Smooth, shiny hair can be achieved with keratin straightening, but styling it afterwards presents its own set of difficulties. Many people find it difficult to maintain the desired appearance without endangering their hair or losing that flawlessly slick finish.
I’ll outline the best advice I’ve received for styling my hair following keratin treatment in this post. I’ll also discuss the initial errors I made and how I was able to correct them. You can get the most out of your keratin treatment and have stunning, long-lasting results if you take the proper approach.
- The main mistakes when washing the scalp and hair
- A short guide to choosing a hair dryer
- Hair styling mistakes
- Video on the topic
- KERATIN HAIR STRAIGHTENING yourself // Kativa Liscio brasiliano
- Keratin hair straightening @botoox_keratin
- Analysis of mistakes made by keratin hair straightening specialists | JKeratin
- Analysis of mistakes made by keratin hair straightening specialists | JKeratin
The main mistakes when washing the scalp and hair
Just as a theater starts with a coat rack, hair washing and drying are the first steps in any style.
Error #1: Cleaning your hair and scalp in the bathtub, particularly if you have extremely curly hair.
This may seem like a very strange point to some, but really, does it really matter which position you wash your hair in? However, I carried out an experiment where I immediately and for a while washed my hair in the bathtub while it was overflowing.
My hair has quite curly roots, so when I washed and styled it in the bath, I had good volume. However, there’s a catch: after going to bed, I woke up with different "cocks" on my hair, and when I tried to pull my hair back into a ponytail, I went into a state of psychosis, wondering why I couldn’t accomplish it.
How can it be fixed?
In the bathtub, begin shampooing your hair.
The curly roots do not tend to rise up, but they do become smoother with prolonged hair washing when done in a bath or shower where the water flows along the growth rather than against it. Easy to do, but it will save your back and nerves.
The second mistake is to wash with a soap cap on.
To be honest, this is a really crucial point. The easiest way to get rid of the "foam party" I created on my head in just a minute, which only slightly affected the length of my hair, was to wash it off without caring how or what I used to wash it.
How can it be fixed?
Just the scalp should be lathered; avoid making a lot of foam that will run all the way down the hair.
Because the surfactants in the shampoo’s composition—rather than foaming—determine its efficacy. Like a SHGO, it can leave the roots greasy while producing a "foam cap" or it can produce no foam at all and cleanse the skin.
Simply take a small amount of shampoo, add water, make foam in your palms, and use soapy fingers to apply it to the scalp in three main areas: the temples, the back of the head, and the crown. Then, with your fingers slightly tense to form "cat’s claws," thoroughly massage the skin (do not rub or press); only the roots should produce foam. It’s crucial that the fingers on "the knuckles" be extremely tense.
It was really challenging for me at first. I started by foaming the hair at the roots with my fingers relaxed, creating a "foam cap" that flowed down the length of the hair to the tips at the soaping stage. Eventually, though, I discovered that it is important to meticulously work through each millimeter of the scalp, as if going along the partings. As a result of the concentration on the skin, the foam no longer runs down to the very tips.
Long-term, a massage like this will leave your scalp well-washed when it doesn’t encourage excessive sebum production. If you have nails, you can also connect a massager to wash your hair. I really enjoy giving myself a dry head massage, but I don’t like to use it for washing! To avoid hurting the scalp with plastic, try to select a massager for washing that is made of silicone and has round ends in the shape of "fingers."
Third mistake: Not allowing your hair to properly get wet.
I’ll be honest: I had no idea that there was a difference in hair porosity before getting keratin. I was not surprised to hear that hair becomes low-porosity after keratin treatment, but I did realize that it calls for a specific strategy.
Water is also a friend rather than an enemy of low-porosity hair, similar to curly hair. Tell me if I’m mistaken.
How can it be fixed?
Be mindful of spritzing your hair.
The hair that I kind of "soak" while washing in the bathroom absorbs any care much better than when I persistently tried to wet it, standing over the bathtub for a long time, my back said, "Goodbye." This was discovered when experimenting with even the difference in which position is better to wash your hair.
My hair absorbs water effectively after 5 to 10 minutes of being wet in the bathroom.
Error #4: Not using a comb to emulsify the mask or conditioner.
I recall the times when I had my first keratin treatment. Every stylist in the area advised drying your hair with a towel before applying a mask or conditioner, as this improves the product’s effectiveness! I therefore made the decision to consistently use a towel to remove moisture from my hair after every wash. What resulted from this? According to keratin masters, these include brittleness, electrification, constant haircuts, and everyone’s favorite "Christmas tree."
But none of them wanted to bring up the fact that we can "lock" in moisture in our hair by using a conditioner or mask to leave a film on it. And how can we do the same with a wrung-out towel? Water makes it possible to expedite the procedure, support the mask, and produce this film as soon as possible.
