Will Permanent Hair Straightening Prevent the Validity of My Ghusl?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

I want to know more about permanent hair straightening. Although this is permissible it is also necessary to make sure it doesn’t create any waterproof layer. How can I make sure about it?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Permanent hair straightening treatments are a form of chemical processing for your hair.

How It Works

All permanent hair straightening methods use the same strategy.

A chemical solution (straightening cream) is applied to your hair. These chemicals change the way that the proteins in your hair are configured.

With perms and thermal straightening procedures, a neutralizer is then applied to your hair. This neutralizer causes your hair to lock into its new shape, with new bonds forming between the protein molecules of your hair.

How It Is Used

After applying the straightening cream and rinsing it from the hair the neutralizer is applied to the hair. After 15 minutes the hair is washed again very thoroughly with shampoo with acidic pH.

Sources:
Everything You Want to Know About Permanent Hair Straightening
Straightening Neutralizer

Effect on Your Ritual Purity

The fact that both products (the straightening cream and the neutralizer) are removed from the hair by washing them thoroughly means that there is no physical barrier left on your hair after this process.

Your ritual bath will thus be valid. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani