Have you heard of a capillary schedule? It is a hair treatment that consists of hydrating, nourishing, and reconstruction.
If you have never heard of a hair schedule, it is because you have certainly not had to do any intensive hair repairs in the past few months. This treatment agenda is necessary for women who want to replenish the nutrients in the hair, recovering the hair health lost in chemical processes and daily life.
The capillary schedule gives an incredible result and restores the strands because it consists of the three treatments that the hair needs most. According to the need, this care routine includes hydration, nutrition, and reconstruction of the damaged hair fiber. Before joining, you need to know what your hair needs the most to focus on one stage or another.
Nothing better than leaving the salon with that incredible hair, hydrated, soft, and with a super movement, right? But, we know that this treatment with a professional is not done as frequently as we wish. So what really matters is investing in the capillary schedule! The truth is that often, we end up taking care of our hair more often at home, due to costs and practicality. However, many people believe that home hair care is all about hydration.
It is not that hydration is not essential, because it is. But it is not enough to supply all hair needs. It would be like giving only water to a hungry person. That’s where the hair schedule comes in. It is essential for maintaining complete hair health.
In this article, we are going to tell you how to maintain a homemade care routine by setting up a simple and very, very, very effective hair schedule!
What Is The Capillary Schedule?
The term may seem technical and complicated, but the capillary schedule is nothing more than an agenda of treatments to recover the healthy characteristics of the hair. The schedule is divided into 3 steps that must be done separately: hydration, nutrition, and reconstruction. Hydration will do water replacement (how do you know if your hair needs hydration?), nutrition will do lipid replacement (Does your hair need nutrition?). Reconstruction will do protein replacement (how do you know that hair needs reconstruction? ).
Experts recommend that people organize the program in a table that specifies the days of the reconstruction, hydration, and nutrition procedures for the strands. Only a complete schedule in this way can make hair back to be completely healthy. This is because each of the steps promotes specific care and gives the hair all the care they need. The procedures within the schedule can be made from pre-existing schedules or customized according to the hair need.
How It Works?
Our hair needs certain nutrients to stay healthy. In the capillary schedule, these nutrients are divided into three stages: Hydration, nutrition, and reconstruction. These steps are divided over a period of one month, and the amount of each one will depend on the need for each hair.
As you will use the 3 forms of treatment, it is possible to treat all hair problems. This schedule replaces the natural nutrients in the hair that, due to the chemicals used, are lost over time.
It doesn’t have much effect on nourishing your hair if it doesn’t have enough water to absorb the nutrition. There is also no point in rebuilding the hair if it is not nourished or hydrated enough to maintain malleability. The reconstruction will harden the hair and cause it to break. For this reason, sometimes we buy a hair mask. The result is terrible: probably his hair was dehydrated, and the mask was made for reconstruction.
Capillary Schedule Benefits
As we said, the capillary schedule has three stages, hydration, nutrition, and reconstruction. Each of them has different benefits. Find out more about them:
Benefits of hydration
It combats the opacity of the threads, thus making them brighter and softer. So it avoids split ends and hair loss.
Benefits of nutrition
It reduces frizz, provides life and movement. Above all, it leaves the hair healthier and fuller. It also seals the cuticles and prolongs the effects of hair hydration.
Benefits of reconstruction
It will recover your hair’s health because it restores the damage, and, as the name says, it reconstructs the hair fiber, returning the hair texture.
Who Should Do Capillary Schedule?
Everyone can make the capillary schedule – hair that has undergone chemical processes, porous, brittle, damaged, dull and dry hair.
The capillary schedule is suitable for all hair types, regardless of its texture or curvature, since all strands can suffer from external factors.
Although recommended for all types of hair and texture, the capillary schedule is especially important for two groups: curly and those who use and abuse chemistry. In the case of curls case, there is natural wear on the hair fiber because the natural oil generated on the scalp cannot “”slide”” through the hair. Meanwhile, processes such as coloring, straightening, progressive, among others, contain substances that deeply attack the hair fiber, causing wire wear and dryness.
