Keratin Treatment At Home or The Salon + Aftercare Tips
We’ve all been witnesses to hair commercials where the girls have goddess-like locks and it looks like they’ve never had a bad hair day in their life. At the same time, you may be wrestling with your frizzy, over-processed hair every day just to make it look half decent. It doesn’t seem fair, does it? There must be something out there to even the playing field and make your mornings less chaotic.
And there is! Hello Keratin Treatment, goodbye untamable frizz.
What Is Keratin Treatment For Hair?
A salon or at home keratin treatment may just be the answer to your prayers. Essentially it’s a chemical process that smooths and shines frizzy hair and reduces the appearance of split ends by temporarily bonding the hair back together.
Keratin is an essential protein that provides the nutrients that give our hair that gorgeous shine. Unfortunately, we lose keratin as we age. But luckily for us, we can utilize a keratin treatment at home or at the hairdresser’s to give us back the shinier, smoother, and healthier hair we had when we were young (or before we ruined it with heat styling or chemical products!). These treatments go deep into the follicle and inject porous areas with new keratin, without doing any permanent damage to the integrity of the hair itself.
This can be a game changer for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time in the morning to get ready but wants a long-lasting solution that doesn’t ruin their hair!
How Long Does A Keratin Treatment Last?
A keratin treatment can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to 6 months. Doing a keratin treatment at home is likely to lead to shorter-term results than getting one done at the salon. If you want to continue enjoying the effects of your keratin treatment after 3 months or more, definitely go to a professional since the products they use will contain more keratin and/or a better delivery system.
Which Hair Types Is Keratin Treatment Suitable For?
This treatment works on almost all hair types. It’s for anyone who has unmanageable frizz, coarse hair, thick curls, or who just wants to make their morning routine a little bit easier. The treatment can straighten the hair completely, or just loosen the curl shape.
You’ll also be happy to know that keratin treatment is safe to use on colored hair! Unlike chemical relaxers, keratin treatment does no harm to dyed hair. In fact, it’s recommended to refresh your color right before your treatment since it helps to seal that new color in.
Keratin Treatment or Brazilian Blowout
Keratin treatments and Brazilian blowouts work in a similar way, but while the former uses keratin which is a large protein, the latter uses amino acids which are smaller. The result is less short-term aftercare from a Brazilian blowout, but also effects that don’t last as long.
However, you can think of a Brazilian blowout sort of like a soft keratin treatment to keep curly hair smooth and shiny without getting rid of your coils or ringlets, since its reduced intensiveness means it has less of a straightening effect on the hair.
Can Keratin Treatments Be Harmful?
A keratin treatment is unlike a chemical relaxer which permanently straightens your hair and alters the chemical composition of it. Japanese treatments are the same; they permanently straighten the hair and can be much more damaging. A keratin treatment is a safer, non-permanent option.
When it comes to keratin hair treatment side effects however, there is one concern you want to be aware of, which is that some keratin treatments contain a small amount of formaldehyde which can be toxic if inhaled while the treatment is being applied. The good news is that nowadays, the best keratin treatment brands are formaldehyde-free, typically using the much safer compound glyoxylic acid in its place. Always check the label or ask your hair technician about the ingredients so that you can feel secure about the products going into your hair.
What Is The Process For Keratin Treatment In A Salon?
With keratin treatments for hair now in high demand, most salons offer this service. Each technician will have his or her own technique which may alter the treatment time, but for the most part the service lasts anywhere from 2-4 hours and is dependent on the amount and length of hair you have.
First the hair care specialist will wash your hair, then apply the treatment and leave it in for about 30 minutes to allow the formula to saturate the strands. Next, your hair will be treated to a blow dry, after which it will be flat ironed to seal it in (the keratin treatment is heat activated so this last step is very important.) And voilà! You now have gorgeous, shiny, frizz-free hair for up to 6 months!
At Home Keratin Treatment
With the caveat that a professional keratin treatment will always deliver better and longer-lasting results, there are some really great products to do a DIY keratin treatment at home. The results will probably only last about a couple of weeks but if you’re more concerned about not breaking the bank and a little less with the time frame of the results, then go for it!
Don’t purchase professional grade products to use at home, though. Those require someone who knows what they’re doing to apply and monitor the treatment to make sure it’s not going to damage your hair – since it is still a chemically-based process, it can be dangerous to perform yourself if you are not properly educated in the treatment. Stick to purpose-designed at home keratin treatment options which will be safer.
One of the very best keratin treatment at home involves using the Keratin Complex Personalized Blowout by Keratin Complex, a brand whose signature product was voted Favorite Smoothing Treatment by Behind the Chair Stylist Choice Award for nine years running. You can also try the Keratin Complex Express Blowout, which is a bit milder.
How Much Does Keratin Hair Treatment Cost?
At home keratin treatment products vary a lot in price, but it’s probably worth avoiding the cheapest ones since they’ll contain very little keratin. A professional Keratin Complex treatment meanwhile can be a little bit pricey, but for the outcome, it’s very much worth it. Depending on how much hair you have, a salon keratin treatment cost ranges from about $250 all the way up to $500 or $600. For this money, you’re getting frizz-free, smooth, shiny hair that’s low maintenance for as much as half a year. It’ll be money well spent if you’re tired of fighting with the flat iron before work each morning – no more worrying about waking up early to tame your hair!
Keratin Treatment Aftercare
At the very least, make sure you’re using sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner at home to maintain your results. Don’t over wash your hair, either. Every time you shower, just rinse your hair with water and apply conditioner to the ends, and only shampoo your hair 2-3 times a week or as necessary.
To really help make the results last as long as possible, there are some great products available to use after you receive the treatment. The entire Keratin Complex brand is centered around professional-quality keratin treatments plus at-home maintenance products that will help keep your hair absolutely gorgeous until your next salon visit. For example, they have a variety of different shampoos, conditioners, masks, serums, and creams all formulated especially for keratin-treated hair.
Plus, they have products that cater to your unique hair needs whether it’s curly hair, colored hair, dry hair, an oily scalp or so on, so you can build a Keratin Complex at-home care kit that’s really tailored to you. Their prices are comparatively affordable and you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Keratin Treatment Conclusion
To recap, a keratin treatment is a chemically-based service that controls frizz, creates shine and helps bond split ends. It doesn’t permanently damage hair and is color safe. Once you get the treatment, your hair turns from high maintenance to low maintenance, saving you loads of time when getting ready for the day.
Even the best keratin treatment at home only delivers results that last up to 6 weeks (with cheaper products possibly only smoothing your hair for a third of that time) while salon treatments cost more but leave your hair soft and shiny for up to 6 months. So it all comes down to what you’re willing to spend upfront. Just keep in mind that if you’re regularly using an at-home keratin treatment, you may well end up spending the same amount overall per 6-month period while incurring a lot more hassle than one single trip to the salon!