All about keratin hair straightening

Every girl dreams of a well-groomed and lush hairstyle, but in the struggle for beauty, she often has to meet incompetent specialists and far from medical procedures in beauty salons. A novelty in the field of cosmetology is keratin hair straightening. But there are sometimes more questions about this procedure than answers. In this article, we will tell you in detail about the pros and cons of keratin straightening and all the nuances of this procedure.

Advertising posters claim that beautiful and shiny curls are not a dream, but a reality available to everyone. Experts promise that after the keratin straightening procedure, the hair becomes smooth, silky and gains a healthy glossy shine. The filamentous protein used in keratin enrichment gives hair flexibility and strength. And the procedure itself is not just about straightening, but about the treatment and restoration of hair.

But it is important to understand that the composition of preparations for keratin straightening includes formaldehyde. In the description of the composition, some manufacturers of hair care products may replace formaldehyde with methylene glycol or formalin. But this still means that when the hair is heated, such a composition is transformed into formaldehyde, which will penetrate deeply into the hair structure. And despite the fact that there is no direct contact of the composition with the skin, a large amount of harmful impurities, even in a volatile state, can lead to poisoning of the body.

Despite the complex composition, this procedure can be attributed to the therapeutic one. Weakened hair from the hot sun, cold strong winds and hard water needs nourishment. And after a perm, frequent lightening, a hot hair dryer and cosmetics with parabens, the hair needs full restoration. The hair filled with keratin is restored in the structure and easily tolerates various external factors and deformations. In addition, thin hair becomes denser, the outer scales are closed, thereby curls are less tangled, easier to comb and become more obedient and elastic.

Keratin penetrates into the structure of each hair and fills in the damaged areas, and also envelops each hair separately and covers it with a thin film, like a protective veil, thereby giving the curls a shiny glossy shine.

You can carry out keratin straightening with your own hands at home, but you will not be able to achieve the desired effect. And it is better to entrust the care of your hair to a professional. It is a qualified master who will be able to carry out the procedure with maximum effect and without harm to health. Turning to qualified professionals for hair restoration, you can achieve a stunning visual effect. The result after a salon treatment lasts longer than after a home procedure. Also, each brittle and damaged area will be filled with keratin nanomolecules, which will fill all cracks and voids in the hair structure.

When choosing a beauty salon, be sure to talk to the administrator and the master who will perform the procedure. Ask for details on the pros and cons of the procedure specifically for your hair. And also ask to be shown the hall in which it will be held. The main requirement that must be met by all beauty salons, without exception, is that keratin straightening is carried out in a well-ventilated room with an additional hood located directly above the client's chair. If there is no hood directly above the chair, choose another beauty salon, since the risk of being sent in volatile formaldehyde is quite high.

Before the procedure, consult with a specialist, ask for advice on the exact product that suits your hair. The most expensive drug is not necessarily the best option. But the selected tool must necessarily be of high quality, which is confirmed by the necessary documents and certificates.

It is not necessary to wash your hair at home immediately before going to the beauty salon for the procedure. Keratin straightening begins with washing your hair with a special shampoo, which deeply cleanses each hair from impurities and reveals the scales, which will ensure a deeper penetration of the protein into the structure. And only after that a keratin mask is applied to the dry strands, which is then sealed with a hot iron. After that, the remnants of the product must be washed off and styled with an iron again.

During the procedure, keratin can give off an unpleasant odor, and in order to protect the respiratory tract from volatile substances, the master offers the client a disposable mask. This point should be clarified even before he applies the keratin composition to the hair.

After the procedure, you should not dye your hair with ammonia dye, but it is better to do it shortly before keratin straightening. The colorist should be warned about the planned campaign for keratin recovery, since after straightening the shade of the hair can lighten by 1-2 tones, and this must be taken into account by both brunettes and blondes. Keratin straightening on newly colored hair will increase the color fastness for a longer period, since keratin will seal the coloring pigment in the hair structure. But with a large amount of gray hair, it will be possible to carry out root coloring 2 weeks after the procedure.

A thin film formed on the hair during the procedure will protect it from the negative effects of external and internal factors. And the result will be noticeable immediately after the procedure. The curls will become more silky, softer, smoother and have a glossy shine. Split ends will no longer be dry and brittle. And the resulting effect is enough for several months.

Like any other care procedure, keratin straightening has its pros and cons.

Advantages of the procedure in a beauty salon.

• Owners of curly and naughty strands will be able to forget about untidy and curly hairstyle for a long time. After keratin straightening, the hair becomes perfectly straight and silky, and this effect will last for several months.
• Keratin straightening is suitable for all hair types: oily, dry and normal.
• It is especially recommended to saturate the hair with keratin in a hot period, since it is necessary to protect not only the skin, but also the hair from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.
• After the procedure, the ends of the hair split less and do not get confused, which allows you to easily grow curls of the desired length.
• Keratin-filled hair is the most protected from dirt, dust and harmful gases that are crowded with modern cities.
• Even in wet weather, the curls do not "rise" and do not shag, and also do not electrify and are easily combed at any time.
• Dyed hair retains its bright original color for longer.
• Blonde girls can safely replace hair dyeing with keratin straightening, because after the procedure, the strands become lighter by 1-2 tones.
• If you repeat the procedure, it will take less time and money.
• Styling your hair on a daily basis will take less time.
• With proper care, the effect will last from several months to six months.

