What is a keratin treatment?
A keratin treatment is a chemical process that smooths and shines frizzy hair. Results can last up to six months. There are many different versions of the treatment, and you can customize a blend of the formula to suit your needs.
Can you walk me through the process?
The length of time it takes to do a keratin treatment depends on the formula being used, as well as your hair texture, and the amount of hair you have. Expect your salon visit to last anywhere from two to four hours. When you arrive, your hairstylist will first wash your hair. Then, depending on which product we choose for you, we will apply the product to wet or dry hair. We then blow dry and flat iron the treatment in.
Is this different from a chemical relaxer?
Absolutely. While keratin treatments are temporary and wash out after a few months, straightening chemical relaxers are permanent. The two treatments also use different ingredients that produce different results. Using a main ingredient of sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or guanidine hydroxide, chemical relaxers break and restructure the bonds in curly hair so that the hair becomes weaker and straight. Instead of altering the chemical composition of your hair, keratin treatments actually inject the porous parts of your hair with protein, so that it feels smoother. After a few months, this washes out.
Can I do this at home?
Yes, but don’t expect salon-results. You’ll first need to buy the right products. Many treatments contain the word “keratin,” but that doesn’t automatically make them “keratin treatments.” All hair is made up of “keratin proteins,” so keratin-named products aren’t rare. To get the best experience at home, look at the products’s ingredient list. A lot of smoothing treatments are actually intense silicone and conditioning treatments. After that, look at the instructions. Do they provide extensive instructions on how to wash, dry, and straighten your hair? If not, you probably have a standard conditioning product, and not a keratin treatment. And even if you buy an actual keratin treatment, your results won’t last as long as the salon version. Where a salon treatment can last for several months, at-home versions tend to wash out after a few weeks.
I colored my hair. Can I still get a keratin treatment?
Yes! You can safely have both dyed hair and a keratin treatment without the risk of damage.
Who should avoid it?
Keratin treatments are not recommended for women who are pregnant.