In search of expert advice on the topic of hair relaxers, I arranged a chat with qualified Trichologist Joyce John of the Hair Health & Vitality Clinic, London, who had plenty of wisdom to share.

“In my personal opinion the reason people relax their hair is to smooth out any kinks and make the hair more manageable day-to-day. If the hair stylist is a qualified technician that knows how to apply relaxer properly, there's no reason why breakage should occur.

“If I were to perform a hair relaxer on virgin natural hair, then I would first invite my client to the salon for a consultation to understand the hair type, its density and any areas that may have been damaged. I would advise my client to have a deep conditioning treatment in my salon to exfoliate the scalp, and then book them in for a second consultation ten days later. During the second consultation, I would ensure that my client hasn’t been taking any new medication or experienced any hormonal changes during this ten day period.

“I would then choose the appropriate hair relaxer. On virgin hair, I would always apply the relaxer from mid-length to ends and then roots, because the scalp produces the most heat. I would then allow the relaxer to process as per the recommended time on the instructions. Next, I would rinse out the relaxer and condition the hair immediately while the pores on the scalp are still open and follow up with a neutralising shampoo and customised conditioner.

“Finally, I would finish up with a PH balancer to bring the hair back up to a healthy PH balance, which sits anywhere between 3.5 and 5. A lot of people blame the relaxer for damaging hair but it’s not the relaxer, it’s the application process and maintenance.”

All About Afro: straightening up the truth about chemical hair relaxers