9 Essential Facts About Keratin Treatment You Should Not Ignore

Getting a keratin treatment is like walking with a shiny and silky waterfall that we have always wanted. It transforms our bird’s nest into a glossy and frizz-free mane within an hour.

But there is much confusion about this treatment—like what are the types? What products are used? What does it do, or how long does it last?

So, ladies, don’t worry. Here in this article, I will discuss the things you need to know before booking your appointment at your local salon.

1. What Are Keratin Treatments?

Keratin is a protein found in our hair, nails, and skin. Keratin treatments are a semi-permanent smoothing treatment that makes your hair smooth and boosts shine to them.

It helps to strengthen our hair, reduce frizz, and make them manageable and healthy. Over time our hair gets frizzy when the cuticle—the outermost layer of the hair lifts.

It leads to swelling up the hair and makes them thick due to the moisture locked and other environmental factors. Keratin treatments—smoothen down the cuticle and seal it to straighten hair without changing the hair structure.

2. What Are The Types Of Keratin Hair Treatments?

Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatments

It is the oldest type of keratin hair treatment that originated in Brazil in 2005. If you have natural curls and are vulnerable to humidity, you can choose this hair treatment.

It involves cocoa butter and essential oils that help condition your hair deeply while keeping the hair volume intact.

This keratin hair treatment is a bit expensive, but it’s worth trying as it will give you long-term straight hair and does not include formaldehyde.

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Cezanne Keratin Hair TreatmentS

Cezanne keratin hair treatment is the most natural type of hair treatment as it does not alter your hair texture—best suited for people who have wavy, curly, and frizzy hair that needs hair smoothing treatments. 

And the best part about this treatment is it is formaldehyde-conscious and does not break the disulphide bond of the hair cuticle—giving you damaged free beautiful, and smooth hair.

But you should not apply this treatment if you just coloured your hair as it might mess with blonde hues. This treatment usually lasts up to three to six months.

Keratin Express And Soft Keratin Hair Treatment

Keratin Express is a short-term keratin hair treatment if you have straight or wavy hair that turns frizzy due to the humidity. The application involves using keratin in serum form and finishing it with a blow-dry and flat iron. 

Although this treatment is not long-lasting, you can extend its effectiveness for up to six weeks by washing your hair with a keratin-based sulphate-free shampoo on alternative days instead of daily.

The soft keratin treatments are suitable for fine or medium-textured hair and is free from formaldehyde. Stylish will coat your hair tip root and finish it with a blow dryer and flat iron that makes them beautiful and manageable.

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Trisolla and Trisolla Plus Hair Treatment

Trisolla and Trisolla plus are the strongest and quickest to apply. It is perfect for women having thick and curly or damaged hair and wants them shiny and manageable throughout the humid and hot summer.

This chemical process can soften up the curly texture depending on how good your stylist is, and this keratin treatment is suitable for coloured hair also. 

Japzilian Keratin Hair Treatment

This keratin hair treatments combine the Japanese hair straightening system with a Brazilian blowout that gives you long-lasting results than other straightening treatments. 

In this treatment, first, the curls are loosened by the Brazilian technique, followed by applying the Japanese straightening treatment on top to seal the cuticle to lock out the frizz.

Next, rough strands are coated twice with the Japanese flattening crimp. Afterward, the stylist rinses and blow-dries the hair. 

This keratin hair treatment is suitable for all hair types, lasts longer than Brazilian treatment, and gives you a greater volume than the Japanese straight perm.

3. What Are The Benefits Of Keratin Hair Treatments?

Keratin hair treatment helps smoothen down the cells, aka cuticles that overlap to form hair strands. The function of the cuticle is to absorb the keratin and makes our hair glossy while maintaining its elasticity as well.

But with time, hair loses the keratin due to exposure to chemicals and other environmental factors—that lead to developing porous spots.

Keratin treatment helps to fill those porous gaps in hair strands and brings back their original texture.

Apart from this, keratin hair treatments have some other benefits that will improve the appearance of your mane in the following ways,

• Help to fix the damaged hair.
• Can keep the volume intact.
• Shorten the blow-drying time.
• Help to strengthen your hair.
• Adds shine to the coloured hair.
• Make them manageable and easy to style.
• Not causing side effects like hair fall.
• Prevent tangles and frizz while making them smooth and shiny.

