Hair Lamination - A Russian secret demystified..

Hey guys! Hope so far the tips I've been sharing has been helping at least some of you. Today I am going to write about a Russian hair secret (Well, not so much of a secret now but I doubt many people know about this) called 'Hair Lamination'. True to its name, this treatment literally laminates each of your hair strands with the treatment sorta sealing it on to ensure maximum penetration into the hair shaft. 

The typical treatment uses specific lamination chemical treatments, which are not available in countries like mine - Malaysia.  So, being the experimentalist I am, I have put together a simple DIY version of the hair lamination that has worked wonders not just on me but the members of my family that has let me treat their hair too. Its a brilliant mix of a protein and glossy treatment.

The recipe:

1 sachet of Knox Flavourless Gelatin

2 tbsp of Mayonnaise

2 tbsp of coconut oil / aloe vera oil / aloe vera gel

A bit of milk (Use as much as you feel you need to dissolve the gelatin - i use about 10 - 15 tbsp of milk)

2 tbsp of conditioner (optional - I rarely ever add this in as I prefer natural ingredients)

Boil the milk in a small pot. If ur using powdered milk, boil some water and add the milk powder. Then add the gelatine and mix until fully (or almost fully) dissolved. Add in the mayonnaise and the oil/gel (and conditioner if you're using it) and mix thoroughly. I usually use a fork and beat it as I feel it mixes better. The liquid should be pretty runny and thin, but sticky to the touch - like maple syrup.

Now you have to apply it to your hair bit by bit to ensure full coverage from roots to ends. If your hair is frizzy or curly, detangle completely before or as you're applying the treatment. Scoop up the mixture and apply and comb the excess off . I usually put it on my hands, rub it on and comb thru the bit of hair my hair and apply it on. I don't saturate it, but put on quite a bit. Combing your hair allows the treatment to be spread evenly and also helps in giving a smoothing effect. 

Once you've applied all over, put on a shower cap or tie a turban with a plactic bag and leave it on for about 20-30 mins. After that, I usually take off the bag, as most of the excess has drained out and leave my hair to be aired. As its aired, the gelatin sorta solidifies. We're talking about another 30-40 mins. When it has kinda solidified into a jelly-like substance on the top, and still runny inside, its perfect timing to wash off. 

I would not recommend letting the whole thing solidify, especially at the ends because I have found that to be quite drying to the ends. When you're washing it off, make sure to use hot-very warm water because the heat will sorta melt off the gelatine and ensure all the residue is rinsed out properly. Once it has been washed out. I usually just co-wash and dry. It really feels awesome. However, sometimes I feel the need to use a shampoo because my scalp has some dandruff issues. Not that it is caused or effected by this treatment. I naturally have dandruff issues. So, I always shampoo the root area sometimes.

Recently though, I have moved away from commercial shampoos and moved to green tea rinses, which I have only just started, so I will post about it after I feel its results. So far tho, its been good to me. We'll see in a few weeks if it works.

Anyways, I really hope you give this treatment a shot. It has worked miracles on my hair. My hair is thicker as the gelatin fills up the strands and my dry and breaking hair has lessened. I tried this on my brother who like to spike up his hair. Very oddly, after washing it off, the hair still kinda stands which makes it easier for him to gel his hair upright later. I let the gelatine totally solidify on his hair to get more of this effect because he likes it. My dad's wife loves this treatment too. She's 57 this year and she says that her breaking hair has completely stopped after using this treatment just twice. So, I really recommend this for everyone. Its cheap, effective and wonderful.