概述

Keratin is the type of protein that makes up your hair, skin, and nails. Keratin can also be found in your internal organs and glands. Keratin is a protective protein, less prone to scratching or tearing than other types of cells your body produces.

Keratin can be derived from the feathers, horns, and wool of different animals and used as an ingredient in hair cosmetics. Since keratin is the structural building block of your hair, some people believe that keratin supplements, products, and treatments can help strengthen your hair and make it look healthier.

在头发上使用角蛋白的人报告说,他们的头发更加顺畅,更易于管理。效果差异很大,具体取决于您的头发是否健康,头发的天然厚度以及您使用的角蛋白治疗方式。角蛋白通过平滑细胞来重叠以形成头发束的细胞来起作用。细胞层被称为头发角质层,理论上吸收角蛋白,从而导致头发看起来饱满而有光泽。角蛋白还声称要制作卷发不那么卷曲, easier to style, and straighter in appearance.

Salon keratin treatments

Sometimes called the Brazilian keratin treatment, this time-intensive method of using keratin involves several steps. First, a cream that contains formaldehyde is applied to your hair before it’s blown dry and straightened in a salon. Once the treatment is applied, you’re instructed to keep your hair dry for several days. When you visit the salon to have the chemicals washed out, another treatment is applied to “set” the straightening effect. This treatment claims to last for 12 weeks.

Keratin serums, shampoos, and conditioners

Keratin serums, shampoos, and conditioners can’t make the same claims as a keratin treatment in a salon. But they do claim to make hair more damage-resistant and repair hair that has been dried out by heat and hair dye. To identify these products, look for the words “keratin hydro lysates” in the ingredients list. Researchers concluded in 2013 对于想要更强壮的头发的人来说,角蛋白的活跃成分是一种有希望的成分。

Keratin supplements

您可以在几乎任何保健食品商店中找到角蛋白补充剂出售。角蛋白补充剂有粉末和胶囊形式。角蛋白补充剂并非没有风险。如果过度使用,它们可能会导致过多的蛋白质无法在您的体内积聚。

根据您所在地区,使用的产品品牌以及您的沙龙的价格,由美容专业人员的价格范围进行的角质治疗。角蛋白治疗价格为800美元,但可低至300美元。

You can also find at-home keratin treatment kits in some pharmacies and beauty supply stores. These keratin treatments may be messy or difficult to apply correctly, especially if you’ve never seen the treatment performed by a professional. But if you’re comfortable with trying it, at-home keratin treatments are usually less than $50.

Salon keratin treatments contain large amounts of formaldehyde. Some employees at hair salons even reported nosebleeds and respiratory problems from handling the keratin treatment products and inhaling their fumes repeatedly over time. These levels of formaldehyde exceeded the national safety standard for chemical exposure by five times 。因此,孕妇应避免得到这种治疗。对甲醛或呼吸系统疾病敏感的人也应避免角质治疗。

Keratin treatments do have some benefits. By applying keratin to your hair cuticle and sealing it in with heat, your hair takes on a glossier appearance. But before getting a treatment like this, it’s critical to understand the chemicals involved. Some people may find that after they get a keratin treatment once, they have to keep getting the treatment so that the heat damage from processing their hair this way doesn’t show. Keratin treatments also expose hair salon employees to high levels of chemicals that are toxic over time. Before getting a keratin treatment, consider trying out a hair product that contains keratin to see if you can achieve the glossy locks you’re looking for.