Keratin is a fibrous protein that helps in the formation process of hair and nails. This substance is responsible for 90% of the hair and can guarantee the strength, elasticity of the hair fiber as it is rich in amino acids such as arginine, cysteine, leucine, and others.
Although hair is made up of keratin, this substance is easily lost day after day. In everyday life, external aggression, such as pollution, sun rays, wind, chlorine, dust, chemicals, and the high temperature of the hair dryers, straighteners, and curlers, damage the hair fiber. Those factors are mainly responsible for eliminating the natural keratin present in the hair. The consequence of hair without keratin is weakening, breaking and dryness.
The best way to restore keratin to transitional hair is through a capillary reconstruction. This is a treatment, part of a care routine that we call it a capillary schedule, which includes home hydration, nutrition, and reconstruction.
What Is Capillary Schedule And Should I Do It? |
Types Of Keratin For Your Hair
Liquid Keratin For Your Hair
This liquid version of the protein is more concentrated and it is present in smaller amounts in shampoos, conditioners, ampoules, creams and hair masks. Specialists can apply it directly to the hair through the nanoqueratinization technique, which is an intense process for hair revitalization.
The particles of the protein penetrate in the hair fiber with the help of a special brush and finish with a ceramic plate to seal the open cuticles. Look for a professional who can make the application.
Hydrolyzed Keratin For Your Hair
Hydrolyzed Keratin is industrially processed keratin and dissolved in water. It easily penetrates in the hair and quickly recovers the damaged cuticle. It has low molecular weight and does not weigh the hair. We can find hydrogenated keratin in the liquid, gel, and some reconstitution products. We recommend you to use it a couple of times a month, or every fifteen days.
Due to the moisturizing capacity, keratin increases the water content of the hair, restoring the shine. Hydrolyzed Keratin is excellent to provide intensive strengthening of unstructured, brittle, and elastic hair. Some of the main characteristics of Hydrolyzed Keratin are:
- Strengthens and restructures hair shafts.
- It restores losses due to chemical aggression as well as natural agents (sun, dust, salt, etc.).
- The increased collagen favors the emollience of the hair.
Product suggestion
Hask Keratin Protein Smoothing Shampoo
Hydrogenated Keratin For Your Hair
This is the most common and we can see it in a lot of cosmetics. Its use is suitable for maintenance of lighter hair treatments, so if your hair is severely damaged, this version may not be enough. We also do not advise a daily use. The best is to use it only when you feel that the hair fiber requires special care.
Vegetable Keratin (Phytokeratin) For Your Hair
It is very similar to the natural keratin present in our hair. There are also hydrolyzed or hydrogenated versions. Its composition is hydrolyzed proteins from rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, and algae.
Product suggestion
PHYTOKÉRATINE EXTRÊME Botanical Exceptional Shampoo
Animal Keratin For Your Hair
Usually this keratin comes from sheep’s wool, bird feathers. It is broken down by small amino acids to penetrate into the cuticle (outer part of the strands) and remain in the hair shaft. If you apply incorrectly or excessively, it can look bad on your hair.
How To Know If Your Hair Needs Keratin Reconstruction?
If you want to know precisely if your hair needs reconstruction, a porosity test is the best. To do this, simply take your hair and put it in a transparent container with water.
The hair shaft reaction will tell you the results. If hair floats, this means that the cuticles are normally healthy. If the hair does not sink but also doesn’t float, it needs nutrition to ensure the replacement of lip
ids. But if the hair sinks, it means that it is porous and needs rebuilding keratin reconstruction.
When To Use The Keratin?
In comparison to other treatments, reconstruction is the most potent stage of the capillary schedule. Precisely for this reason, the replacement of keratin should not be excessive because it can leave hardened hair. In general, for healthy hair, you should use keratin once every 15 days. Hair that does not have as much need of care can make an interval of 20 days. If your hair is in a critical condition, very brittle and elastic, you should do a weekly keratin treatment.
How To Use The Keratin?
You can use it in a variety of ways. Some reconstructive shampoos or creams already contain keratin in their formulas but in low amounts. When the treatment is more intense, it is necessary to opt for products containing this protein in a concentrated form, such as liquid keratin.
Here are some ways to use it on your hair:
Light Reconstruction
Wash with shampoo, and apply the liquid keratin, leave it on for 15 minutes, rinse and finish with conditioner. We recommend the TRESemmé Deep Moisture Shampoo and L’Oreal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Repairing Conditioner, perfect for damaged hair.
Medium reconstruction
Wash with shampoo, remove excess water, apply the keratin, avoiding the roots. Let it act for 15 minutes and rinse it well. Apply a moisturizing mask and wait the necessary time and rinse it. You can finish with conditioner, and allow it to dry naturally.
Hydration and Keratin
After the shampoo, mix keratin in your moisturizing cream and leave in the hair for the indicated time of the mask. Wash well afterward, finish with conditioner and rinse it.
Have in mind that the use of keratin does not replace the moisturizing cream or conditioner since it is relative to the stage of reconstruction of the hair.
What Causes Excess Of Keratin?
Remember that the it is like a protective cover on the strands, pure protein and fibers, so their excess can be harmful.
Too much keratin in the hair creates stiffness in the hair fiber. This causes dryness because it locks the hair from any moisture, and can also cause the hair to break as it becomes extremely stiff.
Therefore, always look at the dosage indication on the packages and make frequent use respecting the needs of your hair.
Keratin Treatments
Keratin treatments are widely used in the saloons, after all, it is one of the basic products to revitalize the hair. Some of the main treatments are:
Hair reconstruction
It is a replacement of proteins, keratin, amino acids, and minerals in the hair. It is for hair with excess chemistry, opaque, brittle, rough, dry, and difficult to comb. As a result, hair gains shine, softness, and movement.
Cauterization or Capillary Plaster
This treatment involves several steps. First, the cleaning, then hydration, and then a load of this protein concentrated on the hair. This treatment should be done in 3 to 4 sessions, with intervals of 20 days, on average.
Nanoqueratinization
This is a more modern treatment with a hairbrush attached to a device containing liquid keratin. This hairbrush releases the protein in the form of vapor and penetrates in the hair. The procedure ends after the ceramic plaque.
