There is a lot you can do to keep your hair looking its best. Combining keratin treatments and hair dye can give you tresses with a smooth, silky texture and a lustrous, vibrant color. But the keratin process uses heat. Overheating is possible if you’re not careful, and that can damage hair. And depending on the color, dye can be abrasive. This leaves many wondering if it is safe to do both. If so, how long after keratin treatment should you wait to color hair? And does it matter which one you do first?
When chemicals are involved, it’s best to be cautious. The professional stylists and color experts at Vakkar Salon have the answers to navigating multiple treatments.
What Will a Keratin Treatment Do For My Hair?
When we discuss keratin treatment, we are referring to a salon treatment, not one of the many keratin products like shampoos or conditioners that are on the market for at-home use.
Salon keratin treatments use a combination of chemicals and heat to make the hair shiny and sleek. The process coats the hair shaft with a protective barrier that smooths out the cuticle. The result is usually super-healthy-looking hair. But the main ingredient used is formaldehyde. So if the hair is fragile or damaged to begin with, the treatment could cause more harm.
Because hair dye also contains chemicals like ammonia or peroxide that can make hair brittle, coloring too soon after keratin can cause issues for some people. Some hair may be so delicate it needs special care. Both processes get the best results when the hair is healthy from the start. To be on the safe side, it is always best to follow the advice of a trained color specialist.
The Safest Way to Dye Hair After Keratin Treatments
The best and safest way to color hair and enjoy the benefits of keratin treatments is to go to a professional. An experienced stylist can assess your hair’s health to make sure that both processes will be safe and give you the results you’re looking for.
A reputable stylist will never offer both services at the same appointment. Not only would it take all day at the salon; it is best not to overload the hair with too many chemicals at once.
How long after keratin treatment should you wait for your hair color? At Vakkar Salon, we recommend at least a full week. This gives the hair time to recover and the keratin to settle in before adding any more products that open the cuticle.
What Happens If I Don’t Wait Long Enough After Keratin Treatment?
There are a couple reasons why it matters how long after keratin treatment you dye your hair. As we’ve already mentioned, both hair color and keratin can damage hair that is already fragile. Doing the two treatments too close together increases the possibility of over-processed hair.
But even the healthiest hair benefits from waiting a while between appointments. This is because there is a possibility that either of the processes might “undo” the effectiveness of the other.
Keratin creates a barrier on the hair shaft. If you color hair too soon, this can prevent the color from attaching properly. You might end up with uneven color distribution or a shade that looks slightly different that what was intended.
Another risk of coloring too quickly is that the chemicals in the color might impact the integrity of the keratin treatment. The hair could look drier and duller, or the benefits might wear off sooner than they should.
The results of doing hair color and keratin too close together will vary depending on the person. Hair’s natural texture, thickness, elasticity, and porousness will all play a part in how quickly it can bounce back to handle two chemical processes.
At Vakkar Salon, we provide all of our clients with a thorough consultation so we can examine the hair and explain exactly what to expect. So while we always suggest waiting at least a week, the question of how long after keratin treatment to color might have a different answer for everyone.
Is it Better to Color Hair First, Then Get Keratin?
You can get a keratin treatment after coloring your hair, but our advice is the same: Wait for at least a week between appointments. The combination of chemicals will have the same effect, no matter which one comes first.
The shampoo preparation of a keratin treatment is very powerful,so putting keratin over recently colored hair might strip away and lighten some of the color. This occasionally happens with some hair types even if the client waits more than a week. During our color consultation, we can usually tell when this is a possibility. We will then drop the color by a half shade to compensate for it.
What Else Can I Do To Get the Most From My Keratin Treatment?
Today’s keratin-treated hair is much easier to care for than it once was. In the past, clients had to wait 48 hours before they could shampoo their hair. They were advised not to use ponytail holders (they can crease the hair) and were instructed to thoroughly dry their hair even after sweating!
Nowadays, you can leave the salon after a keratin treatment and do pretty much whatever you’d like—with only a few guidelines:
- Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner
- Shampoo less often—a few times a week should do
- Use only a nylon-bristled brush. Boar bristles and other natural fibers can wear off the keratin
- Wait a few days before swimming
- Wait at least a week before applying hair color or highlights
Following these suggestions, keratin treatments will last between three and six months.
At Vakkar, You Can Get the Benefits of Keratin Treatments and Hair Color
If you’re not one of the lucky few who are born with a gorgeous head of hair, no worries! Both great color and sleek tresses can be yours at Vakkar Salon.
Our stylists and colorists are skilled at providing keratin treatments and professional color that works for your hair type and lifestyle. With every process we do, the health and vitality of our client’s hair is our top priority. Contact us for an appointment today!
