Protein Treatments For Your Hair
It has always been a desire for clients to achieve stronger, shinier, less frizzy and manageable hair. Think of it, when it starts getting humid or the slightest speckle of fine rain the first thing that normally happens, is your hair turns into that frizzy tangled mess. To prevent this the answer is protein!
Protein for hair
Hair is a complex substance made from protein notably keratin. Like with all biomaterials for example skin, when exposed to external and internal factors the bonds (cells) can become compromised, or a more technical term would be oxidation, which can permanently damage the DNA of the biomaterial.
Multiple elements can affect the hair, such as poor diet, pollution, ageing, sunlight, heat styling and colouring these can lead to oxidative stress, resulting in the compromise of the hair follicle strength and over time, repeated exposure to these elements will lead to further loss of protein (keratin bonds) which can make your hair feel weaker, dryer, look dull with loss of colour, and ultimately breakage.
So can we add back the lost protein?
The answer is yes, adding back loss protein can help fill the gaps caused by oxidation. There are (as we have shared with you previously on our other blogs) products such as Smartbond which can replace bonds lost in the colouring process, but some forms, protein can even act as a surface coat or shield to the hair cuticle, enabling the hair to have a temporary surface that gives strength and protection.
So what treatments are available?
Paul Edmonds London has always been a hub for luxury holistic hair treatments. Paul himself is a trained healer so it was vital to find new ways and technologies to improve hair quality and care for clients, especially with varying needs and problems.
So here is our list of protein treatments that can give that added va va voom to your hair and keep oxidation at bay.
Keratin Treatment
The much loved Keratin Treatment has been a regular 3-month friend for clients who want to smooth and de-frizz their hair.
If you have frizzy dry unmanageable hair this one is for you (but not for the person with brittle hair!)
Often confused as a straightening treatment (this is not) as it still maintains the DNA structure of the hair (where straightening treatments completely change it), it fills in the blanks and “bonds” itself to the hair cuticle, through a process of heat application (this doesn’t cause further oxidation!). It takes anything from 1hour to 2.5hours in-salon and will require you to keep it on your hair for 72 hours before you can wash and blowdry as normal. The theory being the bonded Keratin will form a more resilient coating on the hair if left longer.
Price starts at £150 for short hair to £400 if your hair is uber thick and long.
UPR Treatment – Ultimate Protein Rejuvenate
This is a protein-based treatment made from hydrolysed vegetable proteins. Again it acts similar to the Keratin but on a softer scale. The protein molecules in this treatment are small but not strong enough to create a mid to long-term (3 month) shield on the hair, but what they do is repair the lost keratin instantly and helps to restore the PH balance of the hair, it is great as an urgent repair treatment, adding strength back to the hair and stopping any oxidative stress that is occurring on the hair.
Application time is an additional 30 to 45mins depending on hair length, £60 per treatment
Shu Uemura’s Ultimate Reset Treatment and duo serum
Packed with ceramides and lipids (both are fatty acids) this treatment is a protein system within the Shu Uemura hair range for damaged hair. You can purchase as a shampoo, conditioner, masque and duo serum (lipid content increases from former to latter). Again it acts by replacing loss protein and oils to the hair, perfect for chemically treated and damaged hair. Depending on the damage these group of products can be used less, or more frequently. Top tip as soon as your hair is starting to feel harder, lay off for a few days. You can use this treatment as and when you feel you need it.
Shop Shu Uemura Art of Hair collections for damaged hair
Shu Uemura’s Masterbase Treatment
A bespoke treatment to the Shu Uemura family, there are 3 basic pillars to the masterbase treatment, they are moisture, protein and shimmer. Your stylist will determine what mix of a pillar to use in order to maximise the condition of your hair which is added to a special masterbase masque. Again containing oils, protein and ceramides the masterbase treatment is ideal for the client who wants to improve the condition (it’s not an urgent repair treatment due to aggressive).
It takes 30mins to process on the hair under moisture and heat. £50 per treatment
Treatments at Paul Edmonds London
No matter how bad you think your hair feels there is always a possible solution available at Paul Edmonds London salons, the important this is that genetics will determine how far you can push your hair under the extremes of oxidation, so lifestyle changes and investing in a program over time will be needed to get your hair back to tip-top condition.