Keratin treatments can make your hair smoother, more shiny, and less frizzy but need special care after treatment. During the first three days after your treatment, you should take extra precautions to prevent your hair from becoming creased in any way, even while you are sleeping.
The good news is that sleeping on a silk pillowcase is a simple approach to guard against damage to your hair. After that, run your straightener through your hair to eliminate any wrinkles or frizz that may have developed while you were resting. It is important that you take proper care of your hair in order to maintain the stunning, silky results that your keratin treatment has given you. This will help you avoid having a bad hair day. Here is how you should protect your hair during sleep.
1 Use A Silk Pillowcase
This is my favorite and very easy thing to do. Purchase a pillowcase made of silk or satin to avoid creasing and frizzing of your hair. Because silk is a smooth material, using it will cause less friction being created between your hair and the pillowcase.
To prevent damage to your hair, choose for a pillowcase that is made entirely of silk or satin. I recommend you switch out the pillowcases for all the pillows that you sleep on. And remember, using a cotton pillow case can cause frizz!
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Keratin is a protein that is naturally present in hair. Did you know that keratin makes up a significant portion of your hair? As you probably already know, keratin contributes to the healthy state of your hair. Prior to opting to undergo a keratin treatment, one of the most popular questions that people ask is, “What does keratin do to your hair?“
2 Sleep with Hair Down
While you are resting, sleep with your hair down. In order for the treatment to take effect properly, your hair must be perfectly straight for the first three days. You should avoid using sleep caps, scrunchies, and hair wraps because they will cause your hair to become creased or wavy. Instead, let your hair down when you’re sleeping so you can get better rest.
When you fold your hair, it will leave a crease in the exact spot where it was folded. Because of this, you may not use any kind of wrap or cap. And of course no ponytails on your hair.
3 Keep Hair Straight
As soon as you wake up, give your hair a quick brushing so that it is sleek and straight. When you wake up, your hair is probably going to be in a bit of a tangled mess. This is not a problem, but it is essential to rectify the situation as quickly as you can so that it does not compromise the outcomes of your treatment.
To eliminate tangles and bring your hair’s texture closer to that of a natural state, run your brush over it. Because of the treatment, you shouldn’t let your hair get too tangled up or overly fluffy. Before you brush your hair, be sure that there are no hair products applied to it.
4 Use A Blow Dryer
If your head gets sweaty as you sleep, use a blow dryer to dry your hair in the morning. It is perfectly natural for you to perspire as you sleep, so you shouldn’t be alarmed if you wake up to find that your hair is wet. Simply make sure that it is dried off as quickly as possible.
The best way to ensure that your hair is completely dry is to blow-dry it with a blow dryer set to a medium heat setting. Avoid using a heat setting that is very high since it might do more harm than good to your hair. Maintain a heat level of medium, and if possible, make use of a product that offers protection against heat.
5 Check Your Hair After Sleeping
After you’ve finished brushing your hair, you should examine it to ensure that it is now smooth. Even while your silk pillowcase will reduce the likelihood of creases and frizz, there is still a chance that they will appear. Use the mirror in your bathroom and a separate portable mirror to examine your hair first thing in the morning. Position the hand mirror at an angle so that you can view the back of your hair.
If there are any wrinkles, dents, or frizz on your hair, you should use your hair straightener to correct them. Be sure that there are no creases or frizz in your hair and that it is totally straight. Even a minor dimple needs to be straightened out with a hair straightener because it will still be visible in your hair after the therapy has taken effect.
6 Use A High Quality Hair Straightener Tool
Within the first three days or first 72 hours, use a hair straightener (straightening iron) to smooth out any creases or frizz that may have developed. It is of the utmost importance that you smooth out any creases or waves as soon as you become aware of their presence. This can assist your keratin treatment set, which will help keep your hair smooth and free of frizz after you get it done.
The key question is, what should be done with hair that has been damaged? And in the meantime, what should one do? Can you grow out damaged hair? How should one treat hair that has been over processed? Continue reading to learn the answers to how you can get your healthy head of hair back.
To restore the previous state of your hair’s texture, straighten it one or two more times with your hair straightener. During the first three days after straightening your hair, use your straightener whenever you observe a crease, waves, or frizz. If you don’t do this, your keratin treatment could not take.
7 Wait Before You Wash
After day 4, you should wash your hair two or three times per week. After getting a keratin treatment, you should wait at least three days before washing your hair again. After that, you should only wash your hair every other or every third day at the most. This will not only keep your hair clean but will also extend the life of the keratin treatment you recently had done.
