There are few things more frustrating than waking up to a bad hair day. Whether it's uncontrolled frizz, limp hair, frizzy split ends, or other noticeable breakage, it's no fun leaving the house unless your hair is looking its best. If your hair is rough and damaged enough to have more bad days than good days, a keratin treatment may be just what you need to get your tresses back into shape. Keratin can help soften, strengthen, and smooth hair, making it softer, shinier, thicker, and more manageable.
But there are many keratin treatments on the market and not all are created equal. If you are looking for a keratin treatment, you may be wondering what kind is right for your hair.
Keratin strengthens the protein bonds within hair follicles, making your strands more resistant to breakage and damage.
What is keratin?
Keratin is a protein naturally found in hair, skin and nails.
Hair is actually made up mostly of keratin. It is found in the hair's outer layers, where it serves as protection from external damage, and in the hair follicle, where it provides structural strength.
When your hair is damaged, it loses keratin, making it more porous and prone to further damage.
Restoring the keratin in your strands can smooth their surface, making them stronger and more elastic, making your hair look and feel healthier.
Benefits of Keratin Treatments
If your hair is dry, brittle, or damaged, keratin treatments can help repair its structure and restore moisture to your locks.
Keratin treats the hair from the inside out. Strengthens the protein bonds within the follicle to make it more resistant to breakage and damage.
As keratin treatments repair and strengthen your hair, your locks will appear smoother and shinier.
Keratin helps smooth the outside of the hair, minimizing frizz and flyaways.
(Video) KERATIN TREATMENTS | EXPOSING THE TRUTH ABOUT BRAZILIAN KERATINDepending on the type of treatment you use, keratin can also help straighten curly or wavy hair.
Heat styling can seriously damage your hair, but apply a keratin treatment before blow-drying or blow-dryingCrimperIt can cover your hair and protect it from damage.
Did you know?
Keratin is found in the outer layers of the hair where it serves as protection against external damage. It is also found in the hair follicle where it gives strength.
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Who Needs Keratin Treatments?
Keratin treatments work particularly well on damaged hair. If you color your hair, use bleach, or do a lot of heat styling, you will likely benefit from a keratin treatment.
Keratin treatments also work well for curly, wavy, and thick hair that tends to get frizzy and unruly.
However, if you have fine, straight hair, you should be careful when using extremely strong keratin treatments.
Types of Keratin Treatments
Professional keratin treatment
Salon quality keratin treatments are extremely powerful and are generally used to soften and smooth hair. Results usually last four to six months, so don't do this more than a few times a year.
You can purchase some professional at-home treatments, but these treatments can contain dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde. It's important to check the ingredient list before purchasing a professional keratin treatment.
keratin oil treatment
A keratin oil treatment is similar to a leave-in, so it can be used on a daily basis. Helps to strengthen and smooth hair and add shine. Because it is oil based, it is extremely moisturizing. Therefore, it is better to leave keratin oil treatments only for dry and rough hair.
No-rinse keratin treatment
Leave-in keratin treatments are gentler than the professional treatments above. These treatments are used to soften, strengthen and moisturize the hair. In most cases, you can use leave-in keratin treatment products on a daily basis. The keratin leave-in conditioner is best applied when your hair is wet and freshly washed.
Deep conditioning keratin treatment
A keratin deep conditioner or hair mask is similar to a leave-in treatment in that it is very gentle and is designed to restore moisture to strengthen and smooth the hair. However, because it's so moisturizing, it's typically only used once or twice a week in place of your regular conditioner.
"Keratin treatments work well for curly, wavy, and thick hair that tends to get frizzy and unruly."
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other ingredients
While keratin is the key component in keratin treatments, many products use other ingredients to enhance their moisturizing, smoothing, and strengthening properties.
Look for keratin treatments with natural oils like argan, olive, macadamia nut, orCoconut beer. These oils moisturize the hair, add shine and strengthen the strands.
Stronger moisturizing ingredients like mango, shea and coconut butter are also included in some keratin treatments. These ingredients form a protective barrier on the hair to limit further damage.
Humectants and emollients such as vegetable glycerin and honey are sometimes used to attract and lock moisture into the hair for even better hydration.
Natural ingredients like aloe vera can also be used to promote healthy hair growth.
For professional keratin treatments, look for products that are formaldehyde-free or contain only a small amount of formaldehyde to avoid potential health risks.
Are keratin treatments easy to use?
Most keratin treatments are fairly easy to apply.
Leave-in and oil treatments can generally be applied to damp or dry hair and simply massaged into strands until treatment is evenly distributed and fully absorbed.
Deep conditioning keratin treatments should be applied to wet hair and massaged in for even distribution. Depending on the manufacturer's instructions, they should generally remain on the hair for five to 15 minutes.