How can it be fixed?
What is the general procedure for emulsification? This is foaming with water on the hair in the case of a conditioner or mask, forming an emulsion.
Using a comb for wet hair (I have Tangle Teezer The Wet Detangler), gently comb the hair from the ends upwards, creating an emulsion (mixing water with conditioner / mask). Immediately after washing, squeeze the hair gently with your hand from the water flowing from them. Apply conditioner / mask to well-dampened hair, as if making your way through the hair with your fingers.
While not all masks or conditioners produce foam, it’s crucial to mix water with them in order to create an emulsion. This is where one of the worries arises: after all, the product will be wasted and the whole thing will go down the drain.
Nevertheless, as was already mentioned, water facilitates and expedites this process, and the emulsion is effectively absorbed and retained in the hair. Furthermore, it defies logic to wash the product off again if it flowed down the hair when wet. Try not to be afraid; therefore, there is nothing to fear!
Error #5: Frequently using heavy textures and silicone conditioners that are overly saturated. particularly during the initial month of keratin!
You did indeed hear correctly! Why do I not always recommend products that are overly saturated and heavy? Since hair is practically already in a film, particularly following a "fresh" procedure, using heavy products at first will result in dullness, dryness, electrification, and over-processing.
Yes, I "fed" my hair with only thick textures at first, whether or not silicone was used. The outcome was disgusting; too bad the picture was lost. drab icicles protruding in various directions.
How can it be fixed?
Lighten up on the heavy textures and save them for special occasions only to avoid over-processed, lifeless hair. As a result, it’s critical to create your own care plan that balances the needs of the three whales: nutrition, hydration, and restoration. I discussed my system of using light and heavy textures in my post.
Utilizing a terry towel is mistake #6.
I have steered clear of terry towels ever since I started taking conscious care of my curly hair. I used a T-shirt or towel that had a cotton mixture mixed with something—sorry, I can’t remember what—that looked like a really soft cloth diaper for a baby.
Why don’t I suggest using a terry towel? Most people are probably aware that terry towels absorb moisture excessively because of their villi. And our hair is severely traumatized by this.
How can it be fixed?
I propose this as a terry towel substitute:
- Of course, silk (or a turban made of it) – retains the necessary moisture, hair remains soft and flexible. Excellent prevention of brittleness and split ends tips.
- T-shirt (necessarily from a soft "movable" cotton, i.e. not dense). A worthy alternative, very gentle, both to curly hair and to straight hair.
- A baby diaper, which will be in a mixture of cotton and any soft material, it should be soft and "movable".
In my opinion, microfiber towels and turbans are not recommended. Naturally, I was not happy with it. Try it out and make up your mind, but if all else fails, it’s better to go with a T-shirt.
A short guide to choosing a hair dryer
I used to believe that the purpose of all hair dryers was to simply dry hair. However, no. the secret to both excellent styling and equipment! I owned hair dryers from at least four different brands: Sencor, Xiaomi, Polaris, and Braun. The models I had and still have are simplistic and unprofessional. Every brand has merits of its own, but let me tell you about the hair dryers I owned.
- Braun – the simplest example. Two speeds, two temperature settings, even had a diffuser! But it dried with such hot air that you could warm up instead of a heater.
- Sencor – here the story is better! Cold air button, three speeds of air supply mode, two temperature settings. Ionization. Honestly, it was not bad, it even had a diffuser and thanks to it for curly styling. But it quickly burned out. There was not even a hint of ionization when using.
- Polaris – an option identical to the second, only without a diffuser, but there was a nozzle. Yes, it was good for drying at first, but after a couple of years of work it began to dry everything in its path.
- Xiaomi – the most unexpected and cool hair dryer option! I love it, for me it is ideal. Minimalistic, lightweight hair dryer in white, with ionization that really works, and not written in words on the hair dryer, two speed settings, three temperature settings. Wide nozzle. Yes, you can"t use it to straighten your hair for a brush (because of the wide nozzle), but it"s perfect for drying after keratin straightening. I use two modes: alternating hot and cold air (I rejected it for a long time, but then I liked it) and cold to finish drying.
How can it be fixed?
Selecting a high-caliber hair dryer.
I gave it some serious thought: what would I suggest for regular drying and an average budget? The hair dryers from Xiaomi and Philips are currently my top choices. Professional hair dryers such as Babyliss, Valera, and so forth are nice, in my opinion, but if you, like me, dry your hair on a regular basis, you don’t need one. But whatever whim for your money, as they say!
Certainly consider these fundamental aspects when selecting a hair dryer:
- Light weight. So that your hand doesn"t get tired.
- Long cord. So that you can easily reach the mirror from the outlet / adapter.
- Pay attention to the speed of the air flow, and not to the power. Because the drying time depends on the air flow speed, yes, the power may be low, but it will dry quickly.
