New Mexico Cosmetology Practice Exam 2025 - Free Cosmetology Practice Questions and Study Guide

A permanent wave is a chemical process that creates curls or waves in the hair by altering its structure. This technique involves the use of chemicals and rods to break down the hydrogen and disulfide bonds in the hair, allowing it to be reshaped into curls or waves once the chemical solution is neutralized. This transformation is a way to provide long-lasting curls or waves, making the hairstyle more versatile.

In contrast, a relaxer is specifically designed to straighten textured or curly hair. It works by breaking and reconstructing the disulfide bonds in the hair shaft, resulting in smoother, straighter hair. Relaxers aim to reduce curl patterns and make hair more manageable, providing a sleek finish rather than creating volume or waves.

Understanding this distinction is crucial for hairstyling since choosing the right method depends on the desired outcome—whether to enhance curls or to achieve straightness. The other choices either misrepresent the functionalities of the processes or incorrectly suggest that there is no distinction between them, which is essential to note when discussing hair treatments in cosmetology.