When you wash your hair, some of the keratin in your hair will be stripped away. This happens every time. This indicates that washing your hair frequently may cause your keratin treatment to wear out sooner than expected.
If you find that your hair has become greasy or unclean before it is time to wash it, you can use dry shampoo to get rid of the extra grime and oil. Always finish your hair washing routine by rinsing your hair with cool or cold water to help close hair cuticles. The results of the treatment will be improved as a result of this.
You should put hair in a shower cap while bathing if your had your treatment less than 72 hours.
8 Avoid Touching And Brushing Your Hair
During the first three days, you should try to avoid touching and brushing your hair (leave your hair alone) as much as possible. It is acceptable to brush your hair on sometimes in order to assist it return to its natural state. However, activities such as brushing, caressing, or playing with your hair might result in the formation of wrinkles, kinks, or dents in the hair.
The effectiveness of your treatment will suffer as a result of this. For the first three days, you should refrain from touching your hair in any way, with the exception of correcting wrinkles or frizz. After the first three days, you can brush your hair as much as you desire without worrying about damaging it.
9 Apply Coconut Or Argan Oil
After three days, apply some coconut or argan oil to add some moisture. It’s possible that getting a keratin treatment can leave your hair feeling dry, in which case you should probably re-moisturize it. After the third day of treatment, you should start nourishing your hair with pure coconut oil or argan oil.
Place a small amount of oil, about the size of a pea, in the palm of your hand, and then rub your palms together. After that, run your hands through your hair and smooth it out. If necessary, add more oil to your hands so that you can cover all of your hair with it. Make sure the oil you purchase is made entirely of coconut or argan and not any other type.
10 Use A Sulfate Free Shampoo
To prevent your hair from losing its keratin, make sure to use a shampoo that is free of both sulfate and chlorine. Because sulfate and chlorine have the ability to strip keratin from your hair, using them in conjunction with a keratin treatment could not produce the desired results.
You should check the ingredients list on the bottle of your shampoo and conditioner to ensure that they do not include any sulfates or chlorine. Think about purchasing items that have been labelled as being suitable for usage following a keratin treatment.
You can discover good shampoos on the market simply by looking for descriptions such as free of sulfate and chlorine, chlorine-free shampoo, paraben free and dye free. You get the idea!
11 Sorry, No Swimming
Avoid swimming. And this is a tough one, ha. Especially in the summer months. No swimming for you! Avoid water. Stay out of the water for four days, and after that, always wear a swim cap when you’re in chlorinated water. If you want your keratin treatment to turn out the way you want it to, avoid getting your hair wet for at least a few days after you get it done.
In addition, the chlorine that’s found in a swimming pool or hot tub water might hasten the rate at which they stripped keratin from your hair. After receiving therapy, you should wait at least four days before entering any body of water. Then, make sure you protect your hair by donning a swim cap whenever you enter a pool or hot tub. If you don’t have a swim hat, you should wash your hair as soon as you can after getting out of the hot tub or pool (within four to five minutes).
12 Wait Before Styling
And last but not least, by any means. If you want the treatment to take, you shouldn’t style your hair until day 4. You are unable to style your hair during the first three days after getting a perm, since it is critical that you keep your hair straight throughout this time.
After three days, though, you are free to style your hair in any way that makes you feel comfortable. On day 4, you should go back to your regularly scheduled grooming routine. This involves styling techniques such as braiding, twisting, and curling your hair, as well as making updos. In addition, you won’t be able to use hair accessories like headbands, scrunchies, ponytail holders, hair ties, bobby pins or hair clips until day 4. This rule applies to all hair types.
Can You Sleep Normally After Keratin Treatment?
Even while you’re sleeping, you should make sure that your hair stays straight. The keratin proteins that were recently applied to your hair will cause it to become unmanageable otherwise. This involves draping your hair back over your pillow in such a way that there are no wrinkles or folds in the hair. After getting a keratin treatment for your hair, sleeping on silk pillows is highly suggested.
Can I Comb My Hair After Keratin Treatment?
Yes
Combs with wider-spaced teeth are often what are referred as as wide-tooth combs or detangling combs. Combs with wide teeth are easier on the hair because they don’t pull on it. Combs with wide teeth make the process of detangling your hair much simpler.
What Is Keratin?
Keratin, the protein that helps strengthen hair to avoid breakage, heat damage, and frizz, is crucially necessary for keeping strong and healthy hair. Keratin helps prevent breakage, heat damage, and frizz. However, keratin straightening, a treatment offered at salons that promises to leave hair silky smooth, has long been associated with serious health risks.
What Is A Keratin Treatment?
