One of the most important things you can do before treating a client’s hair is getting a full overview of their hair history, and assessing the strength, porosity, and condition/levels of damage. All of these factors will combine to help you understand whether our treatments are suitable for your client. So, let’s break these down to show you what you should be looking for.
Hair History: It is important to understand what previous treatments or services have been conducted on the client’s hair. There are a number of contraindications for Cocochoco treatments that would preclude a client from having a treatment, at least at the time of assessment. Firstly, have any other intensive hair treatments been performed, for example, chemical straightening or perming. If so, you need to be extremely cautious of this hair, because while chemical treatments are effective, they can also be very damaging, so the hair may not be appropriately strong to accept a new treatment. If the client has had previous treatments done, you will need to ensure at least 5 weeks has passed since the last treatment before undertaking a Cocochoco treatment. This advice is also applicable for semi-permanent treatments like keratin or hair botox services.
Hair Strength: Hair strength refers to both the physical strength of the hair, and the strength of the curl/wave/frizz you can see. For very thick, coarse, unruly, frizzy hair types, you can use stronger formulas and maximum parameters, as the hair is strong enough to accept the treatment. There is a misconception that Type 3 & Type 4 hair types are naturally very strong, or that you should always use the strongest formulas or temperatures to treat the hair. But, this is not the case. Many Type 3 & Type 4 hair types are actually very fragile, and may not be suitable for the treatment at all. This is why we advise you to perform an elasticity test if you are unsure. Strong and healthy hair will stretch about 20-30%, and bounce back without deforming. Anything other than this, and you will need to be cautious, as the hair is compromised. Hair strength will also dictate the level of results you can achieve. If a client has extremely thick, coarse, frizzy or curly hair, the level of straightening results will not be as strong versus a client with fine, mildly frizzy hair. You need to ensure you explain to the client that Keratin or Onyx is not a 100% straightening solution. We advise you to under-promise and over-deliver!
Hair Porosity: The porosity of the hair can be a good indicator of how effective our treatments are going to be. Highly porous hair will absorb a lot of product, and should result in a good, strong lamination. Hair with low levels of porosity will not absorb as much product, so the lamination will be formed with less product. While the results can still be quite good and long lasting, it may not have the longevity that treatments on more porous hair does.
Hair Condition/Levels of Damage: This is one of the most important things to assess. The condition of the hair before a treatment, or the levels of damage already in the hair, will dictate what formula you choose to use, and how far you are able to push the hair without causing any further damage. If you choose a formula that is too strong and use too much heat, or too many passes with the straightener, you may cause thermal damage to the hair. This is not a result of the product; it is a result of the process. Thermal damage can appear as dry, frizzy hair, or hair that is snapping when stretched. If you notice when you are performing the treatment that the lengths or ends of the hair are starting to dry up or seize up, then this is indicative of thermal damage, and you should immediately lower the temperature and reduce the passes. On blonde hair, thermal damage can appear as yellowing. So again, reduce the temperature and passes.