Cysteine Hair Treatments...Facts You Need to Know Before You Commit

Cysteine Treatment- A Succinct View

Hair treatments like hair styles are never short of innovations. Cysteine procedure is the latest  in the hair treatment. It is gaining in popularity slowly and may rival the Keratin treatment also. Cysteine is an Amino Acid and a part of the Keratin group only. The reason for its wider acceptance lies in the fact that  it is believed to be gentler than Keratin on the hair. Further the experience shows that Cysteine treatment does not give any artificial straight look to the hair and gently smoothes away the curl and the frizz without any fuss. Sounds interesting.

The Procedure

Procedure for Cysteine treatment is not very different from Keratin treatment. 

• First of all the hair is washed and blow dried to prepare it for treatment. Clean hair shaft is required for better penetration of the cysteine complex. 
• After cleaning and blow drying, Cysteine complex is applied to the hair, taking the small sections of it, so that all the hair are exposed to cysteine complex. 
• The product is allowed to remain on the hair for about 45 minutes. 
• The next step in this procedure is to  blow dry and flat ironing the hair  to give a sleek look.
• After this procedure the hair is rinsed. 

It is advised to use sulphate free shampoo after the treatment.

Why Some Regard it as a Better Option than Keratin

Cysteine is considered a better option than keratin because 

• This treatment does not require the use of formaldehyde or the other substitutes of formaldehyde which can release harmful fumes during the treatment 
• The treatment does not  alter or amend the hair structure permanently. 
• It stays for a limited period of time only. Much less than the Keratin treatment

The Brighter Side

• This treatment is recommended for those whose hair has gone limp and lifeless after the harsh chemical treatments.
• This treatment claims to make hair shiny, manageable and frizz free.
• The treatment is considered a boon for the women with curly and frizzy hair who spend hours at salons to find solutions.
• After the treatment, there is no difference between the new growth and the treated hair Unlike the Japanese straightening.

The Unpromising Side

There are certain drawbacks of this treatments as well.

• This kind of hair straightening is temporary and it is not for the people who are looking for a more permanent type of solutions. 
• The treatment gradually fades away typically in 12 to 14 weeks. 
• The treatment is expensive and comes with various restrictions like the use of sulfate free shampoos and conditioners.
• The use of henna or other metallic dyes as well as other treatments like hair highlighting, coloring is not recommended after the treatment. Undergoing any of this treatment might strip away the cysteine complex from the hair. 
• Swimming is also not recommended by experts as it might strip away the treatment.
• Oiling is also not recommended as it might reduce the effect of the treatment.                  

The Cost- Benefit Plus Need-Greed Analysis

It is a simple fact that almost all new and innovative hair treatments are generally chemical and salon based. Since it is chemical based it will have some immediate visible benefits, but certain long-term side effects may also be there. Likewise, since it is a salon based exercise then it will be a little expensive and skill oriented. The idea is to make a cost-benefit analysis and then proceed further. If this method does not provide any answers, then time to switch to Need-Greed Analysis. I hope this solves the problem.