But despite the large number of advantages of this procedure, it is necessary to understand that positive results do not always indicate effectiveness and safety for health. And therefore, it is important to study all the disadvantages of keratin straightening.

• Not all girls can rightfully appreciate all the benefits of the procedure. Individual intolerance to drugs or allergies may cause rejection of it. The additives included in the composition can lead to burns of the mucous membranes, swelling of the respiratory tract, dizziness, nausea, weakness, increased heart rate and cramps in the limbs. And if for the first time the keratin straightening went without incident and trouble, the repeated procedure can cause the above problems, since formaldehyde or other harmful substances that make up the composition gradually accumulate in the body. Less common are intolerance or allergic reactions to keratin, but this fact should also be taken into account.
• The biggest disadvantage is that during the procedure you will breathe in harmful substances. And if there is no working powerful hood above the chair, the risk of getting poisoned is great.
• High cost. You will have to spend a lot of money on a quality procedure in a beauty salon. But do not save money and look for masters at home or select lower quality products at an affordable price. An unskilled master without training and the necessary set of tools can only aggravate the condition of the hair.
• Few girls will be happy to give up voluminous hairstyles for a long time.If you have naturally lush wavy hair, then most likely such a transformation and transformation of outwardly thick hair into straight ones will seem like a "sleek" greasy and unkempt hairstyle.
• You should not do procedures for hair loss, a rash on the head and the presence of scratches - initially it is necessary to get rid of all the problems associated with the general condition of the hair, and only after that carry out the procedure. When filled with keratin, the strands become denser and heavier, which is why most of the problems can only get worse.
• During pregnancy and breastfeeding, this procedure is contraindicated due to the high proportion of the risk of poisoning with volatile substances.
• Attempts to make Hollywood curls after keratin straightening will not be crowned with success. Curls will be less firm and less firm.
• By thickening the hair, keratin also makes it heavier. And if the curls are too damaged and brittle, then there is a risk that they may not withstand a lot of weight and begin to break in length.
• A long procedure - owners of long curls will have to spend about 5 hours at the first visit to the salon.

But despite the large number of disadvantages and contraindications, owners of dull and brittle hair, as well as girls with naughty and curly strands, will be able to appreciate the visual effect of beautiful and healthy hair with the right approach. But if the main goal is to make the curls straight for a long time, then it is better to consider other types of care procedures, since the main task of keratin straightening is to restore the destroyed hair structure.

It is not worth carrying out the procedure on short hair (up to 6-8 cm), since if the root zone is not treated, the effect of the procedure will be invisible. But for the length of the hairstyle up to the shoulders, keratin straightening is ideal. It will protect your hair from damage and eliminate problems with split ends for six months, especially if the hair is split along its entire length, which will allow you to grow your dream hairstyle during this time and get rid of bangs without any problems. In one procedure, short and brittle strands will become well-groomed and shiny.

This procedure is more popular among girls with bob hairstyles and owners of long unruly hair. Owners of curly hairstyles with small curls should not place high hopes on keratin straightening. Firstly, the effect will last less on coarse and unruly hair than on fine hair. And it is possible that you will not be able to achieve the desired effect after the first session.

And secondly, during the procedure, the master will not process the root zone, thus about 2 cm of hair on the crown will remain frizzy and unruly. And such a hairstyle is hardly the desired ideal. And the owners of smooth hair at the roots with large and elastic curls at the ends can get the effect of wavy and obedient curls along the entire length.

You can get an excellent result after the procedure only if it is carried out correctly, which includes not only the execution technology, but also the correctly selected materials and tools. Keratin straightening must be performed with proper quality products.

All drugs are divided into two groups: natural and chemical. The fixing agent of natural origin is goat keratin, and of the chemical origin is formaldehyde. And as manufacturers of cosmetics assure, the small content of harmful substances in the chemical composition does not have a negative effect on the condition of the hair and the body. Based on this, we can say that natural and chemical preparations differ only in the period of keeping keratin in the hair. The effect after keratin straightening with a chemical composition is almost two times greater than when using a natural remedy.

The keratin straightening kit also includes:

• highly purified shampoo;
• disposable negligee;
• rubber gloves;
• two combs with frequent and rare teeth;
• plastic clips for dividing curls into separate sections;
• a brush for applying the drug;
• plastic bowl;
• ceramic iron;
• hairdryer;
• sulfate-free shampoo and balm;
• respiratory protection mask.

In a beauty salon, the entire procedure is divided into three stages: cleansing, nutrition and straightening. And the whole process can take from 2 to 5 hours depending on the length of the curls. During its implementation, the master must follow the technique and follow the step-by-step instructions.

