How to Care for Your Hair After a Keratin Treatment Service

Keratin treatment services deliver frizz control, smoothness, and faster styling. This reduces daily styling time and effort for clients with unruly or textured hair.

The challenge is keeping your hair looking salon-fresh long after your appointment. The secret to long-lasting results lies in what you do after you leave the chair.

In this guide, the experts at our professional hair salon share a step-by-step blueprint for protecting your investment, maintaining shine and smoothness, and extending your keratin results between visits.

What Should You Do After Keratin Treatments?

• Protect your results by following the first 72 hours carefully.
• Choose shampoos and conditioners that support treatment longevity.
• Maintain smoothness and shine with mindful daily styling habits.
• Safeguard your look by adjusting for workouts, weather, and lifestyle.
• Keep your hair sleek with consistent weekly and monthly care.
• Troubleshoot effectively with quick fixes for common issues.
• Simplify upkeep by following a structured aftercare routine.
• Stay prepared with a product checklist tailored to keratin care.
• Refresh & extend your results with regular check-ins at a professional hair salon.

The First 72 Hours: Set the Foundation

• 0–24 Hours
• 24–48 Hours
• 48–72 Hours

0–24 Hours

• Keep your hair dry. Avoid rain, steam, workouts, and high humidity when possible. If hair gets damp, blow-dry on cool to warm it until it’s fully dry.

• No creases. Skip clips, ponytails, hats, and sunglasses on the head.

• Smooth it out. If a bend appears, lightly pass a flat iron at low to medium heat in one or two quick swipes.

24–48 Hours

• Hands off. Touching adds oils and creates dents.

• Sleep smart. To reduce friction and maintain the smoothness of your hair, sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase.

48–72 Hours

• First cleanse. Use a sodium-chloride-free, sulfate-free shampoo and a lightweight, keratin-safe conditioner.

• Rinse cool. Lukewarm to cool water helps seal the cuticle and preserve smoothness.

Shampoo and Conditioner: What to Use and What to Skip

DO Use:

• Shampoos that are do not contain sodium-chloride or sulfates. Look for labels that read “color safe,” “keratin safe,” or “smoothing safe.”

• Lightweight conditioners and masks. Choose formulas with amino acids, hydrolyzed proteins, or lightweight oils.

DON’T Use:

• Clarifying shampoos as a weekly habit. Reserve for occasional buildup only (& check with your stylist first).

• Heavy, waxy products that cause residue and dullness.

• Salt sprays and harsh detox products that strip smoothing agents.

4 Daily Styling Habits That Extend Results

1. Dry roots thoroughly. After every wash, rough-dry the root area before air-drying the lengths. This prevents wave reversion at the scalp.

2. Use heat wisely. Always apply a heat protectant. Keep tools at the lowest setting that works for your hair. A quick pass with a round brush and blow-dryer refreshes smoothness.

3. Brush with care. Use a cushioned paddle or detangling brush from ends to roots. Support the hair near the scalp to avoid stress.

4. Finish with refinement. A pea-size amount of lightweight serum adds shine without buildup.

4 Workout, Weather, & Lifestyle Tips

1. Workouts.
   1. Put hair in a braid or loose, low ponytail.
   2. Use a silk scrunchie.
   3. Blow-dry sweat at the roots after your workout to keep things smooth.

2. Showers and steam. Wrap hair in a towel or wear a shower cap during non-wash showers to block humidity.

3. Boston humidity and coastal air. Keep a travel-size serum and mini brush in your bag. A quick blow-dry at the root resets smoothness after a humid commute.

4. Swimming.
   1. Before pools or ocean, saturate hair with clean water and apply a leave-in conditioner.
   2. Rinse immediately after.
   3. Cleanse with keratin-safe shampoo that evening.

Weekly and Monthly Maintenance

• Weekly
• Every 4–6 Weeks
• Every 10–16 Weeks

Weekly

• Use a hydration mask once a week. Focus from mid-lengths to ends for 5–10 minutes.

• Scalp balance. If you tend to get oily, use a gentle, sulfate-free scalp cleanser every other week.

Every 4–6 Weeks

• If you color your hair, refresh with a gloss or toner. Book color either a few days before keratin or at least a week after, based on your stylist’s guidance.

• Trim dusting to keep ends crisp and reduce frizz return.

Every 10–16 Weeks (System Dependent)

• Keratin maintenance or reapplication. Your stylist will tailor timing based on hair type, density, and the formula used.

Troubleshooting Guide

• My roots look puffy after washing.

Blow-dry the root area first with a nozzle and a paddle brush. Finish with a light round-brush polish.

• My ends feel dry. 

Add a dime-size leave-in conditioner to damp ends and reduce heat when you style next.

• My hair appears dull or like there’s a layer of film. 

You may have product buildup. Ask your stylist about a single, gentle clarifying wash followed by a hydrating mask, then return to keratin-safe care.

• There are kinks from hats or elastics.

Use a low-heat pass with a flat iron and a small amount of serum to reset.

Here’s a Sample Aftercare Routine:

• Wash Day
• Non-Wash Day
• Weekly

Wash Day

1. Pre-detangle with a wide-tooth comb.
2. Cleanse with sodium-chloride-free, sulfate-free shampoo.
3. Condition mid-lengths to ends. Rinse cool.
4. Towel blot. Apply heat protectant and a pea-size serum to ends.
5. Blow-dry roots first. Polish lengths with a brush or a quick, low-heat pass.

Non-Wash Day

1. Dry shampoo at the root if needed.
2. Refresh with a light mist of water and a round-brush blow-dry at the hairline and crown.
3. Smooth flyaways with a tiny amount of serum.

Weekly

1. Use a hydration mask in place of a conditioner.
2. Cleanse your scalp if prone to oil or buildup.

Product Checklist to Keep Keratin Treatment Looking Salon-Fresh

• ✓ Sodium-chloride-free, sulfate-free shampoo
• ✓ Keratin-safe conditioner
• ✓ Heat protectant spray or cream
• ✓ Lightweight shine serum
• ✓ Leave-in conditioner for swim and humidity days
• ✓ Silk or satin pillowcase and scrunchies
• ✓ Paddle brush and round brush with a concentrator nozzle

Top 3 Reasons to Check In with a Professional Hair Salon

1. Your stylist can spot early signs of buildup, dryness, or wave return and adjust your routine.
2. A hydrating or bond-supporting service extends smoothness and keeps hair strong.
3. Together, you’ll set the ideal reapplication window based on growth, lifestyle, and seasonal humidity.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Protect your keratin treatment in the first 72 hours.
2. Use sodium-chloride-free, sulfate-free care.
3. Dry roots thoroughly after every wash.
4. Plan for humidity, workouts, and swimming.
5. Check in with your stylist for trims, color timing, and maintenance.

Maintain Your Keratin Treatment at Our Professional Hair Salon

Smooth, glossy hair lasts longer with a smart routine and the right products. For a personalized plan that matches your hair type and lifestyle, book a consultation at Hair Blush Salon today.