The Three Steps
Step 1: Hydration
Proper hydration is essential for shine and softness in your hair. It is the basis of the capillary schedule, and it does not act deeply on the hair, but it is indispensable for the beauty and health of hair.
The word hydration refers to water, doesn’t it? And that is exactly the function of this step. Its job is to replenish the moisture and hair nutrients to the hair, lost by the hair daily, due to external actions such as wind, sun, pollution, and heat tools like the dryer.
The capillary cortex, the innermost part of the hair shafts, is the beneficiary of it. This is because natural water guarantees the flexibility against breakage and the pleasant sensation of softness that we feel when we touch the hair.
Vegetable glycerin is a natural moisturizer and conditioning agent. It has no chemical alteration, so it is capable of obtaining better results when it comes to water retention and absorption.
It is recommended to hydrate at least once a week.
Hydration Components: |
Vitamins (vitamin A, B, B5, E, etc.) |
The Coconut oil deeply moisturizes, restores shine and softness, and combats frizz and split ends. Aloe Vera, as a component, treats the scalp against hair loss, dandruff and also stimulates hair growth. D-panthenol promotes vitality for the hair. It has anti-inflammatory action, and improves the texture of the hair.
How it is done:
In general, hydration is done using a mask that has these components that I mentioned above. You can also make homemade mixes. To moisturize your hair use a good moisturizing mask that contains some of the assets below. Hair masks are essential products in the capillary schedule. Because it has more concentrated components, the mask acts on the hair for a long time, even after washing.
Learn more about Hair Hydration With Castor Oil
Product Suggestions
Nutritive Irisome Masquintense Mask, by Kérastase – For fine hair | Kérastase Reflection Chroma Riche Mask by Kerastase – For hair with highlights | Mask Densifique Masque Densite by Kerastase – For hair growth |
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Step 2: Nutrition
The nutrition stage consists of replacing the lipids in the hair, especially in dry and porous hair. They have an inherent lack of sebum (fat) in the hair. But what are lipids? Basically, they are fats produced by the scalp’s sebaceous glands, and their function is to give a protective layer to the strands, leaving them soft, flexible, shiny, and with the cuticles aligned.
The nutrition stage consists of using products that contain oils, butter, and other moisturizing components. We can say that this stage is an oil bath in your hair.
The composition of products with nutrient action promotes hair reconstruction and avoid unwanted split ends.
These components will allow the lipids to act on the strands and obtain the desired results for this step.
It is through capillary nutrition that vital energy of the hair will be reinforced, which, in a certain way, has been eroded by the most varied external agents such as sun, wind, seawater, swimming pool, chemicals, and others.
Components of Nutrition |
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Amla Oil: This oil is rich in Vitamin C and Flavonoids. It reduces split ends and strengthens the strands;
Argan Oil: The Argan oil controls frizz and leaves hair healthy;
Avocado Oil: It is rich in Vitamins A, D, and E, and it regenerates and nourishes the hair deeply. This oil also promotes hair fiber regeneration and nutrition.
Learn more about Avocado oil
Castor Oil: It has a strengthening action preventing breakage, and fighting the hair loss caused by breakage
Coconut Oil: This oil is rich in Vitamin E and Fatty Acids
Mango Oil: This oil is rich in Vitamins A, C B1, B2, and B5. It strengthens the hair and leaves it super defined (perfect for wavy and curly hair).
Olive Oil: Being rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and antioxidants, olive oil keeps the moisture in the hair. The presence of unsaturated fatty acids also helps to make your hair brighter
Sunflower Oil: This oil moisturizes and increases hair shine.
In general, everything that is oil or butter is nutritious. Also, the egg protein is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and antioxidants.
How it is done:
Hair nutrition can be done in three ways:
Masks for nutrition: The capillary nutrition is done in the same way as hydration, using a mask that contains the components mentioned above, or, making a homemade mixture.
