How to Sleep After a Keratin Treatment

Co-authored by Patrick Evan and Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Last Updated: January 19, 2021

A keratin treatment can make your hair smooth, shiny, and frizz-free.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Patrick Evan
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 17 January 2019.} However, you need to protect your hair from creases during the first 3 days after your treatment, including while you're sleeping. Fortunately, it's easy to protect your hair by sleeping on a silk pillowcase. Then, use your straightener to smooth any creases or frizz that happens while you sleep. Additionally, take good care of your hair to maintain the sleek, beautiful results of your keratin treatment.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Protecting Your Hair During Sleep

1
Leave your hair down while you sleep. Your hair needs to be completely straight for the first 3 days so the treatment sets. Sleep caps, scrunchies, and hair wraps will create creases or waves in your hair, so skip them. Instead, leave your hair down while you sleep.
- If your hair is folded, it'll create a crease where the fold is. That means you can't use any type of wrap or cap, even if you're not using a ponytail holder.
2
Get a silk or satin pillowcase to prevent creases and frizz. Silk is smooth, so it reduces the friction between your hair and the pillowcase. Look for a pillowcase that's 100% silk or satin to protect your hair. Replace the pillowcases on all of the pillows that you sleep on.^{[2]
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- Keep in mind that a cotton pillow case may cause frizz or might ruin your results.
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3
Sleep flat on your back so your hair stays straight. When you get into bed, smooth your hair down so that it's straight below your head. Then, position your head carefully on your pillow so that your hair is flat. Sleep on your back for the first 3 days after you get a keratin treatment.
- If you sleep on your side or stomach, your hair may get creased or frizzy. Try to position pillows or a folded blanket around your body to prevent you from rolling over to your side. This might help you stay on your back.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Fixing Creases or Frizz

1
Brush your hair as soon as you wake up so it's smooth and straight. Your hair will likely be a little messy when you wake up. This is okay, but it's important to smooth it out as soon as possible so your treatment results aren't ruined. Run your brush through your hair to remove tangles and smooth out your hair.
- Because of the treatment, your hair shouldn't be too kinky or fluffy.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Patrick Evan
  Professional Hair Stylist
  Expert Interview. 17 January 2019.}
- Don't spray any hair products on your hair before you brush it.
2
Check your hair after you brush it to make sure it's sleek. While your silk pillowcase will minimize your risk of creases and frizz, they might still happen. Examine your hair in the morning using your bathroom mirror and a handheld mirror. Angle the handheld mirror so you can see the back of your hair. If you notice any creases, dents, or frizz, use your hair straightener to fix them.
- Make sure your hair is completely straight without any creases or frizz. Even a small dent needs to be smoothed with a hair straightener because it will stay in your hair after the treatment sets.
3
Dry your hair with a blow dryer if it gets sweaty while you sleep. It's normal to sweat while you sleep, so don't worry if your hair is damp in the morning. Just make sure you dry it as soon as possible. Set your blow dryer on a medium heat setting, then blow dry your hair until it's totally dry.
- Avoid using a high heat because it can cause more damage to your hair. Stick to a medium heat and try using a heat protection product to minimize the damage.^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Patrick Evan
  Professional Hair Stylist
  Expert Interview. 17 January 2019.}
4
Use a hair straightener to smooth out creases or frizz in the first 3 days. It's really important that you straighten any creases or waves as soon as you see them. This can help your keratin treatment set so that your hair remains smooth and frizz-free. Run your hair straightener over your hair 1 or 2 times to flatten your hair back out.
- Use your straightener each time you notice a crease, waves, or frizz during the first 3 days. Otherwise, your keratin treatment may not set.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Caring for Your Treated Hair

