Hair Salon Blog: Essential Hair Care Tips and Insights

Hair is made up primarily of a protein called keratin. Therefore, adding regular salon keratin treatments to your hair routine is perfect for helping you maintain soft, shiny, and healthy hair! Right? Although keratin is essential for maintaining strong and healthy hair, too much can cause problems. You need to strike the right balance.

Who Is a Good Candidate for a Keratin Treatment?

Keratin is a protein found in hair, skin, and nails. Environmental factors, chemicals, and heat can all break down keratin. Eventually, people may find that their hair feels frizzy, damaged, or lacks the electricity and shine it once had. Professional keratin treatments involve applying a keratin-based solution to the hair. These treatments aim to seal the hair’s outer cuticle. The result can be straighter, sleeker, and softer hair that is more manageable and easier to style.

Keratin treatments can last up to six months, depending on how you care for your hair. However, they are not for everyone. Protein overload is a concern. If not done by a professional stylist or when used excessively, keratin can potentially damage hair, leading to breakage and dryness. In general, those who are good candidates for keratin treatments include:

• Individuals with frizzy or hard-to-manage manes
• Those with wavy, curly, or coarse hair who want a sleeker style
• Individuals with color-treated or chemically processed hair
• Individuals with dull or dry hair
• Individuals looking for lower maintenance styling

Keratin treatments should be avoided by people with extremely fine or thin hair or those with overprocessed or highly damaged hair. The strong chemicals sometimes used in keratin treatments may also be unsafe for pregnant or nursing women.

What to Do Before Your Keratin Treatment

If you are ready to experience the softest, smoothest hair of your life and are a good candidate for the treatment, it is time to prepare for what’s ahead. First things first. Do your research and find a reputable salon with experience applying keratin treatments. Keratin treatments involve an in-depth chemical process that individuals should never attempt without proper training. Ask your stylist how long they have been working with keratin, what their training is, and what products they use for the treatment.

Ready to take the plunge? Wash your hair thoroughly with a clarifying shampoo at least the day before your appointment, or as directed. This process helps remove oils, product buildup, pollution, and other residue on your hair. Clean hair helps the keratin bond better to the cuticle. Avoid using a conditioner because it deposits oils or residue back onto the hair. The same goes for styling products. Skip your normal oils, serums, or styling products before your appointment.

The timing of your treatment is also everything if you want to achieve optimal results. If you have a color appointment, make it about three to seven days before your keratin treatment appointment. Applying keratin after color can help seal in the color and enhance shine. Plan a haircut or trim around the same time as your color. You can’t “fix” split ends, only mask them. A fresh cut can help enhance a keratin treatment’s sleek, smooth result.

Are you unsure what else you should do before getting a keratin treatment? Just ask! Your stylist wants to ensure you are happy with the result. Ask for their advice and follow it to the letter for the best results.

What to Expect During the Treatment

You are sitting in the stylist’s chair. What comes next? First comes the consultation with your stylist. They will ask about your hair history and what you want to accomplish by investing in a keratin treatment. Be honest with your stylist and outline all the coloring, bleaching, or chemical treatments you’ve used, including boxed hair color. Keratin treatments use specific chemicals. Some may not be compatible or yield optimal results when combined with other chemicals.

Once you complete an initial consultation, get ready for the keratin treatment process, which looks like this:

• Clarifying hair wash.
• Blow-dry the hair to 80 to 90 percent dry.
• The stylist sections the hair and applies the keratin solution from root to tip, then allows the chemicals to process.
• While the product is in the hair, your stylist will blow-dry the hair again, allowing the heat to help seal the product to hair strands.
• A flat iron is used to seal the keratin into the cuticle.
• Depending on the product, your stylist may rinse your hair and apply a keratin sealing serum before blow-drying again.

Be prepared for the process to take a long time. Depending on hair length and texture, the process can take hours. You may also notice an odd odor from the chemicals.

Therapy Hair Studio Can Help You Find Soft, Smooth, More Manageable Hair

Get a sleek new look with help from a professional stylist at Therapy Hair Studio. We have the experience and products to give you the hair of your dreams.

Contact us today and schedule an appointment.

