Keratin hair treatment has been quite popular among salon-goers, but is the routine right for you? Let’s explore the question of “what does keratin do for hair?” and learn about keratin’s quality, pros and cons before swiping your card. Scroll down to read more!
What Is Keratin?
The name might sound strange to you, but the substance is all over your body. It is definitely weird to think that your hair, skin, nails, as well as animals’ horns, are made of the same thing, but it is very much factual!
Aside from playing a vital role in body parts that protect and defend your overall body, keratin also resides in some of your intestines and secretion glands. Specifically, Keratin’s main purpose is to protect your more delicate patches of skin, so the common point between keratin-built parts is that they cannot be scratched, torn, or damaged as easily as other parts of the body!
But what is keratin used for? For a long time, people have believed that taking “keratin supplement” will lend more strength to your hair and make your hair more glossy and thick. The traditional remedy can range from eating pigskin, eggs, or even sunflower seeds. However, now you can have keratin supplements in salons due to technological advancement!
What Does Keratin Do For Hair
The Benefits of Keratin Treatment:
Ask anyone who has gone through salon-quality hair treatment, and they will tell you that it is definitely a treatment everyone should try. In fact, keratin-treated hair is reported to become stronger, smoother, and easier to style and keep in check. People also favor keratin treatment because it encourages your natural hair traits rather than applies enhancement chemicals.
The benefits of keratin for hair outperform any other hair restoration method by smoothing each strand of hair down to the cellular level. Therefore, if you have dry and curly hair, your cuticles will take in the amount of keratin and form a surface flatter than before, resulting in straighter and healthier hair overall!
The Application Method:
There are currently three effective keratin application methods on the market:
Salon Keratin Treatment:
The routine is sometimes referred to as the Brazillian keratin treatment, but that does not mean you have to fly all the way there to have it!
But what is keratin made of in this sense, since you are not just taking keratin alone? Well, methanediol, methanal, methyl aldehyde, methylene glycol is the starting list, but it is the chemical named formaldehyde that seems to worry people.
Formaldehyde is considered a potent carcinogenic, but don’t worry, as the amount in keratin treatment cream is not dangerous enough to knock you out or do anything bad to your body!
The treatment usually goes as follows: The hairdresser applies the keratin on your hair and blows dry/straightens it to shape it the way you have requested. Afterward, you are requested not to wash your hair for at least three days. When you are satisfied with the results, you can schedule to remove the chemical, and a hairstyle setting chemical can take place then as well.
Keratin Hair Care Products:
Whether shampoo, hair masks, conditioners, or serums, you have seen at least one product that claims to promote natural keratin production in your body. They will not promise to grant you the same 12-week result as salon treatments do, but they can be a good way to treat your hair when you have a tight budget. But is keratin good for hair when it is in a bottle?
As long as you follow the right instructions and use the hair care keratin products in tandem with other regimes and a good diet, you are going to be just fine. If you are wondering, “does keratin help hair growth?” the answer is also yes. Keratin can effectively encourage your cuticles for more secured hair growths and prevent your fragile ends from breaking off!
Keratin Supplements:
The benefits of keratin supplements are undeniable, so you will see them appear at nearly every beauty or health food store. There are currently two main forms of hair care drugs: powder and capsules, but the substantial difference is minimal.
The Possible Risks & Side Effects:
Professional salon keratin treatments can range from $500-$800, but if you look close enough, you can find offers that stay at around $300 at least. The amount you spend directly connects to the quality of product and care you get, so the choice is definitely on you. If you have a smaller budget, keratin hair care kits at health stores cost around $50 per pack!
Despite the amazing effects on your hair, keratin hair care treatments have the risk, as mentioned earlier, with formaldehyde that you should pay attention to. In detail, any typical person can withstand the amount without it affecting your health too much, but pregnant women should avoid being exposed to the dose!
You will also hear reports about nosebleeds and other respiratory restraints from those who work in the hair care industry related to the formaldehyde content. Thus, that is why hairdressers are encouraged (and sometimes required) to work with facial masks and gloves while they are doing keratin hair care treatments.
If you cannot visit the salon too often, here is a guide on maintaining keratin-enforced hair to keep the effects long-lasting. Click on this link to find out!
Outro
Now that you have read the article answering “What does keratin do for hair?” you can safely decide if your hair is in need of such treatment! As with any salon hair care routines, they can be quite expensive, so please consider the factors carefully before committing to them!
