Hair relaxer system and method therefor

A method for ameliorating and inhibiting the adsorption and retention of exogenous multivalent metal ion by chemically-relaxed hair during the process of relaxing naturally curly hair with compositions containing chemical base, the method comprising the sequential steps of:

• (a) contacting naturally curly hair with a hair relaxing composition having a pH above about 12 and containing an effective hair-relaxing amount of chemical base for a period sufficient to relax all or a portion of the natural curl to provide alkaline, chemically-relaxed hair;
• and
• (b) removing the hair relaxing composition from the alkaline, chemically-relaxed hair by substantially immediately contacting the alkaline, chemically-relaxed hair for at least about two minutes with an aqueous metal ion chelating composition having a physiologically tolerable pH and containing an effective chelating amount of at least one exogenous multivalent metal ion chelating agent wherein the exogenous multivalent metal ion is a member of the group consisting of alkaline earth metal ions, transition metal ions, and heavy metal ions;
• wherein the aqueous metal ion chelating composition is delivered to the alkaline, chemically-relaxed hair from a delivery system comprising in combination:
• a) a conduit having at least one water inlet being operably and changeably connected in liquid flow communication to a source of incoming raw water, at least one liquid outlet being operably and changeably connectable to a liquid sprayer and at least one injector intermediate the water inlet and the liquid outlet and sprayer, the injector further having an inlet being operably and changeably connectable in liquid flow communication to a source of aqueous metal ion chelating composition for concurrently receiving and admixing the received aqueous metal ion chelating composition with water flowing through the conduit;
• b) a water softener intermediate the water inlet and the injector, and
• c) at least one valve located within the conduit being positionable and configured such that water flow through the conduit to the liquid outlet can be optionally channeled to:
• i) pass through both the water softener and the injector for concurrently delivering an admixture of softened water having a hardness level of not more than 17 ppm and a predetermined amount of the aqueous metal ion chelating composition;
• or
• ii) pass through the injector, bypassing the water softener, for concurrently delivering an admixture of predetermined amount of the aqueous metal ion chelating composition and raw incoming water.

A modular apparatus for concurrently delivering an admixture of water and aqueous metal ion chelating composition to alkaline chemically-relaxed hair for ameliorating and inhibiting the adsorption and retention of exogenous multivalent metal ion by chemically-relaxed hair during a process of relaxing naturally curly hair with a hair relaxing composition having a pH above about 12 and containing an effective hair-relaxing amount of chemical base for a period sufficient to relax all or a portion of the natural curl to provide alkaline, chemically-relaxed hair, wherein the hair relaxing composition is removed from the alkaline, chemically-relaxed hair by substantially immediately contacting the alkaline, chemically-relaxed hair for at least about two minutes with an aqueous metal ion chelating composition having a physiologically tolerable pH and containing an effective chelating amount of at least one exogenous multivalent metal ion chelating agent wherein the exogenous multivalent metal ion is a member of the group consisting of alkaline earth metal ions, transition metal ions, and heavy metal ions:

• the apparatus comprising:
• a) a conduit having at least one water inlet for being operably and changeably connectable to a source of incoming raw water, and at least one liquid outlet;
• and
• b) at least one injector positionable intermediate the water inlet and the liquid outlet of the conduit, the injector further having an inlet adapted for receiving aqueous metal ion chelating composition from a reservoir therefor for concurrently admixing the received aqueous metal ion chelating composition with water when water is flowing through the conduit.