Aftercare. How to keep it.

The straightening is done at the salon. Keeping it is done at home, and most of the rules are simple.

By the HER BOSS teamUpdated: September 2026Reading time: about 3 minutes

Day one

Many straightening treatments come with three days of restrictions: no washing, no tying up, no getting it wet. Under the Herboss straightening protocol the hair is washed in the salon right after the treatment, with salt-free shampoo and mask, and you leave with clean hair. Hair ties, clips and your pillow are fine from day one.

Shampoo is the whole story

Salts open the cuticle and wash out what the straightening sealed in. So wash only with salt-free shampoo and mask, in lukewarm water, not very hot. A moisture mask once a week. These two products are the difference between straightening that looks good for half a year and one that fades after a month.

Heat, sea and pool

• Flat iron and blow-dry. Yes, on low heat and only when needed. Smooth hair does not need a flat iron every morning.
• Sea. Salt opens the cuticle. Before the sea, wet your hair with fresh water and apply serum; after the sea, rinse.
• Pool. Chlorine dries hair. Same rule: wet it before, rinse after, a mask in the evening.

Colour after straightening

Wait at least two weeks. And if you are planning colour and straightening together, it is better to colour first. The right order for colour and straightening.

What to buy for home

1. Salt-free shampoo. This is the one item you cannot skip.
2. A salt-free moisture mask once a week.
3. A light serum for the ends, before the sea or a blow-dry.
4. A gentle brush, not a fine-tooth comb on wet hair.

The HER BOSS home care line, shampoo and mask, is on its way.

Mistakes we see in the salon a month later

• A "baby" or "natural" shampoo that contains salts under another name. Check the ingredients, not the label.
• Very hot water in the shower.
• A cream or spray with drying alcohol.
• A hot flat iron on hair that is not fully dry.

When to go back to the salon

When the regrowth at the root starts to bother you. The treated hair stays smooth, and only the new growth is treated. For most clients that is between four and eight months, depending on how fast their hair grows.

Frequently asked questions