During a strand test, hair pressed with the back of the comb, fingers, or applicator brush that continues to curl is?

• A. Insufficiently relaxed
• B. Over relaxed
• C. Fully relaxed
• D. Sufficiently relaxed

Answer: (A)

In a strand test, you’re gauging whether the chemical has released enough curl pattern to leave the hair truly straight. If a damp strand pressed with the back of a comb, your fingers, or an applicator brush still curls, the curl pattern hasn’t been released yet. That means the hair is not yet fully relaxed and needs more processing time (or another round of testing) to reach the desired straightness. This is exactly what “insufficiently relaxed” describes—the hair still showing curl after the test. Once the strand stays straight under that same test, you’d move toward sufficient or full relaxation depending on how straight and resilient the hair is.