• First of all, the master thoroughly rinses the curls with a special shampoo with a deep degree of cleaning, and then dries them with a hairdryer - this is necessary to open the outer layer of the hair. Then the curls will be most ready for the effects of keratin.
• After that, each strand is alternately treated with a special keratin solution. It is applied to the entire length, but at the same time the master retreats from the root zone by 1-2 cm so that there is no direct contact of the product with the scalp. The order of development of the zones is as follows: the back of the head, temples and parietal part. It takes about 30 minutes for the keratin composition to be absorbed into the hair structure.
• Then, when the hair is dry after the mask, each strand is worked through with a hot ceramic iron, heated to 230 degrees. During heating, keratin curls up in the structure of each hair, then the scales close. This forms the top protective coating. But if the master has applied less keratin composition than required, there is a risk of "burning" the curls, and not restoring them. And vice versa, if the funds are applied in excess, then after the procedure, the curls will quickly get dirty and become greasy.
• Each strand is ironed 4-5 times. But if the task is to create a flowing canvas of curls with a glossy shine from curly strands, then the master can process each separate zone 8-10 times. If necessary, if the manufacturer of the keratin composition has indicated this moment, the product is washed off the hair with running warm water, and then the curls are thoroughly washed with sulfate-free shampoo. Then a balm is applied to the wet strands to nourish and moisturize, and after a couple of minutes they are rinsed with water.
• Towel-dried hair is blow-dried and pulled out again with an iron.

After the procedure, a specialist will advise on how to care for your hair in the near future, so that the keratin is fixed and the result is preserved for a long time.

Basic recommendations after the procedure.

• You should refrain from visiting the sauna, swimming pool, walking in the rain and taking a bath. In high humidity, keratin can break down.
• It is recommended to wash your hair with warm boiled water.
• The usual shampoo must be replaced with sulfate-free, the master will be able to advise the appropriate brand after the procedure.
• You cannot tie your hair into a bun, braid, wear hats, use hairpins - any creases and kinks will not have the best effect on the result. In addition, the extra visual volume created by the bouffant can destroy the hair structure.
• After the procedure, you cannot use oils, hair sprays, mousses, perfumes and deodorants - they can weigh down the curls, adding extra weight.
• You should also give up for a while from a hot hair dryer, it is better to leave the curls to dry naturally.
• It is necessary to abandon hair dyeing with ammonia dye; in the next two weeks, only tinting agents can be used to maintain the desired shade.

In the next couple of months, it is not recommended to contact with salt sea water, and also to wash your hair often, otherwise keratin will quickly leave the hair structure and the result will be less persistent. You can go to the bathhouse and visit the pool with special headdresses that will protect your hair from high temperatures and chloride hard water.

Hair care products will need to be replaced with special keratin cosmetics. The minimum set includes shampoo, conditioner, balm and mask. Also, it will not be superfluous to use oil for the ends a month after the procedure so that they do not dry out and become brittle. But do not place high hopes on keratin straightening as a means of getting rid of dry ends. The problem of unkempt hairstyles with brittle ends can only be solved by making a haircut. But when to cut your hair - before or after the procedure - it's up to you.

With proper care, the result after keratin straightening will be noticeable from a couple of months to six months. The duration is influenced by the quality of the composition used, the features of the hair structure and proper care. Do not think that during this time you will have to go with one hairstyle. A couple of weeks after the procedure, you can curl your hair with a curling iron or wind it on curlers, you can also add extra volume to it with the help of a fleece. And besides, it will be possible to change the hair color: lighten, highlight or dye it in a rich and deep shade.

Most of the positive reviews boil down to the fact that much less time is needed for daily care after the procedure. It is enough just to wash your hair, apply a nourishing balm, comb and dry the curls in the usual way. And now, for styling, which previously required half an hour, you need to spend only a few minutes. In addition, there is no need to use various means for fixing hair.

Keratin allows you to soak weakened hair that has suffered from unsuccessful curling, frequent lightening or daily use of a hot curling iron. And if the structure is not completely destroyed, then the result will certainly please, as evidenced by the positive reviews. Otherwise, the masters are advised to cut the weakened strands, in which the chemical bonds are irretrievably destroyed. Since keratin will only make the damaged area heavier, causing fragile hair to break in length, girls who are faced with this hair feature are asked to pay attention to this.

Among the large number of positive and negative reviews, one can also find contradictory comments. It often happens that after the first procedure, the hair became smooth and silky, but upon a return visit to the salon, the expected result was not achieved. But it is quite obvious that a little time has passed between the sessions and the interval should have been increased, then the external health of the hair would be noticeable.

In negative reviews, it is often said that during the first two months after the procedure, the hair began to fall out intensively. But this does not always indicate the quality of the procedure. Nervous shocks, stress, hormonal disruptions and various diseases suffered during this period can also negatively affect the quality of hair. Therefore, when analyzing their condition after keratin straightening, it is also necessary to take into account the general condition of the body during this period.

Judging by the reviews, those girls who have chosen the salon procedure are satisfied with the effect obtained and in the future turn to the masters for repeated keratin straightening as needed.

For information on how to carry out the procedure for keratin hair straightening, see the next video.