How hair keratinization works
The homeland of keratin hair straightening is Brazil: local girls have mostly curly or very curly hair. The Brazilians themselves did not always like this, so at the end of the 2000s, one of the local masters developed a special composition that allowed them to straighten their hair almost forever, which won the people's love. Soon, these formulations, already under the Brazilian Blowout trademark, entered the American market, where they gained incredible popularity. For more references, check out: keratin treatment
Let's explain how it works. To begin with, keratin itself doesn't straighten hair - it's just protein. You get a straightening effect due to formaldehydes - caustic compounds that penetrate the hair structure and destroy disulfide bonds in it, making the hair pliable. Disulfide bonds connect the amino acid atoms of cysteine to create one molecule - cystine, which unites protein chains (its own keratin) into a single whole - this is a visual diagram of how it all looks. By breaking the disulfide bonds, you can make your hair smooth or, conversely, curl it. The effect of the procedure, depending on the aggressiveness of the composition, can persist on the hair for at least a lifetime, even if initially they were super curly.
How the process of hair keratinization occurs: so that the composition can penetrate as deeply as possible, the hair is first washed with a deep cleaning shampoo with a high alkali content, then a special composition is applied and straightened with an iron at the maximum temperature - a similar method is used for perm .
What does keratin have to do with it: the hair under the action of alkali from shampoo and formaldehyde deteriorates greatly - it becomes porous and brittle, therefore artificial keratin is added to the straightening compositions: it prevents hair from breaking, adds smoothness and shine to them, and makes them more obedient.
What is the Difference Between Keratin Straightening and Hair Restoration
Let's explain how it works. To begin with, keratin itself doesn't straighten hair - it's just protein. You get a straightening effect due to formaldehydes - caustic compounds that penetrate the hair structure and destroy disulfide bonds in it, making the hair pliable. Disulfide bonds connect the amino acid atoms of cysteine to create one molecule - cystine, which unites protein chains (its own keratin) into a single whole - this is a visual diagram of how it all looks. By breaking the disulfide bonds, you can make your hair smooth or, conversely, curl it. The effect of the procedure, depending on the aggressiveness of the composition, can persist on the hair for at least a lifetime, even if initially they were super curly.
How the process of hair keratinization occurs: so that the composition can penetrate as deeply as possible, the hair is first washed with a deep cleaning shampoo with a high alkali content, then a special composition is applied and straightened with an iron at the maximum temperature - a similar method is used for perm .
What does keratin have to do with it: the hair under the action of alkali from shampoo and formaldehyde deteriorates greatly - it becomes porous and brittle, therefore artificial keratin is added to the straightening compositions: it prevents hair from breaking, adds smoothness and shine to them, and makes them more obedient.
What is the Difference Between Keratin Straightening and Hair Restoration
Initially, keratinization was used specifically to straighten hair. But people liked the effect - shiny and obedient hair - so much that even girls with perfectly straight hair began to use this service, and stylists began to sell it under the name "keratin restoration". In fact, the principle of action for both procedures is the same: you open the hair cuticle and drive keratin into it. The difference is in the aggressiveness of the composition: to straighten the hair for a long time, the master will use a formula with a high content of alkali and formaldehyde; to make your hair just prettier - with less or no hair at all. Sometimes the masters call keratinizing hair the usual shampooing with a hair mask and keratin serum - the effect in this case will last for a week at best. What exactly does the salon offer you,
Is it harmful?
If in the description of the process of hair keratinization you were frightened by the word "formaldehyde" - not in vain. In 2011, the FDA of the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a warning that some brands of hair straighteners may pose health risks to the people who use them and the hairdressers who wear them. The reason was the unacceptable concentration of methylene glycol - a component that, when heated, releases formaldehyde gas, hazardous to health. (due to which there is a violation of the hair structure). Shortly thereafter, the manufacturers of hair straighteners were forced to change the formulas of their products: modern analogues contain any much lower concentration of methylene glycol or its less harmful analogues. In terms of the duration of the effect, they are significantly inferior to the versions of the previous generation, but they are safe (at least approved by the Ministry of Health) for both clients and stylists.
Is it harmful?
If in the description of the process of hair keratinization you were frightened by the word "formaldehyde" - not in vain. In 2011, the FDA of the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a warning that some brands of hair straighteners may pose health risks to the people who use them and the hairdressers who wear them. The reason was the unacceptable concentration of methylene glycol - a component that, when heated, releases formaldehyde gas, hazardous to health. (due to which there is a violation of the hair structure). Shortly thereafter, the manufacturers of hair straighteners were forced to change the formulas of their products: modern analogues contain any much lower concentration of methylene glycol or its less harmful analogues. In terms of the duration of the effect, they are significantly inferior to the versions of the previous generation, but they are safe (at least approved by the Ministry of Health) for both clients and stylists.