Keratin is strong, so it won't dissolve in diluted acids, alkalines, solvents or waters. Your body has many chemicals in it, and none of them affect keratin. Therefore, many believe that keratin treatments are beneficial for their hair, nails and skin.
Keratin also protects epithelial cells from damage or stress. Keratin is extremely insoluble in water and organic solvents. Keratin monomers assemble into bundles to form intermediate filaments, which are tough and form strong unmineralized epidermal appendages found in reptiles, birds, amphibians, and mammals.
Keratin is dissolved in alkalies at high temperatures, such as sodium hydroxide (lye) or potassium hydroxide (potash). The alkali breaks the keratin protein down into small peptide chains and individual amino acids.
4. Avoid Swimming: Chlorine and Salt Water: Avoid swimming in chlorinated pools or salt water for at least two weeks after your treatment. Both chlorine and salt can strip keratin from your hair, drastically reducing the lifespan of the treatment.
Keratin is hydrophilic, meaning it feels very at home in an aquatic environment, which explains why skin cells absorb water. If the cells swell in the process, the keratin filaments are stretched, which in turn costs elastic energy much like in a coil spring that is pulled.
What if my hair accidentally gets wet during the waiting period after my keratin treatment? If your hair accidentally gets wet, blow dry your hair immediately and then use a flat iron to re-straighten it.
Chlorine in pool water and salt in seawater can significantly compromise the integrity of a keratin treatment, stripping away its smoothing effects and potentially damaging your hair.
Keratin Hair Treatment and Salt Water
Saltwater is gentler on the hair than chlorine and won't strip away keratin. If you plan to swim in salt water, it's important to rinse your hair with fresh water after swimming to help protect the treatment from fading.
Bathing and Showering: When showering or bathing, always use a high-quality shower cap to keep your hair completely dry. Ensure the cap covers all your hair and is tight enough to prevent water from seeping in.
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is a mild detergent that is used in many shampoo products in order to lather the hair. This ingredient is responsible for stripping out colour from hair and washes out keratin from treated hair.
Keratin is strong, so it won't dissolve in diluted acids, alkalines, solvents or waters. Your body has many chemicals in it, and none of them affect keratin. Therefore, many believe that keratin treatments are beneficial for their hair, nails and skin.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Different Types of Hair
"You should also try not to use it right before or right after a chemical treatment, such as a coloring or a keratin job because the pH can affect the treatment you're having [or just had] done."
After one week you can use Virgin coconut oil on keratin treated hair. Virgin coconut oil binds to the hair and can reduce keratin loss during wash cycles. Olive oil is also completely safe to use on keratin treated hair, as it is natural.
Salicylic acid to break up the keratin, causing the thick skin to soften and be shed, thus reducing the thickness of the skin. Urea-based agents to increase the content of water in the skin and soften the area. This can help to break up the keratin, although to a lesser extent than salicylic acid.
Solubilization of keratinaceous material is poor in hydrogen peroxide solutions where the pH is less than 9; however, when a solution of 1% H2O 2 is brought to pH 10 by adding roughly 1* by weight of NaOH it can release over 80% of the weight of crude keratin chicken feathers as soluble protein (Example 3) .
The treatment usually takes about 1-3 hours, and lasts about 3 months. (A keratin treatment is different from hair relaxing, or chemical straightening, which lasts until your hair grows out.) Keratin treatments can be very effective if you have coarse or unruly strands.
One of the common culprits for frizz after a keratin treatment is product buildup. Over time, styling products, oils, and environmental pollutants can accumulate on the hair. So, they start creating a layer of residue that weighs it down and compromises the effectiveness of the keratin treatment.
We would advise waiting 48 to 72 hours before washing your hair if you underwent an at-home keratin treatment. Because if you do it that way, all of the keratin will have been absorbed by your hair cuticles.
Getting your hair wet before the 48-hour waiting period can disrupt the keratin bonding process. This can lead to: Frizz and loss of straightness. Decreased effectiveness of the treatment.
"After any Keratin Treatment, the Moisture vs. Protein balance in our hair will be "out-of-sync" due to the high protein concentration used during the procedure. This will cause hair to feel rough, coarse and brittle in the short or long term if nothing is done to counteract it.
Avoid activities like swimming, sauna's and spa's for at least two weeks! Don't tie your hair up in a ponytail or clip it too tightly. We recommend avoid brushing your hair for the first 24-48 hours. The Keratin treatment needs to have sufficient time to be fully absorbed into the hair.
Swim Smart
Avoid getting your hair wet for some time post-treatment. Chlorine in pools and saltwater in the ocean can weaken the keratin bond, so if you must swim, saturate your hair with fresh water beforehand and apply a leave-in conditioner for extra protection.
You'll also find Keratin throughout the rest of the animal kingdom. It gives structure to sheep's wool, rhinoceros horn, nails, claws, hooves, beaks, quills, and various calluses and corns. Keratin is a protective protein. It is completely insoluble in hot or cold water.
For the first few days, it's crucial to flat iron your hair twice daily. Heat reactivates the keratin treatment. This implies that if you flat iron your hair, the treatment will not be ruined. The keratin will instead be fully sealed inside the hair fibre.
Covering grey hair after a keratin treatment can be done using natural hair coloring methods such as henna or vegetable-based dyes. Consult with a professional hairstylist for personalized advice.