<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  BLONDE AMBITION While only about 2 percent of the world population is born blonde, the rest are still going for gold:  34% of the hair dye sold in the U.S. last year was blonde. 80%  of Koreans in their 20s lighten their hair.   MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE: THE LABOR, COST, AND STRESS OF RELAXING BLACK HAIR  HOW IT&amp;#039;S DONE: A petroleum base is applied to the scalp, then a relaxer with sodium hydroxide (basically, lye) is put on the hair. It stays on for 25 to 30 minutes and is then washed two or three times with a neutralizing shampoo. Finally, a deep conditioner is applied and rinsed, and hair is styled.  TIME: 2 to 3 hours  COST: About $225 for virgin hair; $110 for touch-ups  MAINTENANCE: A touch-up is needed every 8 to 10 weeks. Because of damage caused by the chemicals, hair can only be washed once or twice a week.  RISKS: A too-strong relaxer causes excessive breakage and scalp burns. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/hair/news/a787/ethnicity-hair-color-trend/>