Make smarter, safer hair care decisions
Hairstyling implies envisioning a desired look for ones hair involving shape, colour and texture and then converting this vision into a reality using various methods.
One of these methods that salons rely on involves the application of various chemical procedures.
These procedures and their products are commonly referred to as relaxers, Brazilian treatments, perms, bleaching/ detoxifying and colour treatments.
A consultation with a hair stylist will enable them to understand the look you hope to achieve and they can then recommend a suitable chemical procedure, if that’s what’s needed.
It is important, however, before one commits to a stylist’s advice or even proceeds with a booking at a salon, to request a copy of the stylist’s licence and the hair salon’s accreditation.
Salon’s that are recognised professionally and legislatively are supplied with their accreditation from the National Bargaining Council for the hairdressing, cosmetology, beauty and skin care industry of SA.
Accredited salons pay a rate to the council and are in turn regulated by this body.
A regulatory requirement stipulates that all practicing stylists in a salon must have received the necessary qualifications to be able to perform their duties.
Clients at hair salons are entitled to request that a stylist prove their qualifications, and when receiving advice especially, as this relates to sensitive and hair altering procedures such as chemical treatments.
The general rule of thumb that both consumers and stylists must adhere to is that too much chemicals applied to the hair will have negative and possibly irreversible effects on the structure, volume and texture of the hair.
Be honest with your stylist about products or procedures you have subjected your hair to when going into a salon.
The stylist needs to be completely aware about the history behind your hair care before making any further changes to it.
This is because hair chemical procedures are created with different final looks in mind.
There are procedures to either curl or straighten hair, to colour hair or strip colour from it.
When applying more than one procedure to the hair, the chemicals counteract each other and can ruin the condition of your hair irreparably, and even to the extent that it may completely melt.
It is always advisable to wait at least six months for hair to grow out between chemical applications.
By doing so, if any hair sustains damage, then at least there is an amount of regrowth that will be saved.
Brazilian keratin treatment is a chemical procedure applied to the hair to minimise and eliminate frizz.
It is able to decrease frizz by up to 95% by building a layer around the hair that coats the hair shaft.
This procedure, however, cannot be done too frequently and once or twice a year is sufficient.
The same applies to relaxers, as applying relaxer to the hair too frequently causes the hair to break off and leads to chemical lesions on the scalp.
Three times a year is sufficient and those with fine hair must avoid relaxers as the composition of their hair is too brittle to withstand harsh chemicals in a relaxer.
Avoid applying bleach to colour- reated hair and do not detox hair that has been coloured.
Bleaching requires the hair to be in its natural colour and composition for the stylist to help you achieve your desired colour.
Bleaching involves stripping the hair to a single colour from the roots to the tips.
And because of this, bleaching requires several appointments with a stylist before the desired colour is finally realised.
This process, however, strips the hair of its natural pigments.
As such, a good salonrecommended shampoo and conditioner is necessary to resupply the hair with artificial pigments.
The same applies to colourtreated hair as the maintenance of your hair is important.
As such, always opt to buy a salon-approved and recommended range of hair shampoos and conditioners.
When applying heat to the hair, a heat protecting mist or crème is essential, and allowing a stylist to work on your hair without the application of a heat protector is negligible on the part of the stylist.
Always apply heat protector to the hair to prevent excessive heat from transforming the shape and texture of the hair.