Final answer:
Chemical relaxers break down the disulfide bonds in the hair structure, resulting in a change in the hair's shape.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of bonds in the hair structure that are broken down by chemical relaxers, resulting in a change in the hair's shape, are disulfide bonds. Chemical relaxers contain alkali agents that break the disulfide bonds, allowing the hair strands to re-form in a straightened shape. Disulfide bonds are strong covalent bonds formed between sulfur atoms in the hair proteins, and they provide the structure and curl pattern in natural hair.