Each of us dreams of having thick, healthy and shiny hair. A beautiful well-groomed hairstyle helps to create an image of a successful, self-confident person. The health of our curls largely depends on the state of the smallest elements that make up the structure of the hair. One of the most important components of hair – protein keratin.
What is keratin for hair?
Keratin – it is a strong protein found in our skin, hair, nails, teeth. The composition of keratin includes amino acids that can form a variety of compounds and therefore give keratin unique properties – it can become dense, as in long straight hair, or soft, as is the case with baby curls.
Keratin for hair is synthesized by special cells keratinocytes in the hair follicle and is part of the thin keratinized cells of the cuticle – outer layer of hair. The cuticle protects the hair from external damage; it is thanks to keratin that its cells, like tiles, tightly cover the hair and protect it from wind and cold, from damage when using flat irons, tongs and hair dryers, from destruction during dyeing and perm, from excessive stress when wearing hairpins, elastic bands or hairpins.
Keratin and hair types
The amount of keratin in the hair may depend on the climatic conditions in the region where the person lives. So, the hair of the inhabitants of African countries contains only 85% of keratin - after all, their hair needs flexibility and softness to create an air cushion and protect the head from excessive overheating in the sun. In Europeans, keratin in the hair is about 89%, and in the inhabitants of the Asian region – up to 95% due to the harshness of the climate with sudden changes in air temperature and strong winds, in which the hair needs dense keratin protection.
Dark strands contain more keratin than blonde curls, since blond hair easily reflects the sun's rays, while dark – need strong protection. Curly hair has less keratin than straight hair, because the curves of natural curls suggest a soft cuticle structure with a minimum content of keratin, while even long hair, like a sheath, is dressed in a dense cuticle layer with a high content of keratin.
What happens to the hair when there is a deficiency of keratin?
Lack of keratin makes the cuticle structure porous and brittle. As a result, the protective layer of the hair stops retaining moisture, and the hair becomes dry, brittle and thin. If the amount of keratin in the stratum corneum decreases, the scales of the hair cuticle do not adhere tightly to each other and bristle, so the strands look dull and lifeless, the ends are split, the hair is tangled, frizzy and difficult to style.
Why can there be a lack of keratin in the hair?
The negative impact of the environment, low-quality products, stress, rigid diets and poor nutrition – all this can cause the loss of natural keratin in our hair. After all, any of these reasons is quite enough to disrupt the metabolism in the body, which will lead to a failure in the production of amino acids that create keratin.
The destruction of natural keratin in the hair can be facilitated by frequent perms and hair coloring using low-quality formulations, which will make the hair brittle and dull.
How to replenish the content of keratin in the hair?
For the production of keratin in the hair, the body must receive a sufficient amount of trace elements that would contribute to the production of amino acids that go into keratin. Keratin is produced in the presence of sulfur, nitrogen, silicon and a number of important trace elements contained in the animal protein – meat, fish, poultry, dairy products. In addition, vitamin B6 accelerates protein metabolism and promotes the production of keratin. The main suppliers of vitamin B6 for the body are nuts, soy and liver. Fruits and vegetables will help to quickly assimilate trace elements and split them into amino acids for the production of keratin.
Beauty salons offer a keratin hair straightening procedure, during which the hair is intensively saturated with keratin, and the hair becomes stronger, more elastic and shiny.
Will cosmetics with keratin strengthen hair?
Over the past few years global cosmetics manufacturers have developed keratin-based hair care products. Thanks to keratin, the hair follicles are supplied with nutrients and the hair structure is restored.
For example, horse keratin shampoo strengthens hair, prevents hair loss, improves growth and gives an intense healthy shine, while protein shampoo fills in damaged areas of hair, smoothes and restores its surface. The thinnest protective film is created around each hair, and the complex of amino acids restores the water and protein balance of the hair, strengthens the hair follicle.
For weakened and damaged hair, a regenerative shampoo is suitable, which contains hydrolyzed keratin, which provides hair with optimal restoration of keratin content.
Hair masks with keratin and proteins intensively moisturize, strengthen and revitalize hair, leaving it shiny and admirable.
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