Choose creams composed of oils and some kinds of butter that will replace the hair’s oiliness during the bath, with fast action that can vary between two and five minutes.
Humectation with vegetable oil: Treatment in which the hair is bathed with vegetable oils before being washed. In it, the product is allowed to act for 30 minutes, and then the washing procedure is followed normally.
Night humectation: Treatment indicated for very dry hair. Night Humectation is done with vegetable oils applied to dirty hair and act on the threads during sleep, being washed only the next day.
Capillary humectation is a stage of capillary nutrition. It is another way of providing nutrition, however, in a more profound way. This is because nutrition, in this case, is performed with the application of pure vegetable oil directly on the hair. After that, it is necessary to leave the oil for a few hours, so that the fiber absorbs the oil. This type of procedure is more suitable for those who have really dry hair.
Product Suggestions
Moroccanoil Argan Oil Moisturizing Mask | FusionPlex Shampoo & Conditioner Duo by Wella | Wella Professionals Fusion Intense Repair Mask |
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Truss Infusion Shampoo | Truss Infusion Conditioner | Professional Specific Mask, by Truss |
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The Wella treatment kit is for damaged hair. It will repair, restore give softness, and strength the hair with unique technology.
The Truss treatment kit is for dry, opaque, and brittle hair. It moisturizes, rebuilds, and repairs hair damage.
Step 3: Reconstruction
The hair is constantly exposed to various aggressions that make it weak, brittle, and dry. What also damages the hair are chemical processes, pollution, wind, and sunlight. Hair reconstruction is a very effective treatment for these problems. It gives life back to the hair and prevents further damage to the hair. It is the “”heaviest”” step in the schedule, and it is responsible for rebuilding the hair fiber, restoring the protein of the hair, especially keratin.
Keratin is a protein produced by the human body, representing about 90% of the hair’s hair’s constitution. It is responsible for ensuring strength, elasticity, and resistance to the hair fiber, as it is extremely rich in amino acids and a powerful reconstructor of the damaged fiber.
Since it is the most powerful step in the capillary schedule, reconstruction must be done based on the real need for the hair. Only extremely damaged and elastic strands need to recover all the lost capillary mass and undergo hair reconstruction weekly. Otherwise, every 15 days is the most suitable period.
The process deposits keratin, proteins, amino acids, and minerals in the hair. All of these are essential moisturizers for the structure of the hair. These components treat the outer layers of the hair shaft. They are responsible for the shine, softness, and natural balance of the hair.
The results n can be seen in the first session. The hair already shows signs of recovery in texture and becomes stronger and more resistant.
Components of Reconstruction
Arginine: It works by reconstructing the hair fiber, starting from the outside to the inside.
Collagen: The Collagen retains water and unifies cuticles. It also moisturizes, maintains the shape of the curls and prevents breakage;
Creatine: It repairs damage and makes up the keratin chain of the threads
Cysteine: It acts in the reconstruction and strengthening of the hairs, evenly aligning the cuticles.
Keratin: Rich in amino acids, keratin reconstructs the hair fiber, promoting healthier hair.
How it is done:
In the same way as the previous ones, using your own mask or a little mix.
Cauterization: Cauterization is a step within the reconstruction, where only keratin is used, to give a super load on the threads, and seal with the aid of a heat source.
The keratin is the main asset responsible for rebuilding the hair fiber. You need to take extra care when performing hair reconstruction with pure liquid keratin. Over-application can harden the hair and cause breakage. When you want to do hair reconstruction, choose moisturizing masks with keratin in the composition. If you really want to rebuild the strands with pure liquid keratin, be very careful with the amount or look for a professional to do it. Also, avoid making reconstructions many times in a row. The best way is to include it in the capillary schedule to alternate with the other treatments.
