How to Care for Smoothed Hair?
Straightened hair stays beautiful longer when it's well cared for. Sulfate-free washing, gentle detangling, nourishing care, protection from heat and sun: here are our tips to keep straightened hair healthy, whatever type of straightening you had.
Wash less often, and sulfate-free
Shampoo removes everything on the hair, including the products left by the straightening treatment. To make it last, wash less often: two shampoos a week at most.
Choose a sulfate-free shampoo, or a cleansing conditioner free of sulfates and parabens. Sulfates, found in many shampoos, create lather, but they are harsh on hair and reduce its keratin, while straightening adds keratin. Look for a gentle pH, ideally a keratin formula suited to your hair type (for example, hair that gets oily quickly).
Rinse thoroughly after each shampoo, well past the point where hair feels squeaky clean, to remove all product. Then apply a conditioner and leave it on for 3 to 5 minutes.
Ingredients to avoid
Check that these ingredients are not on the list:
- sodium laureth sulfate (SLES);
- sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS);
- ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS);
- sodium chloride.
If you haven't used a sulfate-free shampoo before, your hair may look less healthy at first. That's normal: it needs time to adjust, then it regains its health and shine.
Shampoos for straightened hair
They work well, as long as your hair has no particular issue. If it gets oily quickly, is very dry or has dandruff, first make sure the shampoo is suitable.
Detangle without breakage
- Use a very wide-tooth comb, ideally once a day.
- Divide your hair into sections.
- Always detangle from the bottom up, starting 5 cm from the ends.
- In the morning, if your hair is tangled, avoid combing it through deeply.
- Avoid running your fingers through your hair constantly: it gets oily faster and needs washing more often.
To make detangling easier, mist your hair with a mix of 80% water, 10% cream and 10% hair oil, or use a keratin serum or two-phase spray.
Nourish your hair every day
All straightening treatments dry out the hair. In the months that follow, nourish it regularly:
- a hydrating oil or serum, ideally every day and at least after every wash. Choose avocado, castor, amla, coconut, wheat germ, sesame or jojoba oil, which nourish without weighing hair down;
- a keratin conditioner at every wash;
- a mask: after Japanese straightening, twice a week, or once if your hair isn't dry;
- rice and silk proteins, for softness.
Dry and style without damage
Let your hair air-dry when you can. If you're short on time, a blowout is fine.
Flat irons aren't off-limits, but use them sparingly: once a week at most, always with a heat-protecting serum. Choose one with ceramic plates, which are gentler on straightened hair. If you need it more and more often, it may be time to redo your straightening.
Protect your hair from sun, salt water and pools
Sun, sea water and pool water damage straightened hair. In summer, or with prolonged exposure, apply a sun protection product to your hair.
At the beach or pool, a swim cap is ideal, after coating your lengths with a little oil. Otherwise:
- shampoo every 2 or 3 swims in the sea, or after every swim in a pool;
- choose a cleansing conditioner rather than a regular shampoo, and leave it on for the recommended time.
Care for your hair at night
At night, straightened hair tends to frizz. Two ways to protect it:
- a few loose braids, covered with a silk scarf;
- the wrap method, more effort but very effective: detangle your hair, apply a few drops of serum, wrap it around your head and secure it with flat clips, then cover it with a scarf.
Morning and night, gently massage your scalp.
Choose the right straightening
Chemical treatments can make hair brittle, depending on its type. Trust your straightening to a professional who fully masters the technique and can recommend the right treatment for you.
If your hair is already brittle, natural smoothing is gentler and holds moisture better. Tannin smoothing, for example, is a semi-permanent, plant-based treatment that straightens hair while repairing it.
