Hair straightening was first used to facilitate combing very curly hair. However, sleek, straight hair has recently become popular around the world[1].
In the 1900s, African-American Sarah Breedlove (later known as Madam C. J. Walker) created a mix of oils and revolutionised ethnic hair styling[2]. In a process known as hot comb, hair was straightened with this mixture and a metallic comb heated to 150-250°C[3]. Although hair appearance was changed, the process only provided a temporary straightening effect[2].
The first chemical straighteners were created in the 1940s. They were made from a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium, and were extremely irritating to the scalp. In the late 1950s, gentler formulations were introduced in the professional hair care market and quickly became popular. For the first time, there were several styling options for ethnic hair. In 1965, sulfite formulations became available for personal hair care use, providing a straight effect even after several washes[2].
Despite the popularity of these products, some side effects still occurred, including hair fibre weakening, scalp irritation, difficulty with rinsing and poor formulation stability[4].
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