A keratin hair treatment for curly hair can help you to fight frizz, split ends, and straighten your hair without doing permanent damage to your curls. This treatment has gained popularity among the natural hair community, but has also caused controversy, due to its ingredients and possible side effects.
What is a keratin hair straightening treatment?
Keratin is a protein that makes up the outer layer of skin and hair. This protein protects the cells from damage such as frizz, breakage, and tangles.
When you use a keratin hair treatment, it loosens curls and creates a more manageable texture. These treatments are semi-permanent and are usually used so straightened hair does not frizz, or curl, right away.
- MOROCCAN KERATIN IS A TRUE LONG LASTING KERATIN...
Benefits of keratin treatment
When you use a keratin treatment on natural hair, it can reduce frizz and breakage. It can also give hair a stronger shine than regular styling alone.
If you don’t want to straighten your hair, you can use a keratin treatment for wavy hair that will soften your curls and make them more manageable. Although keratin hair treatments need a lot of heat to set in, they can save you from having to straighten your hair every day and reduce the likelihood of heat damage.
Keratin is preferred over a Brazilian hair straightening treatment because it can last up to twice as long.
Keratin hair treatment side effects
One side effect is that the treatment requires a lot of heat to be effective. If it is not done correctly, you can cause irreversible heat damage to your hair, which won’t allow your curls to bounce back after the treatment wears off.
The second concern that many people have is that most keratin hair treatments contain formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical that is released during keratin treatments.
It is suspected to be a human carcinogen, a carcinogen is a chemical linked to cancer, since hair treatments are not regulated by the government, they are allowed to contain these chemicals. There is a keratin treatment without formaldehyde, but it is not as strong and does not last as long.
Keratin treatment before and after
Before keratin treatments, your hair may be damaged and frizzy. The silicon polymers in the treatment coat the hair shaft to relax it.
This loosens the curls, reduces frizz, and allows the hair to become more manageable. The formaldehyde then links your hair’s keratin with the keratin in the product.
This allows the hair to be straighter for a longer period; this is why formaldehyde free treatments do not last as long. After the treatment, you cannot wash your hair for two to three days and must use a sulfate free shampoo.
It is recommended to use keratin products such as keratin oil, a keratin hair mask, and keratin conditioner to make your treatment last as long as possible.
Keratin hair treatment vs. rebonding
Hair rebonding is the process of chemically relaxing hair, so it becomes straight. Unlike a keratin treatment, this is permanent.
Hair Re-bonding also does not improve the health of hair and may damage it. When a keratin treatment is used for black hair, it can make curls more manageable and less likely to tangle.
If re-bonding is used on natural hair, the hair will permanently lose its curls. The only way to get your curls back after re-bonding it is a transition, or big chop, all of the relaxed hair.
How long does a keratin treatment last?
With proper care and minimal washing, a keratin treatment can last for up to six months. Unlike a Brazilian hair treatment, that can last about three months.
Treatment process
Keratin treatments contain two main ingredients, silicone polymers, and formaldehyde. The silicone coats the hair and relaxes it when the heat from a blow dryer, or flat iron, is applied.
The formaldehyde allows the keratin from the treatment to combine with the keratin found naturally in hair. This allows hair to be straighter for longer.
If you receive a keratin treatment at a salon, the first step is to wash and condition your hair. It is then dried completely, and the keratin straightening treatment is applied.
Then, your hair is blow dried and straightened. After this treatment, you must wait three days to wash your hair.
Many people believe that salon keratin treatments are better, but if you don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars to get it done at a salon, there are many at-home products that you can use to treat your hair and extend the life of your treatment.
Treatment at home
You can create a similar effect at home using a store bought keratin hair treatment. There are multiple options such as liquid keratin.
- Formaldehyde and Aldehyde free.
- Thio Free, Sodium Hydroxide Free, Guanidine Free, Scent Free, Urea Free
- Straightens and smoothes hair.
- Penetrates hair to enhance strength and elasticity and revitalizes dry, damaged, frizzy, and hard to manage hair.
- Enhances shine.
Liquid keratin can also be used with a keratin shampoo and Keratin conditioner to ensure that you get the most keratin during the treatment. This can last up to sixty days.
Another at-home option is to use keratin oil. This can be utilized alone or with other keratin products to fight frizz and repair damaged hair.
If you need to extend the life of your at home treatments, using a keratin hair mask between treatments can keep your hair frizz free and straighter for a longer amount of time. It is a good idea to make one treatment last as long as possible because it is not recommended to get more than four treatments a year.
Products
Liquid Keratin New 60 Day Hair Straighter
- Formaldehyde and Aldehyde free.
- Thio Free, Sodium Hydroxide Free, Guanidine Free, Scent Free, Urea Free
- Straightens and smoothes hair.
- Penetrates hair to enhance strength and elasticity and revitalizes dry, damaged, frizzy, and hard to manage hair.
- Enhances shine.
This product is formaldehyde free. Unlike other treatments, it is washed out immediately, so you do not have to wait to wash your hair.
Organic Keratin Treatment
- THREE STEP KERATIN TREATMENT SET created to offer...
- STEP 1: PRE-TREATMENT SHAMPOO has been designed to...
- STEP 2: FORMALDEHYDE-FREE ORGANIC KERATIN SYSTEM...
- STEP 3: POST-TREATMENT MASK has been especially...