- There must be a cold air mode. To finish styling with it.
- It is desirable that there is a concentrator. The direction of the air flow depends on it, in return you will get smooth and even hair – faster and easier than without it.
- Ionization. A controversial point, but I will say that in a hair dryer from Xiaomi I feel it fully.
Hair styling mistakes
Now, let’s talk about my biggest errors and life hacks that enable me to consistently achieve positive outcomes.
First mistake: You start drying your hair too wet.
I took off my head and hair right away, blotting off the excess moisture and starting to dry, so I didn’t have time to wrap it in a towel. Very bad. Actually, the heat from the hair dryer was just heating the water on the hair. Dry hair and "flown" ends are the outcome.
How can it be fixed?
Make sure to lightly touch and blot your hair with the towel for three to five minutes without taking it off.
If you have a good towel, your hair won’t have time to dry out too much in three to five minutes while the towel is on your head. I usually remove about 70 to 80 percent of the moisture from the length of the hair rather than completely dry it out. I then begin drying after applying heat protection.
The second mistake is starting the drying process of your hair with a comb.
And before I had a chance to let the majority of my hair dry, I started obstinately combing it out as soon as it started to dry because I thought that if I didn’t, it wouldn’t dry straight. Experts recommend using a comb to style your hair immediately!
What’s the outcome for us? When the hair dried, it took on the shape of the shoulders (especially if you, like me, try to comb it at first while it’s drying). I looked like a bell with the exception of the bangs.
How can it be fixed?
We use our hands to dry the majority of the hair, not yanking it out or straightening it by the ends as though we were attempting to do so. Instead, we gently and easily support the hair at its roots while continually shifting our hand position on various areas of the head. I hope my explanation was clear.)
You can use a comb to lightly comb your hair without applying pressure, pulling it slightly, without the intention of creating sleek roots. However, you should only use the comb when you feel and observe that the majority of the moisture has begun to evaporate from your hair (i.e., when the hair is only partially damp).
When drying, there’s no need to comb your hair back and along the shoulders. I do it this way: I tilt my head slightly back, comb through all of the hair in the back (which naturally does not stick to anything), turn to the right, then the left, and toss the hair from side to side while observing the process in the mirror. I try to move the comb so that it doesn’t come into contact with the back or the shoulders. Every motion is deliberate, slow, and unintentionally done like you’re trying to make a bouffant.
The most crucial rule is to constantly move your head and body slightly and to avoid drying your hair in one place!
One achieves true fitness! It doesn’t appear as absurd and humorous as you may have assumed. However, I came to understand that a slight body movement during styling is actually a plus rather than a drawback. Instead of keeping your head still, you achieve even drying of the hair.
The air flow from the hair dryer is always directed along the direction in which hair grows while the nozzle is kept at a reasonable distance from the user. I never use a brush to dry my hair like that. That is, I gently comb the hair from the roots to the ends under the air flow, not pulling or stretching it in any way, nor holding the hair dryer near it.
When drying, a comb is a tool, not a straightening iron. I use a Tangle Teaser for damp hair instead of a special comb because it is so convenient and hasn’t deteriorated despite not being meant for this purpose. because there is very little air contact with the teeth.
I only use a comb at the roots of my hair when it is 95% dry, meaning it is no longer damp and will not "stick" to my scalp; at this point, I use cold air to finish the style.
Ignoring thermal protection is mistake #3.
My friends who have had keratin treatment think that "if the hair is in keratin, it does not need thermal protection," to put it literally. What can I say? Such reasoning astounds me. When I performed the procedure in the first place, I was informed of the same thing.
It’s a good thing I read a lot and bought a thermal protection spray for myself right away.
Believe me when I say that thermal protection, which covers your hair with a film, helps to distribute the air flow of the hair dryer more evenly. It also adds shine and facilitates styling. The only thing that matters is the texture you choose.
How can it be fixed?
Select your texture carefully, and keep thermal protection in mind. For me, light textures like milk, sprays, and fluids are my favorites. I gave up on creamy and overly "silicone" oils because I personally don’t work well with them.
You can see what milk, fluid, and spray I suggested in my posts.
Error #4: Make use of a "sandwich" between thin hair or fresh keratin from indelible products.
Oh, and I used oil at the end and a heat protection spray before drying, and I apply everything liberally every day. And the outcome will arrive quickly! The perepita is prepared.
In my opinion, thin hair and fresh keratin in my case did not call for as many leave-in products. Right now, I’m happy enough with a heat protection spray or milk and no finishing oil on the ends.
How can it be fixed?
If you have thin hair, frequent overdrying, and dry ends in your hair, remove the "sandwich" from the products. When drying with a light texture, I moved to a single product and stopped worrying about overdrying and dryness.