(Video) 5 HAIR TIPS that will make you LOOK YOUNGER after 50!Professional keratin treatments are the most difficult to apply. They typically last two to three hours, and applying the product to yourself can be challenging. It is recommended to dry the hair with a hair dryer or iron after the treatment has dried, which will take more time.
How quickly do you see the results of a keratin treatment?
Professional keratin treatments show immediate results, but with regular use it can take up to a month to see results with leave-in, deep conditioning and keratin oil treatments.
Leave-in and oil treatments should be used daily, while deep conditioning treatments can be used weekly.
With a professional keratin treatment, the result usually lasts four to six months, so you only need to use it about twice a year. You may be able to prolong the results by using other keratin treatments in the meantime.
keratin treatment prices
Keratin treatments vary in price depending on the type of treatment and the ingredients used. You can expect to pay anywhere8 US-Dollar bis 100 US-Dollarfor a good keratin treatment.
For a professional keratin treatment you usually pay between$30 and $100.
For a keratin treatment without rinsing, you usually pay in between8 US$ und 25 US$.
For a keratin deep conditioner you usually pay between$10 and $30.
You usually pay for a keratin oil treatment in between10 US$ und 45 US$.
Cautious
When your hair loses keratin, it becomes more porous and prone to damage.
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Keratin Treatment Tips
Do you want your good results to last longer? Using a keratin-enriched shampoo and conditioner can help prolong the results of a keratin treatment.
For best results, focus keratin treatments on the tips and ends of your hair, where most damage is likely to occur.
The right amount of keratin treatment product for your hair depends on the length of your locks. Short hair usually only needs one to two drops, while longer hair needs three to four drops.
You can use most keratin treatments on a daily or weekly basis. Results from professional treatments or salon treatments typically last four to six months, so you should only use them a few times a year.
At-home keratin treatments are less effective on their own, but you can also use them to prolong the results of a professional salon treatment.
When using a professional formaldehyde keratin treatment, wear eye protection and aBreathing maskTo protect you
If you're using a keratin deep conditioner or mask, putting on a shower cap or covering your head with plastic wrap will help. This can generate heat that helps the keratin penetrate the hair more efficiently.
Regular use of keratin treatment products can help keep your hair looking smoother, thicker, and younger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are keratin treatments dangerous?
A.Some professional keratin treatments contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Exposure can cause watery and burning eyes, an itchy throat, and even nosebleeds. If you have asthma, bronchitis, or another respiratory condition, it's best to avoid salon-quality keratin treatments.
Q. How often can a keratin treatment be used?
A.This depends on the type of keratin treatment. Oil and leave-in treatments can generally be used daily, while deep conditioning treatments are generally recommended for weekly use. Professional treatments or salon treatments are so powerful that they typically only need to be applied every four to six months. Always consult the manufacturer's instructions to determine proper use.
FAQs
What is the best rated keratin treatment? ›
Final Verdict. The Nexxus Keraphix Gel Treatment for Damaged Hair earns the top spot on our list, a protein-rich reparative treatment that can easily be used all-over hair or just on targeted areas that need a little strengthening boost, like brittle ends.
What is the next best thing to keratin treatment? ›- Japanese Hair Straightening. ...
- Brazilian Blowout. ...
- Tourmaline Hair Smoothing Treatment.
If you're looking for a less-damaging, truly formaldehyde-free treatment, ask your salon if they use a treatment containing glyoxylic acid instead. They don't straighten hair as dramatically (they're more for boosting shine and fighting frizz), but they're also a lot safer.
What keratin treatment does Meghan Markle use? ›While in the UK during her pre-Harry days, Meghan saw hairstylist Theonie Kakoulli at Nicky Clarke for Keratin treatments to straighten her curls. "She has really beautiful hair," Theonie told People.
Which keratin treatment is formaldehyde free? ›Kerarganic - Formaldehyde Free - Organic Keratin Treatment Set 2oz.
Which is better Brazilian or keratin? ›Keratin treatments offer more smoothing and deep conditioning benefits than the Brazilian Blowout. They generally tend to straighten your hair and reduce the volume of your locks.
What is the difference between Brazilian keratin treatment and keratin treatment? ›Similar to a Brazilian blowout, a keratin treatment aims to de-frizz hair and cut down on styling time, notes Michael. However, whereas Brazilian blowouts will give your hair a straighter finish, keratin treatments will create more of a loose body wave, he explains.
Is a professional keratin treatment worth it? ›Keratin treatments make hair more manageable, especially if your hair is particularly frizzy or thick. If you constantly heat style your hair, you'll notice that with a keratin treatment your hair dries more quickly. Some people estimate that keratin cuts their drying time by more than half.