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Split ends are the bane of your hair’s existence. They can turn every day into a bad hair day, making it hard to keep your hair looking its best. Split ends can make your hair feel dry and crunchy, preventing it from holding style. The longer you go without taking action, the further the damage travels up the hair shaft, affecting not just your ends but the rest of your hair.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep your hair healthy and free from split ends. The style experts at Therapy Hair Studio have the tips and tricks to enhance your look and maintain a full and healthy head of hair.

What Causes Split Ends?

Before understanding what causes split ends, you must understand human hair’s general makeup. Hair is primarily made up of keratin, a specific type of protein. It also contains trace amounts of water, minerals, lipids, or fats. There are three layers of hair: the inner medulla, the middle cortex, and the outer cuticle, or the protective layer that covers the cortex and medulla. Combined, these layers give hair its color, structure, and strength.

Split ends occur when the hair’s cuticle, or protective outer layer, gets damaged. This frays the hair and causes the inner core of the strands to start splitting. This damage can continue, splitting the hair further and further up the shaft. Left untreated, split ends will impact not just the ends of the hair but eventually nearly the entire length of the hair.

Split ends are most often the result of heat damage and chemical treatments. One of the leading causes is excessive heat from constant use of hair dryers, curling irons, and straighteners. Heat weakens the hair shaft, over time causing damage to the cuticle and split ends. Chemical processes such as bleaching, coloring, relaxing, and perming also strip hair of its natural moisture, breaking down proteins, and damaging the hair. For chemical treatments to work, most must penetrate the cuticle and reach the cortex. In the cortex, chemical reactions alter the hair’s structure, which gives you a different color or a new curl pattern.

Other causes of split ends include mechanical stress, rough brushing, and poor hair care habits. The environment can cause split ends from UV exposure, pollution, and chlorine from swimming pools. Lifestyle can also contribute to split ends via poor diet and nutrition.

How to Prevent Split Ends: 10 Practical Tips

Split ends don’t have to give you a bad hair day. There are ways to help prevent damage to your hair and keep it healthier for longer. Ten practical tips for maintaining hair health include:

• Get regular trims – Investing in regular trims is the first tip for maintaining healthy hair and removing emerging damage. Trims are the only way to remove damage before it travels up the hair strand.
• Limit heat styling – Try to use heat styling sparingly. When using hot tools, apply a heat protectant to limit damage.
• Be gentle when brushing – Go easy on your hair, especially when wet and most vulnerable. Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle gently.
• Add moisture – Keep your hair looking and feeling its best by adding moisture when needed. A deep conditioner or hair mask can restore moisture and elasticity.
• Find protective styles – Protective hair styles can limit heat styling and protect your hair. Buns, loose braids, twists, and colorful hair scarves are fun ways to experiment with your hair while protecting it from split ends.
• Protect hair while sleeping – Wear a head scarf or silk pillow case to reduce friction and breakage.
• Limit chemical treatments – It is hard to resist a new color or curl patterns, but try to minimize chemical treatments that can damage hair due to over-processing.
• Dry hair right – While nothing can replace a good blowout, be gentle when drying your hair. Avoid rough friction and use a microfiber towel to soak up moisture.
• Protect hair from the elements – When outdoors, wear a hat or use UV-protectant sprays. If swimming, coat hair with conditioner first to help prevent chlorine and chemicals from deeply penetrating it.
• Nourish from within – Maintain healthy habits like drinking plenty of water and eating nutrient-rich foods with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, biotin, and collagen to help protect hair.

Best Hair Products to Help Prevent Split Ends

Some of the best products that help prevent split ends include:

• Heat protectant sprays
• Deep conditioners
• Conditioning masks
• Hair oil
• Bond maintenance shampoos and conditioners
• Silk pillow cases and head scarves

Choosing the right product from crowded beauty store shelves can be challenging. Talk to our stylist, who can help you find the right products for your hair type and daily routine.

Freshen Up with a Cut and Style from Therapy Hair Studio

Not only does a haircut rid you of split ends, it can also freshen up your look and make your hair look and feel fantastic. A professional stylist at Therapy Hair Studio can also direct you toward the products and services that can help you maintain your style with minimal damage.

