After summer, hair is often weakened by various aggressions. Having become dry, split and brittle, it requires specific care to regain its shine and vitality. A good understanding of the nature of your hair and the use of suitable products will help you approach the start of the school year in style.
Healthy hair has smooth scales, which allows it to reflect light better and shine naturally. With a pH of 5.5, naturally quite acidic, the hair is protected by a hydrolipidic film made up of sebum, which sheaths and protects it.
However, summer brings its share of environmental aggressions. The sun, sea, wind, sand, chlorine and pollution make hair dry, dull, damaged and difficult to style.
In addition to these environmental aggressions, there are mechanical aggressions such as blow-drying, the use of thermal straighteners or certain hairstyles such as braids and ponytails. These practices can damage the hair structure, making the hair even more fragile.
Chemical aggressions, such as perms, straightening, highlights, oxidative dyes or overly alkaline shampoos, make the situation worse. The hair scales are lifted, making them duller and more fragile. They become tangled more easily, which weakens them further and can lead to breakage of the ends, or even entire strands.
To remedy hair problems after summer, it is imperative to rebalance the pH of the hair and avoid damaging it with a shampoo that is as detergent-free as possible. The condition of the scalp is also an important element to examine to determine the specific needs of the hair. It is recommended to combine two shampoos: one to wash the scalp and a second to treat the hair by restoring its acidity. The latter often requires a more or less long application time.
Detangling products, although only having a superficial action, already help to limit aggressions. However, it is crucial not to put them on the scalp, especially if they contain polymers or silicones.
When hair is damaged, it is best to opt for leave-in treatments, such as masks for very sensitized hair. These products require a leave-on time of at least ten minutes, wrapped in plastic wrap or, better yet, under a warm towel to optimize the action of the active ingredients.
It is also advisable to rinse your hair well, emulsifying the product to better eliminate it. By adopting these external treatments, you can help your hair regain its vitality and natural beauty, even after the summer aggressions.
Focus on the active ingredients for revitalized hair
On the active ingredient side, keratin still has a bright future ahead of it, even if laboratories are competing with proposals to discover or rediscover for this fall. Phospholipids, biomimetics of the lipids constituting cell membranes, penetrate to the heart of the hair fiber to restart cellular exchanges. Cimentrio, through its biomimetic action, reconstitutes the cement that restructures, protects the hair and maintains its hydration.
Creatine, an endogenous molecule, constitutes an energy reserve for the hair bulb. By promoting the action of a protein (NOGGIN signal) at the level of the follicular papilla, it reactivates hair growth. The tetrapeptide, composed of the tripeptide sequence Lysine-Aspartic Acid-Valine and a fourth amino acid, Tyrosine, has a confirmed action on the hair follicle by limiting the production of TNF alpha, a protein involved in cell death. Hyaluronic acids, free hyaluronic acid retains water in the heart of the hair to ensure an optimal hydration rate, and bound hyaluronic acid acts on the surface of the hair to plump it up.
These different active ingredients can be combined to provide your hair with complete and effective care, allowing it to regain its shine, strength and health after summer aggressions.
And for healthy hair...
Hair reflects the internal nutritional balance, so it is crucial to ensure that you are not deficient. To remedy this, many manufacturers offer food supplements. These products often contain cocktails of vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, polyphenols, silica, selenium, molybdenum, oils and sulfur amino acids such as methionine and cystine.
Active or live brewer's yeast is particularly rich in proteins, lecithin, essential amino acids, glutathione (a powerful antioxidant), mineral salts and trace elements, as well as vitamins, especially vitamin D. However, brewer's yeast can cause intestinal fermentation, which can acidify the body. This can force the body to draw on its reserves of trace elements in large quantities to restore balance.
By incorporating the right supplements into your routine, you can support your hair health from the inside out, ensuring optimal nutrition and long-lasting shine.
Keratin: The secret to strong, shiny hair
Hair is composed of 95% keratin, a fibrous protein whose characteristics are transmitted genetically. Keratin is made up of long chains of amino acids, sealed together by sulfur molecules. Produced by the hair's mother cells located deep in the hair follicle, keratin is depleted over time and with aggression.
Sensitive to humidity, keratin makes hair permeable and able to absorb up to 40% of its weight, which gives it incredible elasticity. In good health, hair can stretch 20% to 30% without breaking, which gives it amazing resistance.
Keratin also determines the color of the hair thanks to colored pigments and protects against static electricity. By smoothing the scales, it makes the hair shiny and soft.
Animal-based keratin often comes from sheep's wool, while phytokeratin, which is plant-based, reproduces the action of animal keratin in the hair fiber. It thus provides volume, softness, shine and visibly strengthens the hair.
It is often derived from hydrolyzed wheat proteins, i.e. cut into small pieces by enzymes to obtain smaller proteins. These hydrolyzed proteins allow better penetration and an improvement in action on the surface and inside the hair.
By incorporating keratin-rich products into your hair routine, you can help repair and strengthen your hair, giving it a healthy, shiny appearance despite daily damage.
To facilitate hair renewal, spirulina taken over a period of three months (the time it takes for hair to renew) is an ally of choice. Rich in iron, vitamin B12 and beta-carotene, it strengthens the hair. As for nettle, in herbal tea or sprinkled on food, it has a high silica content, an essential mineral for hair health.
Keratin remains a star ingredient in hair products, whether internal or external. It will be even more effective if combined with vitamins and trace elements, which can be lacking at the end of summer. By combining keratin with nutrients such as spirulina and nettle, you strengthen your hair from the inside and out.
Thus rebalanced, healthy hair will display beauty and quality for a brilliant shine. Incorporating these superfoods into your hair routine can make all the difference in maintaining strong and shiny hair all year long.
