There’s nothing more refreshing than a fresh style and update to your hair. But, there’s nothing worse than ruining your hair treatment by not waiting long enough to style your hair. So, can you tie hair immediately after keratin treatment?
Can I Tie Hair After a Keratin Treatment?
No. Keratin treatment is a sensitive process that must be left alone for three days to prevent damage to the hair treatment unless you want to end up with unsightly creases.
Keratin is malleable when first applied, it is essential to leave your hair down, straight, and undisturbed for the first three days.
During the first three days, do not use any styling product on your hair. The keratin needs to set, and any products applied to your hair (like mousse, hairspray, or gel) could strip the keratin from your hair, reducing the amount of time between keratin treatments.
Using any ties, clips, or headbands will cause the hair to lose keratin on that spot. Because keratin treatment is expensive, you’ll want to take good care of your hair and protect it as much as possible after the first few days of the treatment.
On day four, you can start to style your hair again, but you’ll want to use loose ties and avoid any clips that are tightly pressed into the hair. Keeping hair loosely styled and loosely tied will allow the keratin to continue to set in your hair without leaving any permanent creases.
By the end of the first week, you’ll be able to do a lot more with your hair in terms of styling options, but be careful to follow guidelines from your stylist.
What’ll Happen If You Tie Hair Up After Keratin?
If you tie your hair up after a Keratin treatment, you will create a semi-permanent kink in your hair at the site of the hair tie. You won’t be able to get rid of the dent in your hair until the next time you get a keratin treatment.
It will be even worse if you tie your hair in a braid or a bun. In that case, you’d have multiple lines and shifts in your hair, and it would be impossible to make any of it lie straight.
Things To Consider When Tying Hair After Keratin Treatment
As a general rule, you should refrain from tying your hair up in any way for at least 72 hours after receiving a keratin treatment.
Even then, keratin is still somewhat flexible for the first couple of weeks. Ensure that after three days, if you tie your hair up, you are not tying it too tightly and that you are not leaving it up for longer than a few hours at a time.
The longer, tighter, and more complex you tie your hair up, the more likely your keratin treatment will become ruined.
Can You Wrap Your Hair After a Keratin Treatment?
Initially, it is challenging to wrap your hair after a keratin treatment in a way that won’t wreck your hair.
Do not wrap your hair for the first three days under any circumstances. If you have short, thick hair, you may be able to wrap your hair in silk after three days. Wait at least two weeks after your keratin treatment before using a hair wrap for any other type of hair.
If you want to be safe and avoid a hair wrap altogether, consider lying flat on silk scarves and pillowcases instead. This ensures that your hair doesn’t get frizzy while you sleep but that you also don’t gain any creases or lines in your new smooth hair.
When Can I Style Hair After The Keratin Treatment?
You can tie your hair after keratin treatment once three days have passed since the treatment. Guidelines recommend loosely tying back your hair, but you’ll want to wait even longer for more tight styles.
Maintenance for keratin treatment begins strictly, but the rules become more relaxed as time passes after the treatment.
- Use gentle hair products without harsh chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate.
- Do not put your hair behind your ears or in a ball cap to avoid denting it.
- Do not allow the hair to get wet for at least 72 hours post-treatment. Avoid showers, swimming pools, rain, saunas, and sweating during intense physical activity, and hold your hair back when brushing your teeth to avoid water.
- Color your hair before the keratin treatment or wait three weeks post-treatment before adding color.
- Use silk pillowcases to prevent snagging your hair on the fabric.
How to Style Keratin-Treated Hair
Use a blow dryer or flatiron set to low heat to style your hair. The keratin treatment keeps hair straight for longer than simple everyday styling and reduces the amount of time it takes to dry your hair.
The proteins in the keratin mean you don’t need as many styling products like hair spray or heavy mousse. But, make sure to apply a heat protectant product to your hair to prevent heat damage.
For as long as possible after the treatment, wear your hair straight and down to prevent any damage to the keratin. The keratin locks in the natural moisture in your hair, making it shine and keeping it beautiful for up to six months.
Other Things You Shouldn’t Do After Keratin Job
There are several things you shouldn’t do after a keratin treatment. Some of the most important include:
- Don’t shower for the first three days. Keratin takes time to soak into your hair. You must be very careful for the first three days to keep your hair dry. After the first three days, you must be somewhat cautious for the first two weeks to avoid harsh chemicals.
- Don’t use harsh shampoos and conditioners. After three days, when you can wash your hair, the keratin is still somewhat fragile for the first couple of weeks. Use shampoos and conditioners that won’t put additional stress on your hair or pull out any of the treatments. Some specific ingredients to avoid are those with “sodium” or “sulfate” in the name.
- Don’t dye your hair after getting a keratin treatment. Harsh chemicals in the dye can remove the keratin and decrease its life. However, if you dye your hair before the keratin treatment, it will lock in color and shine, making your hair last longer.
- Don’t go swimming for the first two weeks. While the chemicals in a pool aren’t as harsh as those in hair dye, they can strip the keratin out of your hair. After the two weeks are up, consider wearing a swim cap if you do swim.
- Don’t use hair pins. While many people know not to tie up their hair after a keratin treatment, people don’t warn about hair pins as often. They can leave dents and kinks in hair the same way a hair tie would.
Related: Difference Between Hair Botox and Keratin Treatment
What Can You Do After Keratin Treatment?
With the long list of things you shouldn’t do after getting a keratin treatment, it’s only fair that there are some things you can do. Some include:
- You can blow dry your hair. This is an essential tip for anyone who gets a little sweaty exercising and cannot shower. Just because you can’t wash your hair doesn’t mean you have to leave wet sweat on your scalp.
- You can flat iron your hair. If you wake up and find the slightest amount of frizz to your hair, you can press that frizz away with a hair straightener.
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