There are many people who opt for keratin treatments without knowing how to maintain their hair after the treatment. This leads to repeated treatments, which are not only expensive but also quite tedious. To maintain the results for a longer time, this HairGlamourista article has some simple tips for you.
Keratin is a natural protein in the hair. In this treatment, keratin is infused deep into the hair cuticle to revitalize and rejuvenate your hair and remove the frizz.
Keratin treatments, also known as “Brazilian Blowout”, have become quite popular among people wanting smooth and shiny, straight hair. If you ask any salon professional, he/she will vouch for this treatment as one of the best ways to make your hair frizz-free and shiny. However, in the rush to get perfect hair, women opt for the treatment without understanding how to maintain their hair post treatment. So, even after spending a lot of money and long hours in the salon, you may find your hair going back to its natural state in just a few days. To avoid this, you need to know and follow some essential post-care treatment methods.
Maintaining Hair After Keratin Treatment
Use of chemical products, styling, and improper care, often leads to the loss of keratin. This, in turn, causes dullness, coarseness, and frizziness of hair. The keratin hair treatment helps in avoiding this. However, hair care after treatment is necessary to retain the fabulous results.
Avoid Making Your Hair Wet
This is the first thing that the salon professionals will tell you. Water washes away the protein and leaves marks in the hair. Doing so allows the keratin to fuse into the hair shafts, and thus helps, in maintaining longevity of the treatment. Do not shampoo or go for swimming for at least three days after the treatment. This also means that you cannot sweat it out in a gym for the specified period.
There are many new keratin treatments that allow you to wash your hair immediately after the treatment. Make sure that you ask the professional for proper hair care instructions so that your efforts don’t get wasted.
If your hair does get wet, use a low heat setting on your flat iron or blow dryer to redry your hair.
Wear Your Hair Down
No clips, pins, hair bands, or tucking your hair behind your ears. After the treatment, salon professionals ask clients not to clip their hair or tie it in a ponytail. Wear your hair down for at least two to three days after treatment. This helps in avoiding bends and marks in the hair.
Use a silk scarf to pull your hair away from your face.
Pick the Right Hair Care Products
To help maintain the treatment, you need to use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. You also need to avoid products with sodium chloride. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a powerful detergent that creates lather in products. Unfortunately, SLS and sodium chloride also break down and dissolve the keratin that has been added to your hair during the treatment. If you want the treatment to last longer, you should ensure that you get the right hair care products.
The stylist will recommend certain hair care products specifically designed for the treatment. You can get them from the stylist or look for a less expensive “sulfate-free” and “sodium-free” product in your local drugstore.
Avoid Styling Hair Products
It is best to avoid mousse, hair spray, or gels to style your hair after a keratin treatment. These products weigh down the hair and make the keratin-treated hair look dull and dirty.
If you need to style and manipulate your hair, use a blow dryer and flat iron to shape your hair as you want it to be.
Exercise Caution while Swimming
The chlorine in pool water or the sea salt in seawater strip keratin from your hair. To avoid this, wear a swimming cap or apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair. You can also try wetting your hair first with clear water to saturate it. The wet, saturated hair will absorb less chlorinated water than dry hair.
After leaving the pool or ocean, rinse your hair with clear water as soon as possible to remove chlorine and salt.
Get a Haircut after the Treatment
You can get a haircut after the treatment to trim off any overly processed ends. In fact, many stylists advise cutting your hair the same day to remove any split ends. This ensures that your hair looks good after the treatment.
After cutting your hair, use a flat iron to style it.
Avoid Coloring Your Hair Immediately
If you are planning to get your hair colored after the treatment, it is best to wait for at least three weeks before you do so. Coloring your hair after treatment makes it fade faster.
Most stylists will tell you that keratin treatments work well on previously chemically treated or colored hair, rather than ‘virgin’ hair. As the cuticle is porous after any such treatment, it tends to respond better to keratin treatment. The treatment seals the color and makes the hair shiny. So, color your hair before the treatment.
A keratin treatment lasts for approximately four to six weeks depending on your lifestyle and after-treatment hair care. After this, repeat hair treatments should be done. You can maintain the results by using the simple tips provided above.
