Japanese Straightening

Appointments Strongly Preferred!

A hair system that originated in Japan, utilizes heat, chemicals, and flat ironing to re-texture curly, frizzy hair bonds. The end result is permanent pin-straight hair

A consultation (around $25-$50 per hour) is strongly recommended for Japanese Straightening.

Previous hair relaxers utilized a salt or calcium based hydroxide or lye based with a higher pH. The chemical ammonium thioglycolate is used in this treatment. The process takes several hours. Below is only a basic summary.

The Process

  1. The hair is washed with a pretreatment clarifying sodium free shampoo.
  2. The hair is rinsed.
  3. A solution is applied to dry hair in small sections throughout the head. The solution is kept off the scalp.
  4. This is rinsed out.
  5. The hair is blown dry smooth. Each section is laboriously flat ironed several times with a high heat flat iron. It is this heat aspect that insures stick straight hair. A cold smoothing treatment will not produce the same effect although it will create a smooth hairstyle.
  6. This can be a lengthy procedure depending on whether it is a short hairstyle or long hair grown out for a wedding.
  7. Another solution may be applied and rinsed and flat ironing repeated. The hair remains untouched for the next 3 days.

Types of Thermal Reconditioning or Ionic Rebonding Hair Straightener

  • Yuko: This was the original Japanese straightener and primarily for virgin untreated hair. It is a single preparation. It is not recommended for African ethnic hair or any hair previously treated with a lye- or thio-based substance.
  • Liscio: This was the next developed treatment higher on the chain of chemical ionic bond restructuring. It can be used on chemically treated hair and has several formulations to tweak it toward the proper hair usage. It was developed in 1996 and used more commonly today than Yuko.