Product Suggestions
Moroccanoil Restorative Hair Mask – quickly revitalizes weak and dyed hair | L’Oreal Paris Hair Care Elvive Total Repair 5 |
Joico K-PAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor – it recovers vitality and healthy appearance. |
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How Does It Work In Practice?
The basic schedule consists of six hydrations, three nutrition, and a capillary reconstruction. Each process is done on alternate days (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, for example). For this treatment routine to work, you must first create a weekly treatment schedule and follow it.
Capillary Schedule Suggestion
- First week: Hydration/Hydration/Nutrition
- Second week: Hydration/Hydration/Nutrition
- Third week: Hydration/Hydration/Reconstruction
- Fourth week: Hydration/Hydration/Nutrition
This schedule is just a suggestion. As for products, you can follow our suggestion we already mentioned above.
Remember: Before applying the moisturizing mask, the hair must be washed with shampoo. After these three weeks, depending on your hair’s condition, you can continue the treatment or wait a month and repeat the process.
For beginners of the schedule, I recommend that you follow the Basic capillary Schedule. This table is very basic and meets the needs of all hair in general. After following it for a month, you will already know your hair more and know how to identify your needs, then yes, you can assemble your own schedule.
The best capillary schedule is the one based on the needs of your hair. Once you know them, the sequence of treatments will be defined.
Steps to make your own capillary schedule
Step 1: Identify the need for your hair
Before you start, you need to understand what your hair asks for. If the case is dryness, lack of movement, and roughness to the touch, it needs more hydration sessions. Or for example, your hair is brittle with less density, it is time to invest in reconstruction
2nd Step: Choose the right products for the hair schedule
It is essential to select the ingredients to obtain all the effects of the capillary schedule. Above we have provided a great list of components for each stage that you can use.
In hydration, the mask used must be formulated with ingredients that return the thread’s natural moisture. Some of them are Vitamin B5 (also known as panthenol), aloe vera, wheat germ, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, lanolin, seaweed, etc.
For nutrition, prefer the formulas based on vegetable oils extracted from fruits, seeds, and plants rich in fatty acids, vitamins A and E and omegas 3, 6, and 9, which protect the hair from daily aggressions. The most used are argan oil, macadamia oil, shea butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, and olive oils.
When it comes to reconstruction, invest in masks with proteins and amino acids. These elements reconstruct the hair fiber naturally and strengthen the strands against breakage. The most well-known protein present in hair is keratin. Also, use sericin, vegetable proteins, peptides, and lactic acid.
3rd Step: Make a treatment schedule
Plan to do the treatments your hair needs the most. Always start with hydration.
How To Identify The Need For Your Hair?
Although the hair schedule has three treatment steps, it is usually just one of them that will become the primary treatment, and this has to do with the needs of your hair. And therein comes the question: “”but how am I supposed to know which stage of care my hair needs?”.” The answer to that question is very simple: do a porosity test. This procedure is very simple and can be done quickly at home.
Taking the porosity test
Cut a piece of hair, preferably from the ends. Put water into a glass and throw the hair shaft inside. Wait for about 2 minutes and check the glass.
The results:
If your hair floats, it has low porosity and needs only a light hydration treatment. Therefore, it will carry out the hair schedule with a focus on hydration.
If your hair sinks halfway through the glass, your locks are with medium porosity. Therefore, it is time to invest heavily in hair nutrition.
If the hair sinks to the bottom of the glass, its porosity is high. This means that the hair is probably very damaged. To solve this problem, the reconstruction step will be a priority in your capillary schedule.
If the hair floats: HYDRATION → hair with low porosity: when the cuticles are closed, hair without shine, armed and dry.
When your hair doesn’t float or sink: NUTRITION → medium porosity hair: the strands are healthy and can absorb the treatments, but even healthy, your hair has frizz and a porous aspect.
If the hair sinks: RECONSTRUCTION → hair with high porosity: porous, and brittle hair, or with chemical aggression.