4. What I Need To Do Before my Keratin Treatment

5. Process Of Keratin Hair Treatments

Just a little heads up—this process can take two to four hours depending upon your hair length, type, thickness, and porosity.

So, make sure you have enough time to make your mane shinier and healthier.

First, a technician will apply a clarifying shampoo twice to remove the dirt, residues, or build-up. After washing your hair, a stylist will apply the keratin solution on wet hair and comb through it to let the formula absorb well on the wet hair for about an hour.

In the final step of this treatment, they will seal the cuticles and lock the keratin with a flat iron.

This artificial way of inserting keratin helps restore the hair’s resilience and makes them rejuvenated, bouncy, shiny, and healthy-looking just the way you want.

6. What Should I Do After my Keratin Treatment?

The post-hair care treatments include some hair products and a few changes to your hair care regimen. If you don’t follow those steps correctly, this may lead to excess hair shedding or hair thinning issues. 

So, let’s check out the guidelines you should know after the keratin treatment.

• You should not wet your hair for at least three days, and also you need to avoid sweating, swimming, and rain.
• Let the keratin blend with hair, so try to leave it untied and don’t tuck it behind your ears for three days, as it may leave dents in your straight hair.
• Try to wash your hair with some dry shampoo and avoid exposure to saltwater, chlorine, and UV rays. 
• Try to use some sulphate-free shampoos and conditioners, especially the formulas develop for keratin aftercare, to increase the long-lasting effect of keratin.
• Don’t use heat styling as it can break the disulphide bonds to your keratin-treated hair. If you want, you can oil your hair with pure argan oil or olive oil with no added chemicals.

7. Can I Do Keratin Treatment At Home?

The answer is yes, you can. But you will not get that salon-quality result.

First, don’t go with any professional-grade product as it needs a professional to apply them perfectly.

Many products use the word keratin, but it does not mean they are for keratin treatments. You need to check the ingredients list properly before purchasing the product. 

And don’t forget to check the instructions carefully—they should include extensive guidance on how to wash, dry, and straighten the hair.

If it does not have the proper guidance, it’s just a hair conditioning product, not a keratin product.

Although if you buy a keratin treatment, it won’t last long—as home straightening treatments only coat the hair instead of penetrating the hair shaft. Where a salon treatment will last for three to six months, it’s just a few weeks for the home version.

8. Are Keratin Treatments Different From Japanese Treatment Or Chemical Relaxers?

Yes, obviously. Keratin treatments are not permanent and wash out after some time, but the relaxer is permanent and harsher than the keratin treatment.

The main difference between traditional relaxers and the keratin treatment is how long they can straighten your hair.

A keratin treatment can loosen up your curl pattern and get back to its natural state after some time. But in the case of a relaxer, it is a permanent hair straightening treatment that will break down the hair’s bonds.

This traditional relaxer or Japanese straightening uses sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium thioglycolate, and other chemicals—far more effective, especially for curly hair but damaging.

And in the case of relaxers, the awkward growing-out phase is more intense than keratin treatments, as it will show a line of demarcation when the natural texture comes back.

9. Is Keratin Treatment Safe?

The main concern related to this treatment is it uses formaldehyde exposure. A strong-smelling, colourless gas that helps lock your hair into a straight position for months.

Keratin treatments don’t contain formaldehyde in its actual form, but the chemicals involved, like formalin, methylene glycol, and methanal, release formaldehyde when they are heated during the process.

So getting a keratin treatment is harmful to you and the stylists. Although to perform this in a well-ventilated area—according to CDC, a long time exposure to formaldehyde may cause problems like skin irritation, watery eyes, and throat infection. And in severe cases, respiratory illness and cancer.

Some products are claimed as organic. But according to The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this is not entirely true. They advise people to read the level carefully and ask the professional for the ingredient list to report any bad reactions.

If you have super-fine or damaged hair, try to avoid keratin treatment as it is a heat-activated process to lock your hair.

And if you are looking for a formaldehyde-free formula, ask your salon to use glyoxylic acid—it may not straighten your hair in a super-fine way, but it will give you frizz-free and shiny hair.

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