Keratin is a type of protein that can be found in the structure of our hair, skin, and nails. It is also widely found in style products that help strengthen hair, however the phrase “keratin treatment” is actually a misnomer for what it is. Keratin can be found in styling products.
According to Meesh, keratin treatments are semi-permanent hair straightening treatments that smooth and add shine to frizzy hair. “Keratin treatments are also known as keratin smoothing treatments.” However, keratin is not involved in the process by which these therapies are effective. A solution that contains a formaldehyde derivative or (far safer) glyoxylic acid is worked through the hair to make it straighter.
This process breaks the connections in the hair and reseals them in a position that is more suitable for straight hair. Following this step, the solution is allowed to air-dry before being sealed using a flat iron. The final results can last anywhere from three to six months.
Meesh claims the treatments are effective on the majority of different types of hair, and he recommends them to anyone who wants to lessen the appearance of frizz, increase shine, or minimize the frequency with which they blow dry or straighten their hair.
Can Keratin Treatments Help With Hair Growth?
The benefits of the therapy may give the appearance that the hair is growing faster than it actually is; nonetheless, the treatment’s primary focus is on strengthening the hair. “By temporarily bonding the hair back together, keratin helps to add shine, minimize frizz, and lessen the appearance of split ends,” explains Meesh. “Keratin also helps to reduce the appearance of split ends.” She explains that despite the fact that all of these impacts can make strands appear and feel like they are longer and stronger, “they are ultimately growing at the same rate.”
To put it another way, minimizing breakage contributes to the appearance of increased hair growth. According to Meesh, “the treatment makes hair more manageable by smoothing down the cuticle and sealing it, helping to avoid frizz.” Because the ends of your hair won’t be splitting as easily, it will be able to keep its length for longer, which may give the appearance that your hair is growing more quickly.
Does Keratin Treatments Work On Natural Curls?
Keratin treatments are effective in a wide variety of hair types. The frizz and luster of curly hair, in particular, will be significantly improved by using this product. Because curly hair is less likely to reflect light than straight hair, the keratin treatment will result in noticeably more shine for your hair.
How Does One Go About Getting Their Hair Treated With Keratin?
The duration of the treatment ranges from a few to several hours, depending on the length and texture of the client’s hair. Your time at the salon might range anywhere from two to four hours, depending on the nature of your tresses and how much of it you want to treat yourself to. Your hairstylist will begin by washing your hair, after which they will apply the keratin treatment to your wet hair, where it will then sit for approximately 30 minutes.
Some stylists, however, will blow dry the hair first and then apply the treatment to the hair; this is at the discretion of the individual stylist. Because the treatment is activated by heat, the next step is for the stylist to use a flatiron on the hair in small portions to lock in the treatment.
Is It Possible To Get A Keratin Treatment If Your Hair Is Already Color Treated?
It will also preserve the vibrancy of recently colored hair, which is even another advantage. Taylor strongly suggests that you discuss with your hairstylist and colorist the possibility of receiving a color refresh immediately prior to your keratin treatment. The treatment protects the color, allowing it to look fresher and more vibrant for a longer period.
Is Keratin The Same Thing As Japanese Hair Relaxing Or Treatment?
Keratin treatments are nevertheless noticeably unique from other methods of straightening hair, despite the fact that they are comparable to those methods. Taylor says that keratin treatments are a gentler alternative to conventional straightening procedures like relaxers, which can be very damaging to the hair. Keratin is beneficial for people with frizzy hair who desire to achieve long-term smoothness and straightness of their hair. When compared to the chemicals used in other straightening procedures, such as a relaxing treatment, which is highly severe, the chemicals used in keratin straightening are slightly less hazardous.
The length of time that the hair is left straightened by a keratin treatment is significantly longer than that of a relaxer. Your natural curl pattern will eventually return to its previous state after undergoing a keratin treatment, which temporarily relaxes your hair. Your hair’s texture will, in time, gradually go back to being more similar to its natural form. That is not at all the case when you make use of a relaxer. Relaxers are products that permanently straighten hair by breaking down the molecular links in the hair.
Because they use ammonium thioglycolate and sodium hydroxide to permanently dissolve the connections in your hair, Japanese hair treatments and traditional relaxers are far more successful on coily hair. However, they also cause significantly more damage to the hair. The growing-out process will also be more dramatic than it would be with keratin treatments since there will be a line of demarcation when your natural texture grows back in. This is because keratin treatments do not create this line.
Why Do Some Hairdressers Refuse to Perform Keratin Treatments on Their Clients?