1
Touch and brush your hair as little as possible during the first 3 days. It's okay to brush your hair occasionally to help straighten it back out. However, brushing, touching, or playing with your hair can create creases, kinks, or dents in your hair. This damages the results of your treatment. Leave your hair alone for the first 3 days except for when you're fixing creases or frizz.
- After the 3 days, it's okay to brush your hair as much as you like.
2
Wash your hair 2 or 3 times a week after day 4. Don't wash your hair for at least 3 days after you get your keratin treatment. After that, you can wash your hair as often as 2-3 times per week. This will keep your hair clean while also extending the life of your keratin treatment.
- Each time you wash your hair, it will remove some of the keratin from your hair. That means washing your hair often may shorten the life of your keratin treatment.
- If your hair gets dirty or oily before it's time to wash it, use dry shampoo to remove excess dirt and oils.
3
Use a sulfate-free and chlorine-free shampoo to avoid losing the keratin. Sulfate and chlorine can remove the keratin from your hair, so they may ruin the results of your keratin treatment. Read the label on your shampoo and conditioner to make sure they don't contain sulfates or chlorine. Consider buying products that are labeled for use after a keratin treatment.^{[5]
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- You can find products that are labeled as “sulfate-free” or “chlorine-free.”
- Ask your stylist to recommend the best shampoo and conditioner for you.
4
Apply coconut or argan oil after 3 days to add moisture. A keratin treatment may leave your hair feeling dry, so you might want to add back some moisture. Use pure coconut or argan oil to nourish your treated hair starting after day 3. Put a pea-size amount of oil into your palm and rub your hands together. Then, smooth your hands over your hair.
- Add more oil to your hands to cover all of your hair, if necessary.
- Make sure the oil you choose is 100% coconut or 100% argan oil.
5
Wait until day 4 to style your hair so the treatment sets. Since it's important to keep your hair straight for the first 3 days, you can't style your hair during this time. However, you can safely style your hair however you like after 3 days. Return to your normal styling habits on day 4.
- This includes things like curling your hair, creating up-dos, or braiding your hair.
- Additionally, you'll need to wait until day 4 to use hair accessories like headbands, scrunchies, ponytail holders, or hair clips.
6
Avoid swimming for 4 days, then wear a swim cap in chlorinated water. Don't get your hair wet in the first few days after you get your keratin treatment, as it may ruin the results. Additionally, chlorine in pool or hot tub water can leach the keratin out of your hair too quickly. Stay out of water for the first 4 days after you get your treatment. Then, wear a swim cap while you're in a pool or hot tub.
- If you don't have a swim cap, wash your hair within 4-5 minutes of getting out of the pool or hot tub.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do keratin treatments work?

Patrick Evan
Professional Hair Stylist
Patrick Evan is the Owner of Patrick Evan Salon, a hair salon in San Francisco, California. He has been a hairstylist for over 25 years and is a Thermal Reconditioning Specialist, dedicated to transforming difficult curls and waves into sleek, straight hair. Patrick Evan Salon was rated the Best Hair Salon in San Francisco by Allure magazine, and Patrick's work has been featured in Woman’s Day, The Examiner, and 7x7.

Patrick Evan

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

A keratin treatment is a procedure that infuses keratin into the porous parts of the hair strand to add shine and smoothness while reducing frizz and wave. The hair is first washed and clarified to remove any impurities. Afterwards, the keratin solution is applied to the hair in sections, thoroughly dried, then ironed into the hair to bond and seal. On average, the entire process takes about 90 minutes.
Question

What should I do after keratin treatment?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

It's important that your hair stays completely straight for the first 3 days after a keratin treatment, so avoid hats, sleep caps, scrunchies, and hair wraps. When you sleep, leave your hair down and use a silk or satin pillowcase to reduce creases and frizz. Try to sleep flat on your back with your hair straight. Touch and brush your hair as little as possible during the first 3 days, and wash your hair 2-3 times a week after the 4th day so the treatment lasts.
Question

How do you shower after a keratin treatment?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Wait until at least the 4th day after your treatment to shower and use a sulfate-free and chlorine-free shampoo so you don't wash the keratin out. About 3 days after your treatment, use coconut oil or argan oil to add moisture to your hair if it gets frizzy. Shower 2-3 times a week at the most and avoid swimming in chlorinated water so the treatment lasts longer.