Making a DIY mask for healthier hair. But what is it healthy hair?
What do we mean by healthy hair?
The hair is made by cells but is not made of cells. Hair is “just” protein but, such complicated protein!
The hair we see is the hair shaft, which has no biochemical activity and is considered dead: the cells that the hair bulb formed a while ago, inside the scalp, are now mostly keratin. Keratin structure (not completely elucidated to date) makes hair so resilient that it can resist harsh conditions. Hair will grow for years without noticeable damage, although UV light will bleach the melanin in the hair shaft and lighten hair after a sunny summer.
So, what do you need to keep your hair healthy? In theory: treat it the way you would treat any protein. Protect it from heat, oxidants, chemicals that will modify the protein, etc. Plus, protect the live tissue, i.e., your scalp, making more of that extraordinary protein that is our hair. Like, don’t use strong detergents on the scalp, don’t heat it.
Ha! That’s exactly the opposite of what we do!
Hair fashion
As soon as humans started grooming their hair, culture/fashion demanded that we expose hair to heat (!), bleach and dyes (!!), strong chemicals (!!!), and traction (!!!!). And that was before TikTok. Most of the stress our hair suffers is not natural stress but the result of treatments dictated by fashion. But we can try to prevent these harsh treatments from affecting the capacity of our scalp to produce new, healthy hair. Let’s try to be sensible and remember that your scalp and hair have to last for many, many decades.
What Skin Actives can do for you
The keratinocyte growth factor is the growth factor that tells the scalp to make hair. It is a precious resource that Skin Actives makes available to you. Use it! Our hair serum is the most advanced hair and scalp treatment anywhere.
What’s in those shampoos and hair conditioners and hair relaxers, perms, etc.
Hair conditioners contain chemicals with positive electrical charges that will cling to the hair. The chemicals in the conditioner collect on the edges of the damaged scales of the cuticle, helping to smooth over and fill in the breaks and cracks. As a result, the hair tends to become more manageable and shinier; proteins and dimethicone are helpful in this process. Colored or permed hair needs extra care, and conditioners and other products can help by patching up the damaged hair cuticle.
Panthenol is absorbed into the hair and helps retain moisture, and antioxidants will protect the hair from oxidants in the environment. However, no antioxidant is a match for the strong oxidants used to modify hair color and shape.
It is possible to change the shape of the hair (in a perm or hair relaxer) by denaturing keratin, using chemicals to break down the disulfide bridges that give keratin its strength, and letting the disulfide bridges re-form after the hair is forced into a new shape. Since heat-based perms were invented in the XIX century, milder and less harmful methods have been created to break down the keratin structure and reform it in the desired shape.
Strong chemicals are also used to color hair, increasing the permeability of the hair so that it can absorb the dyes; the process involves the use of potent oxidizing agents (peroxides) and alkali.
Try to avoid unnecessary damage to the capacity of your scalp to keep forming new hair; take measures to prevent the strong chemicals used in perms and coloring from contacting the scalp. Whatever you do, don’t try to save money on a perm or hair color; it can cost you dearly, like hair loss.
Shampoos are needed to clean your hair, but first, “do no harm”: shampoos shouldn’t contain strong detergents like sodium dodecyl sulfate that can damage the scalp by extracting structural lipids.
A DIY hair mask
You will need:
Every lipid serum ELS serum is optional for the mask, but it is important for the health of your scalp. You can use it separately, warming it up in some hot water before applying it. If you will apply it separately, use it after the sea kelp mask.
How to make your super-duper mask: add KGF and amino acid booster to the sea kelp and mix well. Don’t worry if the powder is not completely dissolved; it will, eventually. Add a few drops of ELS and mix again (unless you decide to use the ELS separately).
Apply the mask to the scalp. The hair itself will not benefit much from anything, although it will feel softer after your rinse the mask eventually (leave it as long as you can).
Take this opportunity to have a nap or relax listening to your favorite music.
Claims on this page have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.