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The action of the sodium hydroxide hair processor causes the hair to:

  1. Soften and straighten

  2. Harden and set

  3. Form new curls

  4. Shrink and tighten

The correct answer is: Soften and straighten

The action of the sodium hydroxide hair processor causes the hair to soften and straighten. This option is correct because sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, is a strong alkaline chemical that breaks down the disulfide bonds in hair, allowing it to become more malleable and straighten out. The other options are incorrect because hardening and setting would require the hair to become rigid and fixed in place, forming new curls would require the hair to curl up rather than straighten out, and shrinking and tightening would result in the hair becoming smaller and tighter, rather than longer and straighter.