Everything You Need to Know about Kerotin Hair Treatments
Do you have curly and rough hair? Do you want to transform your curly, difficult-to-manage hair into sleek, shiny and straight hair? Then kerotin treatment is your best bet.
If you wish to achieve an ultra-sleek look, kerotin treatments for hair—smoothing and straightening- are quite popular nowadays. Hair stylist recommends it as a miraculous way to make your coarse, curly hair smooth, lustrous and beautiful in a single appointment.
You might have gone through various reviews about kerotin hair treatments on various websites or review sites, which can be quite overwhelming. But before you rush to your hair salon to get the treatment, there are certain things that you should know so you can make the best decision.
Just like many other chemical-laden cosmetic treatments, all kerotin hair treatments are not equal and not meant for every type of hair and hair texture. To help you better understand kerotin hair treatments, here is a handy guide which explains everything you need to know.
What is Kerotin Hair Treatment?
Kerotin hair treatment is actually a hair straightening treatment, which significantly reduces the amount of frizz and gives shine to your hair. You may get confused between the terminologies as different hair salons use different terms for the treatment, which can confuse people.
Kinds of Kerotin Treatments
You may find many different versions of keratin treatment, and your salon can also customize it to fit your needs. However, there are two primary versions which most of the hairstyling salons offer:
Traditional Kerotin Treatments
It is also referred to as Brazilian blowout treatment which completely straightens the texture of your hair. In these treatments, your hair is saturated with a formaldehyde-releasing solution, which is released upon heating. This solution actually shields your hair cuticles from the effects of blow drying and flat heat hair ironing. The results of these treatments last for up to 3 months.
Smoothening Kerotin Treatments
These keratin treatments are designed to de-frizz your hair and give shine without affecting the texture of your hair. The latest versions of smoothening keratin hair treatments are free of formaldehyde. The products used in these treatments penetrate your hair cortex to smooth them and last for about 4-6 months.
Irrespective of formaldehyde content, at the basic level, all keratin treatments use products that penetrate the hair follicle where a porous area is injected with keratin, which is a necessary hair protein. This makes your hair appear healthier and shinier from the inside out.
Prepare Yourself for Some Objectionable Chemicals
Unfortunately, there is not any organic and natural way to completely straighten your hair. If you want smooth and frizz-free hair with smooth texture, you will have to resort to a chemical for your hair, which has a bad rap. Yes, it is formaldehyde. Even if you opt for formaldehyde-free keratin hair treatment, there are risks that the chemical may be present in the formulation of hair straightening treatment.
However, the risk is minimal, if you are getting the treatment 2-3 times a year. But it is not recommended more than four times. Also, make sure you get the treatment from a reputable and well-ventilated hair salon to minimize the effects of formaldehyde release.
What is the Kerotin Hair Treatment Process?
The duration of the kerotin treatment depends on the use of the formula, texture, and volume of your hair. Generally, you can expect to spend 3-4 hours at your salon for kerotin hair treatment.
Upon your arrival at the salon, your hair is washed correctly. After washing, your hairstylist will either directly apply the keratin formulation to your wet hair and let it saturate through your hair strands for about half an hour or first blow dry your hair and then use the kerotin formulation.
All this depends on the type of hair you have as well as the kind of treatment you want. Finally, a hairstylist will straighten the rough and coarse hair strands with a flat hot iron set on low or medium temperature. This process takes time as it may need to be done multiple times until the desired straightening effect is achieved. After this step, the treatment is complete.
Who can Benefit from Kerotin Hair Treatments?
If you are using a flat hair straightening iron regularly or blow dry daily to straighten your hair, then kerotin treatments are for you. Girls who have curly, frizzy, rough and coarse hair are ideal candidates for these treatments.
There are no limitations for hair textures as these treatments work well for both fine and coarse hair textures, especially giving outstanding results for African American hair types.
Is There a Difference Between Kerotin Treatments and Chemical Relaxer Treatments?
Yes, there is a difference between the two. Kerotin treatments are temporary and are gradually washed out from your hair after a few months while results of chemical relaxer straightening treatments are permanent. Different synthetic ingredients are used in both procedures, which deliver different results.
The main ingredients of chemical relaxers are potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or lithium hydroxide or even guanidine hydroxide. These ingredients actually damage and restructure curly hair bonds which make them weak and straight.
Kerotin hair treatments, on the other hand, do not alter the chemical and structural composition of your hair. In kerotin treatment, the porous areas of your hair are injected with essential hair protein, which gives a smooth feel and straightening effect. Its formulation washes out after a few months.
Can I Perform Kerotin Hair Treatments at Home?
Yes, you can find many do-it-at-home kerotin treatment kits in stores and online, but they may not give salon like results. First, you need to look for the right kind of products that suit your hair. Many treatments may have the word ‘kerotin,' but this does not mean they are actually ‘kerotin treatments.'
