Know Your Hair & Products

Hair treatment and care: The hair in order to be reconditioned properly needs to have the vital elements that have been eliminated by daily abuse. A protein-based formula of the correct molecular weight and size range builds strength into hair to improve the way it responds to chemical services. A moisturizing-based formula softens and adds flexibility.

Hair, when it looses many of its protein parts through combing, brushing, heat styling and chemical services becomes “tired” (loose protein) and must be fed with protein and moisturizers to replenish the supply. If this “food” (protein) is not present, the hair becomes badly damaged “sick”, no bounce, brittle and dry. Grooming products such as shampoos and conditioners used on the hair are an important indicator as to whether you are using properly formulated products of a proper pH value. Certain types of formulations or products of highly alkaline pH may cause chemical damage to the hair when used over a period of time.

Healthy hair should have a moisture content of nine to eleven percent. This gives the hair pliability that it needs to hold a style and lubricates the interior layers of the hair so it has bounce and body. Moisture imbalance happens when the cuticle is damaged. The hair can have too much or too little moisture, that of too little is more common. The most common cause of moisture damage is thermal styling. Dryness is also a side effect of chemical services. Chemical service that alters the cortex may cause protein loss, protein loss almost never occurs without moisture loss.

Curly hair has an abundance of strength (protein) but lack in moisture (less elastic). This interrelationship causes naturally curly hair to be disproportioned, making the hair feel dry and brittle. Therefore, the shampoo must put moisture into the hair, and it should be followed-up with a detangling conditioner, and a moisturizing protein treatment.

When the hair is found to be in a structurally incompetent condition, it must be “reconditioned” to take the hair from an undesirable state to a more cosmetically pleasing one. With proper reconditioning you can virtually alter the properties of the hair cortex by altering its compactness—thus making it stronger and more flexible. I always feel that we treat the damage first and moisturize or "seal" second.

I personally would recommend Redken’s Extreme Shampoo, Conditioner and Deep Fuel. However I know that clients having the TR service for the most part want to keep the volume down. So certainly for the coarser, thicker hair I would use All Soft Shampoo, Conditioner and All Soft Heavy Cream Treatment. Another way to do this; for those who prefer All Soft would be the All Soft Shampoo, Conditioner, Heavy Crčme Treatment, with Deep Fuel about once every 7-8 shampoos. Also, the ID CARE hair care product seems to work very good on TRd hair.