Keratin hair treatment has become extremely popular in the last few years. Being a dermatologist in Kochi, where most women have wavy to curly hair, I see a lot of women going to salons to do this procedure, which is perceived to be safe and hair friendly.
But is Keratin hair treatment really safe? Does keratin hair treatment cause any damage to the hair shaft at all?
To know this, let me tell you the 2 main steps involved in this procedure -
STEP 1 -
The hair bonds are broken down using a formaldehyde containing solution or other newer chemicals (which could still release formaldehyde), thereby rendering curly hair straight.
STEP 2 -
The hair strands are then coated with a keratin protein containing hair conditioner to seal the cuticles and to give gloss and shine.
So while keratin is definitely used to strengthen the hair, remember that the hair shaft has already been damaged by the chemical treatment in step 1 of keratin hair treatment.
So, in a way, you are trying to undo the damage done in step 1 by using keratin in step 2.
This is obviously not hair friendly nor safe as they promise it to be!
Keratin hair treatment makes the hair brittle and dry, prone for hair breakage and hair loss.
As a hair specialist in Kochi, a lot of hair fall cases i see will give a history of undergoing keratin treatment prior to onset of hair fall.
Remember, our hair shaft contains bonds called di-sulfide bonds that is responsible for hair structure and hair strength. It is impossible to change the structure of our hair and turn it from curly to super sleek without breaking these bonds!
So next time you get hair treatments done, just remember this simple fact.
Embrace your waves and curls and aim for naturally healthy hair!