Your hair, skin, and nails are all made of a protein called keratin. Your glands and other organs contain keratin as well. In comparison to other cell types your body makes, keratin is a protective protein that is less likely to scratch or break.
Keratin, a family of fibrous structural proteins, is the main structural element of your skin’s epidermis, hair, and nails. Curly and textured hair contains less keratin than straight hair, which causes dryness and frizz. Keratin provides hair strength and shine.
Some individuals think that keratin supplements, products, and treatments may help strengthen your hair and give it a healthier-looking appearance since keratin is the structural component of your hair.
It evens out the overlapping cells that make up your hair strands when keratin is present. The keratin should be absorbed by the layers of cells that make up the hair cuticle, creating the impression of full, glossy hair. Keratin is supposed to make curly hair less frizzy, easier to style, and seem straighter.
Keratin Treatment
For years, people have used keratin hair smoothing treatments to get rid of frizz and obtain smoother, straighter hair.
Smooth, lustrous hair may be achieved using keratin hair treatments, which are widely used. This procedure, which is sometimes referred to as a Brazilian blowout, is a semi-permanent style option that may last up to 6 months. Many individuals believe that the outcomes are worthwhile despite the expense, which may be high.
The keratin treatment is administered, followed by the preparation and sealing of the hair with heat or a finishing product. A Keratin Complex smoothing treatment may provide you the benefit of soft, silky, glossy, and smooth hair that lasts anywhere from 6 weeks to 5 months, depending on the technique used. Frizz control, humidity protection, strengthening of the hair shaft, decreased texture, look-in color services, additional shine, and better style manageability are all advantages of keratin treatments. Before choosing to undergo a keratin treatment, speak with a salon professional to decide which one is ideal for your hair type and needs.
How does it work?
The naturally occurring fibrous protein keratin acts as a defense against moisture in the hair. The hair loses keratin over time as a consequence of exposure to the sun, the environment, styling, and chemical treatments, creating porous regions. Keratin interacts with the porosity of the hair on its own. Too porous hair is the main contributor to hair breakage, knots, and frizz.
The spaces where keratin has been depleted are filled with keratin treatments, which reduce humidity and give hair a healthier look.
In order to make hair strands more flexible and glossy, salon personnel add the protein to them using a chemical process known as a keratin treatment. Although there are several keratin treatments, they all essentially involve injecting keratin into the porous areas of the hair follicle to strengthen the hair.
What are the benefits of keratin treatments?
Keratin treatments help to heal hair damage, much as other protein-based hair treatments. The protein that has been lost by your hair due to chemical procedures, heat styling, and other damaging situations may be replaced with keratin hair treatments. They fix the damaged areas, add shine, and eliminate frizz to make your hair more enticing and manageable.
- The damaging effects of the sun and other environmental factors are shielded from hair. The serum makes hair less vulnerable to breakage and damage. Reduces the time needed for blow-drying or styling hair significantly.
- Split ends look less noticeable after keratin treatments since the hair is rebounded. Additionally, by smoothing the hair cuticle, this treatment makes hair easier to handle and less frizzy. The keratin treatment also makes the hair seem lustrous.
- Our hair suffers damage and loses keratin when it is exposed to the sun and harmful pollutants. Keratins treatments help replace lost keratin by resupplying the hair with keratin. This leads to smooth, glossy hair as a consequence.
- Keratin may be used to thicken and fortify hair to prevent breakage. It can seem like the hair is growing more swiftly since the ends aren’t breaking off as much.
The strands are moisturized and made silky, smooth, robust, and shiny as one of the numerous benefits of keratin hair treatments. You may maximize the benefits of a keratin treatment by routinely washing your hair with a keratin shampoo and conditioner.
Do keratin hair treatments have any adverse effects?
Hair fall
Hair loss is a serious concern and one of the side effects of keratin treatments, especially if they are used often. It should be completely avoided at the time when hair is falling out and used only once a year after that.
Even while the Keratin protein itself does not directly cause hair loss, using too much formaldehyde in a treatment may have a number of unfavorable effects, including this one.
Even while formaldehyde may pose a health risk, this is not the reason why a Keratin treatment might cause you to lose more hair than normal. For keratin treatments, flat irons at high temperatures are employed.
The heat may be so intense that it destroys the protective proteins and layers of your hair, causing loss, damage, and excessive shedding. Similar to formaldehyde, using Keratin may have unfavorable side effects that cause you to experience what you were trying to avoid in the first place, even if hair loss and damage are not directly connected to the operation.
Formaldehyde which can cause cancer
Formaldehyde is included in many (but not all) keratin treatments, and it may hair harmful if breathed.
In actuality, formaldehyde is what gives the hair its straighter appearance.
Keratin treatments involve formaldehyde, which may cause cancer if the body is exposed to it for extended periods of time. It is advised to choose keratin treatments without formaldehyde to reduce danger.
Allergic reactions
Many people assert that getting keratin treatments makes them allergic. Itching and rash are signs. Since the components in the keratin treatment have the potential to cause allergic reactions, one must use care.
It may result in dull hair
The most common cause of this is sudden exposure to heat on the hair, which may happen during a treatment or when blow-drying. Patients lament the frizz, dryness, and fading of their hair. Additionally, many complain that their hair is straight even though they washed it twice in the evening and were promised by salons and beauty parlors that their hair will be curly and wavy and look very natural in a day or two.
How to Apply a Home Keratin Treatment
Now that you know how to DIY keratin hair treatment at home, you may give your locks a big makeover.
1. Shampoo your hair
For the advantages of complementary ingredients, wash your hair with an excellent keratin shampoo. If your hair is highly curly, add at least one extra wash. If your hair is straight, wash it twice.
Reminder: Avoid using conditioner. Make sure to properly rinse your hair as well.
2. Massage the treatment onto your hair
Hair may readily absorb the product if you gently towel dry it while still leaving some moisture in it. Apply the keratin treatment to your hair, working your way up from the tips. At one inch from the scalp, stop. Use the product and massage your hair gently.
3. Leave the treatment on your hair for 30 minutes.
Use a wide-tooth comb to gently comb your hair while the product is still in your hair. Allow the treatment to rest on your hair for 30 minutes after that.
4. Rinse your hair.
Make sure there is no product buildup left on your hair by giving it a thorough rinse since this might result in dandruff.
5. Blow dry and iron your hair
Brush your hair while blow-drying it. After the hair has dried fully, divide it into manageable portions and iron each one well to seal in the keratin. To ensure that the heat is distributed evenly, iron your hair in little sections at a time.
6. Wait until 48 hours
Keep your hair dry and don’t wash it for 48 hours. This allows the keratin treatment to penetrate your hair and do its job for longer. Make sure your hair is not tied back or tucked behind your ears. Just keep it straight and down.
7. Wash with shampoo and conditioner.
Use shampoo and conditioner while washing. After that, blow-dry your hair.
Conclusion
Thicker, frizzy hair may be simpler to maintain after a keratin treatment.
The procedure aims to smooth the cuticle of the hair, giving the strands a lustrous appearance. Additionally, it might speed up drying.
However, the treatments are pricey, and formaldehyde may be harmful if breathed in many formulations, so make sure you have the treatment in a well-ventilated room or choose a formaldehyde-free formula.