After having my fair share of keratin treatment mishaps, I decided to share with you how you can avoid going through the same thing! I’ve done some research, and here’s what I found.
After a keratin treatment, dry hair is not uncommon for people with very thin, fine, or damaged hair. The chemicals and heat used for this treatment can dry out the hair further, if not done correctly. That said, avoid using products that are too strong post-treatment, such as clarifying shampoos that might strip your hair of the keratin treatment.
Keep reading to find out more about the steps you can take to treat and prevent dry hair when doing a keratin treatment, so you can avoid suffering from dry, damaged hair!
How To Fix Dry Hair After Keratin Treatment
If your hair has taken a hit after your latest keratin treatment, don’t despair! This is more common than you think, and fortunately, there are things you can do to repair your tresses from drab to fab.
The safest way to fix dry hair after a keratin treatment is to firstly trim your ends as they will often be the driest part of your hair and hard to repair. Then, use a deeply moisturizing treatment like the Olaplex No 3 Repairing Treatment to repair your dry hair and prevent further damage. You can purchase this treatment from Amazon for $28.00.
01. Give Your Hair a Trim.
The ends of your hair are much more difficult to remedy when dry compared to your roots. This is because they don’t receive as much of the natural oils and nutrients from your scalp that your roots do.
Sometimes the best thing to do to remedy this problem is to give your ends a good trim. Doing this will immediately give your hair a smoother, healthier appearance, and will also allow your hair to grow back healthier and stronger in the long-term.
02. Use a Strong Moisturizer.
If your hair is super dry post-treatment, you’ll need to invest in a really good moisturizer to restore moisture to your hair. Leave it in for about an hour and wash it out with cool, clean water.
I recommend CHI Keratin Leave-in Conditioner, as it already contains some keratin in it, so it will both strengthen your hair and add moisture. It will also help prevent dandruff on the scalp, which is another common side effect of a keratin treatment.
03. Choose Your Shampoo Carefully.
Your treated hair requires gentle shampoos with micro keratin that will enhance the treatment over time and will keep it looking fresh and straighter for longer.
This one is so important! If your hair is feeling a little dry post-treatment, it is vital that you choose a shampoo carefully, as your average supermarket products will likely contain harmful ingredients that can dry out your hair further.
Ingredients you need to avoid are any sulfates or sodium chloride (salt). Sulfates deplete your natural oils from your hair and scalp, and destroy the acid that keeps your scalp healthy and free from bacteria.
Salt is gritty and damaging, as it creates a thickening effect when you shampoo which will dissolve the keratin coating and wash out your expensive keratin treatment much quicker. Not ideal!
I recommend using Damila Sulfate & Salt-Free Shampoo & Conditioner Post Keratin Hair Treatment for the best results.
04. Be Careful How You Style Your Hair.
After a keratin treatment, it is so important that you treat your hair gently and with care. With that being said, it is recommended that you avoid using accessories such as headbands, clips, ponytails, hats, sunglasses or braids. Additionally, try and resist the urge to tuck your hair behind your ears.
All the above actions can cause unwanted kinks or tension in your newly treated hair, which is definitely not what your hair needs after it has been through an intense treatment.
05. Invest in a Silk Pillowcase.
If your hair is feeling super-dry post-treatment, sleeping on a normal cotton pillowcase is only going to worsen this condition. The friction between your hair and the cotton can cause it to become extremely dry, knotty, and frizzy, and can cause your keratin treatment to come out prematurely.
Rather invest in a silk pillowcase, which will be much softer on your hair. You’ll definitely notice the difference in your hair (and skin) after using a silk pillowcase instead of a cotton one!
How To Prevent Dry Hair After Keratin Treatment
If you’re new to keratin treatments and aren’t too sure what to do to prevent your hair from drying out or damage, then you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading for some great tips on how to keep your hair looking and feeling its best.
The best way to prevent dry hair after a keratin treatment is to practice proper hair care, such as only using sulfate-free and sodium-free shampoos as sulfates dry out hair and sodium actually dissolves keratin. Also, give your hair a break from heat styling tools and dyeing. That said, avoid washing your hair for 2 days after your treatment.
01. Do Not Wet Hair Too Often.
A good rule of thumb post-keratin treatment is to avoid getting your hair wet within the first 3 days, and wash sparingly in the weeks after. Remember, keratin treatments are semi-permanent which means that the more frequently you wash your hair, the faster it will wash out. This is not ideal, considering the sheer cost of these treatments!
Most importantly, you need to avoid the swimming pool for at least 2 weeks post-treatment. The chlorine found in swimming pools with ruin your keratin treatment. So unless you have money to burn, I recommend keeping your hair away from the swimming pool!
02. Do Not Touch Your Hair Too Much.
Touching your hair all the time is not good for your keratin-treated hair whatsoever! The reason behind this is that the more you touch it, the greasier it becomes. When your hair looks greasy, you will be tempted to wash it more often which will only dry it out unnecessarily and place wear and tear on your treatment.
Touching your hair can also create unwanted kinks, which will ruin the look of your new treatment.
03. Avoid Using High Heat (365° F recommended).
The heat from your hot styling tools can be extremely damaging to your keratin-treated hair. This is because the heat can actually melt away the keratin layers on your strands. To prevent this, rather stick to the recommended temperature of 365° F.
Additionally, you should be using a heat-protector spray on your hair prior to applying heat, to shield your hair from damage and drying out.
04.Don’t Overdo The Gym.
While the gym may be super good for your body, the same cannot be said for your hair! The sweat you produce when you exercise can make your hair dirty and full of build-up, which will require you to wash it (which may cause your treatment to wash out prematurely).
Even if you use a dry shampoo, the excess sweat on your scalp will interfere with your keratin treatment setting in. To avoid all this, rather plan to start your gym routine 2 weeks after you have had your treatment done.
05.Do Not Use Heavy Oils.
While I usually recommend oils to revive dry, damaged hair, this is not the case with keratin-treated hair. While these oils do work wonders by sinking deep into your hair cuticles and providing moisture, they do need to be rinsed out afterward with lots of shampoos, which can interfere with your keratin setting in properly.
If you over-shampoo too soon, you will be left with dry, frizzy hair and your keratin treatment will be ruined!
06.Do Not Color Your Hair For 3 Weeks.
If you want to color your hair, I suggest that you do this prior to your keratin treatment, and certainly not after! The keratin seals the color in nicely, and provides a protective coating to your hair to prevent the color from fading.
If you color your hair post-treatment, the hair dye will struggle to penetrate your hair, and you may not get the color you wanted.
Do you, or someone you know, struggle with extremely dry hair after a color-treatment? Read our article here for all you need to know about treating and maintaining colored hair!
Related Questions
How long do keratin treatments last?
This really does depend on how you care for and maintain your hair post-treatment. However, the general lifespan of a keratin treatment is three to five months. If you use the right products and wash your hair sparingly, you should expect your keratin treatment to last you the whole five months.