Brazilian straightening is taking up more and more space in salons and in beauty magazines. Several questions can arise when faced with this method: Can you color your hair after Brazilian straightening? Can you do highlights after Brazilian straightening ?
Can you get highlights after a Brazilian straightening treatment?
To begin with, Brazilian straightening is known for straightening, of course, but not only that. It provides additional protection to the hair fiber , by adding keratin in quantity and depth, allowing the hair to be nourished.
Repeated external aggressions such as pollution, hair dryers, hair straighteners and many others weaken the hair. Keratin is a protein that makes up more than 85% of the hair fiber , so its presence is essential. However, when the hair is attacked and damaged, the keratin disappears without regenerating; we must therefore restore it ourselves. In addition, the higher the keratin level, the smoother and healthier the hair will be.
This particular smoothing method can last up to several months when well maintained. Can you still change the color of your hair? The answer is yes! A coloring can be applied to a Brazilian smoothing treatment as long as it is only done after at least 2 weeks of waiting . Since keratin continues to penetrate the scalp for a certain time, it is not recommended to touch your hair during the first few days: no washing or styling that changes the shape of the hair.
When to color?
Regarding coloring, it is better to do it before straightening , as it allows to open the scales of the hair, the keratin will penetrate even better. However, it is not forbidden to do this coloring after the recommended 15 days, but the chemicals used in this coloring will reduce the effects of the straightening.
Highlights or balayage will have the same effect. When these are done, stripping is done at the hair level. Hair care professionals therefore prefer to do these highlights before the Brazilian straightening. As explained previously, the scales of the hair fiber will be opened by this balayage, thus facilitating the passage of keratin.
The type of coloring
If you want a full color or highlights, an ammonia-free color is better after a Brazilian straightening. Indeed, ammonia will open the hair fiber and therefore unfortunately, eliminate the keratin provided by the Brazilian straightening. Colorists recommend doing tone on tone or semi-permanent coloring, which do not have ammonia in their composition. Brazilian straightening can sometimes lighten the color of the hair . In this case, it is better to do a coloring just before, a little darker, so that the final result corresponds to what is desired.
Plant-based colorings
Also, more and more hairdressers are using plant-based dyes that can also be an alternative. These do not open the scales of the hair fiber, thus preserving the keratin provided by the Brazilian straightening. These plant-based dyes work on the basis of plant pigments and act as a treatment for the hair. Some hairdressing professionals perform coloring or highlights after a Brazilian straightening. The only difference is that after this color, they will reapply a Brazilian straightening treatment to restore vitality and strength to the hair.
Finally, the various professional hair care brands, providing Brazilian straightening kits at home, offer for sale products adapted to colored hair. These specific kits contain beneficial elements for this type of hair. Most of these kits, like that of the Marc Grays brand, are composed of keratin, vegetable collagen, jojoba, etc.
This last component is known to nourish and protect the hair . Plant collagen, for its part, also helps protect the hair and prevent it from dehydration. These elements are therefore all beneficial for hair damaged by coloring.
Checklist
Finally, yes, you can do highlights or coloring after a Brazilian straightening treatment. However, you need to pay attention to several elements to maintain your Brazilian straightening treatment:
- The products you use : products containing ammonia or sodium laureth sulfate are strongly discouraged. These will strip the hair and remove keratin, reducing the effects of the Brazilian straightening.
- Waiting time : wait the necessary time between the Brazilian straightening and the desired coloring, that is to say approximately two weeks. Or, do your coloring or highlights just before doing the straightening.
- Do not wash your scalp too much : shampooing too often will strip the keratin present in the hair. One or two shampoos per week are more than enough. To space out washes, the best-known technique remains dry shampoo, which absorbs sebum and gives the hair a "clean" appearance.
- Dry your hair using a hair dryer and a round or flat brush . Or, it's best to let it air dry to avoid any additional heat damage.
- Running the plates of a straightener from time to time helps to reactivate the keratin, and therefore keep the effect of straight hair for longer.
- Take care of your Brazilian straightening by using suitable treatments such as a mask enriched with keratin , for example. Treatments such as castor oil masks allow you to take care of your hair and at the same time, the Brazilian straightening. Serums created to maintain the Brazilian straightening also exist and are to be applied after drying the hair.
Can you get highlights after a Brazilian straightening treatment: conclusion
To the question "can you get highlights after a Brazilian straightening treatment", the answer is yes, but remembering to use sunscreen when you expose yourself to the sun is important because this treatment acts like a sunscreen by protecting the hair fiber from ultraviolet rays and preserving the keratin within the hair.
