Lie, or “No-Lye”

A tremendous amount of people are experiencing hair loss.  Many people have a hair loss disease known as alopecia. Sadly, most of the victims of alopecia are not even aware of the fact that they have it. My mother has suffered from alopecia, like so many other elderly women of color, due to harmful hair relaxers. There are many ways to stop the process of hair loss.

Many people today use relaxers. All relaxers are laced with an extremely harmful key ingredient called hydroxide (lye). Relaxers have three essential types of the chemical hydroxide components. These components are:

1. Ammonium hydroxide

2. Sodium hydroxide

3. Calcium hydroxide

Out of the three frequently used hydroxides added in relaxers, sodium hydroxide happens to be the main component for lye relaxers. Because of these dangerous chemicals, women, children and men alike experience, sometimes, irreversible hair loss.

Many companies responsible for marketing relaxers use false advertisement to trap buyers. For example, some hair loss victims and hair advocates get the idea that “No-Lye” relaxers have completely no hydroxide ingredient in them whatsoever. This is not the case. A glance at the ingredients listed on the container of any “No-Lye” relaxer box reveals the truth. The truth is that, “No-Lye” relaxers do in fact carry lye in them. The only difference between a Lye and “No-Lye” relaxer is that the no-lye relaxer has less lye than the lye relaxer. In other words, a “No-Lye” relaxer is a lie and is non-existent.


Do not be fooled by the marketing tricks, antics and false advertisement of the hair industry. Studies show that hair products that carry hydroxide chemicals cause hair loss and alopecia (often a permanent form of hair loss). If you have ever used a chemical that is made with hydroxide (lye), there is still hope for you. You can stop, cut off the damaged hair, go natural, or take better care of the few breakable strands of hair you will have left. Follow me for my next post in seven days. See you then.