Longing for smoother, straighter hair? Keratin hair-straightening treatments are a popular option!
If you're thinking about trying it, you should know this:
- What Is Keratin? It's a protein that's naturally in your hair.
- How It Works: A stylist applies a keratin hair-straightening product to your hair and then uses the heat of a flat iron to seal it in. The process takes about 90 minutes or longer, depending on your hair's length. Salon keratin products include Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy by Coppola, Global Keratin Complex, the La-Brasiliana treatment, Brazilian Keratin Treatment, the Brazilian Blowout, and Brazilian Hair Straightening.
- Time-Saving Tresses: If you usually style your hair straight, a keratin hair-straightening treatment could shorten your blow-dry time by 40% to 60%.
- Farewell, Frizz: You can forget about frizzy hair after treatment. "You could walk out in moist or light rain and your hair won’t change,"!
- Wait Before You Wash: You shouldn't wash your hair for three or four days after getting the treatment.
- Upkeep: After you get a keratin hair treatment, and after the don't-wash waiting period, you should use sodium-sulfate-free shampoo to help maintain the treatment.
- How Long It Lasts: Expect the results to last two to 2 1/2 months.
Keratin treatments won't make your hair break, but the flat-ironing might. "The hair breakage has nothing to do with the treatments and everything to do with the flat irons that are used to dry and seal the hair afterward," says New York dermatologist Neil Sadick, MD. "Some stylists may use a flat iron that is way too hot and scorches hair, making it break off."
