What to Do After You Get Your Hair Chemically Straightened

Getting your hair chemically straightened can turn into a cautionary tale about home hair products and do-it-yourself chemical straighteners. But getting your hair straightened at a salon can leave you with hair that is sleek, shiny and healthy instead of burned and brittle. In order to keep your hair healthy and straight, most salons will advise you to try a number of gentler hair-cleaning products and a few changes to your hair-care routine. Here are a few tips for keeping your hair strong as recovers from the process.

• Wait a few days before washing your hair. The chemicals are still at work even after you’ve left the salon, and getting your hair wet or being in too humid of an environment can leave your hair only partially straightened. If you can, wait up to a week before washing it, and even then use shampoos that are free of sulfates. The straightening chemicals should stay in your hair as long as possible to give you the best effect, and sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners can clean your hair without removing them.
• Stay out of the pool but don’t worry about hair color. Chlorine can also pull the straightening chemicals from your hair and damage it when it’s already fragile. On the other hand, you can get your hair colored. The straightening process might strip out the color if you do it beforehand, but hair dye won’t impact the straightening chemicals nearly as much.

If you’re considering getting your hair chemically straightened for the first time, contact Shelley’s Day Spa and Salon here to ask about the process and any concerns you have. Our hair specialists are experienced with straightening fine, fragile, and damaged hair, and we can answer any of your questions.