Rebonding and Hair Relaxing, Which is Best?

After I got my hair cut short today and after realizing upon looking it on the mirror how short it is, I've been thinking of getting  hair rebond or relax. Because I'm sure my shoulder length hair would give me a fly away problem starting tomorrow. Anyway, I think hair rebonding or hair relaxing will solve my upcoming predicament. You know, I can't religiously blow dry my hair everyday just to look good and I really can't stand fly away hair either. So before I can decide  which way to go, let's have a peek about the two.

Function

Although both relaxers and rebonding formulas both have the same ultimate goal of straightening, they accomplish it in different ways. Relaxers break hair's disulfide bonds, according to Hairfinder.com, to loosen or "relax" the curl. Rebonding formulas do the same, but claim to provide the added benefit of improved shine and texture along with the new shape, according to CBS News.

Features

Relaxers often contain sodium hydroxide (lye) or ammonium thioglycolate as the active ingredients that break up the hair's bonds. Keratin treatments usually contain formaldahyde or its deratives in order to break the chemical bonds in the hair.

Effects

Lye-based relaxers "soften" the hair fibers and cause them to swell. It then penetrates into the cortex of the hair to break the bonds, according to Hair Boutique. Formaldahyde is the chemical straightening in rebonding formulas, not keratin, according to a CBS News article.

Time Frame

Keratin rebonding is a process that can take several hours depending on the length and texture of hair. It involves thermal heat, so blow drying and flat ironing are necessary for rebonding the hair into it straight shape. Relaxers take less time and don't require thermal heat tools to accomplish the straightening effect.

Misconceptions

Keratin straightening manufacturers claim that the keratin helps repair hair, but it actually just works as a veneer, covering the damage temporarily, until its effects begin to wash out over a period of weeks, according to Richard Hoffman of the Newton General Science Archive.

Considerations

Keratin rebonding treatments are safe to use on color-treated or highlighted hair. Typically chemical processes such as relaxing, bleaching and perming can not be done on these hair types because of the increased damage it will cause. Keratin treatments repair damage caused by processing hair, according to Liquid Keratin, a retailer. [source]

So what do you think?
Tough.

How to Prevent Chapped Lips

Now that the air is becoming more cooler each passing day, I noticed few people including me, has dry and chapped lips. I've learned that it was caused by the loss of natural oils that keep the lips moist and healthy.

Just how exactly we can prevent our lips from chapping?

Steps

1. Ensure your body is not deficient in B vitamins, iron or essential fatty acids. These deficiencies can cause scaling of lips and cracking of lip corners. Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement after consultation with your physician.
2. Hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can cause dryness of lips. Increase your water intake during winter to keep your lips looking fresh. You can also humidify the rooms to deal with winter dryness.
3. Rule out allergy to lipstick dyes.
4. If in spite of water intake your lips seem dehydrated, apply cool wet cloth to hydrate lips. Also try to seal in the moisture with a lip balm. Apply lip balm every hour or two to treat dry lips and to keep them healthy. Use balm with spf of at least 15 to save your lips from sun damage.
5. Don't lick your lips, it will cause more chapping. Licking lips doesn't moisturize them.
6. Lip lickers also tend to be lip biters. Biting lips removes their protective covering which causes further drying.
7. Use a soft toothbrush to softly buff your lips to remove the deposit of dead cells that will cause more drying and flaking.
8. Creamy lipsticks can act like balms and prevent your lips from chapping. Avoid using lipsticks that can dry out your lips.
9. Ordinary Vaseline works wonders. It prevents sun blisters as well if applied before venturing into the sun.

Tips

• If your chapped lips are due to drooling in the night, you can use zinc oxide ointment that acts as a protective agent.
• You can also try applying clarified butter or milk cream before going to bed for a few days.
• Vitamin A is also important for repair of skin. Ensure that your diet includes vitamin A rich ingredients like carrots, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, whole grains and legumes. You can also have a vitamin rich juice made up of 1 tbsp. of water cress, carrot and spinach juice, 2 tbsp. wheat germ oil, one glass of tomato juice, and 1 tbsp. of nutritional yeast.
• Put on lip balm after a shower to seal in the moisture. [source]

Now I know, I lack vitamins, it's not the weather to be blame after all.

How about you?