Products that are low in alkaline will assist in maintaining the appropriate acidity that your hair needs to be healthy. The pH value can be used to determine how basic or acidic a substance is using a scale from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic. A healthy pH balance for hair falls anywhere between 4.5 and 5.5.
Because it seals the hair’s cuticles, which helps it stay hydrated and natural oils, a healthy pH level will protect the hair from fungus and bacteria. It also helps to prevent the unpleasant breaking of the hair. With a balanced pH level, the hair will retain its flexibility. A pH imbalance can damage the hair because it will lose its capacity to retain hydration and sebum, the natural defense conditioner responsible for keeping that moisture.
When you straighten or color your hair, keeping your hair’s and scalp’s pH level at a healthy level will help reduce the dryness, splitting, and damage caused by the chemicals used in these processes. An optimal pH level will also prevent the color from becoming less vibrant.
What Role Does pH Play in The Field of Cosmetology?
You expose the cuticle scales and leave them alkaline when you get chemical services like bleaching and coloring. You need to be aware of the influence of pH on the hair and scalp. This knowledge also entails knowing the pH level of the goods you apply to different customers. A person who works in the field of cosmetology ought to know the items that help seal the cuticles and restore an acidic state to the hair.
Alteration Of the Proper pH Balance of The Hair
When the pH level of the hair is just right, the cuticles can close up firmly, giving the hair a strong, smooth, and silky feel and a shining appearance. By maintaining the natural pH level of the hair and scalp, you are assisting the acidic sebum in its battle against microorganisms. If this balance is interrupted by a product with an excessive amount of alkalinity, the cuticles will open, resulting in hair problems.
When you use a product with a high concentration of acid, your hair’s cuticles will close, which will make your hair more resistant to treatments like permanent coloring, in which the color should penetrate beneath the cuticles. Hygral Fatigue is a condition that occurs in the hair when it is subjected to several shifts in pH and when the cuticles are continually opening and closing.
Conducting pH Analysis and Attempts to Find a Happy Balance
It is easy to determine the hair’s pH using test paper, often referred to as litmus strips. You can purchase litmus strips at beauty supply stores; their color shifts according to the pH level of the hair. If you have unbalanced hair, all it takes is a few basic, natural at-home rituals to get things back in order.
Review the labels of all your favorite hair products, including shampoos and finishing sprays, and see if any warnings or precautions are listed. As soon as you have restored your hair to its original, acidic state, it is time to begin using the best hair care products to keep the hair’s pH at its optimal level.
The pH of The Scalp
Scalp pH is just as important as hair pH regarding natural hair health. Understanding the science behind your scalp pH is essential to attaining the best possible results from salon treatments, including your itchy to dry scalp, hair development, and how your hair responds to various non-chemical and chemical products. For healthy hair development, it is important to maintain a pH balance on your scalp for the reasons listed below.
Prevents The Growth of Bacteria and Fungus on The Hair
Maintaining a proper pH level is a barrier that protects against bacteria and fungi that might cause infection. The right pH balance minimizes undesirable breakage, closes the hair cuticles, and preserves natural oils and moisture. The hair’s pH balance usually falls between 3.6 – 5.5, and using treatments with less alkali in them helps to keep the acidity level stable.
Products’ Efficacy on Hair Is Dependent on Their pH Level
You can alter the pH balance of the hair by using items such as shampoo, conditioner, and similar hair products on the hair. Products with a higher alkali concentration will trigger the follicles to dilate, resulting in the release of essential moisture. The lack of moisture in the air slows down hair growth and leads to becoming brittle, dry, and fragile. It is essential to use solutions that complement one another to successfully eliminate filth and accumulation without depleting the hair of the important moisture it needs to grow.
Contributes To the Preserving of The Hair’s Elasticity
The ability of the hair to keep its sebum and moisture is directly related to its pH. Sebum is a natural moisturizer and protective barrier to keep the hair from drying out. Your hair’s flexibility and resistance to breakage while styling is directly correlated to the amount of water it contains. When the hair loses its hydration, it becomes brittle and susceptible to breakage. Always ensure that your hair is well hydrated, as this is essential to the natural hair’s flexibility and growth.
Reduce Breakage Risks
The hair can go through a variety of transitions. The capacity of your hair to keep its strength and respond to other hair care treatments is negatively impacted by anything that disrupts the body’s pH balance, which a variety of factors can cause. Chemical treatments on your hair, like dyes and relaxers, can change the hair’s pH and degrade the protein structure, which can ultimately lead to dry, brittle hair and inhibit new hair growth. When there is an abrupt shift in the pH balance of your environment and an increase in alkalinity, hair growth can become stunted.
Conclusion
When considering whether to conduct a cosmetology service, it is important first to assess your pH balance and how the hair reacts to services. Finding a healthy balance in one’s life is essential on both the physical and mental fronts.