Ready for a brand new color but also considering a keratin treatment to smooth your hair?
Keratin smoothes the hair, so wouldn’t that mean color would take better on top of a keratin treatment? Should you do the keratin treatment followed by a hair color treatment or vice-versa?
As both are chemical processes, you’re right to wonder.
Should I Do Keratin Treatment or Color Treatment First?
You should undoubtedly color your hair first, as hair color doesn’t work right after a keratin treatment.
Why Should I Do Color Treatment Before Keratin Treatment?
Consider that keratin coats the hair. That’s its job. Because permanent hair color enters the hair shaft to do its work, it won’t be able to do that effectively if keratin is blocking the way in.
So basically, coloring your hair right after a keratin treatment will waste of time and money.
In the best-case scenario, your hair color will be patchy or ineffective. Worst case? It can ruin your keratin treatment.
Even if you use a semi-permanent color, it bonds to the outside of the hair, whose surface will be slippery with keratin. It just won’t work. And temporary hair color will slide right off.
Expert’s Tip: Hair color after keratin can ruin your keratin treatment.
Keratin Helps Protect Hair Color
Doing a keratin treatment over a color treatment is a much better idea, especially if you use the same stylist. That’s because she’ll understand that keratin will lighten your hair, so she’ll either choose a slightly darker shade than what you’re looking for, or she’ll use a toner after the keratin treatment to adjust the color.
After coloring, the keratin treatment coats the hair cuticle and seals in color. Your results will last much longer as your color won’t bleed out as fast.
Can Keratin After Color Damage Your Hair?
Both coloring and keratin are chemical treatments. Hair dye chemicals can damage weak hair. The keratin solution temporarily straightens the protein bonds of the hair, and then high heat is used to lock the keratin in place, which can put your hair at risk of breakage if it’s fragile.
Let your hair stylist know if your hair has any chemicals in it already. And take the stylist’s advice if she says either procedure is risky for you. For example, she might tell you to wait a few weeks after coloring your hair before putting keratin on top of it.
Expert’s Tip: Ask your stylist if either procedure is risky.
How Long Should You Wait to Color After Keratin?
The keratin needs at least two weeks to bond thoroughly to the hair, so you don’t want to mix the color with it while it’s bonding. Also, it’s best to wait until the effects of the keratin start to fade, as that signals that the keratin that’s been applied to your hair is slowly coming off.
It usually starts fading in two to three months. Even then, it’s best to talk to your stylist to get advice on the best time, according to your head of hair and the treatment used.
FAQs
They can be done on the same day if your stylist says your hair is up for it–as long as the coloring comes first.
A keratin treatment can be done after bleaching but not before.
If your hair is wavy and coarse, meaning the strands have a wide, threadlike diameter, then keratin will probably be good for your hair.
If you have fine, curly hair and straightening usually damages it, then keratin will also damage your hair as it uses lots of high heat.
It’s best to wait two weeks, as the keratin is still set for two weeks after a keratin treatment. Otherwise, it might not take a curl afterward.
Usually, you can get a keratin treatment right away after a coloring treatment if your hair is healthy. Ask your stylist.
It’s not at all recommended.
It lightens the color, so if your color is a warm red, it might turn orange. A stylist can use a toner after the keratin to adjust your shade.
Yes. Purple shampoo is a toner that can be used after a keratin treatment.
It can be if you dye your hair two to three weeks after getting a keratin treatment. This is because the keratin is still bonding to the hair during that time, and putting another chemical treatment on top of that might give you a patchy color at best or ruin your keratin treatment.
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