You have heard the many benefits of keratin treatment. It adds moisture to the hair strands making them soft and smooth, it makes the tresses strong, shiny, and free from flyaways, among many other benefits. Unfortunately, you don’t have money to get keratin treatment by hairstylist. Can you do keratin at home?

Yes, you can do keratin treatment at home, but you need to have the necessary supplies that you can buy from your local store or online.

Supplies you need for a keratin treatment.

Clarifying shampoo: Like your regular shampoo, the clarifying shampoo removes debris and styling products from your hair. In most cases, the shampoo comes as a kit, but if yours doesn’t, buy a clarifying shampoo from your local store.

Mask: You can find a mask from your local hardware store near saws and sandpapers. The purpose of the mask is to protect you from fumes that result as you are using the straight-iron. When you put on the mask, you don’t inhale too many chemicals.

Straightening iron: You need a straightening iron to straighten your hair. When making the purchase, buy an iron that can heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and should be between 1” and 4” wide.

Plastic gloves: These are to protect your hands during keratin application

A wide-tooth comb: The purpose of the comb is to remove knots after shampooing and also distribute the keratin treatment through your hair and remove the excess.

Brazilian keratin treatment: The amount you need depends on the length of your hair. If you got shoulder-length, thick hair, you should get a treatment that is at least 2.5 ounces. Remember, it’s always better to have too much than too little, so when making the purchase, always buy more than you are projecting to spend.

How to do keratin at home

For best results, you should follow the right steps:

Step 1: Wash the hair with clarifying shampoo

For complementary ingredient benefits, wash your hair with a good quality keratin shampoo. If you have straight hair, wash it twice. Is your hair extremely curly? Add another wash. You should avoid using a conditioner when cleaning the hair. Also, ensure you thoroughly rinse the hair.

Step 2: Dry the hair completely

Set the blow dryer to high heat and dry out the hair completely. How long it takes to dry the hair depends on your hair type.

Step 3: Comb and separate hair

Using a wide-tooth comb, comb the hair to remove all the knots and tangles. Using large butterfly clips, separate your hair to 3 sections, then pin up both ends and at the top. Leave the bottom hanging down.

Step 4: Apply Keratin treatment.

This is the fun part. Begin with putting on plastic gloves then put the keratin treatment into a bowl. Apply the keratin to the upper section of your hair then distribute it downwards and upwards until you cover the entire section.

Using your gloved fingers, rake through the strands to ensure all the hair sections are thoroughly coated. Ensure the hair is fully coated, but not sopping wet. If you feel you have applied too much treatment, comb through with a wide-tooth comb to remove the excess.

Step 5: Dry the hair

Using a hairdryer set at high speed, but medium heat, blow-dry the hair.  After waiting for 10-15 minutes, use your straightening iron (set at 450 degrees) and go over the keratin coated patches that aren’t dry enough.

Step 6: Straighten the hair

Once the hair is completely dry, use a flatiron to straighten your hair. Go over each section and ensure it’s as straight as when you would have done your hair in a keratin treatment salon Rockville.