Due to daily exposure to pollution, heat or chemical substances, as in the case of hair coloring products, the strands end up losing nutrients, becoming more porous and less resistant, leaving the hair with little shine and brittle. Therefore, carrying out procedures that help replenish the nutrients lost on a daily basis is important so that the hair becomes soft, volume-free, shiny and frizz-free.
There are three procedures that promote hair health: hydration, nutrition and hair reconstruction. These treatments can be done at home, however it must be done according to the characteristics of the hair at the time. Therefore, to find out which procedure is most appropriate, you can test the thread in a glass of water, where depending on how the thread behaves, the degree of porosity can be checked and, thus, the most effective treatment.
To do the test, simply place a strand of hair in a glass of water and wait to see if the strand floats or is deposited at the bottom of the glass, as shown in the following image:
This way, after taking the test, you can know what treatment your hair needs:
1. Hydration
Hydration is done when the strands are intact, that is, when there is an adequate amount of keratin, and is carried out as a way of preserving the structure of the strands and maintaining the hair’s shine and softness.
- To wash: prefer salt-free, neutral or transparent shampoo and rub mainly the scalp, letting the foam just run down the hair.
- To hydrate: Then you should apply a hydrating mask or massage cream that has ingredients such as honey, eggs, chocolate and vitamins. The mask should remain on your hair for around 10 minutes and then just rinse and finish as you prefer, whether letting it dry naturally or using a finisher and hairdryer, followed by a straightener, for example.
- Frequency: 1 or 2 times a week, for those who wash their hair up to 3 times a week, those who wash it every day, can choose to add another day of hydration or alternate with moisturizing. This frequency is not high and does not weigh down the wires.
Check out other tips for hydrating your hair.
2. Nutrition
Nutrition is done with the aim of replacing vitamins and minerals that are missing in the hair, and it is recommended that it be done before hydrating to guarantee results.
- To wash: use pearlescent shampoo, suitable for dry or damaged hair, use a small amount but ensure that all strands are clean.
- To nourish: then apply mask or massage cream that contains added oil or butter like shea butter, macadamia oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive, Argan oil. Adding these ingredients to the cream you used to moisturize is also a good idea. Leave to act for up to 20 minutes with a cap on your head.
- Frequency: Do it no more than twice a week, even if you wash your hair daily. Those with oily hair should only apply the product 10 cm from the roots, and if they have short hair, only on the ends.
To ensure adequate hair nutrition, it is important to ensure that the hair is not too porous. To achieve this, it is possible to carry out a treatment, known as hair acidification, which helps close the cuticles and increases the hair’s nutrient absorption capacity. Understand better what capillary acidification is and how to do it.
3. Reconstruction
Reconstruction is indicated when the hair is very porous, which happens mainly due to the lack of keratin. Thus, reconstruction aims to replace the hair’s keratin, promoting hair health. It is important that reconstruction is done before nutrition or hydration to ensure that the results of these procedures are perceived.
- To wash: Use shampoo for deep cleaning, without salt.
- To rebuild: add 1 ampoule of keratin for every 1 tablespoon of massage cream or use cream that already has proteins such as keratin, creatine, arginine, cysteine, collagen, amino acids in its ingredients. Sometimes product labels say that they are for hair mass replacement. Leave to act for 20 minutes, with a cap on and then rinse.
- Frequency: use a maximum of 2 times a month because excess keratin makes hair brittle.
The best way to ensure that your hair gets exactly what it needs is to test it frequently, but following your hair schedule is also a great way to achieve beautiful, hydrated hair even if you are using chemicals on your hair. See how to make a hair schedule.
