There are so many differing opinions on what is good for hair and what are good products to be using on your hair both on the net and in the magazines. In this article, we’re going to address one of the more popular topics: Keratin and if it does really help with hair growth.
Let us start by taking a look at hair in general, what keratin is, the different ways to use it safely and the dangers involved in certain procedures involving this product that you will want to avoid.
Your hair and keratin. The connection they have:
A persons hair is actually made up of tiny strands of natural proteins called…keratin! These proteins give your hair the strength, thickness and shine it needs to look and feel healthy.
This raises an important question, in that if your hair already is made up of this, why would you want to add more to it? Wouldn’t it be a waste of money to start using things like keratin supplements?
This is a fair question and one that has an interesting answer…
As we go through life, our hair can become damaged due to many things including aging, swimming in pools, thinning, stress, dry and damaged ends from the wind and sun, too much exposure to harsh conditions and the list goes on and on…
When our hair becomes damaged to the point where it is actually falling out, one must get aggressive in attempting to restore it to good health.
Aside from cutting off all of your hair and letting it grow back healthy, (and this option does come up, but more on that later), there are things you can do to help repair and restore your hairs shine, strength, and luster.
This is where keratin supplements come into the picture:
By using it as a supplement, all of the problems above that lead to hair being lost or thinning can be combated naturally and it will also help in straightening it, making it more resistant towards the conditions which damage it, but the key is in how you pick and apply the products to your hair and your body.
There are several different options for this and we will now take a look at the good and the bad ways to use this protein supplement. First, let us look at the most misrepresented and damaging way this product is being marketed and why we should avoid this procedure.
The bad: Common keratin treatments to avoid.
The worst stand out one is treatments involving keratin given in hair salons. Many of them will try to sell you keratin treatments as a way to as they pitch “restore shine, add volume and even straighten hair” and the truth is that it does initially work, but only on the surface. Huh? Hold on, we’ll explain:
These treatments have great results at first but in reality, they do more damage to your hair than they are worth by long-term drying and weakening of the hair fibers.
This is where the problem comes up: When these treatments are applied, the people applying them will be using high heat, many times reaching 450 degrees and they will be using hot styling tools.
This will smooth the outer layers of the hair giving it an incredible shine and even restore length, but the trade-off is not worth the risk.
Unfortunately, the high heat ends up doing more damage to the hair in the long run than the good results are worth. The hair becomes weak and breaks easily over time, it can become frizzy, split ends can take over and the end result is a very unhealthy head of hair!
But there’s an even bigger problem to add to this treatment:
While the initial heat application is reason enough not to use this method, there is an even greater risk involved with this procedure in the fact that it requires other chemicals to be mixed in with the keratin when being applied. Yes chemicals, those nasty things which aren’t good for hair.
The most dangerous of these chemicals used is one called: Formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and has been proven to cause cancer in humans and it is very much on the list of dangerous chemicals from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), even though it’s applied externally.
Now we’re not suggesting you stop going to hair salons, but we do highly recommend avoiding the types of procedures which incorrectly apply these types of hair treatments at all costs and if you have already had one of these applied, we suggest a very short cut to your hair and let it grow back in naturally. We know this sounds drastic but this is usually the only option that works in restoring a healthy head of hair.
Now, let’s take a look at much safer ways to get the same results without all that risk of damaged hair and possible chemical contamination!
The good: Safe Ways To Use Keratin…
Because keratin bonds with your hair strands it can make them look thicker and smoother as it covers the whole strand and actually straightens it out creating a longer, fuller and shiny look to the hair. This is a very desirable result! So how do you do it?
The best way to get all around healthy hair is to combine healthy eating of foods that are high in keritan and proteins such as high protein meats, nuts, beer, blueberries, almonds, oysters, milk and similar foods along with vitamins and marine supplements like fish oil with the regular use of natural shampoos and conditioners with keratin in them.
This can both strengthen your hair and keratin nourishing serum or elixir will bond with the hair for an incredible shine and a fuller body.
Biotin, Zinc, and Keratin enriched shampoos and conditioners are excellent sources for use in healthy hair maintenance.
There are many different shampoos, conditioners, and oral supplements available to get you started on your journey!
The conclusions on keratin & hair growth:
So, in answering the question: “Does Keratin help with hair growth?” the answer would be yes it does, but only in combination with a healthy diet and proper hygiene, not through special procedures that involve chemicals or hair damaging methods.
Following these steps will give you beautiful hair that looks and feels smooth and full!
We do hope this article was informative and helps you in choosing the right fit for you and Keratin and helps you avoid the pitfalls of using this product in the wrong combination of cancer-causing chemicals such as formaldehyde.
Be sure to keep up to date on our future articles and as always we want to hear from you!
If you have any questions or comments on this product please leave them in the comments section below and we will address them promptly!