Is there permanent keratin treatment? ›Keratin treatments are semi-permanent, meaning that after a few months, the results start to wash out. Your hair won't return to its natural state, and you might not like the look of how new hair growth looks at the crown of your head.
Which hair treatment is least damaging? ›Keratin treatments have become increasingly popular over the past few years, and with good reason. They are one of the safer hair straightening techniques out there. Keratin is a natural protein that is already found in our hair, however as protein content decreases with age and a poor diet, so do keratin levels.
Why is my hair still frizzy after keratin treatment? ›
"After any Keratin Treatment, the Moisture vs. Protein balance in our hair will be "out-of-sync" due to the high protein concentration used during the procedure. This will cause hair to feel rough, coarse and brittle in the short or long term if nothing is done to counteract it.
What is healthier keratin or Brazilian blowout? ›Keratin treatments are healthier for your hair due to the keratin molecules that fortify your hair internally and externally. Keratin will also make your hair more manageable.
Does keratin mess up your hair? ›The high heat and strong chemicals used in keratin treatments risk making your hair dry, brittle and prone to breakage. People with fine hair and/or already processed hair should be especially wary, since their more delicate strands may not be able to withstand the treatment without breaking.
What hair treatments do the Kardashians use? ›Kardashian has voiced her love for Olaplex products for years now, especially the Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, and with over 64,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, it's easy to see that her beloved go-to is also a shopper favorite.
Which lasts longer Brazilian blowout or keratin? ›A Brazilian blowout typically lasts about three months where a keratin treatment typically lasts three to five months. This all depends on how often you shampoo and the natural texture of your hair.
Why is Meghan Markle's hair not Curly? ›Meghan Markle straightens her hair via keratin treatments.
After all, women of all races and backgrounds opt for various styling methods to look and feel their best. With that in mind, People shares that Meghan not only straightens her naturally curly hair, she is a fan of this popular treatment: a keratin treatment.
Cysteine treatment is known to be quite safe as compared to keratin. In fact, this can even be used when you are pregnant.
How do you avoid formaldehyde in a keratin treatment? ›Wear Protective Coverings. “Hair care workers should wear appropriate protective equipment including gloves and aprons to protect against inappropriate formaldehyde or noxious chemical exposures” says Dr. Palm. Repeated skin contact with the chemicals found in keratin treatments can cause rashes and skin irritation.
Can keratin treatment be done without formaldehyde? ›Choose formaldehyde-free keratin treatments, such as ones that contain glyoxylic acid, to be safe. However, the latter could be less effective. Make a decision based on your priorities.
How much does keratin treatment cost? ›The average keratin treatment cost ranges from $82 to $400. The term “keratin treatment” is an umbrella for many services, ranging from the popular Brazilian blowout to the newer line of Cezanne keratin treatments.
Which lasts longer keratin or smoothing? ›
As a result, smoothing lasts longer than keratin therapy and is more economically viable. In addition, smoothing products and treatments work from the inside, repairing and preventing damage so that the hair is sleek.
How long does a keratin blowout last? ›That means that you can style it with ease. Both treatments last you for up to three months when taken care of properly.
Which is better for thin hair smoothing or keratin? ›Hair stylists and product manufacturers generally recommend keratin treatments for coarse, thick, frizzy, or curly hair. If you have thin hair that is course or curly, you may want to try a keratin treatment. If your thin hair is fine or straight, keratin treatments may not be the best styling choice for you.
Which is a better option keratin or smoothing? ›Both The Treatments Ensure Shiny, Soft And Frizz-free Hair. The Results Of Smoothening Last For 2-3 Months, While Keratin Therapy Results Last Upto 5 Months. Keratin Therapy Nourishes The Hair, Repairing It From Inside Out, And Adds Extreme Shine And Softness To The Hair.
Which is better keratin spa or keratin treatment? ›Keratin treatment makes your hair manageable, frizz free and reduces dryness by filling in the lost keratin from your hair whereas hair spa includes massage, steam, hair wash and serum. When compared, a keratin treatment lasts longer than a hair spa.
What are the disadvantages of keratin? ›You might miss your hair volume after the treatment as your hair will become sleek and smooth. Hair can turn greasy and limp very quickly in the absence of frizz. Keratin hair treatments are expensive, especially since they only last for three to six months.
Can you do a keratin treatment every 2 months? ›Keratin Complex is the strongest and longer lasting of the company's treatments and can be performed every 4-5 months, depending on the texture of the hair, the home care and the frequency of the shampooing process. The courser the hair, the curlier the hair, the faster the maintenance.
Can you curl your hair after keratin treatment? ›Generally speaking, it is okay to use heat styling tools on your hair post keratin treatment, whether that be blow dryers, a curling iron, or a flat iron. This can be done as soon as the product is washed out of the hair.