The fifth mistake is using a cold air stream exclusively for hair styling and drying.
I only used the cold setting to dry all of my hair for a while. As a result of my obstinate rejection of the mode that alternated between hot and cold air flows, I was nearly never satisfied with the styling. They don’t shine, but they appear to be straight. I felt that cold air did not do as much damage to hair. It’s lukewarm-cold, not icy.
How can it be fixed?
Give up using cold air to dry the majority of your hair because heat causes keratin to "open up." You should not use the "burning" hot mode and finish styling with cold air if your device lacks a mode for combining hot and cold airflows. Instead, you should use the minimum warm mode. However, having a warm airflow is essential when using keratin to style hair.
The sixth mistake is not putting the hair dryer far enough away from the hair.
Additionally, I dried my hair too closely every evening by holding the hair dryer in my hands. Why maintain some space when I want to go to bed? But it is both very basic and very important. Ultimately, ensuring that there is a sufficient gap between your head and the hair dryer will prevent any burns on your scalp.
How can it be fixed?
How can I measure how far my head should be from the hair dryer to be comfortable? The perfect distance is when you raise your right hand and then slightly bend it at the elbow! You can practice holding the hair dryer in your hand with the switch off.
The only sensation you should experience is a rush of airflow, not like you have a "volcano" on your head. Although maintaining this distance took some getting used to, it is the best hand position, so eventually I developed a habit out of it.
Error #7: Styling or drying hair against the direction that it grows.
I held the hair dryer like I did in the movie, tipped my head to the side, and blew my unfortunate ends. "Pspare," they cried.
I noticed an odd outcome with this type of drying and generally styling everything against the growth of the hair: dull, but seemingly lively hair.
How can it be fixed?
It’s all very simple! Naturally, even with a light hair dryer, it can be challenging to maintain the height at which it grows with the hair, but tangles can be avoided by not pointing the dryer directly at the hair.
The back of your head can be dried by tilting your head with your hair down, especially if, like mine, the roots grow quickly into curly hair. However, you must dry your hair exclusively in the direction that the hair grows, holding the hair dryer above your head.
Error #8: Parting your hair before drying it.
By this, what do I mean? In what way do stylists recommend that their customers dry their hair? dividing it, then drying each section of hair independently. I meant to mention drying on the sides, but this point also pertains to error #2.
How can it be fixed?
I never part my hair after drying it. I base everything I do on fixing error number two. Dried roots and more even volume are the results of this drying technique (as long as you comb your hair without putting the comb against your head).
Error #9: Failing to style cowlicks, particularly when two of them exist!
The hair on the cowlicks has grown and protrudes treacherously from the total amount of hair. My styling is almost over. I possess two of them!
How can it be fixed?
How can I dry my cowlicks so they spread out neatly along the hair growth like a palm tree instead of sticking out treacherously upwards?
To achieve this, use the hair dryer to rotate your hand in a circle over your head while rotating movements are made with your hand. When the hair is just starting to dry, gently work your way toward the curls.To dry the curls, use the brush on your hand to move the hair dryer in a circular motion, as though you were winding the dryer around the curls. The end result is gorgeously curled hair that stays in place!
Tip | Common Mistake and How to Fix It |
Use a sulfate-free shampoo | Mistake: Using regular shampoo that strips keratin. Fix: Switch to sulfate-free products to maintain the treatment longer. |
Avoid excessive heat styling | Mistake: Overusing flat irons or curling tools. Fix: Limit heat styling and use heat protectants to prevent damage. |
Keep hair dry for 72 hours post-treatment | Mistake: Washing hair too soon after keratin treatment. Fix: Wait at least 3 days before getting hair wet to lock in the treatment. |
Sleep on a silk pillowcase | Mistake: Sleeping on cotton, which causes frizz. Fix: Switch to silk or satin pillowcases for smoother results. |
Use lightweight, oil-free styling products | Mistake: Using heavy products that weigh hair down. Fix: Opt for lightweight, oil-free formulas to keep hair sleek and bouncy. |
Using the correct techniques and avoiding common pitfalls will help you achieve the ideal hairstyle with keratin straightening. You can maximize this treatment by being aware of your hair type and doing the suggested actions.
Any mistakes you make along the way should be noted because you will be able to learn from them and improve your performance. Making minor tweaks like changing your heat settings or selecting the appropriate aftercare products can have a significant impact.
Your hair will stay healthy and sleek and smooth for as long as you have patience and pay attention to detail.
Your hair can look completely different with keratin straightening, but proper styling calls for some important knowledge and the ability to learn from mistakes. Maintaining smooth, healthy results requires knowledge of how to use the right products and to avoid using heat excessively. I’ll talk about my own experiences, point out typical mistakes, and explain how to avoid them so that you always finish perfectly.