My philosophy on hair education is that it must be creative while at the same time being useful for the client. I take a pragmatic approach to hair, which eliminates a lot of the fluff seen in a lot of today's education. However, I do not feel that usefulness means no creativity. On the contrary, I feel the artistic aspect of the Hair Business is just as important and essential as practicality.

Any hair designer who is charging the prices they are now charging for TR (US$200-US$500) should offer a free preliminary consultation. This is one of the most important steps to the entire procedure. Why . . .

• The complete TR service takes about 4-6 hours. If you arrive at the salon only to find that your hair is not suitable for the service you not only waste your time but possibly the whole afternoon schedule of the hair designer. No one will be happy to cancel a TR service at the last minute.


• Some hair types are not suitable for TR, such as: lightened hair, some coloured hair, strong African type hair and hair that has previously had a sodium relaxor (I will explain these in more detail later in this article).


• What hair can or cannot have TR is not a black and white issue, there is a lot of gray area that requires the expertise of the professional. The hair designer needs to look at your specific hair and make a judgment based on their knowledge and experience. Some coloured hair can have the treatment others cannot.


• You need to know, what problems could occur on your hair and then what you will need to do to keep your hair healthy and looking good after the service.

So the consultation went well and you have booked an appointment to get your hair Thermal Reconditioned. Expect to spend 4-6 hours at the salon. This is a long procedure and the hair designer should not feel rushed to finish it faster because you did not allow enough time. For the best results each step needs to be completed correctly.

Most likely the hair designer gave you specific instructions leading up to the appointment. In some cases they may ask you to pre-condition your hair or they may instruct you not to shampoo your hair the day of the service. Follow them.

When you are all set to go, they will usually first apply a protein conditioner to your hair. This will help to equalize your hairs porosity, add protein to any areas of your hair shaft that may be lacking it and assist in protecting your hair from the harsh chemicals that will be applied later.

Next they will apply a cream based thio relaxor to your hair. This will begin softening your hair and disassociating the sulfur bonds inside the hair shaft. At this point your hair is quite fragile and should be treated as such. Make sure the hair is not parted or clipped in a strange position, the hair has been known to take on the shape of the parting or crimp where it has been clamped. The hair designer will use a brush to apply the chemical and may work it in with the back of a comb but should not comb it through the hair. If your hair is deemed to be resistant they may wrap the hair in a plastic bag and place you under the dryer for a short time.

After a period of time the hair designer will do a test to see if the hair has broken down to the right degree. Like a permanent wave or a standard relaxor, everyone's hair is different so there is no set time. Some hair will process fast others longer- be patient.

Once the proper amount of Sulfur bonds have been disassociated the designer will rinse your hair.

Next your hair will be dried into the style you will generally wear it in. The hair designer will take small sections and apply some degree of tension to get your hair as straight as possible. Some system say to leave some moisture in the hair while others want you to get the hair thoroughly dry.

Once the neutralizer has been on the hair for the proper amount of time it will be rinsed from the hair. If the neutralizer is allowed to be on the hair for too long it can begin lightening and drying the hair. In many cases this is where dry frizzy hair occurs.

After the hair is rinsed and sometimes shampooed it will again be dried and ironed into the style you will be wearing.

The procedure is not yet over even though you have paid for the service and are on your way home. The neutralizing chemical only begins to re-associate the sulfur bonds, the hair still needs to absorb more oxygen and will do so naturally through the air. The hair designer will instruct you not to shampoo, wet or style your hair for 24-48 hours, this is to allow it to completely neutralize into the current shape.

1. If you do not follow this your hair may have some reversion to its curly state or you may get strange bits of hair doing weird things that they are not suppose to be doing.

Once you are able to shampoo and style your hair you should follow the instructions which the hair designer has given you and use the products they have recommended.

Michael Ricca has been teaching Hair Designers for almost 20 years traveling the world providing hair education to students in several different countries.

Micheal has trained and maintains a team of educators whom are located in various countries throughout the world. A primary personal goal of his is to not only enhance the professional skills and outlook of his students but to also make a positive difference in their lives.

Micheal is currently the President of Heaven & Earth - Hair International. Heaven & Earth has a complete educational system designed by him specifically for today's students and unique needs. The system covers all aspects of hair education, including courses in Hair Cutting, Colouring, Perming and Current Fashion styles.

For more information click on www.heaven-earth.com.