ABA Chemical Treatments & Relaxers 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What differentiates a 'no-base' relaxer from a 'base' relaxer application?
- No-base relaxers require no protective cream on scalp or hair (Correct answer)
- No-base relaxers only need cream on the hair strands, not the scalp
- No-base relaxers are applied to pre-based scalp only
- No-base relaxers use guanidine instead of sodium hydroxide
Correct answer: No-base relaxers require no protective cream on scalp or hair
No-base relaxers are formulated to be gentle enough that protective base cream is not required on the scalp or hair before application.
Question 2: When retouching a relaxer, where should the product be applied first?
- Over the entire hair shaft for even coverage
- Only to the previously relaxed ends
- To the new growth (virgin regrowth) only (Correct answer)
- To the most resistant section first
Correct answer: To the new growth (virgin regrowth) only
Relaxer retouch applications are applied only to the new growth to avoid over-processing previously relaxed hair.
Question 3: Which of the following is a primary ingredient that distinguishes guanidine relaxers from sodium hydroxide relaxers?
- Ammonium thioglycolate
- Calcium hydroxide and guanidine carbonate (Correct answer)
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Lithium hydroxide
Correct answer: Calcium hydroxide and guanidine carbonate
Guanidine relaxers are formed by mixing calcium hydroxide cream with a guanidine carbonate activator, producing guanidine hydroxide.
Question 4: A client experiences scalp itching and redness within minutes of relaxer application. The barber should:
- Apply more base cream and continue
- Reduce processing time by 5 minutes
- Rinse the relaxer out immediately and assess the scalp (Correct answer)
- Switch to a milder no-lye formula
Correct answer: Rinse the relaxer out immediately and assess the scalp
Signs of scalp irritation require immediate removal of the chemical to prevent chemical burns or a serious allergic reaction.
Question 5: Overprocessing with a relaxer typically results in:
- Stronger, more resistant hair bonds
- Hair that is too straight and lacks elasticity (Correct answer)
- Increased natural curl formation
- Improved moisture retention
Correct answer: Hair that is too straight and lacks elasticity
Overprocessing breaks too many disulfide bonds, leaving hair limp, weak, lacking elasticity, and prone to breakage.
Question 6: Which type of relaxer requires immediate use after mixing because the activating reaction begins at the moment the two components are combined?
- Sodium hydroxide (lye) relaxer
- Ammonium thioglycolate relaxer
- Guanidine hydroxide (no-lye) relaxer (Correct answer)
- Bisulfite relaxer
Correct answer: Guanidine hydroxide (no-lye) relaxer
Guanidine hydroxide relaxers must be mixed and used promptly because the chemical reaction starts as soon as the calcium hydroxide and guanidine carbonate are combined.
Question 7: What does the strand test reveal during a relaxer service?
- The client's scalp sensitivity level
- The correct base cream to use
- How the hair is responding to the relaxer and processing progress (Correct answer)
- Whether a toner will be needed afterward
Correct answer: How the hair is responding to the relaxer and processing progress
A strand test monitors processing progress, helping the barber determine when the hair has reached the desired straightness without over-processing.
ABA Chemical Treatments & Relaxers 3
What differentiates a 'no-base' relaxer from a 'base' relaxer application?