Hair Lamination Treatment. What Can You Do to Have Soft, Shiny & Silky-Smooth Hair?

What is hair lamination and how does it work? So far, we’ve done paper lamination to protect documents from damage. The purpose of the hair lamination is similar. Discover the secrets of hair lamination treatment for soft, smooth and luminous strands.

Until recently, the lamination was known only in the printing industry – covering the paper with laminate to protect it from moisture and mechanical damage. Today, the word lamination has a wider meaning. There is laminated glass, floors, furniture. Nowadays, you can have your hair and lashes laminated, too. The process looks slightly different yet the idea is the same.

What is a hair lamination treatment?

It is getting more and more popular. You can have it done at a hair salon or do it yourself at home. It is sometimes called the last resort for dull, damaged hair. Lamination involves covering the hair with a thin layer of a laminate which is mostly gelatin, keratin or oils.

What is the purpose of hair lamination?

The main aim is protecting the hair against loss of moisture and damage e.g. caused by the sunlight or toxins. This was the idea during the first attempts to perform the treatment. Today, we go for hair lamination to make our hair silky smooth, soft and shiny. The treatment is chosen as a remedy for frizzy hair, a straightening method, for easier brushing and beautifying.

Hair lamination benefits:

• nicer to the touch and smooth hair
• an intensified hair shine
• softness and elasticity
• sealing cuticles which protect the hair
• the right hydration and nourishment
• keeping hair ends from splitting
• no more hair frizz or tangles
• easier detangling

How does hair lamination work?

The concept of hair lamination was derived from a different area than the hairdressing yet the rule of working is the same.

Hair is covered with a special material (a professional product or a home mixture) which creates an invisible, protective layer. Hair lamination works, not weighing strands down. The laminate closes cuticle scales, delivers smoothness and is like a protective shield for the strands. It both saves from damage and locks water in hair. Using keratin or gelatin aims at ensuring hair repair. After all, these are proteins which make up the hair hence must be used for the repairing process.

Is it safe?

Not knowing these types of treatments often triggers a question about the safety and contraindications. Is hair lamination safe, especially if we use gelatin? Of course, it is. Hair lamination is safe because it doesn’t change the hair structure. It works on the hair surface and doesn’t penetrate it. Be careful with the treatment if your hair is fine or healthy to avoid over-proteining.

HOW TO DO HAIR LAMINATION?

Similarly to most hair treatments, you can do it yourself or visit a hair salon. Both options have some pluses and minuses.

DIY Gelatin Hair Lamination Treatment

At-home hair lamination is definitely the most popular. It is cheaper and, sadly, gives less durable effects. Bloggers are crazy about it. Unfortunately, popularity encourages some fake info and myths so be careful with tips coming from the unknown sources.

How to do a DIY gelatin hair treatment properly? You need gelatin, hot water, a hair conditioner and accessories (a small bowl, a shower cap, a towel).

Step-by-step DIY gelatin hair treatment

1. Dissolve a tablespoon of gelatin in five tablespoons of hot water.
2. Before the treatment, wash and towel-dry your hair.
3. After the gelatin cools down and slightly hardens, mix it with a favorite conditioner.
4. Apply the mixture to hair precisely, making sure every strand is covered.
5. Secure the hair with a shower cap and warm towel.
6. After 45 minutes, rinse the mixture out well; washing is optional.

DIY Gelatin & Hair Oil Treatment

It is another hair lamination method. You prepare the laminate using gelatin, water and a nourishing hair oil. Olive oil is mostly recommended for the lamination but you can try argan oil or a ready-made blend of oils. The key thing is that a hair oil is right for your hair porosity.

If you decide on hair lamination with oils, skip step 2 and apply the mixture without washing the hair. Then, you rinse the gelatin and oil out and wash the hair with a gently-washing shampoo.

Hair Salon Lamination (no gelatin)

A pricier option thus giving longer-lasting effects and less weighing-down. The treatment lasts from 45-60 minutes and is most recommended for curls. The effects last even for three months.

Vegans and vegetarians like this version. In a professional hair salon, gelatin isn’t used. For the lamination, hair salons use products which ensure a full repair and protection from the outside elements. These professional cosmetics include indissoluble fibrillary proteins. Professional hair lamination can be done with keratin, too.

How often to do the hair lamination treatment?

Hair lamination brings temporary effects so you can use it as an additional hair care treatment. If you want to have non-stop smooth, luminous and soft hair, you need to repeat the treatment every two or three weeks. You can’t do it more often – hair lamination with every washing is going to leave you with dry and dull hair because of too much protein. A regular hair oil treatment is a much better idea, giving hair shine and softness, too.