Great Hair – Step By Step At Home Part 2 (of 7)

 Conditioning Treatments

Step away from the nozzle if you’re in the shower, and towel dry your hair.

Yes, before applying conditioner.

Removing a lot of the water will help the product penetrate the hair shaft and give you a better result.

Treatments:

In a perfect world, we’d all be able to go down to the local salon and have our hair custom treated. But for now, my advice is: “Any treatment (within reason) is better than none at all! If you’re trying to correct a convoluted problem you’ll get faster results by finding a good salon for the initial treatment and following your hairdresser’s instructions at home for subsequent treatments.

With specialized hair repairing treatments, the products penetrate deeper into the hair when heat is applied. At the salon, they may put you under the hood to enhance the product’s effectiveness.

At home…

1. Cover your hair with the product in it with a plastic shower cap (one you can dispose of afterwards) and
2. Heat it up either with your hairdryer (on low) or by getting back in the hot shower or bath.

What makes the difference is the expertise of the hairdresser. It is very difficult for you to work out whether your hair needs protein or moisture and your hairdresser will be able tell this at a glance. Also, although many of the products may look the same, the in salon version is often "stronger" because the manufacturers can make it so knowing it will be used correctly by someone trained in that field. If you ask your hairdresser, they may agree to give you a professional treatment to apply yourself at home with the correct instructions. But that is up to your particular hairdresser.

There are really three types of treatments, one of which is closer to a conditioner:

1. Reconstructors make the hair stronger.
2. Moisturizers balance the moisture content of the hair’s cortex.
3. Thermal Protectors prevent heat damage before it starts and can be used each time you shampoo so it’s similar to conditioner, and usually called a finishing product.

RECONSTRUCTORS: make the hair shaft stronger using protein and usually include a moisturizer to prevent the protein from causing brittleness. However, because they penetrate the hair shaft, working internally, you’ll also need a conditioner to finish with smooth hair. They are critical to chemically processed hair but don’t use one a week before or after coloring to avoid interfering in the process.

MOISTURIZERS: the most common treatment and something nearly every type of hair needs regularly. How often depends on the starting condition of your hair.

Used to balance the moisture content of the cortex (middle of your hair) and the solution to frizzy, dry hair and curly hair that lacks bounce. Used regularly to treat all damage conditions:

· Chemical: coloring, perming and

· Physical: over drying or heating your hair, water and sun damage.

THERMAL PROTECTORS: Used regularly can help prevent the physical damage of blow drying, hot irons and even sun damage. Applied properly, it will leave only a very fine layer, perhaps a little extra shine but no heavy feel in your hair.

You MUST always use a thermal protector if you…

1. Use a thermal brush with a metal center when blow drying.
2. You use a heated iron or tong to style your hair – direct heat is THE most damaging.
3. You have long hair – the older the hair the easier it is damaged.

Your Basic Rules for Treatment Scheduling…

1. Every shampoo for thermal protectors if you use heated tools or spend a lot of time in the sun.
2. Once a month for healthy hair. Don’t wait until it shows damage!
3. Twice a month if your hair tends to be dry or its color is fading.
4. Once a week if you’re hair is already showing signs of damage.
5. Twice a week or at the salon if your hair is already fried.

Your hair can only absorb so many nutrients at one time, so don’t layer treatments, leave them on longer than the instructions call for, or use too much product at one time. Be especially careful with the protein based treatments. Using too much can cause brittleness (hair breaks easily).

Drying Your Hair