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Women typically pay a hefty price to straighten their hair every few months. Here are 8 steps you should be taking to keep your hair straight, smooth and beautiful, for as long as possible.
Permanent Hair Straightening or a Salon Blowout?
The main advantage of permanently straightening hair is that it can last up to six months and save women frequent salon visits. The flip side of course, is that permanent hair straightening treatments are expensive, especially if you have long hair and want a Japanese straightening treatment.
That’s why, if you’ve invested in a hair straightening treatment, no doubt you’re going to want to make your results last. This list of tips was created to help you do just that.
1. After a straightening treatment don’t use hair accessories
In the first days after a hair straightening treatment, putting your hair up in a pony tail, adding hair accessories, or even tucking your hair behind your ear, can bend your perfectly straight hair and ruin its beautiful smoothness.
2. To wash or not to wash
For the first three days after a straightening treatment, you shouldn’t wash your hair. Bear in mind that hair that has been straightened is more sensitive and should therefore only be washed every two days, at most, in order to avoid breakage.
3. Kiss your loose hair good night
Remember tip #1 – no hair accessories? That applies to night time as well. Keep your hair loose, even at night. Your scalp needs oxygen, so let it breathe.
4. Out with the sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, otherwise known as salt, harms straightened hair and strips it of nutrients that help keep it straight. Sodium chloride salt will shorten the life span of your hair straightening treatment, so avoid all hair products (shampoo, conditioner, mask, etc.) that contain it. Instead, choose products that are sodium chloride salt free to help prolong your beautiful straight hair.
5. KeratIN
Keratin is known for its ability to intensively nourish hair; it is rich in nutrients that restore elasticity and vitality lost during the hair straightening process. Keratin rebuilds the hair shaft and creates a protective coating around each strand. High levels of concentrated keratin (like in Keratin Intense products by Natural Formula), help rebuild and restore hair. Using a keratin-enriched shampoo, conditioner, mask and serum is vital to caring for straightened hair and making it last.
6. If you color your hair, keep it to a minimum
Coloring hair harms straightened hair, so it’s recommended you keep it to a minimum. In fact, it’s better to color your hair before straightening it; a straightening treatment can actually help seal in color, making it last longer.
7. Use a hair mask
Even if you’ve never used a hair mask before straightening your hair, you’ll need one now. A hair mask gives your hair great texture and contributes to its beautiful shine and smoothness. Incorporating a hair mask into your shampooing routine once a week (instead of conditioner), will replenish vital nutrients lost during the straightening treatment. Make sure of course, that you choose a mask that is rich in keratin and is sodium chloride salt free.
8. Serum – a must-have
In addition to prolonging your treatment results, a serum will give your hair a boost of radiance and smoothness. In fact, apply the serum every time you want smoother and shinier hair. It’s simple to use – just apply to the tips of damp or dry hair.