Capillary schedule based on the porosity test results
If the test indicated hydration:
Note: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
If the test indicated nutrition:
Note: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
If the test indicated reconstruction:
Note: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
The important thing is to always alternate the treatments in the washes and give a space of two days between one and the other.
Capillary schedule based on the hair problem
Another way to identify the need of your hair is to focus on the current problems your hair has
The stages of the capillary schedule are organized for 4 weeks. For each of these stages, there are specific applications of hydration, nutrition, or reconstruction. The crucial point to define your hair schedule is to know what type of hair you have. You need to know if it is dry, oily, thin, thick, fragile, strong, and other characteristics. To understand how to make this definition, you must pay attention to some small points. If your hair is dry, tangling easily, it is best to focus on the hydration processes.
Those who notice hair with a lot of frizz and no balance need to do enough nutrition to close the strands’ cuticles. Now for weak, thin, and brittle hair, the correct thing is to do more reconstructions.
Capillary schedule for healthy hair
All hair needs hydration, and if the hair is healthy, there is no need to do more than one reconstruction per month and light ones.
HydrationNote: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
Capillary schedule for slightly damaged hair
If the hair is dry, it has highlights or coloring. Still, it is not fragile, with breakage or fall. There is also no need for constant reconstruction. Still, it is interesting to make a better balance between hydration and nutrition.
NutritionNote: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
Capillary schedule for extremely damaged hair
ReconstructionNote: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
Capillary schedule based on your hair type
Straight hair
Straight hair usually has a greater need for hydration, so the best tip is to invest in the schedule with a focus on this treatment. You will still do all procedures during the schedule, but the amount of hydration will be higher. However, this is just a suggestion, the best way to confirm it is by doing the porosity test.
HydrationNote: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
Wavy hair 
Curly hair usually requires an extra load of nutrition due to its shape. The best way to follow the capillary schedule is to assemble yours, with more stages of this treatment. Remembering that nutrition can be done with both nutritional treatment masks and pure vegetable oils.
NutritionNote: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
Curly hair
Curly hair also needs a lot of nutrition. However, it is even more fragile than curly hair, so it tends to get damaged more easily. Thus, it is always good to restore the health of this hair with a capillary reconstruction routine. Of course, this does not apply to all curly hair, which is why the porosity test is essential.
ReconstructionNote: In each week, you have three steps to complete. Do them by skipping at least one day, for example: Monday (hydration), Wednesday (nutrition), Saturday (reconstruction).
It is important to remember that all processes must have an interval of at least 48 hours between one step and another.
Myths And Truths About The Capillary Schedule
I need to do a capillary schedule forever.
Myth! The capillary schedule cycle can be closed within four weeks. The effects can be noticed from the first week, but the results are much more intense when we continue with the treatment.
There is no problem taking one step out of the capillary schedule.
Myth! It is important to have all stages (hydration, nutrition, and reconstruction) completed. Therefore, we cannot remove any from the capillary schedule.
The capillary schedule is recommended for all hair types
Truth! This care schedule generates benefits for all types of hair, experiencing a problem like dryness, excess oil, split ends, and others. The schedule has the function of restoring the health of the hair, regardless of their characteristics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has oily scalp can follow a capillary schedule?
Yes, because the length of wavy and curly hair has a greater tendency to dryness. Follow the steps of the schedule and wash the hair root with a detox shampoo, specific to control the excessive oiliness of that region.
Are nutrition and humectation the same thing?
Although the stages of nutrition and humectation have the sole objective of nourishing the hair, they are two different treatments. For nutrition, we use a nutritive mask or oil. The humectation is made with vegetable or mineral oils.
How long can I close the capillary schedule cycle, and when do the effects start to appear?
In general, the capillary schedule cycle closes within 4 weeks. The effects can be felt from the end of the first cycle of interspersed care. The results are intensified with the continuous treatment sequence.
If you have already made a capillary schedule or are going to venture out, please tell us about your experiences! Thanks.