Understanding PH … This is how it affects your hair, and how it works.
Plus we’ll give you tips on how to improve hair manageability between salon visits!
PH is a measurement of how acid or alkaline a subsense is. All the hair care products you use on your hair are either acid or alkaline. Do you know the PH of the products you use on your hair on a daily basis? You should try to achieve healthy manageable hair every day.
Understanding your hair’s PH balance is important
Your hair has a natural PH of between 4.5 & 5.5 as is the oil on your scalp know as sebum or your acid mantle.
The natural hair acidity prevents fungi and bacteria from growing on the hair and scalp leaving the cuticle closed and healthy and giving you a shiny healthy hair and scalp.
Many hair products people use today can disrupt the natural PH of the hair and scalp as they are alkaline (detergent based ) containing sulphates which causes the hair cuticle to open giving hair a dull dry brittle appearance or a dry scalp. The PH scale is anything between 0 & 14. Anything between 0 & 6.9 is acidic 7 is neutral and anything between 7.1to 14 is considered alkaline which damages the hair and dries the scalp out.
How do you asses your own hair?
Is your scalp flaky and or dry. Is your salon hair colour fading after a few shampoos! Are the ends dry & brittle if so , you may be using a shampoo that is to alkaline above a PH of 7.0 which is not compatible with your hairs natural PH.
Shampoos with a low PH prevent frizzing and damage , colour fade and drying your hair or scalp out.
If you colour your hair many hair colour products are alkaline therefor need to be followed with ph bonding services to return the hair to its natural PH after the colour service. (ask your stylist about this treatment in salon).
Naturally curly hair means your cuticle can be partly open so making sure you use a PH balanced shampoo is really important because the open cuticle prevents naturally acidic sebum from keeping the hair at the correct PH. It’s often advised you use a PH balanced moistening shampoo to prevent dryness. Ask your stylist about a moisturising shampoo for curly hair.
Naturally straight (not colour treated) hair doesn’t require extra moisture as the sebum moves through the root area of the hair but may need extra moisture through the ends if the hair is exposed to heat during styling at home.
Pay attention to the products you use at home examine the labels. Always us a product recommend by you stylist during and after a hair salon service to prolong your hair colour or the finish achieve in salon. This is only achieved with the best products, and Wilsons choose them wisely, working in partnership with Redken & Purology.
PH balanced sulphate free 100% vegan, anti-colour fade formulas are best for your hair.
If you’re not looking great between salon visits ask us to to advise you correctly.
