What is a Japanese Hair Straightening Service?

Japanese Perm, thermal reconditioning, straight perm, bio ionic hair retexturizing, high-tech perm. What do all of these names have in common, you ask? They are all different names for one service: the Japanese hair straightening service.

A Japanese hair straightening service is slightly similar to a Brazilian blowout, but also more like a reverse perm. Because of the negative connotation associated with Brazilian blowouts, I decided to write about this safer alternative. In addition, this service will leave you with permanent pin-straight hair until it grows out.

In this article, I will answer all of your questions, like “How is a Japanese hair straightening service performed?,” “What are the different types?,” “Does it work on Ethnic Hair?,” “What other types of hair does it work on?,” “Are there any side effects?,” and “How much does it cost?”. After reading this article, you will know pretty much everything there is to know about Japanese Straightening.

What is it?

Japanese straightening is a new technology, which obviously originated in Japan. It is used to make frizzy, curly, or wavy hair pin-straight, without damaging the hair. The process is permanent, meaning the hair will not go back to being curly on its own. Keep in mind that you will need to get the regrowth touched up every six months to a year.

This treatment is suitable for almost every type of hair.

What are some other names for Japanese hair straightening?

It is also known as thermal reconditioning, straight perm, bio ionic hair retexturizing, high-tech straight perm and Japanese straight perm.

How do you perform a Japanese hair straightening service?

First, wash the hair with a sodium-free clarifying shampoo. This is done with any other service that changes the shape of the hair (like a perm,) to remove build-up from medication or products.
After rinsing the hair, apply solution to small sections throughout the head, but not the scalp. This solution is a thioglycolate (called retextuizer) which is the same type of chemical used for perms, and it is used to break down the protein bonds in the hair. This can process for up to 40 minutes under a dryer
After drying the hair, use a very hot ceramic flat-iron to straighten each tiny section of hair. Subsections should be about 1/8 of an inch thick. This process could take a lot of time.
When hair is completely straight, apply a neutralizer to the hair, to rebuild the protein bonds in their new shape. At this point, the hair is stretched to make it very straight, and then the hair has to dry once more.
Lastly, shampoo the hair, blow-dry it and flat-iron it again. Then voila, the Japanese straightener has worked its magic.

Are there different types of Japanese hair straighteners?

Yuko was the original form of Japanese straightening. It is not recommended for African-American hair or different types of chemically-treated hair.
Liscio is the newer form of Japanese straightening, made in 1996 and is safe for all chemically treated hair. It is most commonly used today.

How long will the procedure take and how much does it cost?

The treatment usually takes between three and six hours and runs about 300-600$. This is because the product is expensive for hair stylists and you are also paying for their time.

What type of hair is this process good for?

The Japanese straightening system will work for almost every type of hair. It will work wonders on ethnic hair, and also works great with most color-treated hair. A consultation should be done to make sure your hair can handle it. I would not recommend having this procedure done on overly processed hair, and it cannot be done on previously relaxed hair. Also, remember that everyone’s hair is different and different results may occur.

How do I maintain my hair after having this process done?

You shouldn’t wash your hair for 72 hours after having this treatment done. This will allow your hair to set in its new shape. Along with not washing it, you should try not to let any moisture touch your hair. This means no sweating (no exercise) and to stay out of the rain.

You will also not be able to do anything that will kink your hair during this time period. Examples of this are putting your hair in a ponytail, putting your hair behind your ears, wearing hats or glasses, etc.

Last but not least, since this process can damage your hair, you will want to recondition it often and use a wide-tooth comb to prevent breakage.

What are some cons?

If a few hairs are missed during the process, they are going to stick out and be frizzy.
Shine and moisture will fade with time.
It is expensive to maintain since you will have to retouch it every six months.
Hair appears to be thinner than when it was curly.
Your hair will never hold a curl.
Hair damage.

What is the difference between a relaxer, Brazilian blowout, and Japanese hair straightener?

Relaxers burn the outside shaft of your hair, which makes hair looks dead and limp afterward.
Brazilian blowouts are not as permanent and effective. They are designed for frizzy hair and don’t completely straighten your hair. They work on any type of hair, even overly processed hair, but formaldehyde is the main ingredient and can contribute to health problems.
Japanese hair straightening completely transforms even the curliest hair into pin-straight hair. The result is utterly straight hair that feels extremely silky and smooth with a glossy appearance. This is the most permanent type of straightener.

Want to learn more? Check out JapaneseHairStraighteningGuide.com

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