Keratin Hair Straightening Treatment

Women with curly, frizzy, unmanageable hair are constantly on the look out for newer methods of straightening their hair. Most of the methods that are in practice today, either do not produce desired results or end up damaging your hair. However, keratin treatment or precisely Brazilian keratin hair straightening treatment, is the latest trend in the hair care industry. Even celebrities also vouch for its efficacy and brilliant results. Needless to say, it has gained tremendous popularity in urban women. Let's explore what keratin hair straightening actually is and what are its advantages and disadvantages.

What is Keratin Hair Straightening Treatment

Keratin is a natural protein which makes up about 88% of your hair. Keratin hair treatment is an infusion of natural keratin in hair without affecting the internal chemical bond of hair. It essentially aims at smoothening the hair cuticle and repairing the hair damage. The treatment is done by infusing keratin formula into freshly washed hair, with the help of heat. A special salt free clarifying shampoo is used for this purpose. Hair is blow dried and partitioned into several sections of strands. Keratin solution is applied to every strand and then straightened up to 5 times with a 450-degree flat iron. The heat of the flat iron helps in better infusion of the keratin solution in hair. The hair are to be kept in this state for about 72 hours. Then, a sodium free shampoo is used to wash the solution off the hair. The end result is smooth, silky, strong, soft and of course straight hair.

Advantages

Keratin treatment for straightening hair virtually works for every hair type from Caucasian, African-American to Asian. Similarly, it also works great for previously chemically treated hair as well as virgin hair. In fact, it works better for chemically treated hair as the open hair shaft allow better infusion of the keratin solution. Also, this is comparatively cheaper treatment with an average cost of about $250. The results are pretty lasting for about 4 months. Water, heat and humidity do not affect the hair treated by this method. Moreover, it repairs the damaged hair and strengthens the hair cuticle. As a result you get stronger and more manageable hair after the treatment.

Disadvantages

The results of this treatment are largely dependent upon the expertise of the hair stylist and the efficacy of the flat iron. Since, you have to keep the solution on for 72 hours, you may feel extremely uncomfortable. If during this process, you happen to wet your hair or bend it in any way, you need to go through the ironing process all over again. The treatment itself takes 2 hours to several hours depending upon the length of your hair. After the treatment, the hair need to be washed with special shampoos which are free from sulfate or sodium. These shampoos may not clean your hair as effectively as your favorite shampoo does. As a result, you'll end up with a feeling of dirty hair and scalp all the time. Moreover, the treatment may slightly lead to alteration in the shade of chemically colored hair. This is particularly true for hair that are dyed blond.

Keratin treatment is indeed great if you want to straighten your hair for some occasion. However, it may not be a good idea to constantly subject your hair to this treatment, as any hair treatment which involves application of heat is bound to affect your hair in the long run.