say that there are some people who this system can suit time and again- but those people are not very common.

if u ask me if i would have it done, as i have thick curly hair- i would say not a chance in hell! my hair might be curly which is time-consuming, but its firmly on my head, which is where i like it, not stuck in the bath drainhole!

in my opinion either this system is flawed in some way, which explains the amount of bad experiences i hav encountered or this is a system that is extremely complex to master, hence making it pretty dangerous as i can see there are quite a number of horror stories right here from other geeks.

HTH

love n hugs 2 all, big kiss

hmmm could it be that those who were having breakage have had previous (years ago) highlights done then covered them up with a darker color, hense what is underneath, you have no clue too.

I think this explains the reason behind your cousins disaster very well....

Having the ukon done at a registered salon does not gaurantee the correct usage of the product... just cos one has a attended a course and has a certificate to show they can use ukon.. it doesnt mean they can control the product perfectly and will produce excellent results just like that.. using the ukon takes time and experience..

I am quite sure that there are also many qualified creative nail technicians out there who produces pants nails...

I have already explained that in the far east for the last 10 years ... most salon offer the ukon as a service... it is almost as familiar as your regular 'cut and blow dry'... thousands and thousands of people have tried it... I myself know of many many people who have tried it.. I know of many stylist who is very good at using it and with experience.. can produce some brilliant results..

Does that mean that most of these oriental people are not classified as 'common' people..?

i think it is very unfair for you to judge a product in which you:

a) have not been taught and therefore can not use.
b) have not very much knowledge on the actual product or even the procedure or the way that it is meant to be used.

You are right.. this system is extremely difficult to master.. but that doesnt mean it is dangerous.... it just means that you have to be focus and be extra patient when learning it...

I keep coming back to this thread and i don't have time atm to reply as fully as i would like but

How many times have we heard "extensions damage your nails cos they can't breathe " Hundreds and we know what a load of old rubbish that is

Well ,in the exact same way chemical services such as the one in question do not cause damage,improper application or an unskilled stylist would do that !

I have been successfully tinting my clients hair with no adverse affect for almost 7 years this is simply because i know what i am doing and do it well .

Again as with any chemical service the reason Anna's hair has suffered no adverse effect is simply that she goes to a skillful stylist who does not overlap which would cause breakage .

Hth's a bit

Hi Becky,
I do love to read your threads and you are a smily lady, but I do need to disagree with you: OFCOURSE chemical services damage your hair.
Nails are different because you are not actually put the chemical IN to your nail but on it. With hair, the chemical MUST penetrate the cuticle, otherwise there are no changes as all the chemical changes do happen in the cortex of the hair. And please do not get angry with me, because I don't mean to doubt your skills or anything, but you know that anything alkaline will cause a damage to your hair. However, everyones hair is different, and I do must say that oriental hair is the strongest hair type in my opinion. IF anyone decided to do any chemical service into their hair, then I think that it is good practise to have some treatments on the hair as aftercare to keep the hair well moisturised and in good condition. Good stylist will advise client to book in for treatment in couple of weeks after having a chemical treatment. But please Becky, keep on smiling and I hopefully speak to you again......

# Nora i'm not the sort to get angry because someone disagree's with me

However chemical services can be carried out on the hair with no detrimental effect to the condition of the hair at all (this is where my likening to nails came in) you see done once,the is no damage caused,just alteration to the structure.

One chemical service doesn't cause damage,repeated services and incorrect application do

After carrying out a chemical service a herbal anti oxy is used,this restores the natural ph balance of the hair as well as preventing further oxidisation.

Most of us know that soap is more alkaline than our skin,it may have a temporary drying effect if we use it but we replace lost moisture and restore our skins ph and it suffers no damage,just tempoary side effects.

If we conttinually used soap without restoring the ph and replacing lost moisture it would cause damage as would incorrect application of chemical hairdressing services

whoa..will disagree with this hun. What you are saying is that nails are not absorbing?
what about the primers used with Acrylics and some UV gels?
Do Nails not absorb water? If they do, then they are not immune to absorbing chemicals placed on them from acrylics.
As with nails, we put chemicals ON the hair and the chemicals make it porous and it Absorbs it. We do not inject the hair with chemicals.
Nail enhancements do and will damage your nails to some extent also. You cannot apply a chemical to a nail plate and not have some type of damage. Even bleach and soap will damage them to some extent.
Conditioning with oils and nail strengtheners helps improve their condition.

Ok JD, please lets not start the conversation of damaging the nails again.... Maybe I was not quite too clear on what I meant... I think that the structure of hair and the nails are completely different. Now I THINK that this the way it goes; because the cell structure of nail is much more harder and tighter that hairs, then yes it does absorb, but not in the extend of the hair. Becky is right, if a chemical treatment is done once and correctly, there should not be a massive hair loss or damage on the structure of the hair or scalp, unless there has been a reaction or the scalp has burned, seen that too. However, when we are talking about straightening, this is often done repeatedly and not only once, by using very strong alkaline chemical, which do have to lift up the cuticle of the hair in order to work and give the result the client wants. But again, there are so many systems in the market and I know that this thread is only of one of them, which has given LOOOOVELY results to some and disappointments to the others. I saw a lady in the salon a week ago, whose hair was sooooooooooooooo damaged that it is beyond belief and she still wanted to have a relaxer on her hair, which was not done in that salon, because the ends were see through...... and she did not agree with the trim. I know that she will go to another salon and they will do it and then she will end up coming back when she has no hair. I do think that as a hairdresser, I need to take care of every single caution possible when carrying out a chemical service to make sure that the client leaves the salon with the smile in her face, but everyones hair is different. At the end of the day I have noticed that we always want what we don't have..... but usually that all comes with some kind of price. Now I just go and deep condition my lovely curls and I see you girls later.

I would like to ask Flower , what is the actual main chemical make up of the yuko straightening system ?
all products by law usually have to say what is in them,

thanks in advance minky

I had this done a few years ago and I dream of having it done again.
My hair is naturally curly prone to the frizzies. When I had this done the results were truly amazing. My hair was poker straight and as silky as anything.
I couldn't believe I could just wash my hair and leave it to dry naturally and not have to use straighteners for a whole year!
I had it done in New York by Japanese girls who specialised in it and I wish I could go back as this weather is NOT helping my hair at the mo!

minky..

I can not actually use the yuko system, I am a nail tech and not a professional hair stylist, but I have had it done many times on myself before and are very good friends with the stylists who can use correctly and skillfully. Which is also the reason why I have a fair amount of knowledge of the performance of this product and what is required to maximise the benefit of this product.

Having said that though, I do not know the actual chemical used in the yuko, but I certainly can found out for you when I get the chance if you are interested to know?