- KIT CONTAINS: 3 products each set
This treatment kit includes formaldehyde free pre-shampoo, keratin hair treatment with argan oil, and keratin hair mask. It can last for up to three to four months.
This shampoo and conditioner are both organic and contain cocoa butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, and keratin. These products can be used to repair damaged hair and prolong the life of your keratin hair treatment.
Keratin Oil
- Smoothing Keratin Oil | Give damaged, over-processed hair a miracle makeover with HASK Keratin Protein Smoothing Hair Oil. This lightweight, alcohol-free instantly absorbing oil provides a gorgeous shine with no oily residue.
- Soften & Renews | Infused with hydrolyzed keratin to smooth and reduce frizz, this oil penetrates hair to leave frizzy, dry hair soft, smooth and incredibly shiny.
- Use For Wet & Dry Hair | Can be used on both wet and dry hair to create a silky, smooth finish. Apply a coin-sized amount evenly throughout hair, avoiding the root area. Style as desired. For the most moisturized hair imaginable, use HASK Keratin Hair Oil for shine and frizz control.
- Kit Includes | 2 Hair Oil Vials to soften & renew.
- Free of | Sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten and drying alcohol.
This spray combines coconut oil, avocado oil, and keratin to repair damage hair, reduce frizz, and add shine to hair. If you want your blowout to last, or if you want easier to manage shiny, luscious curls, then a keratin hair treatment may be an option for you. The treatment can be done at a salon, or at home, and save you time and money in the long run. A keratin hair treatment for curly hair can protect your hair from continuous heat, and repair the damage that’s been done to your hair from everyday things such as heat and dryness.
Hey Curl Friend, I’m Patrina Haupt the creator and author of Natural Hair Queen. I hope you find my healthy hair care tips helpful in your hair journey. Healthy hair care practices are definitely, what helped me to achieve waist length hair.
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I have 3c hair. I want to know if the keratin treatment makes the hair grow?
Keratin treatments help to rebuild lost protein in the hair. In turn, if you have the correct protein and moisture balance your hair will not break and you will see more growth.
hi! I feel that i have really pretty waves and I have a thick volume hair but it is really very frizzy so can I do keratin treatment to get rid of frizz and not change my waves at all? I dont want straight hair as I dont like them so what should I do??
Mansha, Before a keratin treatment I would first switch out your hair care products to see if they are to blame. As well as incorporating moisturizing deep conditioners and cream-based products.
I have done my keratin treatment by salon. They used GK keratin product for keratin treatment and they said keratin treatment gives u 40% straight hairs not 100% or 80% and i have very frizzy hairs nd curls moreover i have front head curls.. so i want to knw whta is the texture of my hairs after first wash.
Hello Jasleen, Anytime you chemically process the hair with keratin you are changing the curl pattern of your hair. You would need to grow out the processes hair to see what your curl pattern is you cannot base it off of the processed hair.
Will a keratin treatment completely straighten curly hair? All I want is for my curl bob to not be a frizzy mess in the summer. Can keratin help with this, or will I end up with sort-of straight hair that looks blah?
Hi Robin, The goal of the keratin treatment is to straighten the hair. From my understanding is that it won’t be straight as though you had a perm but it will take out most of the curl pattern.
I will be doing a home Keratin treatment for the first time using an organic product. i have very curl hair but do not want to lose all my curls. Could i use a curling want instead of a straightener to lock in the heat but not have super straight hair at the end?
I’m not sure if that is the best option as I have yet to see this done.
I did my first keratin treatment, and I have discovered that my hair is not 100 percent straight after washing my hair on the fourth day, of the treatment. My keratin treatment eliminated about 70-80 percent of my curls but not a 100 percent of my curls. Did my salon worker, not apply the keratin treatment properly or is the keratin treatment made to be this way.
I do not believe this treatment works the same as a perm and your hair will not be bone straight.
Once the treatment washes out, will my curls come back how they were?
Hi Huda, this treatment makes the hair straight.
Will the treated hair ever revert to its natural curls?
Sadly, no as the structure of the hair has been altered.
Is there any way to speed up the process of the treatment being washed out. I had this treatment done 6 months ago and only the bottom 2 inches of my hair have slightly curled, the hair near my scalp has not changed. Is there anything I can do?
Hi Bsaibes, from my understanding you have to wait until your hair grows out.
I had 3b curls. I got rebonding done two years back. The straight hair lasted for just 4 months and then the crown would be Curly and the bottom hair straight. I look LIKE A MESS NOW!
Is rebonding a treatment for the hair to change the state of the hair?
Hi – I got a perm and it was awful. The hair dresser admittedly messed up, leaving me with kinky hair. Thankfully, my regular hairdresser is a magician – she has done an express keratin treatment and while it is not straight, it feels so much better.
Next, in a few months she will do a complete keratin treatment (the one that takes four hours) but it is formaldahyde free.
Will this loosen my kinky curl? (I hope yes) and is there a difference between a formaldahyde free hair treatment and hair botox (no needles, the deep conditioning one)?
Thank you!
a formaldahyde free keratin treatment* and botox hair
Hello Frida, From my understanding this treatment will however, I must note since it causes the hair structure to change you will need to give your hair a lot of TLC so it doesn’t become damaged.
It was interesting to learn that keratin allows the hair to be more manageable, especially when keeping it straight. My wife wants to change her curly hair but is tired of straightening it every day. I will let her know to look into getting keratin treatment to help her get the desired look she is looking for.
Thanks!