How do you tie your hair after keratin treatment? ›In the first week, go in with soft ties. To keep your hair out of your face, keep your hair tie or accessory loose. In the first week, avoid any stretching or tension-building. The fact that newly keratinized strands are still in the post-processing recovery stage makes them susceptible to breaking under tension.
How long does full keratin last? ›A full keratin treatment lasts about four to five months with proper aftercare. The express treatment lasts about one or two months, making the full treatment worth the extra time spent with the process.
What is the number 1 hair care line? ›
Olaplex is #1, followed by GHD and Babyliss in Cosmetify's 'Most Popular Hair Brands. '
What damages your hair most? ›- Washing your hair by rubbing shampoo into the length of your hair.
- Skipping the conditioner.
- Drying your hair by rubbing it with a towel.
- Brushing your hair while it is wet.
- Using a blow dryer, hot comb, or curling iron.
- Applying styling products that offer long-lasting hold.
CHI Keratin Silk Infusion
It helps replenish super thirsty cuticles with its antioxidant-rich formula without stripping the hair of its natural oils. This rich leave-in treatment also works to reduce frizz and improve shine.
...
Do not get your hair wet!
- When you shower, use the absolute best shower cap. ...
- If you work out and/or sweat, get to a dryer asap. ...
- No swimming, not even with a swim cap.
- No saunas, baths, hot tubs, steam showers, skiing, skating.
Keragen - Brazilian Keratin Smoothing Treatment, Blowout Straightening System for Dry and Damaged Hair, Formaldehyde Free - Eliminate Curls and Frizz, Fine to Medium Hair, Clarifying Shampoo, Argan oil and Mask, Salon Kit, Combo set.
Does Brazilian Blowout keratin have formaldehyde? ›FDA found that Brazilian Blowout contains methylene glycol, the liquid form of formaldehyde, which releases formaldehyde when hair treated with the product is heated with a blow dryer and then with a hot flat iron.
Does keratin have formaldehyde? ›Keratin used in beauty treatments is usually from these the skin, hair, or nails or animals. While keratin is a natural protein, these products are made with several other added ingredients, including a chemical called formaldehyde. The American Cancer Society warns that formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.
Does keratin cause hair thinning? ›Yes, keratin treatments can cause hair fall. This is especially true for women who receive the keratin treatment more than once or twice per year. This is because keratin treatments involve a chemical process that can cause damage to the hair and scalp, leading to increased shedding of hair strands.
Which hair treatment is better than keratin? ›Cysteine treatment is known to be quite safe as compared to keratin. In fact, this can even be used when you are pregnant. Of course, consult your doctor before you go that route. This treatment is also better than keratin and most other hair treatments.
What is the difference between keratin and Brazilian keratin? ›Similar to a Brazilian blowout, a keratin treatment aims to de-frizz hair and cut down on styling time, notes Michael. However, whereas Brazilian blowouts will give your hair a straighter finish, keratin treatments will create more of a loose body wave, he explains.
How many times a year should you do a keratin treatment? ›
Keratin treatments shouldn't be done more than three times a year, as over time they can start to damage hair. Summer, when frizz is more pronounced because of humidity, is generally when people want to get them done.
Which lasts longer keratin or Brazilian? ›A Brazilian blowout typically lasts about three months where a keratin treatment typically lasts three to five months. This all depends on how often you shampoo and the natural texture of your hair.
Does keratin damage your hair? ›Keratin treatments can help repair damaged hair, making it stronger and less prone to breakage. However, if treatments are done too often, it can eventually lead to hair damage.
What does Meghan Markle do to her hair? ›Meghan Markle relies on keratin treatments to smooth out her hair, eliminate frizz, and strengthen against breakage. When she first began straightening her hair, she experimented with relaxers and Japanese thermal reconditioning but owing to damage, she now uses only keratin treatments.
Which is better for frizzy hair keratin or smoothing? ›Both The Treatments Ensure Shiny, Soft And Frizz-free Hair. The Results Of Smoothening Last For 2-3 Months, While Keratin Therapy Results Last Upto 5 Months. Keratin Therapy Nourishes The Hair, Repairing It From Inside Out, And Adds Extreme Shine And Softness To The Hair.
Which treatment is best for frizzy hair? ›- Hot Oil Treatments: Hot oil treatment helps restore the moisture of the hair. ...
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise works as a conditioner. ...
- Apple Cider Vinegar: ...
- Avocado: ...
- Egg Whites, Apple Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil: ...
- Tea: ...
- Coconut Oil Treatment:
Unlike Japanese hair straightening which results to stick-straight locks, a Keratin Treatment primarily prevents frizz while only reducing the wave or curl but makes it super easy and quick to get the hair to become stick-straight with minimum effort.