To achieve optimal results from the do-it-at-home kerotin treatment kit, you should look at the ingredient list of the product you intend to buy. There are lots of hair smoothening treatments that contain intense silicone or other conditioning ingredients. Look for the products that list kerotin as their main ingredient.
After going through the ingredients list, read the instruction. Does the product provide detailed guidance on application, washing, drying and straightening hair? If it is missing, that is probably a conditioning treatment and not a kerotin hair treatment.
Even if you successfully buy a real kerotin hair treatment kit, its results generally don't last as long as those provided by salon hair treatments and wash out after only a few weeks.
Can I get Kerotin Hair treatment On Colored or Dyed Hair?
Absolutely! You can have a kerotin treatment on colored or dyed hair. In fact, you can safely have both color or dye treatment and kerotin treatment without damaging your hair. However, you need to take extra care to keep your hair in good shape and health. It is recommended that you use a shampoo and conditioner free of sulfates once or twice a week when necessary for proper maintenance.
Do the Results of Kerotin Treatments Vary From Person to Person?
If your friend shows off her sleek, straight and shiny strands after receiving a kerotin hair treatment and you expect the same for your hair, you might be wrong. The results of kerotin hair treatments vary from individual to individual, depending on hair texture, the strength of the procedure, temperature of flat-iron used for straightening, a porosity of your hair and many other factors. Although kerotin treatments can straighten even very tight curls, still some ladies may need flat-iron straightening to remove waves.
Who Should Avoid Having Kerotin Hair Treatments?
Pregnant women and those ladies who have damaged their hair due to bleaching should avoid getting kerotin hair treatments.
Additional Tips to Maximize the Results of Kerotin Hair Treatment
You probably know about not using a shampoo for three days following the treatment, but there are also some other things which you can do to extend the life of your kerotin hair treatment.
Three Days Following the Treatment
Avoid Water
Shampoo is not the only thing that will adversely affect your newly straightened strands, water will do it too. Consider your recently treated hair as a wet clay sculpture, which is still pliable and hasn't dried thoroughly.
So, you should keep your hair as dry as possible for the first three days following your kerotin treatment. This means you should make sure your hair does not get in touch with water. In addition to avoiding direct water exposure (such as taking a shower), you should not expose your hair to extremely humid conditions, such as bubble baths or hot steam rooms.
If you are outside and it starts to rain, just open your umbrella and cover your head. Avoid wearing a hat because it could lead to the formation of unwanted waves or lines in your malleable hair, which is something that you don’t want.
Avoid Going to Exercise Classes or Gym
As mentioned above, humidity or sweat is an enemy for your newly treated hair. If you still think you cannot live without exercising in the first three days following the treatment, you can do light yoga or go for a walk, which does not cause sweating. And if you feel that your scalp has become damp, immediately blow dry your hair to keep them in good shape.
Don’t Mess with Your Hair
To achieve the best results from your kerotin hair treatment, leave your hair during the first three days. Don't mess with your hair. Do not use any kind of headbands, pins, elastic bands or rings or any sort of hair accessory.
Don't braid or tuck your hair behind your ears. Just remember that any manipulation can have a lasting impact on the texture and look of your pliable hair.
After Three Days
After you have successfully spent three days, you still need to be cautions to keep your hair in the best shape.
Don’t use Sulfate Shampoos
Using a shampoo with sulfates can shorten the lifespan of your kerotin hair treatment. It is because sulfates work as cleansing agents, which are likely to wash kerotin out of your hair, making them revert to their natural texture. So, try to find sulfate free shampoo and conditioning products that add to the life of your treatment. You can also ask your hairstylist for recommendations.
Don’t Use Products with Alcohol and Salt
There are numerous hairstyling products in the market that contain alcohol and salts, like beach sprays, hairsprays, etc. Most of the leading hairstylists recommend that you do not use the products with these additives because alcohol dries your hair (when your hair are already dehydrated due to kerotin treatment) while salt has abrasive characteristics which dissolve and eliminates kerotin from your tresses.
Don’t Overuse Shampoo
It is okay to use shampoo regularly if you haven’t undergone a kerotin treatment. However, if you have, you will observe that if you shampoo your hair less frequently, your kerotin treatment will last for a more extended period.
It is just like the dyed or streaked hair, the more frequently you wash, the faster it is removed. Most of the professionals recommend shampooing your hair twice a week after a kerotin treatment. Meanwhile, you can consider using a dry-shampoo and blow-drying your hair.
Don’t Forget to Nourish Your Hair
Kerotin hair treatments can make your hair dry. If you leave your hair without nourishment, it may give a dry, rough and damaged look. Treat your hair with some nourishing mask every week to ensure that your treated hair stays smooth, nourished and hydrated. You can make masks at home or can consult professional hairstylists for recommendations.
