Long-Term Care After Keratin Treatment / How to Wash and Dry Keratin-Treated Hair?

Initial Post-Keratin Hair Care

After keratin treatment, while you may enjoy the soft and shiny texture of your hair, it is important to remember that certain care steps need to be followed to maintain this state and protect your hair from damage. Since your hair has just been keratinized, this care is especially important during the first 72 hours. Let's go through the post-keratin hair care steps for the first 72 hours:

Washing Your Hair
The first thing to remember in post-keratin care, especially in the first 72 hours, is not to wash your hair. Although many people are used to daily showers and may find it difficult to wait for 72 hours, it is essential to maintain the keratin effect. Water reduces the effect of keratin and removes active ingredients from the hair. Therefore, for the first three days, avoid washing your hair.

Tying Your Hair
Another point to consider in post-keratin care is not tying your hair. Whether your hair is keratinized or not, tying it with an elastic or clip can leave marks and cause breakage. This issue becomes more severe after keratin treatment. Therefore, for the first 72 hours, avoid tying your hair with any tool that could cause breakage or alter its shape, as this will reduce the smoothening effect of the keratin.

Post-72 Hours Hair Care
After the first 72 hours, you can start washing and tying your hair! However, there are still important care points to follow. Let’s review post-keratin care steps during this phase:

Using Appropriate Products for Keratinized Hair
For those who are used to washing their hair daily, the end of the 72-hour waiting period is a relief. However, you still need to use the right products. One key point in post-keratin care is avoiding products containing sulfates and parabens. These ingredients reduce the effects of the keratin and cause the hair's shape to fade. Sulfate-free shampoos are a solution for this issue.

Using Hair Masks to Nourish the Hair
Another product that helps maintain the softness, smoothness, and shine of keratinized hair is hair masks. Hair masks not only preserve the keratin effects but also nourish and strengthen the hair, preventing dryness and breakage.

Shampoo and Conditioner for Keratinized Hair
With the rise of keratin treatments, many health and beauty brands have started producing both sulfate-free shampoos and keratin shampoos, which are ideal for post-keratin care. These shampoos are free from sulfates and parabens, helping preserve the keratin effects and keeping the hair soft and hydrated.

Long-Term Care After Keratin Treatment
So far, we've discussed initial post-keratin care and the first three days of washing and aftercare. To maintain the keratin effects, long-term care is also necessary to keep your hair smooth and shiny.

How to Wash and Dry Keratinized Hair?
One of the most important steps in post-keratin care is washing and drying your hair. Rough handling of your hair can not only reduce the keratin effect but also cause damage to your hair and scalp. Here are some tips to remember when washing and drying your hair:

Wash Your Hair with Lukewarm Water
Hot water reduces the effects of keratin and can also cause dryness of the scalp and hair, brittleness, and hair loss. Therefore, as part of post-keratin care and to protect your hair, always wash it with lukewarm water and avoid hot water.

Use the Right Shampoo
Whether or not your hair is keratinized, every hair type requires the right shampoo. Be sure to use shampoos that do not contain sulfates and parabens and match your hair type. Shampoos for oily hair help balance scalp oil, while those for normal or dry hair provide the right benefits.

Use Conditioner and Hair Masks
To maintain hair softness and hydration, it’s essential to use a conditioner or hair mask. The ingredients in these products help with smoothness, softness, and detangling, while also nourishing and strengthening the hair.

Dry Your Hair Gently
Drying your hair improperly can damage the hair cuticle, the outermost layer of the hair, which protects the inner layers. To avoid damage, use a towel to gently pat your hair dry and do not expose it to high heat from a blow dryer.