Many women consider keratin treatment the holy grail of hair care procedures. Not only does it repair chemically treated hair, it also keeps it looking beautiful and frizz free. Furthermore, keratin treatment has done wonders for women whose lovely locks are often damaged by the heat and humidity in tropical weather. But while keratin treatment helps keep your hair looking beautiful under the sun, you'll need to minimize your time bathing in sea and pool water.
Let us at Marcia Teixeira give you a little explanation about how swimming can affect your keratin treatment.
You see, during keratin treatment, keratin solution is applied after a cleansing shampoo is used to open the hair cuticles. Once the cuticles are open the solution goes inside the hair shaft and replenishes the lost hair proteins. The keratin formula in then sealed in with a hair iron. Any activity that opens up the cuticles can strip away the keratin proteins and lessen the duration of your keratin treatment.
Shampoos with sodium chloride and sulfates can open up the cuticles and strip off the keratin and that's why these products are not recommended after a keratin treatment.
Unfortunately, sea water also contains a lot of sodium chloride which is of course detrimental to keratin treatment. Also, chlorinated pool water will pretty much have the same effect as sea water. Needless to say, these activities are generally not advised, especially within the first five days after getting a keratin treatment.
However, if you cannot help but take a swim there are several ways you can preserve your keratin treatment and have fun in the water at the same time. The most sensible would be to invest in a swimming cap. This will minimize the contact between your hair and the chemicals in the water. But if you think that a swimming cap will cramp your style, take a shower first and then comb in a thick layer of conditioner before getting into the pool or the sea. The fresh water will fill in the spaces within your hair to prevent chemicals from filling it. The conditioner will add a protective layer to your hair and will prevent the keratin treatment from getting stripped off.
Furthermore, don't spend a long time in the water. And if you feel that the conditioner has washed off reapply it again. After getting out of the pool make sure you immediately wash your hair with the recommended sulfate-free and sodium-free shampoo and conditioner to remove the salt and other chemicals that can negatively affect your keratin treatment. A dip in the water probably won't have a significant effect on your keratin treatment even if you do not take measures to protect your hair.
But frequent swimming can really shorten your keratin treatment so take the precautions mentions above.
For hair care products that will help you maintain your keratin treatment check out our different Marcia Teixeira products. You can also read more about our expert hair care tips that can help you prolong the effects of your keratin treatment.