Formaldehyde is an element that can be found in the majority of the conventional salon formulations, which is one of the reasons why keratin treatments are a source of some concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes it as an odorless and colorless gas that is typically utilized in the production of construction materials, common home items such as glue and fiberboard, and as a preservative when dissolved in water.
It is responsible for keeping the hair into that newly straightened and silky position for months at a time when it is used in keratin treatments. However, because formaldehyde is a recognized carcinogen, these treatments do not really include any of the substance. Instead, they contain substances such as methylene glycol, formalin, methanal, and methanediol, which, when combined with water during the treatment process, cause the carcinogenic compound to be released. Therefore, even though the recipe could, on paper, not include any formaldehyde, once it is combined with water, it does.
Not only do you put yourself in danger, but even the cosmetologists and estheticians who work in confined rooms while doing these treatments again and over again are vulnerable. Because there is data that demonstrates that prolonged exposure to formaldehyde over time can have some negative implications, some hairstylists choose not to do keratin treatments on their clients’ hair. The dangers can range from being somewhat harmless, such as watery eyes and skin irritation, to being quite dangerous, including cancer and respiratory sickness.
According to the CDC, some of the more typical negative consequences of being exposed to formaldehyde are a scratchy feeling in the eyes, a sore throat, and nosebleeds. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA) also issues a warning about the potential health hazards that those who are exposed to the chemical may face.
The FDA also notes that formulations and products that claim to be natural, organic, or free of formaldehyde may not be completely truthful. People are encouraged by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to always read the product label, inquire with hair professionals about the ingredient list, and report any and all adverse reactions.
In addition, so-called keratin treatments can cause a significant amount of damage to your hair over the course of their use. These treatments involve intense heat to lock your hair into place, and should not prescribe them to those with extremely fine hair or hair that has been damaged.
If you are seeking for a treatment that is less toxic and actually free of formaldehyde, you should inquire with the salon about whether or not they employ a treatment that contains glyoxylic acid instead. They do not produce the same dramatic results in terms of straightening the hair as they are designed primarily for improving shine and combating frizz, but they are a lot safer.
How Long Does It Take for the Keratin Treatments to Take Effect?
After receiving a keratin treatment, it is imperative that you refrain from getting your hair wet and do not pull it back into a ponytail for at least three days. You don’t want to put your freshly straightened hair at risk by doing anything that could cause a bend in it. According to Meesh, the most important thing you can do to ensure that the effects of your treatment last as long as possible is to wash your hair with a shampoo that does not include sulfates.
Meesh also recommends that people whose hair naturally curls wait three days before getting their hair wet. As a result of the treatment, your hair may dry out more quickly, so she also suggests that you use hair products that do not include sodium chloride and that you wrap your hair in a silk or satin scarf (or pillowcase) to help retain the moisture that is now in your hair. She claims that treatments can last for up to six months, but she warns that it might permanently alter your curl pattern if you choose to do so.
Before scheduling that visit, however, Meesh recommends giving careful consideration to a number of essential factors. There are so many efficient ways to smooth the hair while keeping it protected by using the right products and techniques, so a keratin treatment might not even be the right option. There are so many other ways to smooth the hair while keeping it protected by using the right products and techniques. It is possible that a different treatment, such as a chemical relaxer, would be more appropriate for you than others, depending on the specific texture of your hair.
Is a Keratin Treatment Something You Could Do Yourself?
The quick answer is yes, but you shouldn’t expect the same level of success as you would with expert treatment. According to Meesh, effects from at-home treatments only endure for approximately a week because these treatments simply coat the hair rather than reaching the hair shaft.
And no matter what you do, you should only employ therapies that are meant to be used at home. According to Meesh, “Do not acquire professional products for use in your home because their effective application requires the assistance of a trained professional.”
Even if you are using a product that does not contain formaldehyde, you should always be sure to follow the directions very carefully, read them thoroughly, and apply the product in an area that has adequate ventilation. Although the products might not produce results on par with those achieved at a professional salon, they will get the job done without blowing your budget.
References
https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-sleeping-bed-asleep-rest-5988509/
Basit, A., Sadaf, S., & Akhtar, M. W. (2018). Health improvement of human hair and their reshaping using recombinant keratin K31. Biotechnology Reports, 20, e00288.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215017X18302017
Maneli, M. H., Smith, P., & Khumalo, N. P. (2014). Elevated formaldehyde concentration in “Brazilian keratin type” hair-straightening products: A cross-sectional study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 70(2), 276-280. sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190962213011353
Weathersby, C., & McMichael, A. (2013). Brazilian keratin hair treatment: a review. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 12(2), 144-148.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocd.12030