Keratin Treatment Disasters

Although I’ve previously written a blog on this topic, based on the responses, the questions, and the phone calls I’ve received for advice on reversing the damage caused by keratin, I felt it would be appropriate to address this issue directly in a new blog post.

The promise of silky, manageable hair is irresistible, without question. However, sometimes the price you pay is hair damaged beyond recognition. It may not happen right away with one treatment – although I have heard reports that it can happen that fast – eventually the build-up of non-water soluble silicone takes its toll on the hair and the scalp. Symptoms are hair that is dry and brittle, so oily that shampooing does nothing, and dandruff which was not present prior to the application of keratin.

Why is this happening, you may ask… Well, the way that it works is by depositing silicone onto the hair which is then melted on at 400 degrees with a flat-iron to coat every strand. It’s impossible to keep this from coating the scalp, and therefore, the scalp begins to try to slough off this foreign material which causes the scalp to flake. The hair begins to dry out because it is being suffocated, and it feels oily because the natural oils from your scalp are being trapped in the hair. If you are unable to wash it out, the hair can begin to smell unclean, much the way it does when you don’t wash it for many days after you’ve been sweating, or if you naturally produce a lot of sebum (oil).

The good news is that with the right products, and a little patience you can begin to reverse the effects. My prescription for removing this build-up is as follows:

1 – Malibu Wellness has a treatment called Crystal Gel Actives. It is most effective when done in salon because heat from a hooded dryer helps to activate the vitamin C formula that chelates the hair. (Chelation is a process by which one molecule attaches itself to another in order to remove it – in this case the vitamin C attaches to the silicone and you are then able to wash it away.)

2 – Weekly use of a clarifying shampoo such as Malibu Wellness’ Undo Goo Shampoo – this shampoo is recommended prior to doing the Crystal Gel Actives Treatment. You may also use Neutragena’s Anti-Residue shampoo on a weekly basis, or my personal favorite – Phytoneutre, detoxifying and clarifying shampoo for hair and scalp.

3 – Use products to maintain your hair that have very little or no silicone. If you read the label on a shampoo or conditioner look for ‘dimethicone’. It should either be free from dimethicone, or way down the list of ingredients. I recommend Phyto products because they never contain silicone and are primarily botanical. Beware of shampoos found in health food stores – read the labels! Also, beware of products like Argan Oil and Moroccan Oil – they coat the hair and will also begin to suffocate it. If you use these products you may have found that they seem to stop working – in fact, your hair may start to feel dry when it used to feel silky and soft.

The treatment may need to be done monthly for a while depending on how much build-up you have. Be patient though – it will restore your hair, but it may take a little time. You may even find that your hair is in better shape than when you started because it will also remove minerals from hard water, and other impurities.

Feel free to contact me with questions, or if you happen to live near Safety Harbor, FL you can book your Malibu Treatment online.