How to Choose the Right Shampoo for Laminated Hair

How to Choose the Right Shampoo for Laminated Hair Hair lamination treatment allows to make your hair silky and shiny, boosts its volume and elasticity. Alas, its effect, although long-lasting, is temporary. And if you don’t wash laminated hair with the right shampoo, it will revert to its original state even faster. That is why you should know how to choose the right shampoo for laminated hair.

Hair lamination treatment is a procedure aimed at protecting the hair against the environment, retaining water in the hair structure, preventing brittleness, and preserving the brightness of colour after dyeing. It involves covering the hair with a thin layer of laminate, which mostly consists of gelatin, keratin and oils, to create a kind of cocoon that will protect each hair and prevent harmful and dangerous substances from penetrating the hair structure.

Hair lamination has an immediate visible effect. Right after the treatment, the hair acquires visible volume, a radiant shine and bright colour, becomes less prone to breakage and split ends, and gets reliable protection against hot air and mechanical damage during styling.

The effect of hair lamination treatment can last up to 3 to 6 weeks; after that, it gradually fades away. However, if you don’t take proper care of your laminated hair, the effect will last significantly less time than promised by the laminate manufacturers and your hairdresser. To prevent this from happening, you should remember and adhere to a few basic hair care recommendations.

Firs of all, you shouldn’t expose your hair to thermal or mechanical stress for at least 24 hours after hair lamination treatment. So be prepared to forget about flat and curling irons, hair dryers, hairpins and elastic bands at least for a day after the treatment.

Secondly, you shouldn’t dye, bleach or perm laminated hair, and you also shouldn’t use scalp scrubs. If you want to get your hair dyed or bleached, do it before lamination, and if you want to get it permed (or use a scalp scrub), wait until the effect of lamination is over.

Third, you should choose the right shampoo to wash laminated hair. The thing is, most mass-market shampoos are formulated with aggressive surfactants that can destroy the protective layer of laminate on your hair. Such surfactants include, for example, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), ammonium lauryl sulphate (ALS), and ammonium laureth sulphate (ALES).

All these surfactants are classified as anionic, which means that they are more aggressive than cationic or non-ionic surfactants. So if your shampoo contains SLS, SLES, ALS or ALES, the effect of hair lamination treatment can fade away extremely quickly. To prevent this from happening, you shouldn’t wash your hair with such shampoos after lamination.

But is there an alternative to shampoos with harsh anionic surfactants? In fact, there is. Many cosmetic producers offer gentle shampoos with mild anionic, amphoteric and non-ionic surfactants, such as disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, sodium lauryl sarcosinate, magnesium laureth sulfate, decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, coco glucoside, glycereth-2 cocoate, sodium cocoamphoacetate, sodium palmate, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamide MEA. In addition, you can try a shampoo with soapnut or soap root extract, which is a natural surfactant with a very gentle and delicate cleansing effect.

It is important to keep in mind that you shouldn’t wash laminated hair with deep cleansing shampoos, even if they are formulated with gentle surfactants. Opt for shampoos with strengthening, moisturising, nourishing, smoothing, and protective properties; if you’ve dyed your hair before laminating it, make sure that your shampoo also has a colour protection effect. It is best to choose a shampoo that contains natural carrier oils and plant extracts; at the same time, you should avoid shampoos with silicones and other “heavy” ingredients that can weigh your hair down.

You should wait at least two days before washing your hair after hair lamination treatment. When you wash laminated hair for the first time, don’t rub your scalp too much, gently pat your hair with a towel instead of rubbing it aggressively, let your hair air dry, and don’t brush it while it’s still wet. The protective coating will last long and keep your hair shiny and silky, only if you take proper care of your hair.