Contact us today and schedule your next appointment!

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Many people struggle with choosing between hair extensions vs wigs when they want to refresh their appearance, protect their natural hair, or find a solution to hair thinning or loss. These tools go beyond aesthetics. They serve practical purposes, like protective styling or scalp coverage during recovery from medical conditions.

Hair transformations allow people to change their look, boost confidence, or address hair concerns without waiting months for natural growth. From added volume and length to complete coverage, modern options cater to a wide range of preferences.

What Are Hair Extensions?

Hair extensions come in several types. These include clip-in, tape-in, sew-in, and fusion. Each method uses its own unique attachment technique, which also impacts how long it lasts.

Clip-in extensions are temporary hair solutions. They work well for special occasions or quick changes. These extensions clip directly into your hair and remove easily at the end of the day. Tape-in extensions use a special medical-grade glue to stick small sections of hair to your natural hair. They usually last about four to eight weeks.

Sew-in extensions, also called weaves, are done by braiding your real hair first and then sewing the extensions into those braids. This method is most effective for individuals with thick or coarse hair. Fusion extensions involve bonding small sections of hair using keratin and heat, giving a natural look with long-lasting results. With the right maintenance routine, permanent hair extensions like fusion or sew-ins can last several months. You will need regular salon visits to reposition or replace them as your hair grows.

What Is a Wig?

Wigs provide full coverage and are available in many styles. You can pick a lace front wig if you want a natural-looking hairline, or go with a full lace wig if you want more ways to style your hair. There are also different types to choose from, like synthetic wigs or ones made with real human hair attached to a wig cap.

Wearing a wig is pretty simple. Most have adjustable straps, clips, or glue to help keep them in place. Some people also wear a wig cap underneath for extra comfort and to help the wig stay on better. Wigs offer excellent scalp coverage, making them a popular choice for people experiencing hair thinning or medical hair loss.

Wigs serve as one of the most effective hair loss solutions, offering an instant transformation without affecting your existing hair. Synthetic wigs require less upkeep and cost less than human hair wigs, but offer less heat styling freedom. Human hair wigs feel and move more naturally, and allow you to curl, straighten, or color them like real hair. With the right care, human hair wigs can last for years.

Hair Extensions vs. Wigs: Side-by-Side Comparison

Both hair extensions and wigs can look natural. Extensions mix in with your own hair, so they’re hard to spot. A good wig, especially one made with real human hair, can look just like a real hairline and scalp.

The way you put them on is different, though. Extensions, especially the kind that stay in for a while, usually need to be done at a salon. Wigs offer a more convenient application with numerous ready-to-wear options. If you want ease of application, a wig might suit you better.

Cost and maintenance also play a role. Extensions often require recurring appointments for upkeep, especially with fusion or sew-in methods. Wigs have an upfront cost, but require fewer touch-ups, aside from regular washing and proper storage.

For daily wear and convenience, clip-ins or wigs offer the most flexibility. You can take them off at night or change your look on a whim. Styling versatility depends on the material. Human hair extensions and wigs allow for the most freedom, while synthetic wigs limit heat use and restyling.

Which One Is Right for You?

To decide between wigs and extensions, start by thinking about your goals. Your budget and lifestyle matter too. If you want a low-maintenance solution that you can take on and off easily, wigs provide a solid choice. If you prefer a longer-term transformation, permanent hair extensions give you a consistent look.

Hair health also affects your decision. Extensions require a healthy foundation, while wigs offer coverage regardless of your natural hair’s condition. Texture is also important. Some methods work better on coarse hair, while others suit fine strands.

Think about whether you want a temporary hair solution or a longer-lasting option. Clip-ins and synthetic wigs offer quick fixes. Fusion extensions or human hair wigs offer more permanent transformations with higher price tags and longer wear time.

Book a Consultation Today

Choosing between hair extensions and wigs doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. At Therapy Hair Studio in Houston, we help clients explore their options and create a plan that fits their lifestyle and beauty goals. Whether you’re looking for natural hair coverage, added volume and length, or the best hair loss solutions, our expert team can guide you every step of the way. Call us today to book your consultation and get started.

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