What you need to know about Keratin
Healthy hair has a positive impact on our overall well-being, as it boosts our physical appearance and our confidence. On the contrary, when our hair does not look healthy, we feel uncomfortable with our appearance, and this affects directly our mental and emotional wellbeing. Each of us has a different hair type, and as a result different needs, therefore taking care of our hair involves various routines. Keratin treatments are one of the most frequent practices, but what do we know about it? In this article, we will see what keratin is, its functions, and what are the pros and cons of its treatments.
Experimenting with new and different beauty practices, such as these beauty devices, not only improves our appearance but also helps us to achieve many more goals, and therefore to have more confidence in ourselves.
What is Keratin?
Keratin is a protein produced naturally by the body in the epithelial cells of the epidermis, which is the most superficial layer of the skin. It is essential for the health and beauty of the hair, nails, and skin as it guarantees the resistance, elasticity, and reactivity of the hair to external physical-chemical agents. Composed of a set of strands of amino acids, it can be considered as a fibrous protein fundamental for the livelihood and health of the hair. That is why keratin is important to have strong, shiny, and soft hair. In other words, the resistance of hair, nails, and skin as well comes from this useful protein.
What happens when keratin decreases, and how to intervene
Its production tends to falter with age, so aging is a physiological cause of its decrease, but it is not the only one. Other factors affect its presence, and some are related to bad habits such as an irregular and poor diet, hormonal problems, and stress, and others to external damages, such as smog, excessive exposure to UV rays, and too heavy cosmetic treatments. When it is absent, the cuticle hair weakens, and the result is hair poorly protected and more vulnerable to external damage, and it appears dull, brittle, frizzy, and difficult to handle.
Keratin can be reintroduced with a balanced diet because it is present in some foods, but sometimes it’s not enough because it is unable to regenerate on its own. In this case, you can remedy it with keratin shampoo and masks, or professional keratin treatments. What exactly are these treatments? Keep on reading…
Keratin treatments and their differences
There are several professional keratin treatments, but they can be divided into two different categories:
1. Reconstruction Treatment
It helps to boost the health of damaged hair by guaranteeing its strength, obstructing dryness, brittleness, and frizz effect, and allowing you to seal the split ends. In other words, this keratin treatment works to rebuild the hair fibers, improve the structure, and leave the hair soft and elastic.
2. Straightening Treatment
It helps to straighten and smoothen hair and give it a sleeker look.
Both treatments can be accomplished at home or in hair salons using specific products, but they have two different aims: the reconstruction treatment has the main function of repairing hair, while the smoothening treatment exclusively takes care of the appearance of the hair, without taking care of them deep down. To sum up, the reconstruction treatment is the most effective and safe because it restores the natural protein of the hair.
Conclusion
Keratin is one of the most important parts of our hair, and its presence is fundamental. Its treatments are designed to maintain and boost the overall health of the hair by raising keratin protein levels when they are poor. So, if you’re looking to have the best version of your hair, Keratin treatment might be what you need. But wait…don’t do it without first making sure you’re in skilled hands!