Although Keratin treatment is expensive, it is a worthy investment in your looks. It’s hard dealing with curly hair every day, which is why many people opt for Keratin treatment.
A keratin treatment will smoothen your curly hair and make it manageable for an extended time. However, you must follow aftercare instructions to make it worth the cost. Without that, you may not get to experience the full benefits of the treatment.
This guide will examine how Keratin treatment works, what to do after the treatment, and other crucial details you should know about.
What is Keratin Treatment?
Keratin treatment is a hair care treatment to strengthen the protein in your hair. First, Keratin is the name of the protein that makes up each hair strand and this treatment is designed to strengthen it. The need to strengthen your hair cuticles arises because your textured hair gets damaged every time you style, straighten, blow-dry, relax, or color it.
Advanced keratin formulas are the answers for many people looking to protect their Keratin sheath from damage. After all, Keratin treatment gives you shiny and smooth hair. At the end of the keratin treatment, you get straighter, frizz-free, silky hair that is easier to manage.
What to do After Keratin Treatment
Taking care of your frizzy hair does not end with getting a Keratin treatment. You must take good care of your hair afterward to benefit from the treatment. The most important tip is to handle your hair gently and avoid harsh touches. Here are some things you should and should not do after getting a keratin treatment.
Do Not Manipulate Your Hair Immediately
The first thing not to do after a Keratin treatment is to manipulate your hair unnecessarily. Avoid touching your hair with anything, including your hands, especially in the first three days. Your hair is very sensitive at this point and pressing on it will damage the treatment.
All forms of manipulation you should avoid include touching, using hair clips, bands, caps, and additional hair accessories. Additionally, no tucking of hair behind ears during the 3-day waiting period. Any manipulation will leave a dent in your hair texture, which won’t look nice. So, keep your straight hair down and free from obstructions.
Do Not Wash Your Hair Everyday
Do not wash your hair daily to get the best of your Keratin treatment. Although you can wash the hair, ensure you have some interval between the periods. Hair professionals advise against daily hair wash after Keratin hair treatments for different reasons. However, the main reason is that it quickly strips your hair shafts of the Keratin coating.
A useful tip between wash days is to wear a good shower cap when bathing to prevent wet hair. You should also avoid other incidents that can make the water get into your hair follicles. The most important thing to remember is not to get your hair wet whenever you can avoid it.
Use Non-Sulphate Shampoo and Conditioner
When you have to wash your hair after a keratin treatment, use non-sulfate shampoo and conditioner. Products with sulfate will damage your hair and reverse the treatment. This rule also applies to other strong hair products like clarifying and dry shampoos.
Instead, you can use shampoo, conditioner, and other products with keratin (keratin hydrolysates) as an active ingredient. The keratin in these products will balance any nutrient loss from your hair. This trick will also help you keep the keratin treatment in your hair for longer.
Prevent Sweat if You Can
Sweat works the same way as water in a keratin treatment. So, to prevent any damage to your hair and make it last as long as possible, you should prevent sweat from reaching it. If you cannot do this, you should dry the hair as soon as possible.
For instance, blow-dry your hair clean immediately if you just finished working out and your body is sweaty. Ensure each strand is carefully dried and no moisture is left when you are done.
Stay Away from Harsh Hair Treatments
Getting the best out of keratin hair treatments requires you to take good care of your hair afterward. In this instance, good care means avoiding any harsh treatment. Bleaching, coloring, and other chemical processes fall into this category.
Coloring and highlighting your hair should come before you get the keratin treatment. If you want to do it afterward, you should wait for at least 3 weeks.
Use Prescribed Homecare Products
The products you use for post-keratin hair treatments are as important as the treatment itself. Most hair salons prescribe products for you to take care of your healthy hair afterward. The prescribed products are usually of the same brand as those used for the keratin treatment. In addition, they often contain keratin as part of the ingredients to prolong the treatment’s effectiveness.
Maintaining keratin treatment is important because using the wrong products can undo your efforts. You cannot always know which household products will cause a negative reaction to your hair growth. Despite the sulfate-free nature of the styling products, your hair may still suffer adversely if you use the wrong product.
Protect the Moisture and Protein Balance in Your Hair
Protein keratin treatment strengthens the protein in your brittle hair and makes it healthier. However, the protein concentration during the treatment can offset your hair’s moisture/protein balance. When this happens, your hair becomes rougher and brittle. The only way to prevent this is to improve the moisture of your hair to match.
You can get regular moisturizing treatments from your hair salon or do it at home. However, the salon will know the best products and techniques to balance your hair’s protein and moisture.
Use a Silk or Satin Pillowcase
A silk pillowcase will reduce the friction in your hair while sleeping. These pillowcases keep your beautiful hair smooth and less prone to damage.
What are the Benefits of Keratin Treatment
Keratin treatment is expensive but still worthy of consideration. People consider this treatment because they get a lot of benefits from keratin treatment that make it worth every dollar. If you are contemplating keratin treatment, here are some of its benefits you should know.
Makes Your Hair Manageable
Getting keratin treatment means bidding goodbye to daily heat styling. You now have smooth and shiny hair you can rock without much fuss. If you feel the need to add some highlights to your hair, you only need to wait about 2 to 3 weeks. Just ensure you always wear a water-proof cap before going to the beach or getting close to water.
Protects Your Hair From Environmental Damage
Your hair gets affected by everything around it, including the weather. The sun, rain, and other environmental phenomena weaken your hair strands as you expose them. A keratin treatment will strengthen each strand and make them more resilient to breakage.
Less Damaging
Manipulating your hair structure daily through styling, strengthening, or blow-drying weakens your hair faster than you can imagine. However, keratin hair treatments last between 3 to 6 months, depending on your hair type and styling choices.
So you do not have to put your smooth hair through that stress during this period. The result is l
amage to your hair and an easier time managing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people have only heard about keratin treatment and don’t know what to believe. If you are confused about this hair care routine, read further for answers to some popular questions.
Is Keratin Treatment Permanent?
No, keratin hair is not permanent. Unlike chemical relaxation, which changes your hair structure forever, keratin treatment lasts only 3 to 6 months. The keratin treatment products are designed to protect your hair for a given period. Once that period lapses, the treatment starts losing its effectiveness. A good maintenance routine will help you extend its durability.
Can I do Keratin Treatment at Home?
Yes, you can do keratin treatment at home. Many DIY tutorials on the internet will guide you through the process. You can consider performing the treatment yourself if you think you understand the process and the best products.
What Should I Do Before Keratin Treatment?
The first thing to do is to buy a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to wash your hair days after the treatment. You can get a recommendation from your salon if you are unsure what to buy.
You must also get any highlights or coloring done before the keratin treatment. Doing these on keratin-treated hair will give an uneven result.
On the day of the keratin treatment, free up your schedule. The application process takes several hours and you need to sit through the whole process.
Final Thoughts
This guide taught you tips about what to do after keratin treatment. The most important tip is to stay away from water and harsh treatments as much as possible. You should also use compatible products and get regular moisturizing treatments.
