Do hair keratin treatments work for your hair?

Hair Hair is a protein made up of keratin as hair cells grow, they fill up with the fibrous protein of keratin cells lose nucleus and therefore die as they travel up the hair follicle 91% of hair is protein made up of long chains of amino acids Polypeptide chains intertwined to create helix shape Keratin found in hair is water resilient

Keratin infused shampoo Smoothing Therapy Keratin Color Care Shampoo by Keratin Complex Main ingredients include water, hydrolyzed keratin, hydrolyzed wheat protein, and hydrolyzed soy protein Hydrolyzed keratin/protein in keratin shampoo is broken down into its component amino acids Hydrolyzed wheat targets cortex to strengthen it, hydrolyzed soy protein targets hair fiber to add shine and smooth strand (salon treatments) Some treatments contain formaldehyde: known to be a carcinogen; high heat must be applied in order to seal product (breaks amino acid bonds in hair)

Statistics/Reviews of treatment Reviews state keratin does not actually smooth your hair The ammonium thioglycolate and sodium peroxide found in shampoo that straightens hair is said to leave hair shaft feeling brittle Shampoo does not work immediately, usually just coats shaft to seal treatment (at home shampoos)

Shampooing process- Does it work? For a brief period of time – yes Your hair needs not only keratin infused shampoo but shampoo that includes hair healthy ingredients such as shea butter or jojoba oil The effectiveness of the shampoo depends on the quality of the shampoo brand

Positive/Negative affects of keratin Salon treatment temporarily straightens and smoothes hair; damages hair in process Keratin does add needed extra protein to hair; but also adding too much keratin over time leads to hair loss Horror story of hair loss due to keratin treatment; puts physical stress and damage on hair FDA is doing research on long term effects of “Brazilian blowouts” (salon keratin treatment)

Works Cited http://www.texascollaborative.org/hildasustaita/module%20files/topic3 .htm http://www.ulta.com/smoothing-therapy-keratin-color-care- shampoo?productId=xlsImpprod10111264 http://spryliving.com/articles/keratin-shampoos-do-they-work/ http://urbanbushbabes.com/all-about-different-types-of-proteins/ http://www.allure.com/story/keratin-hair-smoothing-treatment-how-to http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/hair/advice/a1266/how-keratin- damages-hair/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-misener/keratin-hair-fall- out_b_1492467.html