What is a chemical relaxer used for in hair design?

• A. To permanently loosen curl pattern and straighten hair.
• B. To decolorize hair.
• C. To seal moisture in the cuticle.
• D. To lighten the hair color.

Answer: (C)

Chemical relaxers are used to permanently loosen the curl pattern and straighten the hair. They work by breaking the disulfide bonds in the hair’s cortex so the strands can be reshaped into a straighter form, with a neutralizing step then locking the new shape in. This process changes the hair’s structure, not its color or moisture level. Decolorizing or lightening involves removing pigment from the hair, while sealing moisture in the cuticle is about moisture retention rather than altering curl. So the best description is that a relaxer permanently straightens by reconfiguring the hair’s internal bonds.